|
FLEET COOPER, SR, & FAMILY
of
Sampson County, North Carolina
I am a descendant of Fleet COOPER, SR. Of that I am sure. Penelope,
daughter of his son, Fleet COOPER, JR, was born in 1797 in Sampson
County, NC, and was my third great-grandmother. She married Thomas Allen
HOWARD and their issue can be found on my HOWARD
page at this web site.
The issue of Fleet COOPER, SR, and several generations of some
descendants are shown on this page. In some instances this surname was
recorded as CUPER, CUPPER, COUPER, COWPER, COOKER and possibly COKER.
Mistaken Identity:
A Case for Fleet Cooper, Sr, Native of Virginia, Not Philadelphia
For a number of years several sources, such as The Heritage of
Sampson County: 1784--1984, Murphy Rowe Cooper's book, The Cooper
Family--History and Genealogy - 1681-1931, and more recently a
publication by Oscar & Virginia Bizzell entitled, Revolutionary War
Records of Duplin & Sampson Counties, have contained information
indicating that Fleet COOPER, SR, was born about 1721 in Philadelphia, PA,
the eldest son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelly COOPER. These reports go on
to state that Benjamin moved his family to Isle of Wight County about 1725
and shortly afterwards to Loudoun County, VA. It was here, some
unsubstantiated sources
state, that Fleet spent his youth and married Marguerite COORE. Moreover,
some researchers have provided information suggesting that this Benjamin
COOPER has been traced back to English royalty. In studying the assertion
that Fleet COOPER, SR, later of Sampson County, NC, was a son of Benjamin of
Philadelphia, it appears to me that all of the aforementioned publications
have relied primarily on the same source: Murphy Rowe Cooper's 1931 book,
THE COOPER FAMILY
―
HISTORY and GENEALOGY
―
1681-1931
. That is
unfortunate, for I believe the author was grossly in error with respect to
the ancestry of Fleet COOPER, SR, of Sampson County, NC, and many readers
have blindly accepted his information as accurate and presently are
disseminating it in numerous messages and web pages on the Internet. I was
informed in July 2001 by a family member of Murphy Rowe Cooper that the
author died in 1959 and none of the heirs knows of the whereabouts of his
backup material of his book. How sad that is.
THE PROBABLE―and likely― SOURCE of FLEET'S ALLEGED ANCESTRY
My studies suggest that the allegation that Fleet COOPER, SR, who died
about 1801 in Sampson County, NC, was a son of Benjamin COOPER of
Philadelphia hangs by a very thin thread. I believe the primary source for
this assertion has been The Cooper Family, which was written by
Murphy Rowe Cooper and published in 1931. According to the author,
his material largely was obtained from interviews with several Cooper
descendants. Philadelphia records confirm that a James COOPER of that
city had a son named Benjamin and that this Benjamin married Elizabeth
KELLY on 28 Nov 1720. The author cited no sources, however, for his
statement that this Benjamin COOPER was the father of Fleet COOPER who
ultimately lived and died in Sampson County, NC. Nor did the author
provide any clues as to why he stated that it was this same Benjamin who
moved to Isle of Wight County, VA, and received in 1725 a patent for 100
acres in Surry County, VA. As revealed later on this page, this writer
found a copy of the original deed that proves conclusively that Mr. Murphy
Rowe Cooper selected the wrong Benjamin Cooper as the recipient of the
1725 land patent.
Another event seems to have added more momentum to the acceptance by
many of the information set forth by Murphy Rowe Cooper in his book. Prior
to her marriage, Mrs. Columbus Marion WINN was Mary Elizabeth COOPER, born
1867 in Rocky Comfort, AR, a daughter of Simon COOPER. A membership
application to the Magna Charta Dames Society was submitted by Mrs. WINN
and approved sometime during the 1930s. The threshold for acceptable
levels of proof was much less stringent in those days, certainly so for
the NSDAR, and very likely for the Magna Charta Dames Society. Her
application claimed that her father Simon was a son of John who was a son
of George, born 1740 in Loudoun County, Virginia, and died shortly before
12 Oct 1826 when his will was probated in Cole County, Missouri. She
stated that this George was a son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelly COOPER
of Philadelphia and that Benjamin owned land in Moreland Township,
Montgomery County, PA. Some family searchers have posted on the Internet
forums that this George was a younger brother of Fleet. I have reviewed
Murphy Rowe Cooper's book from cover to cover and read the entries in John
Wurt's Magna Charta, Volume VII, for Mrs. WINN. Neither of those
publications gives any indication that George had a brother named Fleet.
In fact, the Cooper book does not even suggest that Benjamin had a son
named George.
It is my belief that Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cooper Winn mistakenly
concluded that her great-grandfather George was a son of Benjamin and
Elizabeth Kelly COOPER of Philadelphia. George's father very well may have
been named Benjamin. I have learned that there were several COOPER
families living concurrently in VA and NC in that period with a father
named Benjamin and a son named George. All that aside, it is not my
purpose here to attack the credibility of Mrs. Winn's claim of her
ancestry to the Benjamin of Philadelphia.
I do, however, have reasons that
are displayed further down this page for concluding that there is no
factual basis for tying Fleet COOPER, SR, to Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelly
COOPER.
For some time I have vainly searched for documentation that Fleet
COOPER, SR, was a son of the Benjamin COOPER who married Elizabeth KELLY
in Philadelphia Christ Church on 28 Nov 1720. I know of no evidence
listing a son named Fleet born to this Philadelphia couple. In fact, I
know of NO RECORDS that list any issue of this
Benjamin and Elizabeth COOPER. All we have is the statement of Mary
Elizabeth Cooper Winn which apparently was based on her memory of the
memory of her grandparents who were relying on the memory of their
grandparents. Sadly, some correspondents have taken issue with me,
mistakenly accepting information submitted to the LDS Pedigree files as
unassailable truth. The LDS does not warrant the accuracy of those
submitted files and indeed alerts viewers to that fact. Not one of those
files points to a record supporting the names of the issue of Benjamin and
Elizabeth Kelly COOPER of Philadelphia.
CONFUSING "PROOF" ABOUT FLEET'S FATHER & SIBLINGS
I have read the COOPER ancestral line of Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cooper
WINN that she apparently claimed in her application for membership in the
Magna Charta Dames Society. I have found records that support her claim
that she was born 1867 in Rocky Comfort, AR, to Simon COOPER who was born
in Washington, AR, in 1835. Mrs. WINN claimed that Simon was a son of John
COOPER who was born in 1803 in NC and died in 1868 in Little River County,
AR. She further stated in her application that John was a son of George
COOPER who died in Cole County, MO, shortly before his will was probated
12 Oct 1826.
Now this is the sticky part. Mrs. WINN stated that her
great-grandfather George was born in 1740 in Loudoun County, VA, a son of
Benjamin and Elizabeth COOPER of Philadelphia. Based primarily, if not
solely, on Mrs. Winn's application, author John Wurts states in his book,
Magna Charta, Part VII, that George COOPER, who was living in North
Carolina in 1803 when his son John was born, moved his family to Missouri
via Kentucky about 1808 in the company of Col. Benjamin COOPER and his
sons and grandsons. Whether this is true or not, I do not know. My study
of a book entitled, "Revolutionary War Soldiers Buried in Missouri,"
reveals that a Lt. Colonel Benjamin A. COOPER, born 25 Jan 1753 in
Culpeper County, VA, died 5 Nov 1841 in Saline County, MO. The book
reveals that he had service as a private and a spy while serving in South
Carolina. Curiously, however, the book's biographical information for Col.
Benjamin COOPER concludes with the statement that "(h)is residence during
the Revolutionary War was in Virginia." It is puzzling to me that he would
have lived briefly in North Carolina and then gone to Missouri with George
in 1808. Culpeper County to Kentucky to Missouri makes a lot more sense.
I also noted a biographical piece in the same book for a Jesse COOPER
who was born in 1760 and reared in Culpeper County, VA. Jesse married in
1782 in Kentucky a niece of Daniel Boone and later moved to Missouri where
he died in Boone County in 1822.
Based on my research that includes the aforementioned information, I am
of the opinion that there has been some confusion as to the George COOPER
whom Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cooper WINN claimed was her great-grandfather.
Perhaps he was a son of a Benjamin, but was it the one from Philadelphia?
There were a number of men named Benjamin COOPER who had sons named
George. If this George was a son of Benjamin of Philadelphia, I am not
convinced that Benjamin and/or George lived in North Carolina.
A recent posting by Mrs. Betty K. Price on the GenWeb asserts that the
1740 Chowan County Vestry Minutes entry, "Fleete COOPER a poor Boy
which is now Lame,"(see my discussion of these records further down
this page) represents the first known appearance in North Carolina of
Fleet COOPER, SR, later of Sampson County. The same posting maintains that
this Fleet was the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelly COOPER of
Philadelphia who by 1740 or thereabouts were living in Loudoun County, VA,
but offers no proof.
A few years ago, I asked Mrs. Betty K. Price, former editor of My
Heritage is Cooper, if she could direct me to some documentation that my
FLEET COOPER, SR., indeed was a son of Benjamin COOPER of Philadelphia.
She responded in an email to me that to her knowledge there was not any
written evidence. Here is an excerpt of what she sent me:
"The only proof that I was ever able to find was the lineage of
Mrs. Marion Columbus Winn (Mary Elizabeth Cooper) in the Volume of Magna
Charta Dames members. You can find these records in your local library or
on inter-library loan. She was a descendant from George, brother of Fleet
Sr. sons of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Kelly) Cooper. She was born back in
the early 1800s and her grandparents were still living in her childhood
who remembered who their grandparents were. I don't have my records where
I have all that right at hand. But
without this information, there doesn't seem to be any documented proof of
Fleet Sr's father. (The highlighting is my own. JHC) Mrs.
Winn supplied a lot of research for the Cooper Family book I have been
told. Betty."
A careful review of both the Murphy Rowe Cooper book and the record of
Mrs. Winn in John Wurts' Magna Charta, Part VII, should lead any
open-minded reader to conclude that proof is lacking for tying FLEET
COOPER, SR., to Benjamin COOPER of Philadelphia. The Magna Charta
information provided by Mrs. Winn hardly qualifies as "documented proof."
In the face of contrary circumstantial evidence, are we to accept the
words of one woman who late in life recalls her family ancestors based on
what she might have learned
as a child from her grandparents of what they in turn recalled hearing
from their grandparents?
My studies have provided sufficient information for me to conclude that
FLEET COOPER, SR, WAS NOT THE SON OF BENJAMIN OF
PHILADELPHIA. I believe Fleet's ancestry can be traced to COOPER
families in Virginia, but not to the Benjamin of Philadelphia that so many
claim. Contrary to implied statements of Murphy Rowe Cooper in his book,
the COOPER name can be traced back to the earliest settlers of Virginia.
Furthermore, I have found records of COOPERS living in Virginia decades
before James, the father of Benjamin, came to America and shortly
afterwards to Philadelphia.
SEVERAL BENJAMIN COOPERS in VIRGINIA and NORTH CAROLINA
Comments on the name Benjamin COOPER are presented here for the reason
that so many people for so long have held to the notion that Fleet COOPER,
SR, was a son of a Benjamin COOPER and that this particular Benjamin lived
in Virginia during most or all of Fleet's youth. Recognizing that there
may be some foundation in this name association, I have sought the
identity and lineage of a number of males of this name who appear in
Colonial Virginia and North Carolina records.
- Surry County, VA, records indicate that in 1711-1712 a Benjamin
COOPER was chided for not attending church.
- Benjamin COOPER of Isle of Wight Co; 100 acs (N.L.), Surry
County, ss of Nottoway River and ss of Racoon Swamp, 24 Mar 1725, 10
Shill.
- Records for a Benjamin COOPER who made his mark with an "O" have
been found in Southampton County, VA, as late as 1757 (Southampton
was formed from Isle of Wight in 1749). A Benjamin COOPER who made
the same "O" mark wrote his will in Granville County, NC, in 1759.
His will made no mention of a Fleet, nor have I found that given
name among his descendants. It's noteworthy that this Benjamin had
sons named William, Benjamin, James, John and George.
- A Surry Co, VA deed dated 20 Oct 1747 reveals a Benjamin COOPER
(mark "O") of Isle of Wight, VA, granting land to a James COOPER, of
Surry Co, VA, said land being the same that a Benjamin COOPER had
patented in 1725. A deed dated 7 Jan 1754 and recorded in Surry Co.
VA on 15 Jan 1754 reveals James COOPER and wife Elizabeth COOPER
selling the same land to John RICHARDSON JR. of Brunswick Co, VA.
