Corks in America

Adapted from C. Clare Cork, History of Our Cork Families in America: 1770-1974. 

George W. Cork (1770-1836)

George W. Cork was born in Maryland in 1770, one of three children left orphans and raised by a German family.  As a young man he moved to Virginia, and settled near what is now Berkley Springs in Morgan County, WV.  On December 18, 1792, he was married to Susannah Freshour at Martinsburg by the Rev. David Young.  Susannah's parents were Wendel and Mary Freshour.  They had ten children: John (7/31/1794), George W. Jr. (1795), Peter (1798), Susannah (1799 or 1800), Andrew (7/8/1802), Maria (abt 1805), Jacob (4/27/1809), Daniel (3/30/1810), Joseph (8/8/1811), and Harrison (2/22/1814).

It is likely that the family spoke German, and some of their children in later records list their nationality as German.

George and Susan farmed land along Sleepy Creek which she had inherited from her father, and which had been granted to him by the governor of Virginia on 9/13/1789.  Here the first ifve of their children were born.  In 1804 they moved to Harrison County, and settled on a tract of 157 acres on Limestone Creek where the town of Wilsonburg was later built.  Here the other five children were born.  On 9/3/1805 they sold their Morgan County land to William O. Newton.

In 1822 the family (except George Jr., Peter, and Susan) moved to Ross County Ohio and settled in Bainbridge.  It was here that George died in 1836; he is buried in Shoults Cemetery about two miles east of Storm's Station.

In 1855 Susan moved with Andrew and his family to Clark County, IL.  She died 9/25/62, and is buried alongside Andrew in the Livingston Cemetery about two miles east of Marshall.

Joseph Cork (1811-1895)

Joseph Cork was born near Clarksburg in Harrison County, WV on 8/8/1811, and in 1822 moved with his family to Ross County, OH.  In the early 1830s he returned to WV, where in 1834 he married Catherine Hardman (born 7/20/1816 to Henry and Prudence Scott Hardman).

Joseph and Catherine had nine children: Harrison (1835), John James (7/31/1837), Harriet (2/1/1839), Belle Jane (4/8/1841), Henry Clay (1845), Joseph H. (8/28/1850), Alice M. (1852), Susan Boyd (3/21/1855).

They lived in WV for a few years before returning to Ross County, OH.  On 3/2/1840 they purchased lot no. 22 in the town of Bainbridge from Bell Nelson for $1000; on 6/30/1841 they sold it for the same price to Joseph's brother Harrison.  They then moved back to WV until 1864, when they disposed of their holdings and traveled in two covered wagons to Clark County, IL, where they settled on land purchased from his brother Andrew.  In 1874 Joseph built the Quaker City Mill in Marshall at a cost of $16,000.

Joseph Cork died 3/28/1895; Catherine died later that year, on 9/25.  Both are buried in the Livingston Cemetery outside Marshall.

Joseph H. Cork (1850-1903)

Joseph H. Cork was born near Clarksburg, WV, on 8/28/1850, and in 1864 moved with his parents to a farm near Marshall, IL.  On 12/23/1875 he married Elsie Janet Corey (b. 10/11/1854 to Lova and Martha Archer Corey). They had eight children: Catherine Gertrude (10/25/1876), Clay (10/9/1879), Arthur Lova (2/9/1884), Walter Edwin (4/26/1886), Bertie (2/14/1888-12/9/1888), Lyman (6/6/1889), Joseph (9/14/1891), and Newton (10/21/1893).

They farmed Elsie's parents' farm near Walnut Prairie, IL until Joseph died 7/21/1903 from appendicitis. She left the farm to her sons and moved to West Union, IL, where she died 8/7/1923).  Both are buried in the Brick Church Cemetery east of Walnut Prairie, IL.

Joseph Cork (1891-1968)

Joseph Cork was born near Marshall, IL, 9/14/1891, and grew up on his father's farm in Walnut Prairie.  In December 1914 he married Glenna Thompson (b. 1/25/1892 to Charles Ellsworth Thompson and Sara Louise Medsker).  They had three children: Max Eugene (9/9/1915), Elsie Lou (1/22/1922), and Virginia Dean (7/28/1924).

Joe and Glenna began to farm in Walnut Prairie until they moved into Marshall about 1920.  On 9/28/1923 he started working in the carshops of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Terre Haute, IN.

In 1925 they divorced, and on 12/10/1929 Joe married Elsie McDaniel (b. 8/7/1910).  They eventually moved to a house just north of Marshall High School, where Joe died 8/3/1968.  Elsie died 6/14/1969, and his first wife, Glenna, died 10/21/1969.

Max Eugene Cork (1915-1970)

Max Cork was born in West Union, IL, 9/9/1915.   On 5/16/1937 he married Rebecca Ann Taylor (4/29/1916 to Ernest L. Taylor and Anna Dutton Ross).  They had four children: Max Joseph, Margaret Ann, Robert Ernest, and Thomas Ray. Max died 12/19/1970 in Galesburg, IL; Becky died 9/19/1991 in Park Ridge, IL.

Robert E. Cork 

Born Terre Haute, IN.  Married 1961 to Wilifred A. Smith.  Six children: Pamela June, William Joseph, Robert Taylor, James Russell, Daniel Eugene, and Jason Freshour.

William J. Cork 

Born Southington, CT.  Married 1982 to Carol Joy Cheney. Two children: Andrew Brendan and Aimee-Joy Marie.