Nicholas Cooke

Nicholas Cooke

Nicholas Cooke (born February 3, 1717 in Providence , Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , † September 14, 1782 ibid) was an American politician .

Life

Nicholas Cooke was born to Daniel Cooke and his wife Mary Power and grew up in affluence. He and his parents owned estates, not just in Rhode Island but in Massachusetts and Connecticut as well . Cooke also earned a living as a manufacturer (he ran a distillation ) and shipowner , and spent several years as a captain at sea. He married in September 1740; his wife's name is given in some places as Hannah Labin and in others as Mary Sabin. What is certain is that he was the father of twelve children.

In 1752 Cooke was elected assistant to the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and was re-elected six times in a row, through 1759. In May 1768 - at a time when Rhode Island was not yet providing a governor but a colonial administrator - Cooke was elected to the office of vice administrator, an office that was later adapted to that of lieutenant governor . Cooke held this position until May 1769. Six years later, in May 1775, Cooke was re-elected to the same office, but held it for only six months, until November 1775.

After Rhode Island had ratified its Declaration of Independence in the fall of 1775, Cooke was elected governor in November 1775, and served until May 1778. Since no parties had been formed at that time, both he and his two successors were independent . He renounced a second term.

Parallel to his work as a politician, he held the office of treasurer of Brown University from 1766 until his death . After his death Cooke was first buried on his estate until an honorary grave was erected in his honor in Providence in 1844, and the remains were exhumed and transferred there.

Web links

• Nicholas Cooke at the National Governors Association (English)

• Nicholas Cooke in the database of Find a Grave (English)