The Palmatiers of Catskill, New York, descend from a French ancestor believed to have been named Jean. He came to America and settled in Albany county, New York. He was a farmer, married and reared a family.
(II) Peter Palmatier, son of the emigrant, was born in Albany county, New York, in the town of Coeymans. Here he was educated and learned the business of a farmer. He later purchased a farm in Greene county, New York, about two miles from the village of Catskill, where his children were born and where he died. He married Deborah Hallenbeck. Children:
- Catherine, married Frederick Ocumpaugh, of Catskill, died in Troy, New York.
- Peter (2), born 1805, died 1883.
- Moses.
- John.
- Walter W., of further mention.
- Mellisa, married Asa Bullock and settled in the west.
- Julia, married Emery Happy, of Columbia county, New York, and settled in the west.
- Abel B., a Baptist clergyman, who preached in Essex county, New York, and died 1898.
(III) Walter W., son of Peter and Deborah (Hallenbeck) Palmatier, settled on lot No. 78, the southwest corner of the patent known as Loonenburg Patent. In the deed its location is mentioned and reference is made to the "ancient birch tree." This lot is in the town of Catskill, the town line crossing the patent line about halfway between the Kings road and the Vosen Kill. He married, September 4, 1852, Jane, daughter of William and Julia (Hollister) Magilton. Children:
- Frederick W., born May 4, 1854, of Catskill.
- William, of further mention.
- Julia, born December 25, 1862, unmarried.
(IV) William, son of Walter W. and Jane (Magilton) Palmatier, was born August 18, 1857. He spent the early part of his life on his father's farm just outside of Catskill. He was educated in the local schools of Jefferson and Catskill, Greene county, New York. In December, 1875, he began the reading of law in the office of King & Halleck, of Catskill, New York, and at the February terra in Albany was admitted to the bar. He continued with King & Halleck and their successors until November 15, 1883. In 1891 he entered the Tanners National Bank at Catskill as bookkeeper and was later made assistant cashier. In 1894 he was promoted to the office of cashier, a position he still holds (1910). He has been a director of the Tanners National Bank of Catskill, New York, of Catskill Savings Bank and treasurer of Jefferson Rural Cemetery Association. He married, June 1, 1898, Keturah Louise, daughter of Joshua Atwater and Louisa (Hopkins) Cooke. They have one son,
- William Atwater Cooke Palmatier, born October 21, 1899.
(The Cooke Line)
Henry Cooke, born in Birmingham, England, was of Salem, Massachusetts, before 1640. He had four sons, Isaac, John, Henry and Samuel. Isaac is supposed to have remained at Salem and John to have settled at Middletown, Connecticut. Henry and Samuel settled at Wallingford, Connecticut, and are the ancestors of most of the name of Cook or Cooke in Connecticut, as well as having numerous descendants in other states.
(II) Samuel, son of Henry Cooke, came to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1663. After his marriage he settled in Wallingford, April, 1670, with the first planters. He was the first shoemaker and tanner in the town. He held many offices of trust in town and church. He died March, 1702, leaving an estate of three hundred and forty pounds. He married (first) May 2, 1667, Hope, daughter of Edward Parker, of New Haven. He married (second) July 14, 1690, Mary Roberts, who survived him and married (second) April 9, 1705, Jeremiah How. Children by first marriage:
- Samuel, born March 3, 1668;
- John, December 3, 1669;
- Hannah, March 3, 1671-72, in Wallingford;
- Isaac, March 10, 1673, died April 7, 1673;
- Mary, April 23, 1675, married, April 5, 1699, Nathaniel Ives;
- Elizabeth, August 22, 1677, died young;
- Judith, February 29, 1679, died March 20, 1708, married, April 20, 1704, Jeremiah How;
- Isaac, January 10, 1681;
- Joseph, February 25, 1683;
- Hope, born September 27, 1686, died January 30, 1731, married, December 18, 1706, Joseph Benham.
Children by second marriage:
- Israel, May 8, 1692;
- Mabel, June 30, 1694;
- Benjamin, April 8, 1697, died 1717, unmarried;
- Ephraim, April 19, 1699;
- Elizabeth, September 10, 1701, married, August, 1717, Adam Mott.
(III) Samuel (2), eldest child of Samuel (1) and Hope (Parker) Cooke, was born March 3, 1668, at New Haven, Connecticut, died September 18, 1725, at Wallingford. He was a farmer of the western part of the town of Wallingford, near the line that now divides Cheshire from Wallingford. Descendants yet occupy the land. His estate inventoried three hundred and ninety pounds. He married (first) March 3, 1692, Hannah, daughter of William Ives, of New Haven; he married (second) Elizabeth Bedell, who survived him. She married (second) Captain David Harris, of New Haven. Children by first wife:
- Hannah, born May 28, 1693, died November 22, 1735; married Jeremiah Hull.
