The Burr
	History and Genealogy Site

===================================================================

More Cook Photos

======================================================
 

==================================================

Mary Cook                          | Arthur, haying time at Owl's Nest Farm
==========================================

================================================

HENRY COOK committed more robberies, singly, than Wild, Turpin or
Hawke, and was long the terror of travelers on different roads, but
particularly in Essex. The story of his career makes a long narrative of curious
 and daring exploits, with hairbreadth escapes, before he was taken. Cook
was the son of creditable parents in Houndsditch, who, having given him a
decent education, apprenticed him to a leather cutter, with whom he served
his time, and then his father took the shop of a shoemaker at Stratford, in
Essex, in which he placed his son. Having some knowledge of the shoemaking
business, he was soon well established, and married a young woman at
Stratford, by whom he had three children, before he commenced as
highwayman. However, it was not long after his marriage before the
associating with bad company and the neglect of his business involved him
so far in debt that he was obliged to quit his house in apprehension of the
bailiffs. He was afterwards obliged wholly to decline business, and having
taken up goods in the name of his father he was ashamed to make application
to him for relief in his distress.

money lasted; but when that was nearly gone there was no further
appearance of friendship; and, being now driven to extremity, he went to
Moorfields, where he purchased a pair of pistols, and having procured
powder and ball went towards Newington, on his way to which he robbed a
man of fifteen shillings, and returned to London.

Thus embarked on the highroad to destruction, he determined to continue his

This robbery being committed, he crossed the country to Enfield Chase, and
going to a public-house where he was known said that he wished to hide
himself lest he should be arrested. Having continued here two days, he
proceeded to Tottenham, where he robbed a gentleman of about six pounds,
and leaving his horse at an inn in Bishopsgate Street he went to his kinsman's
in Shoreditch, where he was interrogated respecting his possessing so much
money; but he would give no satisfactory answer. On the following day he
went on the St Albans Road, and having robbed the passengers of a
stage-coach of eight pounds he went to Enfield Chase, to the house he had
frequented before; but while he was there he read an advertisement in
which his horse was so exactly described that he determined to abscond;
on which he went to Hadley Common, near Barnet, where he robbed a
gentleman, and taking his horse, gave the gentleman his own.

Soon after this he went to an inn at Mims, where he saw a gentleman whom
he had formerly robbed, and was so terrified by the sight of the injured
party that he ran to the stable, took his horse and galloped off with the
utmost expedition. On the road between Mims and Barnet he was met by
eight men on horseback, one of whom challenged the horse he rode, saying
that a highwayman had stolen it from a gentleman of his acquaintance.

Our adventurer replied that he had bought the horse at the Bell, in Edmonton,
of which he could give convincing proofs; on which the whole company
determined to attend him to that place. But when he came near Edmonton he
galloped up a lane, where he was followed by all the other parties; and
finding himself in danger of being apprehended he faced his pursuers and,
presenting a pistol, swore he would fire unless they retreated. Some
countrymen coming up at this juncture, he must have been made prisoner,
but, night advancing, he quitted his horse and took shelter in a wood.

When he thought he might safely leave his lurking-place he hastened to
London, going to the house of his relation in Shoreditch, where he was
challenged with having committed robberies on the highway; but nothing
could be learned from the answers he gave. Having dissipated his present
money, he went again upon Finchley Common. His late narrow escape,
however, made such an impression on his mind that he suffered several
persons to pass unattacked, but at length robbed an old man of his horse and
five pounds, though not till after it was dark. Soon afterwards he met a
gentleman, whom he obliged to change horses with him; but in a few minutes
the gentleman was stopped by the owner of the stolen horse, who said a
highwayman had just robbed him of it. Enraged at this, the gentleman swore
the place was infested with thieves; however, he delivered the horse and
walked to London.

Cook, riding to his old place of resort, near the Chase, remained there three
days; but, seeing the horse he had last stolen advertised, he rode off in fear
of discovery, and had not proceeded far before he was seized by the owner
of the horse, assisted by three other persons, who conducted him to
Newgate. At the next Old Bailey sessions he was indicted for stealing this
horse; but acquitted, because the owner would not swear to his person.

