Crooke Family Papers, 1780-1880 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Luiz Simonetti

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Collection Overview

Title: Crooke Family Papers, 1780-1880

Primary Creator: Crooke, John (1766-1849)

Extent: 1.7 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 11/17/1989

Subjects: Arithmetic--Early works to 1900., Land titles--Kentucky., Madison County (Ky.)--Surveys.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

John Crooke was the county surveyor in Madison County, KY and these family papers include early survey books throughout the 19th century as his son and grandson followed in his footsteps. This collection is an excellent source of information for researchers of early Kentucky history and pioneers in the American west. The papers can also be used to study the life of an educated man of the period. In his writings and diaries John Crooke reflects on weather, land, religion, and other subjects considered important to this pioneer. The collection also includes several manuscript arithmetic books written by members of the Crooke family which show how math was taught in the early part of the 19th century.

Collection Historical Note

John Crooke, born February 10, 1766, commonly called Major Crooke, was born in St. Mary County, Maryland. He enlisted while yet young in the Revolutionary war , and was with Washington at the capture of Lord Cornwallis at the siege of Yorktown, Virginia. He was married to Anna D. Reeves, the 5th January 1786. John Crooke studied mathematics pretty thoroughly; could master the arithmetic, and made one (book) himself. He understood navigation; could box the compass; made almanacs; and could count the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon; and in one almanac he left a little space along the margin, and late in May, he put down "Frost" and at the Battalion Muster the day before his frost, they laughed at him about his prediction; Says he: hold, wait and see. That evening a cloud came up from the North, rained a good shower, and a cleared off cold, and sure enough in the morning was a white frost. He was thenceforth put down as an almanac maker, and a sure prophet. Major John Crooke with his wife, Anna D., and father, Osias Crooke, and two more brothers, Hezekiah Crooke and Absalom Crooke, immigrated from Virginia to Kentucky, in the year 1789. At that time many surveyors were in Kentucky, then part of Virginia, surveying out the military claims of the Revolutionary soldiers; the soldiers were all allowed a preemption of 1,000 acres of land and a homestead of 400 acre, generally laid out together.

Madison was made a county, still of Virginia, in 1785, and James French was her first county surveyor, and held the office for eight years. He held his office from appointment in Virginia. John Crooke was one of his deputies. John Crooke was the first surveyor elected to the office after the establishment of the state, by the magistrates of the county. Major John Crooke made many tables of numbers such as tables of logarithms, and the traverse table, and more than thirty maps of the different states and territories, the United States, Mexico, etc; and laid off all the counties in good colors all with his quill-pen. He made several maps of Madison county, and made connected plats of all the land in the county. He surveyed most of the lands in the early litigations in Madison and much in other counties. When he first became surveyor, Madison county extended to the Virginia line, on the south side of the Kentucky River. He had many deputies, and some of their names were James Kincaid, Richard Smith, David Williams, Jones Hoy, George Walker, James M'Cormick, Daniel Boone, William O'Rear, Thomas Mosely, Thomas Campbell, Wallace Estill, Joseph Barnett, James Anderson, Irvine Anderson, John R. Crooke, Kiah Crooke, and others.

Subject/Index Terms

Arithmetic--Early works to 1900.
Land titles--Kentucky.
Madison County (Ky.)--Surveys.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Physical Access Note: Access to original manuscripts is restricted for research purposes. KDLA microfilms or photocopies must be used prior to using the original papers. The microfilm can be found in the Archives reading room and photocopies of the survey and entry books are in Box 04.

Acquisition Source: Green, John L.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Madison County Survey Books],
[Box 2: Madison County Survey and Entry Books and Personal Books],
[Box 3: Personal Books],
[Box 4: Photocopies of Survey and Entry Books found in Box 01 and 02.],
[Folder OS 1: State maps],
[Folder OS 2: Land surveys of Madison County],
[Folder OS 3: Land surveys of Madison County],
[Folder OS 4: Survey Maps of Madison County, KY],
[All]

Box 1: Madison County Survey Books

Barcode: 31234014031098

Folder 1: Madison County survey book, 1783-1814: Surveys done by John Crooke.
Folder 2: Madison County survey book, 1799-1893: Surveys done by John Crooke, Kiah Crooke, Ben Crooke and James Boggs.
Folder 3: Madison County survey book, 1816-1844: Surveys done by John Crooke and Kiah Crooke.

Box 2: Madison County Survey and Entry Books and Personal Books

Barcode: 31234014110884

Folder 1: Madison County survey book, 1847-1884: Surveys done by John Crooke, Kiah Crooke and John H. Parish.
Folder 2: Madison County entry book, 1780-1795: [This book has been transcribed by Anne Crabb in her book "Land Entries for Madison County, Kentucky 1780-1793"]
Folder 3: Ms book titled "Arithmetic", 1823-1829: (by Doc Crooke)
Folder 4: Ms book titled "Arithmetick", undated: (by John Crooke. First Edition)
Folder 5: Crooke Family Loose Papers, 1851-1883: Funeral notices and certificates of election for a county surveyor. (4 documents)

Box 3: Personal Books

Barcode: 31234014031122

Folder 1: Ms book, 1827

Mathematical subjects.

Subject/Index Terms:: Arithmetic--Early works to 1900.

Folder 2: Ms book "Arithmetick", undated

(by John Crooke, First Edition.)

Subject/Index Terms:: Arithmetic--Early works to 1900.

Folder 3: Ms book titled "The Treaties on Mathematical Subjects", 21 Apr 1818

The book also contains another subject titled "Kiah Crooke's Travels to the State of Indiana", Aug 1819.

Subject/Index Terms:: Arithmetic--Early works to 1900.

Folder 4: Ms book, 1822

Astronomical and geographical tables. Handmade tables of sun declination can be found in this book.

Folder 5: Ms dictionary by John Crooke, 1832

The dictionary also contains a table with latitudes and longitudes of major cities in the world.

Folder 6: Diary, 1840-1847

The diary also contains an almanac, tables, religious biographies, geographical information and an autobiography written by John Crooke. The transcription for this autobiography follows: Ozias Crooke was my father's name and Rebekah Stephens was my mothers maiden name. I was born in St. Mary's county, state of Maryland, on Monday February 10th 1766, brought over to Prince William County Virginia a sucking child, and lived in Prince William and in Stafford county until the year 1773. My father moved and lived in Fauquier county Virginia at John Coppages 1773, at Simon Morgans 1774-1775, at John Greens 1776-1777, at Ambrose Barnetts 1778-1779, at Captain Charles Chiltons 1780, at D.D. (La Soldier) 1781, and at Prince W. Again 1782-1785. In 1786 I was married to Ann D. Reeve on January 5th 1786, and moved to Hampshire county in the fall of 1786 lived in it in 1787,1788 and in the fall 1789 moved to Kentucky landed in Madison county the 26th day of December 1789. In Madison 1790, 91, 92, 93, 1794, 1795 lived on uncle Absalom Crooke's land except the year 1792. Lived in Bushes Settlement Fayette county in 1796 in October I moved to land of my own on Muddy Creek and lived there until February 5th 1816 on that day moved to the tanyard(?) on Gen. Green Clay land lived there 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1819, moved to James Belshy's old place 1820. At Fox town 1821, at Adam Rogers (John's) 1822, at Belshy's old house 1823. My widied 1823, married again 1823 moved to my own place on the location of Hayes' Fork 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827. At Otter Creek in 1828, at my place again in 1829, 1830, 1831, at Major D. Harris in 1832. School keeping at the state road 1833 (Cholera year). In Indiana in winter 1833 and 1834. In 1834 and 1835, transient in winter at Col. Azariah Doty's. School keeping in the summer of 1836, in the summer of 1836 at Hardin Golden's school keeping, in1837 at Audly Campbell's from March 13th 1837, until near Christmas, being the 21st of December 1837. Commenced living with my son K. Crooks on Monday the 1st day of January 1838, again in 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 and again in Jan 1st 1843, again in January 1st 1844, again in January 1st 1845. Again January 1st 1846, in 1847, in Jan 1848". (Died 17th March 1849)

Folder 7: Ms book titled "Book of Great Information", 1845

This book contains geographical and political information of Kentucky, the United States, and the World. The book also contains Crooke family information.

Box 4: Photocopies of Survey and Entry Books found in Box 01 and 02.

Barcode: 31234014110876

Folder OS 1: State maps

Barcode: 31234014031148

Item 1: Ms Map of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, ca. 1830: The map contains political divisions (counties) in the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. The back of the map contains notes on different topics. The map was done by John Crooke.
Item 2: Ms Map of Indiana, ca. 1844: The map contains political divisions and is divided by counties and show the main cities in the state of Indiana. The back contains information regarding price of land in Indiana during the period, Richmond, KY stores list, genealogical information of the Crooke family and religious notes.
Item 3: Ms Map of Virginia, ca.1830: The map contains political divisions in the state of Virginia (including what is now West Virginia). The map is divided by counties and shows the main cities of the state.

Folder OS 2: Land surveys of Madison County

Barcode: 31234014031130

Item 1: Survey Map of Madison County, undated

The map shows the county divided by squares representing miles, the surveyor found that Madison County has 498 square miles.

Creators:: Crooke, Kiah (1799-1878)

Item 2: Survey Map of the Crookesville region, undated

The survey shows large tracts of land owned by W. Burk, J. Estill, G. Clay, and others. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.

Item 3: Survey map of the land north of Richmond, undated

The survey shows large tracts of land owned by Irvine, G. Clay, Estill, and others. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims

Item 4: Survey map titled "Around Richmond", undated

This survey shows land around the city of Richmond and north to the Kentucky River. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.

Item 5: Survey map showing most of Madison County, undated

The map shows Richmond, Kentucky River, old roads and creeks. The back of the map shows a more detailed survey map of Richmond and surroundings. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims. A note on the back of the map indicates the birth date of John Crook [sic] and marriage information of Caroline Crooke.

Item 6: Survey map showing in detail, the Northeast parts of Madison County, undated

The map shows Richmond, Kentucky River, old roads and creeks. The back of the map has sketches. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.

Item 7: Survey map showing the north side of Madison county, undated

The map shows Richmond, all the way to the region of Foxtown. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.

Item 8: Survey map showing the north side of Madison county, undated

This map was done by John Kincaid. The back of the map shows calculations done by Kincaid. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.

Folder OS 3: Land surveys of Madison County

Barcode: 31234014031155

Item 1: Land survey for suit of John Mitchell against James Flack, 1820: The survey is signed by John Crooke.
Item 2: Land survey for suit of John Mitchell against James Flack, 1832: The survey is signed by John Crooke.
Item 3: Land survey for suit of John Kincaid against William Blythe, undated: This survey shows D. Boone's settlement, Silver Creek and other landmarks in the region. The survey is signed by John Crooke.

Folder OS 4: Survey Maps of Madison County, KY

Barcode: 31234014031163

Item 1: Survey Map Showing the Northeast Side of Madison County, KY, undated: Richmond can be seen in this map. Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.
Item 2: Survey Map Showing the Northeast Side of Madison County, KY, undated: Shingled plats showing overlapping land claims.