This sale by Benjamin "O" COOPER appears to refute the assertion by
Murphy Rowe Cooper that Benjamin of Philadelphia received this 1725
patent.
- Among heirs named in his 1732 will, Wm. COOPER of Lower Norfolk
County, listed a son, Benjamin. This Benjamin remained in that
county as late as 1765. He does not appear to have been the father
of my Fleet COOPER; however, I have not ruled him out of
consideration. Of note, other sons were: Joseph, John, Edward,
George, James and Jacob, all given names similar to those attributed
by some to the Philadelphia COOPER family. The Norfolk County COOPER
family appears to have been well established and of some means. Most
sons lived on nearby plantations and William the father owned a mill
which he willed to Benjamin after the death of his sons' mother.
- A William COOPER named a son Benjamin in his will which was
proved in Southampton Co, VA 12 Aug 1762. Others named were wife
Mary and sons James, Demsey, John and Jesse. To date, I have not
tracked down each of these sons.
- Others named Benjamin COOPER have been found in several NC
counties, most notably one who wrote his will on 11 Mar 1784 in
Bladen County. While no evidence suggests he was a father of Fleet
of Sampson County, it is possible that this line of COOPER families
in nearby by Bladen County could have contributed to some mistaken
identifications.
- And finally, this interesting tid-bit: In a Pennsylvania
publication listing "Landholders of Philadelphia County, 1734," can
be found a Benjamen (sic) COOPER, 100 (acres?) and a Patrick KELLY,
100. Another 1720 record shows that Benjamin, son of James, owned
land in Moorland Manor. We note that Moreland Township is now in
Montgomery County which was formed from Philadelphia County in 1784.
Is it possible that Benjamin COOPER left Philadelphia for Virginia
later than some have suggested? Do we know for a fact that Benjamin
the son of James ever left PA? It certainly appears to me that
Benjamin Cooper of Philadelphia was NOT in Isle of Wight in 1725, as
asserted by Murphy Rowe COOPER. And if that is the case, it further
weakens arguments that he was the father of Fleet.
|
Benjamin Cooper
of
Bladen County, NC
- 1753: Benjamin COOPER got 640 ac. on Hollingsworth Cr. off
the N.W. Cape Fear R.
- 1763: Bladen County Taxpayers List included Benjamin COOPER,
George COOPER, Isaac COOPER and Joseph COOPER.
- 1784: Bladen Co. abstract of will by BENJAMIN COOPER
reveals: Elizabeth LOCK (sister); Benjamin, Joseph and William
COOPER, (grandsons). Other Bladen County records indicate that
these grandsons were children of son Joseph COOPER, that
Benjamin had another son Thomas, and possibly another sister
named Rebecca who married Leonard LOCK.
- 1799: Abstract of will by JOSEPH COOPER, Mary (wife),
William, Benjamin and Joseph. [These are grandsons of Benjamin.
See 1784 will abstract.]
Who was this Benjamin? Where did he come from? Who were his
parents?
Some have speculated that this Benjamin was born in
Philadelphia, a son of James COOPER, the same James COOPER who
some allege also was the grandfather of Fleet COOPER, SR. This
Benjamin does not stack up as the son of James of Philadelphia. In
his 1784 will, Benjamin of Bladen mentioned a sister Elizabeth. In
his 1731/32 will, James of Philadelphia listed his living issue
which did not include an Elizabeth. Benjamin of Bladen appears to
have had a sister named Rebecca; however, records reveal Rebecca,
the daughter of James of Philadelphia, died in 1755. The Benjamin
of Bladen does not appear to be the son of James COOPER of
Philadelphia.
Was the George COOPER listed as a 1763 Bladen County taxpayer a
brother or a son of Benjamin? Was this the same George who was
later listed in the 1790, 1800 and 1810 censuses of nearby Duplin
County, who later died in Missouri in 1826 and, according to Mary
Elizabeth Cooper Winn, was her great-grandfather?
