Uncle Baylor Cook provided for brother Frank’s children, solving their identity in the process.
“This deposit of Mr. Baylor Cook is made for the benefit of the following named children, children of his deceased brother Frank Cook, to wit, Virginia, Richmond, Emelia, and Richard Cook.” On October 16th, 1867, Baylor Cook, self described as mulatto age 57, filled out account card number 466 in the Freedman’s Bank in New Orleans, Louisiana, giving an undisclosed sum for his nieces and nephew.
Five years earlier, on February 6, 1862, Mistress Martha H. Barrow widow of Daniel Turnbull gave her daughter Mrs. Sarah Turnbull wife of James P Bowman, all of her rights and titles held in community with deceased husband Daniel Turnbull the following land, slaves, and personal property in West Feliciana: 996 arpents known as Rosedown Plantation valued at $15,000. Slaves on Rosedown:
- Frank, man, 38 years, mulatto, valued $1,200
- Joanna, girl, 18 years, mulatto, valued $500
- Virginia, girl, 13 years, mulatto, valued $650
- Richmond, boy, 11 years, griffe, valued $650
- Amelia, girl, 9 years, griffe, valued $250
- Rachel, girl, 6 years, griffe, valued $225
Additional gifts were household furniture, books, china, glassware, and silverware. Also noted that Martha Turnbull was to be allowed to live there for life.
Recorded and filed by Robt Hale on February 11, 1862,
In 1872, Rachel Cook filled out Freedman’s Bank information card number 4803, giving personal information and lists relatives as Frank and Mary Cook parents, both deceased, and siblings Richmond, Virginia, and Amelia Cook. She signed the card. This gives credence to the likelihood that the original listing of Richard as a sibling was erroneous, and Rachel was the intended name.
Still to be determined is who was Joanna? and what became of her? as her inclusion on this list of enslaved people infers that she was most likely a sibling, but she may have died before Baylor Cook listed his brother Frank’s living children.
Once the last name of Cook was determined, many documents related to the siblings indicate they moved to New Orleans shortly after freedom, including their appearance in the 1870 census as Virginia Cook, age 22, washer woman, Richmond Cook, age 19, steam boatman, with sisters Amelia Cook age 16, and Rachel Cook age 14, living in the same dwelling as Benjamin Ramsey, Ann Williams, and Pleasant Green families. Benjamin Ramsey was enslaved on Rosedown Plantation; Pleasant and Lucinda Green had received rations and were sharecroppers on Rosedown Plantation. Research continues on Ann Williams.
Most importantly, the death of Frank Cook was documented, in New Orleans, on September 23, 1867, which explains his brother Baylor Cook’s creation of an account to benefit the children in October, a month later.
