The Rev. Samuel Cooke, who was a native of Hadley, born January 11, 1709, in an autobiographical account in 1778, writes:
I began to learn Latin in 1720, but being then the only son I was called off to the farm till a brother, born almost out of season, and growing, allowed me to resume my study in the year 1729. I entered Harvard College in 1731—had my first degree, 1735—kept school part of a year at Roxbury—one year and a part was in the College Buttery—Nov. 1737, went to Col. Royall's, Medford, for a year to instruct his son—and in 1738 returned to College. I then preached six months at Marlborough,2 and six at Roxbury and Menotomy. In May, 1739, I received a call to settle in the ministry in this place. In July I gave my answer, and on September 12, 1739, I was ordained the first minister of this Second Precinct in Cambridge. The Church was gathered the preceding Sabbath by the Rev. John Hancock, of Lexington, and consisted of eighty-three members— eighty of which were from the Cambridge Church, and three had belonged to other churches. I boarded the first year in the family of Mr. Joseph Adams, at 10s. per week—silver being then 26s. per ounce.The terms of Mr. Cooke's settlement were two hundred and sixty pounds, and one hundred and ninety pounds salary, in the depreciated currency of the time. One hundred and thirty pounds of the settlement money were to be paid six months after his ordination, and the remainder at the end of one year after his ordination. William Russell, John Fillebrown, Henry Dunster and John Winship were a committee to wait on Mr. Cooke, and desire his answer. In order to receive it at the meeting-house, an adjournment of four weeks was effected. His answer, recorded in the Precinct Book, was as follows:
