Cooper

Cooper
Current region	Newfoundland and Labrador
Place of origin	England
Founded	1812

(prepared by John W Loder)

The first Cooper to live in the Random Island area was Edward Cooper (born in 1781, sometimes referred to as “Edward I”) who moved to the community of Ireland’s Eye after marrying Ann (Nancy) Emmery in 1812. We will consider them to be the “First Generation” of the Cooper Family of Random Island.

Edward I and Ann had at least 8 children (the “Second Generation”), several of whom stayed and raised large families of their own in Ireland's Eye or elsewhere on Random Island. In turn, many of Edward I and Ann’s grandchildren (the “Third Generation”) stayed and raised families in the area. Consequently, Edward I and Ann have a large number of descendants in the Random Island area.

Pre Random Island

There is some uncertainty regarding the earliest Cooper ancestor of the Random Island Cooper Family to have lived in Newfoundland. It seems most likely that he was William George Cooper, who is believed to have been born around 1758 in England, and who died in 1819 in Grates Cove. William George’s wife was Margaret Elizabeth Thomas who was born in 1760 in either England or Newfoundland, and died in 1842 in Grates Cove. It seems likely that William George and Margaret moved to Newfoundland with their son Edward I in the late 1700s, and settled in Grates Cove.

However, there are reports of a Charles Cooper, son of a West County (England) merchant, settling in Grates Cove around 1705, and of another Charles moving from Lower Island Cove (Conception Bay) to Grates Cove around 1790. There are other reports of Coopers in the Conception Bay and St. John’s areas in the 1700s, such that all of these other Coopers are candidates for early relatives of the Random Island Coopers in Newfoundland.

First Generation

There is a report of a “George {Cooper} and son, proprietors and occupiers of fishing rooms at Grates Cove, Winter, 1800-01”. It seems plausible that this father and son were the William George and son Edward I noted above, and that this Edward was the one born in Lymington England in 1781 and believed to have been the first Cooper (Edward Cooper I) to settle on greater Random Island. One family tree indicates that Edward I first married Louisa Hodder (1785-1812) in 1805. In any case, Edward I then married Ann Emmery (1798-1883) in Trinity in 1812 and settled in Ireland's Eye.

Ann, also sometimes referred to as “Nancy”, was the daughter of Moses Emmery and Rachel Goldsworthy of Trinity. Moses was a sea captain based out of Trinity, St. John’s and/or Poole England. Records indicate that Ann was baptized in 1798 in Trinity, “a daughter to Rachel Goldsworthy by Capt Moses Emmery of Poole (illegitimate)”, and that Rachel and Moses married in 1805. Thus, both Edward I and Ann provided a strong maritime heritage to their extended Random Island Cooper Family.

Edward passed away in 1868 and Ann in 1883. Both are buried in the Ireland's Eye Anglican Cemetery.

The abandoned community of Ireland's Eye in 1989

Headstone of Edward I

Headstone of Ann

Random Island Families

Second, Third and Fourth Generations

Edward I and Ann (Nancy) raised at least 8 children (the “Second Generation”) in the community of IE[i]:

·     James who was born in 1814^2,3 and baptized in Trinity in November 1815.  There are indications⁴ that he married Mary Ellen Sullivan (b 1824) of Kings Cove (Bonavista Bay), they moved to St. John’s, and they had at least 2 children (and probably more [see below]).  James passed away in 1859.  {“[see below]” could be a hyperlink}

·     John who was born in 1817^2,3.  Three family trees⁴ indicate that he died on IE in 1868, without any indication of a marriage or children.

·     Edward (“Edward II”) who was born in 1818^2,3, married Ann Patience Bannister (1823-1894) of British Harbour in 1840, and died on IE in 1899.  They had at least 9 children on IE [see below].

·     William who was born 1822^2,3, first married Louisa Jaynes (1833-1879) of Trinity in 1850, later married Louisa Paul in 1885, and died on IE in 1900.  William and his first wife Louisa had at least 8 children on IE [see below].

·     Rachel who was born in 1825^2,3, married Silas Loader (1819-1904) from Old Perlican, and died in 1910 on IE.  They had 8 children in the community of IE, 3 of whom had children on greater RI [see Loder Family]. {possible hyperlink}

·     Anne who was born in 1828^2,3, married Richard Miller in 1848, and died in Kerley’s Harbour in 1902.  Information on any children has not been found.

·     Thomas who was born in 1831², married Mary Arabella Toope (1841-1917) in 1858, and died in 1910 in IE.  They had at least 12 children on IE [see below].

·     Johanna who was born in 1835 in IE^2,3, married James Baker (1836-1915) of Heart’s Ease in 1859, and died in 1902 in Trinity.  They lived in Rider’s Harbour, Thoroughfare and Snook’s Harbour, and had as many as 8 children [see below and Baker Family].

In the Lovell’s 1871 Directory for IE³, an Edward is listed as a fisherman and a Thomas William as a planter (possibly, the Thomas or William above).  For Thoroughfare, a James Baker (probably, Johanna’s husband) is listed as a fisherman.  For Kerley’s Harbour, a Richard Miller (probably, Anne’s husband) is listed as a fisherman.

It is noteworthy that Edward I and Ann had at least 48 grandchildren, 45 of whom were born on greater RI^*.

The following subsections provide further information on the families of the children of Edward I and Ann, including the 5 families raised in the RI area.  Information is drawn from the various references listed in the [References] {possible hyperlink}, including research by the author¹ and communications with his second, third and fourth cousins descended from Silas and Rachel (Cooper) Loader of IE.

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[i] Family Search (FS) genealogical site: https://www.familysearch.org/en/