1
From: Richard Cook, 2044 Lexington Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402, (650) 349-1791,
My father was Leon Henry Cook. I and some other family members have been researching his parents, Henry Cook and Clara Cook, both from Russia. Below is the summary of information I have on these two people. Also I know that Henry Cook had a brother, Bernard Cook, also living in NYC. We have quite a bit of information on this family and have spoken to some of the still living members. I believe that Cara Cook had relatives also in NYC in the late 1890s &/or early 1900s.Information that we do have is posted on Ancestry.com under “Cook Family Tree.” At this point we have “hit the brick wall.” I have asked a few questions at the end of the information we have. But of course any information would help.
(Jacob) (Jascha) (Yasha) (Krougliakoff aka Henry Cook (Cooke) Born in Odessa, Russia, 1875
Father: Moses (Maurice) Krougliakoff 1835-
Mother: Sarah Laout (or Anna Lavoute 1839-1885?
Story is that he, Henry, left Odessa at age 15 or so (about 1890) and joined the British Merchant Marine as an apprentice pharmacist. Some of this is confirmed in the British Merchant Marine records at Kews, London.
From Ellis Island records:
Name: Henry Cook (NOT SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT PERSON)
Arrival Date: 16 Feb 1893
Birth Year: abt 1875
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/Race-
/Nationality: English
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: City Of New York
10 Feb 1895 – arrived NY,NY (from Petitions for Naturalization filed in NYC 1792-1989)
3 Aug 1897 – Declaration of Intention (I have the paper)
2 April 1898, NYC – Jacob Krugliakoff married Clara Pollack (I have the paper) We don’t know why he used his original name. (One witness – Samuel Krosnoff (Krasnoff)) Krassnoff arrived in U.S. – 1893, Naturalized 1906, 1900 census - Samual Krasnoff came to U.S in 1892, was a merchant, lived in Barnwell, Barnwell county, South Carolina, wife Mary and two children. 1910 census – lived in Bronx, four children. 1920 census – widowed, five children. Krasnoff was Clara’s mother’s maiden name. Samuel could be Clara’s cousin or uncle.
1900 census
Name: Henry Cook
[Henry Li]
Home in 1900: Manhattan, New York, New York
Age: 27
Birth Date: Dec 1872 (15 Aug 1875 Odessa, Ukraine)
Birthplace: Russia
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1896
Father's Birthplace: Russia
Mother's Birthplace: Russia
Spouse's Name: Clara (1877 Odessa, Ukraine)
Marriage year: 1898
Henry Cook 27 Conductor
Clara Cook 24
4 Aug 1902 – U.S. Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 (have the paper)
1910 census
Name: Henry Cook
Age in 1910: 36
Estimated birth year: abt 1874
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Russia
Mother's Birth Place: Russia
Spouse's name: Clara
Home in 1910: Bronx Assembly District 34, New York, New York
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Year of Immigration: 1896
Henry Cook 36 Clerk - Druggist
Clara Cook 33
Leon Cook 10
Rudolph Cook 7
Rose Cook 7/12
1920 census
Name: Henry Cooke (notice an ‘e’ added to name)
Home in 1920: Bronx Assembly District 8, Bronx, New York
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1875
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Spouse's name: Clara
Father's Birth Place: Russia
Mother's Birth Place: Russia
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Year of Immigration: 1844 [1894]
Henry Cooke 45 Pharmacist
Clara Cooke 42
Leon Cooke 20 Bookkeeper
Rudaph Cooke 16
[15]
Rose Cooke 10
Ethel Solotaroff 19 Niece, born in Palestine, stenographer
Between1920 census and 1930 census Henry Cook abandoned the family.
1930 census (NOT SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT PERSON)
Name: Henry Cook
Home in 1930: Marble Hill Avenue, New York City, NY.
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1880
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Race: White
Occupation: Pharmacist
Questions about (Jocob) (Jascha) (Yascha) (Krougliakoff aka Henry Cook (Cooke)
Is it possible to trace him in the British Merchant Marine or the British Navy? British Merchant Marine records for this time period are scant.
How did he enter the U.S. and from where? I have search Ellis Island records to my best ability.
Did he ever get a SSN?
When did he die and where? Some have said they thought he died in 1946 in NY.
Did he ever have any contact with his brother Bernard?
Clara Pollack (Polyak, Pollack, Pollock) Cook Could also be Poljak, Polak, Poliak, Palyak. Born in Odessa, Russia, 1877. Died in NYC, 1931.
Father: Leon Polyak (?) 1845-
Mother: Rose (Rosa) Krassnoff 1845-
1900, 1910, 1920 census – see above
1930 census
Name: Clara Cook
Home in 1930: Bronx, Bronx, New York
Age: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1878 (1877 Odessa, Ukraine) (have certificate from Odessa) (Translation – “Issued and accordingly signed by the
Odessa City Rabbi, stamp affixed, to certify that in the book of Jewish birth records of Odessa on October 01, 1875 there
was a record made A 672 in the female column stating that in 1800 seventy five, in September, on the twenty eighth day,
a Jewish bourgeois Leon Polyak and his legal wife Rose had a daughter and named her Clara.”)
Odessa , October 05, 1875
Birthplace: Russia
Relation to Head of House: Head
Race: White
Clara Cook 52
Leon Cook 30 Accountant
Rudolph Cook 27 Civil Engineer
Rose Cook 21 Stenographer
Death - 29 September 1931 (I have the certificate) – Buried at Fresh Pond Cemetery, Middle Village, NY
Death certificate declared Clara was widowed.
Questions about Clara Pollack aka Cook
When did she enter the U.S., from where and how? I have looked into Ellis Island data with no good results.
Was she ever naturalized? Date?
Did she ever work?