Courtship of Anna Cooke
Beauchamp left Bowling Green and lived at his father's estate in Simpson County, where he sought to recover from an illness. He learned that Cooke had become a recluse nearby at her mother's estate after her public disgrace. Having heard from a mutual friend about the woman's beauty and accomplishments, he decided to meet Cooke. At first, she rejected all attention, but gradually received Beauchamp under his guise of borrowing books from her library. The two eventually became friends, and, in 1821, began courting. Beauchamp was eighteen years old; Cooke was at least thirty-four.
When he proposed marriage that year, Cooke told Beauchamp she would marry him on the condition that he kill Sharp. Beauchamp consented. Against Cooke's advice, Beauchamp traveled immediately to Frankfort, where Sharp had recently been appointed attorney general by the governor.
Read more about this topic: Jereboam O. Beauchamp
Famous quotes containing the words courtship and/or cooke:
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