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Cook, William, was born in New Bedford, in August, 1833, a son of Thomas and Mary Ann (Hudson) Cook. During
his boyhood he attended the common schools of New Bedford and later an academy at Kingston, Mass. When a young
man he went to sea, making one voyage to Calcutta and one to the West Indies. He then went into his father's business,
the firm being Cook & Snow, ship agents and outfitters. Aiter some time he was given an interest in this firm.
In 1863 he enlisted in the Sixth Company of the Unattached Heavy Artillery and was made a junior first lieutenant
and afterward promoted to senior first lieutenant. He had previously been a member of the City Guards for some
length of time and had thus gained experience which fitted him for this position. He served one year and then established
himself in the merchant tailoring business in New Bedford under the name of William Cook & Co.; his business
was located on Union street in the building east of the Mansion House, and he afterwards moved across the street
to the present First National Bank building. In 1871 he sold out and became a traveling salesman for the Boston
firm of Brigham, Jones & Co., woolens and tailors' supplies. He remained in their employ until 1873, when he
was appointed a general agent of the Equitable Life Insurance Company, which position he held until his death.
Mr. Cook was a prominent member of the volunteer fire department and served for some time as assistant engineer.
He was a member of many fraternal organizations and of various temperance societies. At the time of his death he
was district deputy grand master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a man who gained the respect of
all and enjoyed the esteem of a wide circle of friends. He was a sincere and earnest advocate of temperance and
did all he could to advance the cause in New Bedford. With his pen he was aiwas ready and was a frequent contributQr
to the local press and for some time a correspondent of the Boston Globe. He died on March 20, 1876, in the forty
fourth year of his age. Mr. Cook married, in 1855, Cornelia A., daughter of Otis Seabury of New Bedford, and she
survives him. Their children were six: Clarence A., Elizabeth B., wife of W. A. Mackie of New Bedford; Francis
A. (deceased); Mary T., wife of James E. Stanton, Jr., of New Bedford; Cornelia S., wife of Dr. Harlon P. Abbott
of Providence, R. I., and Otis S. Clarence A. Cook, son of William and Cornelia (Seabury) Cook, was born in New
Bedford, January 11, 1856. He was educated in the public and the high schools and in H. H. Allen's private school
in New Bedford. After leaving school he entered the employ of the New Bedford Copper Company as an office boy and
remained in their employ, although not in that capacity, having been successively promoted, until 1876, when he
succeeded his father as general manager of the Equitable Life Insurance Society, being associated in the insurance
business with Hon. George B. Richmond under the firm name of Richmond & Cook. In 1878 he went to Boston and
entered the employ of Holder & Herrick, dealers in tin plate and sheet iron and Boston agents of the New Bedford
Copper Company. He was first employed as bookkeeper, but in a short time went on the road as a traveling salesman,
meantime keeping his residence in New Bedford. In June, 1891, he was elected treasurer of the New Bedford Copper
Company to succeed William H. Mathews. Mr. Cook is a member and vice president of the New Bedford Board of Trade,
ftustee of the Institution for Savings and a director of the New Bedford Copper Company; Union Street Railway Company;
Dartmouth Mills; Bennett Spinning Company; Lambeth Rope Company; the Masonic Building Association; and the National
Bank of Commerce. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum; Dartmouth Club, and vice president of the Wamsutta Club
of New Bedford and of the Exchange Club of Boston. Mr. Cook married, in May, 1876, Sarah L. Allen, daughter of
George F. Allen of California, and they have one daughter, Bertha Allen Cook.
From:
Our county and its people
A descriptive and biographical history of
Bristol County, Massachusetts
Prepaired and published under the auspices of
The Fall River News and The Taunton Gasette
With assistance of Hon. Alanson Borden
The Boston History Company, Publishers, 1899.
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