|
|
Savage reports in New England Dictionary of New England Settlers
JOHN COOPER--embarked
in the Hopewell, of London, April 1, 1635. He was born at
Olney, in Buckinghamshire,
in 1594. [He was one of the eight original undertakers in the
Long Island settlement.]
Mr. Lewis's brief
allusion to the perils which surrounded the first of the Long Island settlers,
is perhaps sufficient
for the purpose. And one or two items, giving glimpses of their situation,
are all that need
be added. The Court -- as it was called, though in reality but a general
town
meeting -- ordered,
29 Oct., 1645, that the inhabitants should be relieved from the practice
of taking their
arms to the meeting-house on the Lord's day, from the first of November
to
the first of March
ensuing. And on 25 January, 1655, it was ordered that no one should sell
strong liquors
within the bounds of the town, excepting "our neighbor
John Cooper;" and he
was not to sell
to any Indian, nor to any but those who would use them properly. And he
was prohibited
from selling more than three ankers -- about a hundred gallons -- a year;
a
third part being
for the people of the North Sea, so called, a small settlement three miles
from the village
of Southampton. It will be well for the reader to bear in mind that some
of
the Lynn men who
joined in the Long Island enterprise did not remove there, and some who
did, returned in
a short time. (See an article communicated by G. R. Howell, of
Southampton,--
and probably a descendant from Edward Howell, who was among the first
who went from Lynn
-- in N. E. Historical and Genealogical Register, 1861.)
[The Rev.
Abraham Pierson, who went with the Long Island colony, as their
minister, and
who was a man of
excellent education, and unstained character, I had not supposed was
ever a resident
of Lynn. And Mr. Lewis states that he was of Boston; yet Savage gives him
a
son Abraham, born
at Lynn, who graduated at Harvard, in 1668. Mr. Pierson left Long
Island, about 1647,
and went to Branford, Ct., it having become necessary to divide the
church, and his
removal being approved by a council. Twenty years after the last date we
find him at Newark,
N. J. His son Abraham was settled as his colleague, at Newark, in
1672. In 1692,
the son went to Connecticut, and in 1701 was made the first president of
Yale College, in
which office he remained till his death, in 1707. The Southampton church
was, of course,
constituted according to the Congregational order; but it became
Presbyterian. In
1716, the Presbytery of Long Island was set off from the Philadelphia
Presbytery, and
organized at Southampton, 17 April, 1717, being the first Presbytery in
the
state of New York.
It was in 1640 that the Southampton settlers erected their first church
edifice; the second
was built in 1651, and the third in 1707. The last one is still standing.
A fourth, however,
was erected in 1843. The colony placed themselves under the
jurisdiction of
Hartford, in 1644, but continued very much in the way of a pure democracy.
"The government
of the town was vested in the people. They assembled at their town
meetings, had all
power and all authority. They elected town officers, constituted courts,
allotted lands,
made laws, tried difficult and important cases, and from their decision
there
was no appeal.
The Town Meeting, or General Court, as it was sometimes called, met once
a month. Every
freeholder was required to be present at its meetings and take a part in
the
burdens of government.
All delinquents were fined for non-attendance at each meeting."]
Dr. P. S. Townsend,
of New York, says the people of Lynn also settled five other towns on
Long Island; Flushing,
Gravesend, Jamaica, Hempstead, and Oyster Bay.
At the Court, on
the 13th of May, William Hathorne, Samuel Symonds, and Timothy
Tomlins, were appointed
to lay out "the nearest, cheapest, safest, and most convenient way,"
between Lynn and
Winnisimet ferry.
Lynn Village, now
South Reading, was ordered to be exempted from taxes, for two years,
as soon as seven
houses should be built, and seven families settled.
William Hathorne
and Timothy Tomlins, having been appointed to lay out the bounds of the
town of Lynn, made
report, on the 4th of June, that they had fixed the bounds at
Charlestown line,
Reading pond, Ipswich river, and Salem.
[It appears by the
Suffolk Records, that Thomas Dexter this year mortgaged lands in Lynn,
to Humfrey Hooke,
an alderman of the city of Bristol, and others.
