[3] Kate Crooks was born on February 13, 1833, in Newark, Upper Canada (now Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario).

[4] Kate Crooks' mother was Mary Gumsby Lawrason, the daughter of United Empire Loyalists from New Jersey.

At this time, Kate contributed to a flora of Hamilton, Ontario, published by her brother-in-law Alexander Logie.

[9] Her own paper, Remarks on the species of oak, their history, habits and uses was presented at the Botanical Society of Canada's seventh meeting, on June 14, 1861.

She received an honourable mention for these works, which were shown alongside examples of Canadian forestry, fisheries, and agricultural products.

[1] Crooks also exhibited her work at Canadian agricultural fairs, including one in Toronto, three weeks before the birth of her first child.

After her death, Kate's bereaved husband and young children were sued by three of her four sisters; Margaret, Mary, and Susan.

In a 1997 book, Dr. Lori Chambers observed that the Act was a "remedial measure intended for women's protection, not their emancipation."

"[16] One of Kate Crooks' pressed botanical specimens is held at the herbarium at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec.