William Crook, born 1612 in England, is reputed to have married Elizabeth Matthews.

In 1635 he was licensed at the Port of London to "go beyond the seas". His passage payment (on the ship "Thomas and John" with 80 others) of 50 acres of land is recorded in Elizabeth City, County of Virginia in 1636.

Due to timing and location he was no doubt the father of Thomas Crook.

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Thomas Crook, son of William, married a woman named Ann. He was active in land and court records of Charles City County, VA. (now northern Prince George County) for many years. Thomas Crook is listed in a land transaction of 1665 as a neighboring land owner in the vicinity of "Old Towne" (an Indian village) adjacent to "Merchants Hope", about eight miles south of James River below and southeast of present day Petersburg.

In Westover, 17 Nov 1662, he sold land to William Tomlinson. On 20 April 1663, Anthony Wyatt obtained a judgement of 518 pounds against Thomas due in tobacco for levies and fees. On 18 Oct 1664, Rice Hoe was ordered to defend a claim by Thomas, and on 15 September 1665, he was security for Thomas Chappell for cattle belonging to Chappell's child. He was released and new security obtained.

By far the most interesting bit of data in the records concerns Thomas Crook's wife, Ann. In Westover on 25 February 1663-64, Richard Baker brought suit against Thomas Crook and his wife Ann alleging that Ann had gossiped about Baker's wife. It was brought before a twelve man jury and they came to a decision. The verdict was "We find for the plaintiff as his wife has been much abused in her reputation. Upon which verdict it is the judgement of the court that according to account for her scandulous abuses, the defendant Ann Crook be three times ducked and her husband pay costs.

Everything points to the supposition that Thomas Crook and Ann had two sons, Solomon Crook I and Robert Crook. Solomon Crook I had the right timing and his land lay 15 miles south of that of Thomas according to records in Elizabeth City County, Virginia (1692). There were probably other children.

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Solomon Crook I owned land in Elizabeth City County, Virginia, in 1692. He died before 1761. Solomon I obtained a land patent on 19 April 1662 for 647 acres in "Ye Second Swamp". This was a joint deed with Henry Randolph, James Cocke, and John Golightey. There are a number of records involving him in land transactions in Prince George County.

On 14 August 1716, George Crook I sold 89 acres of land granted to Solomon Crook I on 29 April 1692. This proves that George I was the son of Solomon Crook I. Undoubtedly there were other children.

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George Crook I was born about 1695. His wife's name was Elizabeth.

We first find a record of him on the 1704 tax list of Prince George County, VA and he apparently inherited his father's land (Solomon I). George has a number of land transactions in Prince George County, Virginia, in which his wife, Elizabeth, relinquished her dower. Records indicate they lived on the frontier in what is now Dinwiddie County. They came back to Prince George County on 11 Sept 1731 and baptized five of their children: Martha, Mary, Tabitha, Joseph, and James. All are recorded in the Bristol Parish Register.

It is important that there are no other records of people named "Crook" in southside Virginia at this period so we are pretty safe in our assumptions regarding this family. Early records in Bristol Parish are lost. Deeds and land records preserved indicate that George Crook I had two children, (maybe more) George II and Solomon II, born prior to the children given above.

Children: George II, Solomon II b. ca 1710-14, Martha D. b. 9 Apr 1715, Mary D., b. 28 March 1717, Tabitha b. 8 Feb 1719, Joseph b. 28 Aug 1722, d. 1800-02, m. Elizabeth, James b. 27 Jan 1725, d. 1793 NC, m. Elizabeth.

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George Crook II, son of George Crook I, was born ca. 1710-14 and died ca 1790 in Brunswick County VA. He married Mary Irby. George Crook II, with some of his brothers moved to Brunswick County, VA prior to 6 Oct 1748. On that date Charles Gloster sold George Crook 90 acres on the north side of Waqua Creek, adjoining James Love, for 20 shillings. On 7 Feb 1756, Chas. Gloster again sold George 70 acres for 20 pounds. George continued to add to his acreage and on 24 April 1769 he bought from James and John Love another tract of land on Waqua Creek. In 1782 George Crook Sr. (II), George Crook Jr., (III), James Crook, and Joseph Crook were on the tax list for Brunswick County, VA. That same year George, James and Joseph filed a claim for furnishing revolutionary war supplies.

By 1793 George Crook II was dead. On 5 Dec 1793 a deed of gift was recorded in which Joseph, George, James, John, Irby Crook, Robert Hailey, Elizabeth Crook, Martha and Polly Crook for "the natural love and affection we have and bear to our two youngest brothers convey to Giles Crook and Solomon Crook (III) 180 acres on the north side of Waqua Creek".

At about this point in time the children of George II began to die. Four were men in the prime of life and a daughter between Dec 1793 and Dec 1803. I am inclined to think they died of tuberculosis although it could have been typhoid fever or some other fatal disease. Joseph, George, John, Solomon and Elizabeth died. Solomon apparently was not married as he died without heirs.

On 25 December 1803, James and Irby Crook, Robert Hailey and wife Molly Crook, Sherrod Piercy and wife Martha Crook, William Scroggins and wife Patty (Polly) Crook brought a Chancery Suit against Giles Crook adm. for Solomon deced., the minor heirs of Joseph decd., the minor heirs of George decd., and the minor heirs of John Crook decd. This was apparently a suit to separate the land they held in common into separate holdings. It is unclear, however, that the surviving children sued the estates of those children who were deceased. No doubt the surviving children rushed to sell their land but it was impossible to do so as long as a portion of the land belonged to the many minor heirs.

A word more should be said about all the deaths in this family occuring so close together. George Crook II died about 1790 or 1793. Although it was the prevailing custom he did not leave a will, nor did his children except Joseph who died between his death and 1803. This suggests that their deaths were unexpected and almost rules out my idea that they died with tuberculosis which is a lingering disease and one with which they were familiar.

The children of George Crook II were: Joseph II d. 1793-1803 m. 21 Jan 1783 Elizabeth Berry; George d. 1793-1803; James m. 24 Dec 1793 Frances Robinson; John d. 1800-02 m. 24 May 1790 Rebecca Naser; Irby m. 24 May 1798 Sally Traylor; Elizabeth d. 1793-1803 prob. unmarried; Martha m 30 Aug 1795 Sherrod Piercy; (Polly) Patty m. 14 Dec 1796 William Scroggins; Giles, living in Dinwiddie County in 1803 m 3 June 1800 Sarah Ward Kelly; Solomon d 1793-1803 never married; Molly Crook m 29 Nov 1781 Robert Hailey.

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Joseph Crook II, son of George Crook II, died between 1800 and 1803 in Brunswick Co., Virginia. He married 21 Jan 1783, Elizabeth Berry. His will was dated 8 August 1800 and proved in 1804. Joseph Crook must have died while a young man as all of his children were minors, however the two eldest sons were old enough to ride a horse when he made his will. As executor of the will he named his wife, Elizabeth, and John Hardaday. It was witnessed by Thomas Ingram, John Ingram, and George Berry. The childrens' names are from his will and from the Chancery suit brought Dec. 26, 1803. They are: Berry born 1784, Joseph III born about 1785, David born 1786-1790, and Marry Ann Crook who married a Wesson.

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Joseph Crook III, the son of Joseph Crook II and Elizabeth Berry, was born about 1785 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He died without leaving a will or worldly possessions on June 20, 1843, near Wentworth, Rockingham County, North Carolina. He married 4 Dec 1806 in Brunswick County, Elizabeth Gooden Collier who was born 1793 in Virginia. She died 1882 in Smith or Wilson County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of William Collier.

Joseph Crook III grew up in Brunswick County, Virginia as a member of a large extended family who owned considerable land and many slaves. His father died while Joseph was still a minor and records indicate that he continued to live with his mother even after his marriage. He was apparently living in her home when the census was taken in 1810.

In 1812 Joseph Crook III was in the army. (File W. C. 3533)

After the War of 1812 he moved to Rockingham County, North Carolina. Prior to moving he bought from Daniel Wirsham of Rockingham County, 256 acres on Dan Creek for $1,09997.50 on 22 May 1815 (Bk P, p376-377). There are records of numerous other transactions made by Joseph from 1815 to 1825.

Something drastic must have happened to Joseph Crook between April 1825 and Sep 1827. Records show that he owed money, sold his home, many of his slaves, his animals, farm equipment and even his housewares. He died on 20 June 1843 and did not see the last of his possessions sold. Strangely enough the 1840 census shows that he still had five slaves.

One of his daughters (Elizabeth G. Crook Sykes) said that her father was a "delicate" man and that when she and her brothers went to the mill they also bought whisky for him. She knew that her father was a well educated man who taught in an academy in Virginia. When he moved to North Carolina, he lived in an isolated spot where there were no schools. Because of this, Joseph's children did not go to school. Elizabeth felt that her father should have taught his children but he did not. Consequently she never learned to read and write.