[At the September
Court, Salem, an action for defamation, Timothy Tomlins, of Lynn,
against John Pickering
was tried, and the jury found "that ye said John Pickering shall not
only pay fforty
shillings damage and ffower shillings coste, but yt in some publik meeting
at
Lynn, before next
Courte, the said Jno. Pickering shall publiklie acknowledge the wronge
done ye sd Tomlins,
or else shall pay and make his fforty shillings Tenn pounds."
[A good many goats
were kept in this vicinity in the early days of the colony. Josselyn says
they were "the
first small cattle they had in the countrey; he was counted no body, that
had
not a trip or flock
of goats."]
The Court ordered
that grain should be received as a lawful payment for debts; Indian corn
at 5s., rye at
6s. 8d., and wheat at 7s. a bushel. The price of a cow was œ5.
COOPER FAMILY.
1 *Mr. John Cooper was born at Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1594. He came from England in 1635, in the Hopewell, with his wife Widroe [ Note: Wibroe is generally used nmt ] and four children
2 Mary,
aged 13 years.
2 John,
aged 10 years.
2 Thomas,
aged 7 years.
2 *Martha,
aged 5 years.
He was from his arrival a prominent figure in the affairs of Boston and Lynn, Mass. In 1636 he was made freeman at Boston, was one of the elders of the church when it was organized at Lynn, in 1638, and he is on record as owning one hundred acres in that town. He was one of the twenty heads of families who formed the settlement of Southampton, Long Island, in 1640. He was living in Southampton in 1655, and probably afterward, "where he was a man of reputation." He moved to Connecticut and was "representative" May, 1659, and after that date. He was in the list of freeman at New Haven in Oct., 1669. [Note, this is likely his son John, and was not indicative of having moved there, as Long Island was considered part of New Haven at one time. Last record of John Cooper, Sr. is May 6, 1662, TAG 64:193 Oct 1989 nmt ] "
According to Torrey, the immigrant died 1662, per TAG 64:193 Oct
1989, last record May 6, 1662.. The documents below are for who appears
to be the son of the immigrant, John Cooper who married Sarah Mew.
This John Cooper died intestate in probably 1667, letters of administration
granted to a wife named Sarah in 1677.
Page 156.--"Whereas JOHN COOPER, of Southampton, upon Long Island, died intestate, and Sarah his widow hath petitioned to me, by reason of the great distance of the Court of Sessions, for Letters of Administration," they are granted July 8, 1677.
[Note: Torrey shows wife of son of the immigrant as Sarah Mew]
New York City Wills - Abstracts of Wills Vol I 1665-1707
Pg 43 of the Transcription
Pg 158 "Southampton, March 8, 167 7/8. An Apprizal of the estate of late deceased JOHN COOPER, taken this day out of the account formerly taken by ye overseers appointed by the Five men chosen to it by this present Court of Sessions." Land at North Sea, œ50. The Last Division at Meacocks, œ60. The Close in Great Plain, œ40. Several Parcels of land and meadow in Shinecock Plains, œ40. 10 acres by the ox Pasture gate, 12 acres layed out north of John Jaggers Close, 150 acres at Southold, œ40. House, Home lot, barn, all buildings and fences, œ380. Commonage, œ100. Taken by Edward Howell, John Jessup, Thomas Cooper, Thomas Topping, Obadiah Rogers. Debts due to Ellis Cook, Henry Pierson.
Notes: Thomas Cooper could be his brother (d 1681) or possibly a
son. Ellis Cook was a brother-in-law of John, Jr. who married sister Martha.
Henry Pierson was his half-brother, from his mother. Thomas Topping married
one of the kids of his sister, Ann Cooper. Not sure of any blood relationship
with Edward Howell or Obadiah Rogers.
__________________
This is all I have for the kids and grandkids of this immigrant.
Would appreciate it if you can fill in the blanks!
| Top of Page | Home | Heritage | Fam Histories - Mom's | Surnames | Other Stuff | What's New | E Mail |
Copyright 1998 Norris Taylor