Caroline Bradby Cook
Born
Caroline Bradby

c. 1839
Pamunkey Indian Reservation, King William County, Virginia, U.S.
DiedAfter 1919
SpouseMajor Cook
ChildrenGeorge Major Cook

Caroline Bradby Cook (born circa 1839 – died after 1919) was a Pamunkey leader and Union sympathizer who championed the rights of Virginia's Native Americans and their cultural heritage.[1]

Biography

Bradby Cook was born around 1839 and lived on the Pamunkey Indian Reservation in King William County.[2]

She was married to Major Cook, and in 1861, she had her only child, George Major Cook.[3] Her husband died in the same year. Her son, George Major Cook, became the chief of the Pamunkey in 1902 and served until his death in 1930.[4]

During the American Civil War, Caroline was loyal to the United States and supported their cause.[2] When Union army units camped on the reservation, she washed and cooked for the soldiers, despite them dismantling her house and fence and burning it for wood for their campfires.[1]

After the Civil War, she filed a claim with the Southern Claims Commission for compensation from the government for her ruined property.[5] She received $100 in compensation in 1879.[1]

In 1865, Caroline was a founding member of the Pamunkey Baptist Church.[1]

Legacy and honors

In 2009, Caroline was honored as a Virginia Women in History inductee.[1]

Pipe bowls owned by Caroline and a 1919 photograph of her are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 “Caroline Bradby Cook,” Virginia Changemakers, accessed November 1, 2022, https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/changemakers/items/show/212.
  2. 1 2 Tarter, Brent (2020-05-26). Virginians and Their Histories. University of Virginia Press. ISBN 978-0-8139-4393-0.
  3. ↑ "George Major Cook is born to Major Cook and Caroline Bradby Cook". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  4. ↑ Watkinson, Patricia Ferguson. "George Major Cook (1860–1930)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  5. ↑ Kierner, Cynthia A.; Loux, Jennifer Renee; Shockley, Megan Taylor (2013). Changing History: Virginia Women Through Four Centuries. Library of Virginia. ISBN 978-0-88490-212-6.
  6. ↑ "Pipe bowl". Smithsonian Music. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  7. ↑ "Portrait of Caroline Bradby Cook | National Museum of the American Indian". americanindian.si.edu. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
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