A careful study reveals that Joseph Crook III and his wife had at least eleven children. All of them can be accounted for except two. A daughter who was about 10 in 1820 is not in the home in 1830 and there is no record of her marriage. In 1840 there is a son between age 5 and 10 who is unaccounted for. This leaves us with the names of nine children:

Rebecca B. Crook who married Clark Mize 9 Sep 1826
Virginia who married Benjamin Green 7 Sep 1836
Mary who married William C. Gorgan 27 Mar 1837
Joseph who married Ann Shreve 26 Nov 1840
William Ephraim born 1821 who married first, Susan Lynch 8 Aug 1843 and second: Sarah "Sallie" Ann Agee (Not sure about that marriage date)
Elizabeth Gooden Crook born 28 Jan 1829 in NC and died 12 Jan 1912 in Atkins, Arkansas. She is buried in Prairie View, Arkansas. She married 12 Feb 1849 in Smith County, Tennessee, Mr. Robert M. Sykes.
Calvin J. Crook born 1826, married 21 Apr 1850 to Elizabeth Carter in Smith County, TN
Minerva C. Crook married a Mr. Tuck and lived in Smith Co., TN.
Tabitha Crook was born 1834 and was living with her mother in Smith County in 1850. She married 31 July 1852, Mr. Pinkney Bailey.

After Joseph Crook III died, his widow, Elizabeth G. Collier Crook filed on 3 March 1858 an application for bounty land due her husband for his service in the War of 1812. This application proves many of the facts stated above.

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Elizabeth Gooden Crook was the daughter of Joseph Crook III and Elizabeth Gooden Collier. She was born 28 January 1829 in Rockingham County, NC and died 12 Jan 1912 in Atkins, Arkansas. She is buried in Prairie View, Arkansas. She married Robert M. Sykes on 12 Feb 1849 in Smith County Tennessee. He is listed in the family bible as Major Allen Sykes. On his marriage record he gave the name of Major A. Sykes. He is also found as Silks and Sikes.

They also lived somewhere near Bowling Green, KY. About 1868 they moved to Arkansas.

Elizabeth Gooden Crook and Robert Sykes had: Elizabeth b ca 1850, Eliza Jane b 31 Mar 1853, Tennessee (Tennie) born 22 Nov 1861, James (Jim) Lavander.

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Elizabeth Gooden Crook and her husband Robert Sykes' daughter: Elizabeth Jane Sykes, married 20 Aug 1869 Mr. William Henry Jones. Their children were:

Minnie Belle, Jordy Clemey, Roland Virgil, Henry Arnold, James William, Ralph Orlee, Angel Son, Robert Carl, Roscoe Franklin.

James William Jones, born 9 Aug 1879, married Mary Wear on 28 Oct 1902. Their children were:

Rapha Olga Jones b. 23 Aug 1903
James William Jones b. 22 Aug 1906
Harrold Byron Jones b. 24 June 1914
Lora Love Jones b 13 July 1916

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William Ephraim Crook was the son of Joseph Crook III and Elizabeth Gooden Collier. He was born 17 Nov 1821 in VA. He married Susan Lynch 8 August 1843. She died soon thereafter, probably in childbirth. His second wife was Sarah "Sallie" Ann Agee whom he married 2 Nov 1846.

Their children were Bessie, Nellie, Melinda Jane, Sarah Elizabeth, Mary Frances, Agness Ann, Rebecca Catherine, Nancio Garnat, Martha Tennessee, John Henry, James Edward, William Ephraim, Jr., and Joseph Robert.

Sarah Elizabeth Crook was born 9 Feb 1850 in Bledsoe County, TN and died 9 July 1902 in Logan County, Arkansas. She married David Whitecotton who was born April 1849 in Bledsoe Co., TN. They had James M. "Jim" Whitecotton about 1881 in Shoal Creek, Logan County, Arkansas. Jim Whitecotton married Parilee Virginia Lowe 5 Aug 1899 in Logan County, AR.

Jim and Parilee had Bessie Whitecotton born about 1900 in Logan Co., AR. She married Claude Horn in 1917. They had Arlis Faye.

William Ephraim Crook and Sallie Agee also had William Ephraim Jr. who married Army Mitchell and Ella Layton Shoe.

William Ephraim and Sallie had a daughter Martha Tennessee who married James Jackson Hudson. They lived in Sebastian County, Arkansas, and had a large family, as well.

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