From records, I believe this Benjamin and his sons were in
Craven before coming to Bladen. Was Benjamin of Bladen related to
Fleet COOPER, SR, of Sampson County? I do not know--yet.
|
|
So far, I have found no evidence tying any Benjamin COOPER to a Fleet
COOPER as a father or a brother. To my knowledge, Fleet COOPER, SR, had no
sons named Benjamin or James, somewhat of a departure of the then
conventional naming patterns, if his father had been named Benjamin and
his grandfather named James. Conversely, Fleet named sons John, Fleet,
William and Coore. The last obviously was in recognition of his wife's
family. Was Fleet's father a John or a William? I am aware that Fleet's
son William named a son Benjamin; however, by that time, many families
used this popular Biblical given name. Viewers are invited to share their
thoughts with me on this matter.
COOPER and FLEET: VIRGINIA FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Virginia patents and grants, as well as several
other records that I have reviewed, suggest to me that
Fleet COOPER, SR, most likely was born in
southeastern Virginia. It appears possible that he was the same Fleet
COOPER of Nansemond County, VA, who sold land along the Blackwater River
on 9 Mar 1757 which he had purchased in Feb 1745. Of particular interest
is a Fleet COOPER living in Elizabeth City County, VA, who was fined by
the Court 19 February 1718 for not attending church. Also in the same
county a Fleet COOPER witnessed the will of Robert BRIGHT on 19 Jan
1723/23. (Note: In 1645/6 the southwestern portion of Elizabeth City
County became Nansemond County). Very likely these two of the same name
and living in relatively close proximity were related, possibly as uncle
and nephew or father and son. I am aware of an even earlier Virginia
record which links the "widow FLEET" and a Jno. COOPER and his wife as
grantors in a 1675 Gloucester County deed. This record strongly suggests a
family relationship of some kind between FLEET and COOPER surnames. This
conclusion is further buttressed by several other extant York County, VA,
records revealing connections between a widow, Anne FLEETE, and John
COOPER, "attorney of Anne." These documents were recorded between 1665 and
1672. These dates are noteworthy because James COOPER, alleged by some to
be the grandfather of Fleet COOPER the Revolutionary War hero of Sampson
County, was not born until 1661 in England and did not come to America
before 1682, almost 20 years after Virginia records show connections
of FLEET and COOPER families. James' son Benjamin, who some allege was the
father of our FLEET COOPER, later of Sampson County, did not marry in
Philadelphia until 1720. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE
ORIGIN OF THE GIVEN NAME OF OUR FLEET COOPER VERY LIKELY CAN BE TRACED TO
THIS EARLY FLEET COOPER WHO WAS LIVING IN YORK COUNTY, VIRGINIA IN 1718 AS
AN ADULT.
Here are some other interesting records:
- Vestry Minutes of St. Paul's Parish, Chowan County, NC, 1701-1776,"
Raymond Parker Fouts:
The 25 day of October 1740:
Ordered That the Church warden be allowed for a Doctors Bill or acctt.
For a Cure or Trouble with Fleete COOPER a poor Boy which is now Lame.
- Att a Vestrey mett and Held at The Chappell at Meherin The 10th
day of April 1742:
Ordered that the Ch. Wds. Pay to Doctr. Arthur GOURLEY forty five pounds
for his Trouble and Charge in Cureing Fleete COOPER a poore Lame boy.
- At a Vestry met at the Church in Edenton, Tuesday the 23rd Day
of October 1765 Present:
Ordered that John CHARLTON Be allowed Two pounds fifteen Shillings
proclamation for nursing and Burying John COOPER a poor man.
Who was this young Fleete? What happened to this Fleete after he was
cured? Was he related to this John COOPER who died as a poor man in Chowan
County? Was he related to the several COOPERS living in nearby Northampton
County at that time? Where exactly was "The Chappell at Meherin?" I note
that the Meherrin River courses through southeastern Virginia and courses
through a part of Northampton County before heading in a southerly
direction as the eastern boundary of the county. Prior to the formation of
Hereford County in 1754, that river was a boundary between Northampton and
Chowan counties.
Note: January 15, 2003, this writer received an email from noted author
Raymond Parker Fouts in which he provided the location of "The
Chappell at Meherin" and other useful information pertinent to the study
of young Fleet COOPER of Chowan County. I am most grateful for the
author's response which stated in part: "(the) Chappell of Meherin
(refers) to what what was then known as 'Meherrin Swamp,' located just to
the south side of the community of Sunbury, Gates County, NC. It is now
known as 'Raynor Swamp.' " Mr. Fouts reported that a quit-claim deed was
granted by Mr. James COSTEN, SR, to the Church Wardens of St. Pauls Parish
on 9 Aug 1756 for "...one acre whereon the Chappel now stands..." We
know that the described area was in Chowan until the formation of Gates
County in 1778. My inspection of a rare 1733 map revealed the word
Chappel, approximately at the location provided by the author,
Raymond Fouts.
