Juliette Montague Cooke (March 10, 1812 – August 11, 1896), known as "Mother Cooke", was an American teacher, a member of the Eighth Company of missionaries sent by the

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

(ABCFM) to the Hawaiian Islands.

Early life

Juliette Montague was born in

Sunderland, Massachusetts Sunderland is a town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The wo ...

, the daughter of Caleb Montague and Martha Warner Montague.John Montague Smith, Henry Walbridge Taft, Abbie Talitha Montague
''1673-1899: History of the Town of Sunderland, Massachusetts''
(E. A. Hall & Company 1899): 229-231. She attended school in

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (althoug ...

, and sat in on lectures at

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

as one of the first women permitted to do so. She taught school at

Ipswich, Massachusetts Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,785 at the 2020 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island. A reside ...

as a young woman, and was described as a "good tailoress and dressmaker" in one of her recommendation letters for mission work.Mary Atherton Richards
''The Hawaiian Chiefs' Children's School; a record compiled from the diary and letters of Amos Starr Cooke and Juliette Montague Cooke''
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin 1937): xix, xx.

Mission work

Juliette Montague Cooke went to Hawaii as a new bride in 1836 (landed in 1837), and taught native Hawaiian children at the Chiefs' Children's School in Honolulu. Because she was the school's matron, "Mother Cooke" cared for the children of chiefs beyond their academic needs. Her charges included four kings and two queens

Emma Emma may refer to: * Emma (given name) Film * Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown * Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow * Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...

and Liliuokalani. The wedding of Bernice Pauahi and

Charles Reed Bishop Charles Reed Bishop (January 25, 1822 – June 7, 1915) was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist in Hawaii. Born in Glens Falls, New York, Glens Falls, New York (state), New York, he sailed to Hawaii in 1846 at the age of 24, a ...

took place in the Cookes' home. Cooke, like many teachers of her day, taught music and used singing in the classroom. The musical accomplishments of her royal students are counted among her contributions to Hawaiian culture. The music building at

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade, 12th grade. Protestant missionar ...

, Montague Hall, is named for Juliette Montague Cooke and her daughter, Juliette Montague Cooke Atherton.Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, Esther T. Mookini
''Place Names of Hawaii''
(University of Hawaii Press 1974): 157.

Personal life and legacy

Juliette Montague married

Amos Starr Cooke Amos Starr Cooke (December 1, 1810 – March 20, 1871) was an American educator and businessman in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that influenced Hawaii during the 20th century. Life Amos Starr Cooke was born in Danbury, Co ...

in 1836. They had seven children together, born between 1838 and 1856, including financier

Charles Montague Cooke Charles Montague Cooke (May 6, 1849 – August 27, 1909) was a businessman during the Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii, and Territory of Hawaii. Life Charles Montague Cooke was born May 6, 1849 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was Amos Starr ...

. She was widowed when Amos Starr Cooke died in 1871. She died in 1896, aged 84 years, in Honolulu. Her grandchildren included malacologist

Charles Montague Cooke Jr. Charles Montague Cooke Jr. (December 20, 1874 – October 29, 1948) was an American malacologist who published under the name of C. Montague Cooke or C.M. Cooke. Life Charles Montague Cooke Jr. was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 20, 1874. ...

and financier

Clarence Hyde Cooke Clarence Hyde Cooke (April 17, 1876 – August 23, 1944) was a politician and businessman in Honolulu. Life Clarence Cooke was born April 17, 1876 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the second son of Charles Montague Cooke and Anna Rice Cooke, and gra ...

. Her great-grandchildren included musician

Francis Judd Cooke Francis Judd Cooke (December 28, 1910 – May 18, 1995) was an American composer, organist, cellist, pianist, conductor, choir director, and professor. Life Cooke was born December 28, 1910 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a family of New England mi ...

. Judge

Alan Cooke Kay Alan Cooke Kay (born July 5, 1932) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Education and career Born on July 5, 1932, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kay attended Princeton University, where ...

is one of the living descendants of Juliette Montague Cooke. Her granddaughter Mary Atherton Richards wrote a biography of the Cookes and the Chief's Children's School, first published in 1937. Juliette Montague Cooke's surviving letters and journals are still valued as a source on nineteenth-century life in Honolulu.

Family tree

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Juliette Montague 1812 births 1896 deaths People from Franklin County, Massachusetts Amherst College alumni Congregationalist missionaries in Hawaii American emigrants to the Hawaiian Kingdom Educators from Hawaii American women educators