This story has been copyrighted as of July 2002

Early Georgia Cook's

John Jasper Cook, was born circa 1839 in Georgia and was raised by James Welborn and his wife Elizabeth in Jackson County, Georgia. We know this because James listed John Jasper Cook as his son in his Last Will and Testament dated May 3, 1857 in Jackson County.

We didn't find John Jasper in the 1860 Federal census, but there was a Jasper John Cook listed on the Muster Roll of Jackson Co., GA. He served as a private in Company E 16th GA Cavalry. I feel sure that this is our John Jasper. He married Aurelia Casper, daughter of David and Rebecca Williams Casper, in January 1861 and they soon began having children, with their first child being born in 1862. By 1870, John Jasper and Aurelia had moved to the Cumming District of Forsyth County, Georgia.

In 1882, John Jasper and wife Aurelia, along with two children, Henry Newton and Martha Ann called for their letters of dismission from Beaver Ruin Baptist Church. Henry Newton Cook married James Welborn’s great-granddaughter, Frances "Isabella" Welborn/Wilburn on 11 Jul 1886 in Forsyth Co., GA ( Isabella’s great-grandfather raised her father-in-law, John Jasper Cook.)

On the 1900 Forsyth County Georgia Census, it states that Aurelia had a total of fourteen children in all and ten were still living. Only one child cannot be accounted for, so he/she must have died between census takings. They remained in Forsyth County throughout the rest of their lives and both John Jasper and Aurelia are believed to be buried at Shady Grove Baptist Church in the two unmarked graves located between their son Henry Newton Cook and Rachel Martin Cook, a daughter-in-law, first wife of James Cleveland Cook. John Jasper died October 11, 1890 at the age of 51 and Aurelia died February 1905 at the age of 57.

It has been difficult to locate John Jasper's natural father, but we feel that his father is John Cook, born circa 1793 in Georgia, who in the 1830's and 40's also lived in Jackson County, GA. In the poor school records of Jackson County, John Cook was listed as John J.(asper) Cook's father. John Cook owned property on Beech Creek and was living in the same area of Jackson County as James Wellborn and two of his sons, Aaron and William. John's first wife Claressa Rooks whom he married September 28, 1815 in Jackson County was counted in the 1830 census, but was not listed on the 1840 census, so we believe she died before the 1840 census was taken.

In 1850 John Cook, James Welborn and Allen (Jr.?) Cook were all living in the same area. There is a good chance that Allen (Jr.?) Cook could be John Cook's brother. Allen (Jr.?) was born July 18, 1808 and married first to Martha Rooks (orginal marriage record has the name Martha and all other records has the name Mary) in Jackson County Georgia on October 23, 1823 and second to Alley Wilbern in 1843, he is also listed on some of James Welborn's legal documents. I also feel, but cannot prove that the Allen Cook that died before July 1809 Jackson County, GA and his wife Nancy were Allen (Jr.'s?) (b. 1808) and John's (b. 1793) parents. I do know that Nancy Cook was living next door to John, William and Hardiman Rooks in 1820 and this was within a few years either way when John and Allen (Jr.?) married into the Rooks family. Daniel Rooks, (b. 1770's) was also counted in the 1830 census, living next door to John Cook. We believe that after John Cook's wife, Claressa, died, that James and Elizabeth Welborn took in John Jasper to raise, because John Cook already had six other children to raise alone. There was a male under the age of 5 living in James Welborn's home in the 1840 census. Several young girls were also living in the Welborn home at that time and we feel for that reason John allowed James and his family to raise John Jasper. It was not uncommon for people who for whatever reason could not take care of their own children would let another family help raise some of them. They didn't always give up parental rights, only the rights for another family to help out until that child reach the age of twenty-one.

John Jasper was listed in the Welborn home in the 1850 Jackson County, Georgia census along with a 6 year old girl named Emily Cook. We haven't been able to find out what relation Emily is to John Jasper, but we know Rebecca Cook, who was listed next to John Jasper in the poor school records was named as Emily's mother, all living in the same district.

About 1841, John Cook had married for the second time to Elizabeth, maiden name unknown, possibly Welborn, and had several more children, one being Obediah, who in 1878 purchased for one-hundred and sixty dollars the same fifty acres of land that James Wilburn had left to his grandson, Simon in 1857. Obediah later sold the same land to his brother-in-law, E. D. Mobley, for two hundred dollars. Thomas W. Cook, another son of John, married Malissa Rooks in Jackson County on July 11, 1872, daughter of Nathaniel Rooks.

John Cook was known as a great farmer and horticulturist in the Beech Creek area of Jackson County Georgia. He remained in the County throughout his whole life. On July 17, 1877, John deeded the land where he then lived to his wife, Elizabeth, in consideration of the natural love and affection for her. He died shortly thereafter sometime before 1880. In the 1880 census Elizabeth was listed as the head of household, with youngest daughter Texana and husband, James Davis, living with her.

In 1914, as new counties were formed from Jackson County, Georgia, the Beech Creek area where John Cook raised is family is now located in Barrow County, Georgia.

Contributed for use on this site by Sandra Cook Foster sandraf103@tds.net