Fook, Mrs

Also known as: Mrs Fork

Singer

Collection date: Jan 1905

Area: Devon

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Mrs (Emma) Fook at Rackenford, North Devon (1853-1938): age 51, 2 songs (FT482/3) on 6 Jan 1905: Sharp wrote ‘Fook’ but it has been read as ‘Fork’. There was nobody called ‘Fork’ in the village in 1901 and it is definitely ‘Fook’. There was only one ‘Fook’ family in the relevant census:

Emma Fook was born c1853 as Emma Wynn, younger sister of (singer) Sarah Ann Palfrey (née Wynn). She was the 5th child of John Fook, agricultural labourer and his wife Susan. Like her sister Sarah, she had a child out of wedlock – Jessie Wynn b1874. She married David Fook Jan qr 1875 (ref 5b 720). David was a carpenter all his life and they had 8 children. In 1901 they were living next door to the Stag Inn in Rackenford. Emma died Oct qr 1938 (5b 505).