First Families of the Swan River Colony - William & Lucy Cook
William Martin was a farm labourer indentured to Thomas Peel. Peel's venture failed. Had Guildford Lot 87 in 1830. They then took a Town Lot in Perth (W7) for a few years and then moved to the Swan District. In the 1837 Census they were recorded at 'St.Leonard's, near Guildford. William & family had moved to Northam by the 1850's and appeared to have tenanted 'Woodley Farm' later Oakover. William also leased for many years Location 0 owned by WJ Brockman. In 1871 William purchased 697 acres of neighbouring Location 62 from George Shenton & with his sons John & George was farming a substantial area in the region. This was known as Salt River Farm. William was an established farmer & grazier of some note in the Toodyay area by 1857. William & Lucy's children married into other pioneering families in the Swan District & Northam area, including Minchin, Forward, Friend, Christmass, Delmage (Tapper). Lucy died 13 April 1894 at Northam. William died at Northam aged 89 years on the 18 January 1895 - he was described in his obituary as an 'old settler''. He was held in the highest esteem here, having so many sterling qualities. Some of the family are still farming in the Grass Valley area of Western
Australia.
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