The Cook Family Healing History

Spiritual healing has been part of my family history for generations, stretching back to the nineteenth century. Much of what I know has been passed down through family stories, together with a collection of old photographs.

Although I have little surviving documentation, I would like to share some of these memories and the people who came before me.

Hannah Goalby: My Great-Grandmother

My great-grandmother, Hannah Goalby, was a spiritual healer who practised in and around Leeds, Yorkshire.

Her healing work belongs to a time when families often relied on personal recommendations and word of mouth. The stories of her work have been handed down through the generations.

I am fortunate to have an old photograph of Hannah, pictured with a child on an early motorcycle. I do not know the exact date when it was taken.

Hannah Goalby, David Cook's great-grandmother, on an early motorcycle with a child
Hannah Goalby, David Cook's great-grandmother, pictured with a child on an early motorcycle. Date unknown.

Fanny: My Grandmother

My grandmother Fanny was born in 1876 and lived in Leeds, Yorkshire. Like her mother Hannah, she practised spiritual healing.

Fanny also worked as a milliner, making and working with hats for the theatre. Through her connections with the entertainment world, she came into contact with performers and music-hall personalities.

According to stories passed down through my family, Fanny offered healing to several well-known entertainers, including George Formby, Max Miller, George Robey, Arthur Askey, Cyril Fletcher and Billy Cotton.

These names may be unfamiliar to younger generations, but they were familiar figures in British variety entertainment, music hall, radio and theatre.

I never had the opportunity to know my grandmother properly, but my mother told me that Fanny once held me as a baby and said: "This child has the gift to heal."

It is a family memory that has stayed with me, particularly as I eventually followed the same path into spiritual healing.

Historic family photograph of Fanny, David Cook's grandmother
Fanny, David Cook's grandmother, who practised spiritual healing in Leeds. Date unknown.
Historic family photograph of Fanny walking with a gentleman
Fanny walking with a gentleman, believed to be a family member. Date unknown.

A Family Story: The Russian Connection

One of the more unusual stories passed down through my family concerns a journey my grandmother Fanny is said to have made to Russia during the 1920s.

According to family recollections, Fanny travelled to St Petersburg, as the city was known within the family story, to offer spiritual healing to a young boy believed to have some distant connection to the Russian Romanov family.

I have an old photograph of a young child which has been preserved among our family pictures. Although it has been associated with this story, I have no documentation confirming the child's identity or the circumstances surrounding the journey.

It remains an intriguing piece of family history, and one that I would love to know more about.

Unidentified young child in an early twentieth-century studio portrait, associated with a Cook family story about Russia
An unidentified child in a historic studio portrait preserved by the Cook family. The photograph has been associated with a family story about Russia, but the child's identity is unconfirmed.

Great Uncle Ken: Healing in Torquay

Another member of my family who practised spiritual healing was my Great Uncle Ken, who lived in Torquay, Devon.

According to stories passed down through the family, Ken helped many people through his healing work.

One particularly memorable story concerns a wealthy lady, described within the family as an heiress to a tobacco fortune, who was so grateful for Ken's help that she presented him with a Rolls-Royce motor car.

The story goes that she also arranged for a new garage to be built to accommodate the car.

I have no surviving documents to verify this remarkable gift, but it is one of the stories that has remained in our family over the years.

Historic family photograph of David Cook's Great Uncle Ken with a baby
Great Uncle Ken, who practised spiritual healing in Torquay, Devon, pictured with a baby. Date unknown.

My Own Journey into Spiritual Healing

Spiritual healing has been part of my family history for generations, but my own journey into healing came much later in life.

I received training through the National Federation of Spiritual Healers (NFSH), now known as The Healing Trust, and remained a member for several years.

I have now been practising spiritual healing for over 30 years, continuing a family tradition that stretches back to the nineteenth century.

Healing Elephants for the King of Thailand

One of the most extraordinary experiences of my healing career took place in Thailand during the 1990s.

I was commissioned by the King of Thailand to offer spiritual healing to three of his elephants.

It was an unusual and memorable experience, and one that has stayed with me ever since.

The photograph below shows me with one of the three elephants I was asked to heal.

David Cook with one of three elephants he was commissioned to offer spiritual healing to in Thailand
David Cook with one of three elephants he recalls being commissioned by the King of Thailand to offer healing to during the 1990s.

A Family Tradition That Continues

Looking back over these family stories, I find it remarkable that spiritual healing has been associated with so many generations of my family.

From my great-grandmother Hannah Goalby and my grandmother Fanny in Yorkshire, to Great Uncle Ken in Devon and my own experiences, each generation has its own memories and stories.

Much of this history has been passed down by word of mouth, and I cannot independently verify every detail. Nevertheless, these recollections and photographs are an important part of my family's story, and I am pleased to share them here.

If you would like to learn more about my approach to spiritual healing, please visit my Healing page, or contact me.