- Samuel, March 5, 1695.
- Aaron, of further mention.
- Lydia, January 13, 1699, died October 12, 1738; married Daniel Dutton.
- Moses, January 4, 1700, died December 25, 1711.
- Miriam, November 4, 1703; married, December 12, 1727, Benjamin Curtis.
- Thankful, December 24, 1705, died August 19, 1714.
- Esther, March 8, 1707; married, July 22, 1730, Abel Yale.
- Eunice, February 25, 1709.
- Susannah, September 5, 1711; married, December 1, 1735, Joseph Cole.
- Hope, died September 18, 1728.
Children by second wife:
- Moses, November 6, 1716.
- Thankful, November 14, 1718; married, December 31, 1742, Stephen Hotchkiss.
- Asaph, June 23, 1720.
- Hannah, November 4, 1721; married Zephaniah Hall, of Cheshire.
(IV) Aaron, son of Samuel (2) and Hannah (Ives) Cooke, was born December 28, 1696, died October 14, 1756. He was a very large landowner in the southeastern part of the town of Wallingford. He married (first) November 14, 1723, Sarah, daughter of James Benham. He married (second) Sarah Hitchcock, who died August 11, 1735. He married (third) February 7, 1736, Ruth Burrage, of Stratford. She survived him until July 2, 1786, dying at the age of seventy-nine years. Children of first marriage:
- Samuel, born September 25, 1725, died before his father.
- Stephen, December 28, 1727.
- Titus, February 25, 1730.
- Abel, February 23, 1732.
Child by second marriage:
- Sarah, June 2, 1735.
Children by third marriage:
- Lydia, 1736, died January 9, 1793; married Uriah Collins.
- Ruth, September 7, 1738, died June 9, 1780; married William Collins.
- Esther, May 14, 1740.
- Elizabeth, March 16, 1741-42, died January 27, 1751.
- Aaron, June 5, 1744.
- Miriam, June 30, 1746, died December 1, 1750.
- Lucy, September 20, 1748, died April 29, 1760.
- Elizabeth, June 7, 1751, died October 19, 1762.
(V) Aaron (2), son of Aaron (1) and Ruth (Burrage) Cooke, was born June 5, 1744, died September 14, 1825, and is buried in Northford graveyard. He married (first) Lucretia, daughter of Oliver Dudley, of Guilford, Connecticut, died April 16, 1771. Sons:
- Alvin Dudley, who was graduated from Yale College in 1735.
- Aaron, born 1768.
- Increase, graduated from Yale, 1793.
- Kilburn, twin of Increase, born in 1771.
He married (second) Elizabeth, died 1816, aged sixty-five years, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Lainter, of Branford, Connecticut. Children:
- Nathaniel Lainter, born 1775, married Susanna Baldwin.
- Elizabeth, 1776, married Joshua Atwater.
- Thomas Burrage, of further mention.
- Lucretia, 1780.
- Lydia, 1784, died 1861; married Dr. Amos G. Hull.
- Apollos, 1786, died 1832; married Ruth Atwater.
- Henrietta.
(VI) Thomas Burrage, son of Aaron (2) and Elizabeth (Lainter) Cooke, was born 1778, died 1853. After his marriage he removed, in 1800, from Wallingford, Connecticut, to Catskill, Greene county, New York, where he died. He married, November 28, 1799, Catherine, daughter of Captain Caleb and Ruth (Wadsworth) Atwater. Children:
- James Wadsworth, born October, 1800, died the day following birth.
- Catherine, 1802, died 1854.
- Thomas Burrage (2), 1804, died 1825.
- Henrietta Eliza, 1806, died 1886.
- Harriet Louisa, twin of Henrietta Eliza, died 1886, surviving her sister but a short time.
- Ruth, 1808.
- ———— Wadsworth, 1811, died 1873.
- Joshua Atwater, of further mention.
- Elizabeth Lainter, 1817.
- James, 1820, died in infancy.
- James (2), died in infancy.
- William Goodall, 1822, died 1906, at New Haven, Connecticut, leaving one daughter.
(VII) Joshua Atwater, son of Thomas Burrage and Catherine (Atwater) Cooke, was born 1814, died in Catskill, New York, in 1896. He was educated in the public schools of Catskill, New York, and the Pittsfield Academy, Massachusetts. He was engaged during his active years in mercantile life. He was prominent in public affairs, and was elected clerk of Greene county. He was an official member of the Dutch Reformed church and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Louisa Hopkins, born 1815, died in Catskill, New York, 1899. Child:
- Keturah Louise, married William Palmatier (see Palmatier IV).