- What is young Fleet COOPER, apparently penniless, doing in Chowan
County, NC, while his alleged parents are back in northern Virginia, as
some continue to allege?
- How can we explain the fact that a Fleet COOPER of nearby Nansemond
County, VA, purchased hundreds of acres of land in Feb 1745 on the west
side of the Blackwater River in what is now Southampton County, VA,
which he later sold in 1757? If they were the same person, where did the
penniless Fleet acquire the means to purchase this land less than three
years after being lame? If the two records do not reflect the same
person, would not the Fleet COOPER selling land in 1757 more likely be
the same Fleet COOPER who is shown buying land in Johnston County, NC,
in 1761?
COOPER FAMILIES OF VA & NC: SOME CONCLUSIONS
My review of microfilmed records of Surry County at the Library of
Virginia revealed that the 1725 patent to Benjamin COOPER of Isle of Wight
was sold by a Benjamin COOPER in 1747 who made his mark with a very
distinctive "O," very much like that of Benjamin "O" COOPER who made his
will in Granville Co., NC, in 1759. In my mind, that settled it once and
for all that the Benjamin COOPER of Philadelphia was not the one who
received the Surry land patent while living in Isle of Wight in 1725. I
had already discovered a record in Philadelphia County showing a Benjamen
(sic) COOPER as a landowner in 1734. That Benjamin was living in the same
township as one who purchased land there in 1720 and was reported to be a
son of James, presumably the same James who many COOPER descendants wish
to claim because of his ties back to Sir George Ashley COOPER and his
illustrious ancestry of England. My confirmation further helps to explain
why I have long had difficulty understanding the odd migration
pattern of Benjamin of Philadelphia, as initially reported by Murphy Rowe
Cooper in his 1931 book. It seems strange to me that Benjamin would have
come from Philadelphia to Isle of Wight in the extreme southeastern part
of Virginia, stayed a few years, then moved back up to the northern part
of Virginia for a few years, to an area that eventually became Loudoun
County, only to be reported later living in Kentucky. Some descendants
have even claimed that before Benjamin went to Kentucky, he left Loudoun
and went to North Carolina. A strange migration pattern, to say the least.
I do not believe that Benjamin of Philadelphia lived in all of those
places, certainly not in Isle of Wight County, VA.
A few of years ago, I surmised that the Benjamin and Fleet who sold
their respective Southampton County properties in 1757 might be related,
possibly as brothers or first cousins. The proximity of their respective
land holdings and the coincidental 1757 sale suggested that they might be
leaving the area for more promising land. That seems to be the case. If
one looks at the names of the offspring of Benjamin "O" and of Fleet, one
can immediately grasp the similarities. Benjamin "O" COOPER certainly
appears to have followed the then prevalent English naming patterns.
Perhaps Fleet also adhered to this practice of naming offspring.
English and Welsh Naming Patterns 1700-1870:
1st son = father's father
2nd son = mother's father
3rd son = father
4th son = father's oldest brother
5th son= father's 2nd oldest brother or mother's oldest brother.
Sons of Benjamin "O" COOPER:
1 - William (father's father?) The 1762 will of a William COOPER of
Southampton County named a son Benjamin.
2 - Kennon (Cannon) John CANNON appears to be father-in-law of Benjamin
from records.
3 - Benjamin, Jr. (namesake)
4 - James (oldest brother?) The aforementioned will of William COOPER also
named a son James. Benjamin "O" sold land in 1747 on ss Racoon Swamp to
James COOPER)
5 - John (next oldest brother? father of Fleet?) The aforementioned will
of William COOPER also named a son John
Turning to Fleet COOPER, SR, his named sons do not fall as neatly into
the aforementioned naming pattern. A possible explanation includes: (1)
records do not clearly confirm the dates of birth of sons John and Coore.
One source estimates that John was born about 1748; however, it is
possible that he was born after Fleet. Coore's estimated DOB is 1754, but
it could have been earlier. (2) we should consider the possibility that
one or more named sons could have died while very young, thus contributing
to an apparent departure from the customary naming pattern of sons.
