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From: Mark & Jana Rooke <>
Subject: Will and other information of Thomas ROOKE
Date: Thu, 08 Apr 1999 11:18:00 -0700


Seeking information about the descendants of the Thomas Rooke/Rook of
the will below. There are possible Quaker ties to the Rooke family in
Dublin, Ireland.

Thank you in advance!
Jana Rooke
San Jose, CA
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/r/o/o/Mark--Jana--Rooke/GENE28-0001.html

Will of Thomas Rooke - March 18, 1836 (microfiche 20850, page 49)
In the name of God, Amen, I, Thomas Rooke of the township West Vincent
in the county of Chester in the State if Pennsylvania being of sound
mind and memory, thanks be to Almighty god, for the same therefore
calling to mind the mortality of my body that all was c___ to all and
that principally of all,
Recommended by soul unto the hands of god who gave it and my body to
the earth, to be buried in a decent and christian-like manner at the
descretaion of my executors hereafter named and as to my worldly state
wherewith it hath ____ god to belss me in this life my will is that all
my funeral expenses and just debts be first and all the rest is remander
of my estate ordered as followeth:
Item: I give and bequeth unto my beloved wife one bed and bedding her
choice and one cow her choice, and my stove also my clock durring her
natural life and at her decease my son Thomas to have said clock and
also I give and bequeth unto my wife Elizabeth the sum of one hunderd
and fifty dollars to be paid unto her out of my estate as soon as the
personal property is sold and the money can be collected by my executors
as soon after my decease as they may think proper.
It is my will and I order that my executors sell at public sale within
one year after my decease all my real estate for the best price that can
be had for the same and I do hereby empower them to make a deed of
conveyance to the purchaser for the same.
Item: I give and bequeth unto my daughter Hannah the sum of fifty
dollars to be paid unto her within one year after my decease by my
executors and it is my will that after just debts and the afore said
legacies are all paid the balance of my estate to be divided as
followeth.
the one half of the purchase money to remain in my real estate during
the natural life of my wife Elizabeth, and her to receive the interest
annually from the purchaser and to be secured by bond and mortgage upon
the premises and six months after the decease of my wife Elizabeth the
said half to be paid unto my executors and by them divided too and
amongst my seven children namely Jonathan, Robert, July and Sarah,
Hannah and Catherine equally excepting my daughters intermarried with
George Kelley and Catherine intermarried with Joseph Dolby excepting the
amount of property that the received of and when the comenced
housekeeping to be duducted and their shares and then my seven children
to have share and share alike of all my estate after the aforesaid
legacies and debts are paid as soon as the moneys can be collected by my
excutors and paid to my said or their loyal representatives immediately
after the money is collected.
And I so nominate, constitute, and .......Thomas Rooke,.........my last
Will and testament........this day ___ of March in the year of our Lord
on thousand eight hundred twenty eight (or thirty three). Thomas
Rooke
(registrar info, March 18, 1836)

According to Advertisements and Notices of Interest -- From Norristown,
PA. newspaper 1799-1821 - compiled by Judith A. H. Meier. From the Jan.
17, 1810 The Weekly Register-Norristown: "Died on the 4th inst. in 93rd
year of his age, Mr. Thomas Rooke, of Norriton. On the 7th his remains
were interred in the Baptist burying ground, Coalbrookdale, in the
county of Berks."

Information about a Thomas Rooke:
Proprietary Tax List of Philadelphia County and City 1769 (Pertaining to
the inhabitants of Philadelphia Coutny (including that area which became
Montgomery County in 1784), and the city of Philadelphia), Family Line
Publications, Westminster, Maryland.
pg. 51, Providence Township, David Thomas, Assessor
Thomas Rooke, 175 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 0 servents, Tax 15.6.0.
Provincial Papers: Supply and State Tax Lists of the City of County of
Philadelphia for the years 1769, 1774 and 1779.
Edited by William Henry Egle,M.D. Wm Stanley Ray, State Printer of
Pennsylvania, 1897.
Thomas Rook, 50 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, no servants, tax 5.18.0.
Provincial Papers: Supply and State Tax Lists of the City of County of
Philadelphia for the years 1781, 1782 and 1783.
Edited by William Henry Egle,M.D. Wm Stanley Ray, State Printer of
Pennsylvania, 1898.
Couty of Philadelphia - 1782 (pg. 189)
Thomas Rooke, Valuation 191, Tax 1.12.4
County of Philadelphia - 1783 (pg. 621)
Thomas Rooke, acres 50, horses 2, cattle 4, no sheep, no negroes.

Patent Warranties of Land in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ("such
transactions were akin to homesteading, and the grantors were usually
Propietaries of the Commonwealth of PA. At Media I found some such
transactions listed as of Delaware (Chester County prior to 1789) with
old maps in the records showing the grantors and some further
transactions as to grantees. I have written to the Secy. of Internal
Affairs, Harrisburg, to see whether they can enlighten me on these
matters, since I am informed they have such original information. I may
have to go to Harrisburg and "do it yourself." there is some thought to
be given to the names of the Rook people who received the land
warranties. These names, George, and Robert show up in later
generations. I was also told that such transaction usually began in
County of Phila. and settlers here would move westward to such places as
Montgomery, Bucks, and Lancaster Counties, and then further west. In
this connection, you will note the data on tax levies, apparently made
in the City and the County of Philadelphia, for local and Federal
purposes. And yet, the apparent assets were as given in the Warrenties,
provided the same property was involved which the names indicate to be
so." Excerpt of letter and following land and tax information from
Raymond Rooke Start to Alma Tamar Lewis Money, Sept. 23, 1964 found at
the Historical Society of PA, July 1997)
Bedford County 1771-1893
David Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
Thomas Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
Ebenezer Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
Peter Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
Timothy Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
George Rook, 400 acres, surveyed March 12, 1794
Lycoming County
Robert Rook, 400 acres, surveyed October 25, 1814
Northumberland County
Robert Rooke, 50 acres, surveyed August 13, 1793
Robert Rook, 150 acres, surveyed December 27, 1793
Luzerne County
Robert Rook, 400 acres, surveyed April 3, 1792
Bucks County
Michael Rook, 25 acres, surveyed, May 9, 1750

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