Soon after his discharge he returned to his former practices, but, his affairs
with his creditors having been by this time adjusted by his friends, he lived at
Stratford with his wife, and committed his depredations chiefly in Epping
Forest. Having acquired a booty of thirty pounds, he showed it to a
journeyman he kept, named Taylor, and asked him how he might employ it to
the best advantage in buying leather; but Taylor, guessing how it had been
obtained, offered to go partners with his master in committing robberies on
the highway; and the base contract was instantly made. They now stopped a
great number of coaches on the borders of the Forest; but acted with such an
uncommon degree of caution that they were for a long time unsuspected.
The neighbors being at length terrified by such repeated outrages on the
public peace, a Captain Mawley took a place in the basket of the Colchester
coach to make discoveries; and, Cook and Taylor coming up to demand the
money of the passengers, Taylor was shot through the head; on which Cook
ran to the Captain and robbed him of his money, on threats of instant death.
The carriage driving on, Cook began to search his deceased companion for his
money; but on some of the neighbors coming up he retired behind a hedge to
listen to their conversation; and having found that some of them knew the
deceased, and intimated that he had been accompanied by Cook, he crossed
the fields to London.

Oppressed in mind by contemplation of his crimes, and particularly by reflecting
on the murder of Mr Cruikshanks, Cook went to St Albans, where he assumed
a new name, and worked as a journeyman shoemaker for about three
weeks, when, a highwayman being pursued through the town, the terrors of
his conscience on the occasion were such, that he hastily left the shop and
ran across the country towards Woburn, in Bedfordshire. On his way to
Woburn he robbed a farmer of fifty pounds and his horse, and bade him sue
the county. The farmer soon raised the hue-and-cry; but Cook escaped, and,
riding as far as Birmingham, took lodgings at a public-house, and disposed of
his horse. Cook had now taken the name of Stevens, and the landlord of the
house where he lodged telling him that there was a shop to let, he took it,
and entered into business as a shoemaker. He now hired one Mrs Barrett as
his housekeeper, but she soon became his more intimate companion; and
accompanying him to horse-races, and other places of public diversion, his
little money was soon dissipated. Thus situated, he told his housekeeper that
he had an aunt in Hertfordshire, who allowed him a hundred per annum,
which he received in quarterly payments; and that he would go to her for his
money. Under this pretence he left her, and went to Northampton, and from
thence to Dunstable, near which place he robbed a farmer of his horse and
sixteen pounds, and then rode to Daventry.

At this last place he met with a Manchester dealer going home from London,
and, having spent the evening together, they travelled in company next day
and dined at Coventry. Cook, having an intention of robbing his
fellow-traveller, intimated that it would be proper to conceal their money, as
they had a dangerous road to travel; and, putting his own money into his
boot, the other put a purse of gold into his side-pocket. Prosecuting their
journey till they came to a cross-road, Cook demanded his companion's
money, on pain of immediate death; and having robbed him of thirty-five
guineas he travelled immediately to Birmingham; so Mrs Barrett imagined he
had been supplied by his aunt, agreeable to the story he had told her.

He now carried on trade as usual; but as often as he was distressed for cash
he used to have recourse to the road, and recruited his pockets by robbing
the stages. At length, a London trader, coming to Birmingham, asked Cook
how long he had lived there, which terrified him so that he quitted the place,
and traveled towards London, and near Highgate robbed a gentleman,
named Zachary, of his horse and money. On his stolen horse he rode to
Epping Forest on the following day; and, having robbed a gentleman,
returned to London by the way of Stratford, at which place he spoke to a
number of his old acquaintances, but was not imprudent enough to quit his
horse.

After sentence of death he for some time affected a gaiety of behavior; but
when the warrant for his execution arrived he was so struck with the idea of
his approaching fate that it occasioned convulsive fits, and he never
afterwards recovered his health.

more pictures

prior

Cook Genealogy

home