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Below is a family biography included in The History of Wilson County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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DAVID COOK was born in Rhode Island in 1795, and died June 17, 1878. He was educated in Newport, R. I., Com. Perry being his schoolmate. He was quite a mechanical genius, and after serving an apprenticeship in a machine shop became a workman of superior ability and was made foreman in large factories in Lowell. In 1841 he came to Lebanon, Tenn., to take charge of a cotton factory, and the following year sent for his wife (formerly Mary Colburn) and family. He worked at several occupations through life, and was a resident of Lebanon for thirty-eight years, being one of the substantial and influential citizens of the town. This tribute to his memory was proclaimed by the mayor of the city at his death: “To the citizens of Lebanon — Death has been among us; he has taken the oldest of our numbers. David Cook is no more. His clear, sound judgment; his moral, upright walk; his active, industrious life; his manly Christian bearing, all call for our respect and admiration. For more than forty years he has gone in and come out before this community, and we can all bear witness to his many virtues. It is exceeding appropriate that we should show our esteem for such a life. I therefore request that all the business houses of the city be closed from 12 to 4 P. M. as a mark of respect to the deceased. E. E. Beard, mayor.” He was a strong adherent of the Masonic fraternity, and was highly honored by that order. Besides having filled all the chairs of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery, he officiated as Deputy Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter and Deputy Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery. He was one of Tennessee’s brightest Masons, and before the time of his death was said to have been the oldest living Sir Knight in Tennessee. His wife was a sister of Warren Colburn, the author of Colburn’s Arithmetic, which is widely known throughout the United States.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Wilson County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Wilson County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee

View additional Wilson County, Tennessee family biographies here

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