Andrew Crook

Uncovering The Life of Andrew Crook

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Andrew Crook is the grandfather of Catherine “Katie” Crook, wife of Peter Vess. He was born in Ireland probably around the late 1750’s. It is not known when he left Ireland, but we do know he was in North Carolina between 1804-1814.

According to his probate record (1814), he has one “illegitimate” son named John Emmanuel Crook (mother unknown) and one daughter named Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook (with Sarah Baber).

Buncombe County, NC Gap Creek

The earliest record we have for Andrew Crook is his land records dated 1804 on Gap Creek in Buncombe County, North Carolina.

In 1804, he obtained land on Gap Creek from Jesse Norton (acreage not specified). Then, in 1805 (issued 1804), he obtained 100 acres of land on Gap Creek, joining the property of William Henry and William Mills. (Wit. J. Paris and Wm Justice)

  • Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Land Grant Files, 1693-1960

Rutherford County, NC Cleghorn Creek

About 1806, Andrew Crook relocated to Rutherford County, North Carolina, where he married Sarah (Sally) Baber, the daughter of James Baber and Mildred Arthur. According to Baberfamilytree.org, their marriage was short, as Andrew died in 1814. They only had one child together, named Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook, born in 1810.

Andrew’s son, John Emmanuel Crook and his wife Rachel Haynes, (parents of Catherine “Katie” Crook) was already living in Rutherford County at the time. They are listed on the 1800 Rutherford Co. census (5 family members). The data on census correlates with the ages of family members who would have been alive during that time. John and Rachel were likely married sometime before 1790 in Rutherford County, NC.

Rachel’s father, William Haynes, is believed to be the first pastor at Bill’s Creek Baptist Church. They lived on Cove Creek. In December 1804 (entered Jan 1803), John Crook obtained 100 acres of land, joining his in-law’s property (William Haynes) on Cove Creek.

We do see Andrew Crook on census in 1810, with his wife Sarah Baber and daughter Mildred. He owned slaves and other records reveal that he lived on Cleghorn Creek.

In 1808, he sold 50 acres of his Buncombe County property on Gap Creek to William Staton, and it appears the rest of the property was then sold to William Justice in 1813 (finalized in 1815).

In 1809, Andrew obtain land on Cleghorn Creek from J. Miller (acreage not specified). He then, obtained an additional 95 acres on Cleghorn Creek from Anthony Dickey in 1811. This property was then sold by the “executors of Andrew Crook” in 1817 and 1820.

Broad River Basin Map
FindAGrave.com

Andrew Crook died in Rutherford County, NC in 1814 and is buried in the Twitty-Miller family cemetery (Rutherford County, North Carolina).

Interestingly, Andrew Crook is the only Crook to be buried in the Twitty-Miller family cemetery, suggesting to me, he may have family connections with them. Specifically, with the Miller family, as cemetery mapping indicates he is buried outside the fence with the Miller family, not Twitty family.

Col. Issac Craton – Possible Miller/Twitty Connection

According to family sources, Andrew Crooks mother was a “Creighton.” Hence, his daughter’s full name is Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook.

In Rutherford County, NC we have a Col. Issac “Craton.” Not only is his surname similar to Creighton, but he married a Miller (Elizabeth “Betsey” Miller), and is also listed as a witness on several marriage records for John Crook’s children. Coincidence??

Elizabeth “Betsey” Miller is the daughter of John Miller and Susanah Bell Twitty, granddaughter of the prominent land owner, David Miller! Many earlier residents of Rutherford County and Buncombe County, obtained their land from David Miller.

The Miller and Twitty families (mostly the Miller family) also owned land on Cleghorn Creek in Rutherford County, NC. I am curious if Andrew Crook obtained his land on Cleghorn Creek in 1809 from “John” Miller (listed as J. Miller)?

Now, according to Isaac’s newspaper obituary, family and friends believed he came from Guilford County, NC. This is interesting to me, because we do have a Crook family from Guilford / Rowan County who eventually settled in White County, TN with the Goolsby family. I wonder if there could be a connection?