Sons of Fleet Cooper, Sr:
1 - John (father's father?)
2 - Fleet (father?) If Fleet was born before John, could he be named for a
grandfather named Fleet, the Fleet Cooper who was an adult in 1718 in
Elizabeth City County?
3 - William (father's oldest brother?)
4 - Coore (mother's father?)
In keeping with the then conventional naming patterns, I suspect
that a John COOPER very likely was the father of Fleet and a William
COOPER, brother of John, was the father of Benjamin "O." Circumstantial
evidence suggests to me that Fleet and Benjamin "O" were first cousins.
This relationship certainly could have given rise over several generations
to the mistaken belief that Fleet's father was a Benjamin. Another
intriguing possibility is that Fleet's father was the Fleet COOPER who was
an adult in 1718 in Elizabeth City, VA. (Read afore-mentioned interesting
records.)
As previously stated, information pertaining to
the ancestry of FLEET COOPER, SR, which appears in the
Heritage of Sampson County, My Heritage is Cooper, Bizzells'
Revolutionary War Records for Duplin and Sampson Counties and on many
Internet bulletin boards, is not confirmed by any known facts
and in my judgment is incorrect.
My studies have convinced me that Fleet and Benjamin "O" were not sons
of Benjamin and Elizabeth Kelly COOPER of Philadelphia. More likely, as
previously stated, a John or Fleet COOPER was the father of Fleet, and a
William COOPER, brother of John, was the father of Benjamin "O."
Circumstantial evidence suggests to me that Fleet and Benjamin "O"
possibly were cousins. This relationship certainly could have given
rise over several generations to the mistaken belief that Fleet's father
was a Benjamin.
CORE FAMILIES of NANSEMOND COUNTY, VIRGINIA and NORTH CAROLINA
According to Murphy Rowe Cooper in his 1931 book, Fleet COOPER married
Marguerite COORE in 1747 in Loudoun County, VA, where the Benjamin COOPER
of Philadelphia had moved his family from Isle of Wight County, VA. I
believe this is plain WRONG! I have found no evidence that this COORE
(CORE) family ever lived in Loudoun County, certainly not in the time
frame of the approximate dates of birth and marriage of Fleet COOPER,
later of Sampson County, NC. To the contrary, records clearly show the
ownership of lands in Nansemond County, VA, only one-half mile from the NC
border by several CORE families, including one Thomas CORE who later
purchased land in 1750 in Northampton County, NC. Additionally, I have
found no evidence that a Fleet COOPER ever was in Loudoun County. Another
source states that the marriage took place in Northampton County, NC, the
final home of Thomas CORE (COORE), father of Marguerite. This most likely
is closer to the truth, although I feel it is more likely that Fleet
COOPER married Marguerite about 1747 in Nansemond County, VA, a county
that records clearly reveal was the home of Thomas CORE (COORE) and
several other members of the CORE family for a number of years. Nansemond
County, VA, records reveal that Thomas CORE, Senior, and Junior, lived
near Henry CORE, about two and one-half miles east of the Blackwater River
and only one-half mile from the VA border with Northampton County, NC.
Henry CORE very likely was the father of Thomas and records show that he
had owned land in Nansemond as far back as 1704. (Note: In 1749
Southampton County was formed largely from Isle of Wight. Later a small
piece of the extreme southwestern corner of Nansemond was annexed by
Southampton. It was in this annexed area that the CORE families lived.)
Further buttressing the likelihood that Thomas was a son of Henry CORE is
the fact that his son, Thomas CORE (COORE), Junior, named a son, HENRY COORE. Thomas CORE (COORE),
Senior, lived in Nansemond County Virginia as late as 1746,
purchased land a few miles south in Northampton County, NC, in 1750 and
was a resident there when he died between 26 Oct 1751 and May 1752.
In his 1751 will, Thomas CORE―spelled COORE in his will―named his
wife, "Margitt Core," and two sons and four daughters, among whom was
"Margett Cooper." Shortly after Thomas' death, records indicate that his
two sons, Thomas, Jr, and Arthur, purchased land in Johnston County, NC,
more particularly in an area that eventually became Dobbs and Wayne
counties. So did Fleet COOPER. It is clear from this trail of land records
that Fleet COOPER, SR, was affiliated with these CORE (COORE) family
members, formerly of Northampton Co., NC, and prior to that, of Nansemond
Co., VA.
