Cooper

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Cooper
Current region Newfoundland and Labrador
Place of origin England
Founded1812

(prepared by John W Loder)[Note 1]

The first Cooper to live in the Random Island area[Note 2] 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[1][2]. 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[3], 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[4]. 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[5] 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[5] 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[1]. One family tree[4] 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[1][2] and settled in Ireland's Eye.

Ann, also sometimes referred to as “Nancy”[1], 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[2][6]. 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[2].

Random Island Families

Second, Third and Fourth Generations

James Cooper and Family

Edward Cooper II and Family

William Cooper and Family

Thomas Cooper and Family

Notes

  1. John W Loder (JWL) is a great-great grandson of Rachel Cooper and Silas Loader Cooper of Ireland’s Eye. He has carried out extensive research on the Loder and his other ancestral families, including communications with his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cousins descended from Rachel and Silas. He can be contacted at JohnWLoder@gmail.com
  2. The term “greater Random Island” here refers to Random Island with Ireland's Eye and nearby small islands included, while the term “Random Island area” refers to greater Random Island and communities on the mainland sides of Smith and Random Sounds such as British Harbour. This is in contrast to some works (e.g., the books by W.B.W. Martin, see References 9&10) which do not include Ireland's Eye as a part of Random Island.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Toope, Eugene (1992). Eye Your Roots’ (and more), The Chronicles, Ireland’s Eye and Rise’s Harbour. Grand Falls – Windsor: E and Eye Enterprises. pp. xi, 221.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Newfoundland's Grand Banks – Genealogical and historical data for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador".
  3. "WikiTree is a genealogical website of the Church of Latter Day Saints".
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Ancestry.com - Ancestry Genealogical, Family Trees & Family History Records".
  5. 5.0 5.1 Seary, E.R.; Kirwin, W (1998). Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland. McGill-Queen’s University Press. pp. iv, 574.
  6. "Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador".

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