Andrew’s mother is believed to be a Creighton, so could Andrew Crook and Issac Craton be related? Cousins or perhaps, uncle/nephew? What is Andrew’s connection to the Twitty-Miller family? Was John Emmanuel Crook’s mother a Miller? Or is Andrew Crook buried with the Miller family, because of a family connection to Issac Craton, husband of Elizabeth Miller? So many questions!

Sources:

Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Index, 1741-2004
Ancestry.com, North Carolina, U.S., Land Grant Files, 1693-1960
Familysearch.org, Buncombe County, Grantors Index 1789-1889
Familysearch.org, Rutherford County, Deeds v. 6-8 1800-1808
Newspaper.com
FindAGrave.com
Alabama Department of Archives and History; Montgomery, AL; Alabama Surname Files; Box or Film Number: M84-4563























Exploring The CROOK Family

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Peter VESS married Catherine “Katie” CROOK, daughter of John Emmanuel CROOK and Rachel HAYNES of Rutherford County, North Carolina.

The Haynes Family: Catherine’s Maternal Side

Catherine’s maternal grandparents are William Presley HAYNES and Sarah Emma GIBBS. Together they had 10 children: John, Mary, Sarah, William Jr., Hezekiah, Rachel (Catherine’s mother), Henry, Eli, and Levi.

William Presley Haynes was the first pastor at Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, which is believed to have been established in 1785. William is believed to have died in 1788 per his probate record. His 300 acres of land on Cove Creek near Broad River was split among his wife and younger sons. Several of his older children relocated to Kentucky. The last bit of William’s land was later sold to John Ledbetter in 1805, after Sarah’s death.

The Crook Family: Catherine’s Paternal Side

Catherine’s paternal grandparents are Andrew CROOK and Sarah BABER, daughter of James BABER and Mildred ARTHUR. Only two children are named in Andrew Crook’s 1814 Rutherford County, North Carolina probate record: Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook and “illegitamate” son, John Emmanuel Crook.

The Crook family is of Irish and Scottish descent, according to a biological sketch for Ira FOSTER, second husband of Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook (Catherine’s aunt). It further states that “Andrew Crook was born in Ireland and his mother was a Creighton.”

Mildred Arthur Creighton Crook
Ancestry.com


I strongly believe that SARAH “COOK”, listed as a member of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, between 1829-1835 with Peter and Catherine VEST is actually Sarah CROOK (Baber), Catherine’s grandmother, wife of Andrew Crook. According to Peter’s 1830 census, they had an elderly woman living with them, which I strongly believe is also Sarah.

John Emmanuel Crook married Rachel Haynes, daughter of William Haynes and Sarah Gibbs. Together they had 7 children: Zephaniah, William, Susannah, Mary Polly, David, Catherine, and Melinda. Marriage records for several children are witnessed by an Issac Creaton (which may be Creighton), a possible relative of Andrew Crook.

Crook Meets Haynes: Bill’s Creek Community

Andrew Crook, Catherine’s grandfather, obtained land in Buncombe County, North Carolina in 1804 on Gap Creek, which deed records suggest he turned around and sold it. In 1810, he is listed on the Rutherford County, North Carolina census (slave owner), but there doesn’t seem to be any (existing) land records for him in that county. However, his son, John Crook, is also listed on the 1810 census with a land record showing he obtained land in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1804.

According to the 1804 land record, John Crook obtained land on Cove Creek joining William Haynes (Sr.) original property on Cove Creek near Broad River; not too far from Bill’s Creek Baptist Church.

Crook Family of South Carolina: Possible Connections

Although the Biological Sketch of Ira Foster states Andrew Crook, Catherine’s grandfather, was born in Ireland, many family trees on Ancestry.com believe he is the son of Andrew Crooks and Janne (believed to be Creighton) of Newberry County, South Carolina, whose children (per probate records) are Samuel, John, Nancy, Elizabeth, and Andrew (Jr.).

Andrew Crooks Sr. and his sons, owned land between the Enoree and Broad Rivers in Newberry County, South Carolina (records kept in Abbeville Co.) prior to 1800. If related, could this possible give light to the mysterious Vess family living in Greenwood (once part of Newberry County) during the 1850’s??