COOK

The Cook ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Cook is an occupational name meaning 'the cook', from a person who made their living as a chef. Variants include Cookman, Cooks, Cookson, Cuckson and Cooke. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above islands. Examples of such are a Roger le Cook who was recorded in the 'Writs of Parliament', England, in the year 1300 and a William Cookes and Ann Jennets who were married in London in the year 1589. A John Cook, County Norfolk, was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', in the year 1273 and a Rachael Cooke was baptised in Saint Dionis Backchurch, London, in the year 1611. In Ireland many towns are named after the Cooks, for example, Cookstown and Cooksland. The Cooks of Ulster are usually of Scottish descent, as MacCook was a branch of Clan MacDonald of Kintyre.The Cook family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Cook descendants.