Fleet Cooper, Senior, and His Descendants
Fleet COOPER, Sr, was born before 1724 in VA and died after he
wrote his will in 1795 and before it was produced for probate in Sampson
County Court by Fleet COOPER, JR, on 2 Nov 1802. This interlude of
seven years poses a mystery. When did Fleet COOPER, SR. die? Some have
long argued that he died in 1795. When did Fleet COOPER, SR. last serve as
a Justice on the Sampson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions? Court
records reveal that a Fleet COOPER was serving as a Justice as late as 11
Nov 1799. Was that Fleet Senior? Or was that Fleet Junior? Fleet COOPER,
Junior, is found a number of times in Sampson County Court records, but
not as a Justice.
Fleet Cooper, Senior, married before 1750,
most likely in Nansemond Co, VA, Marguerite COORE, born about 1726, most
likely in Nansemond Co, VA, and died after 1795 in Duplin County, NC. The
earliest court record I have found of Fleet's arrival in North Carolina is
one dated 20 Oct 1761 in Dobbs County in which "Flat" Cooper enters
100 acres on a branch of Little River "...between his own line and Arthur
Core..." This indicates that Fleet already had secured land in the county
sometime earlier. Another Dobbs County record the following year reveals
that he purchased 200 acres on the Great Coharie in what is now Sampson
County. It is my judgment that the timing of these land purchases in North
Carolina ties nicely to the sale of lands by a Fleet COOPER in Virginia in
1757. It is noteworthy that no further record has been found to my
knowledge of a Fleet COOPER living in Virginia after 1757. It certainly
does appear that the Virginia Fleet and the Johnston & Dobbs counties
Fleet are one and the same.
Fleet COOPER, Senior, was one of 25 to sign the "Oath of Allegiance &
Abjuration" which renounced the Crown and Parliament. This act effectively
placed a death warrant on his head. It has been commonly reported that
Fleet COOPER, SR, was appointed Judge of the first court in Sampson
County. Some evidence, as previously presented, suggests that his son,
Fleet COOPER, JR, may have succeeded his father. Fleet and Marguerite
COOPER were parents of four sons and three daughters. Fleet COOPER, SR,
prepared his will 2 Jul 1795. Although a number of extant records reveal
the signature of Fleet COOPER, SR., it is noteworthy that he did not sign
his will, but placed his mark (X). We know from earlier records that he
was literate. Was he incapacitated, perhaps a victim of a stroke? Fleet COOPER, SR,
most likely died in late 1801 or early 1802 in Sampson County, NC. Fleet
COOPER, JR, presented his father's will to the Court 2 Nov 1802 for
probate.
Fleet and Marguerite COOPER, SR, had the following issue:
- John, b abt 1748?, most likely in VA, d abt 31 Oct 1791 Sampson Co.;
m abt 1760 Zylphia WILLIAMS, dau of John & Pricilla WILLIAMS; their
issue: 3 sons & 5 daus.
- Fleet, Jr., b abt 1750?, d 28 Jan, 1828 in Sampson Co; m 1777 Sarah
"Sallie" SCOTT, b 1756 and died 15 Mar 1826 Sampson County. Fleet
COOPER, Jr. was a farmer and a Baptist minister for 50 years. He was a
chaplain in the Revolutionary War. Fleet and Sarah had the following
issue, all born in what is now Sampson County, NC:
- Elizabeth, b 1779, d 1848; m 1796 Johnathan POPE. 3 sons & 5 daus.
- Wilson, b 1780, d 1857; m Mary "Polly" SMITH
- John, b 1782, d 1832, m Rebecca TAYLOR
- Jacob, b 1783, d 1826; m 1798 Sallie BUTLER. 4 sons.
- Mary, b 1783, d aft 1860 Sampson Co.; m 1st Charles BUTLER, Jr., b abt
1775, d abt 1820. 2 sons & 2 daus; m 2nd Solomon
Sessoms, Jr.
- Daniel, b 1785, d 1851; m 1812 Zilpah STEPHENS
- Nancy, b 1793, d 1878; m Hiram BLACKBURN
- Penelope, b 1797; d 16 Apr 1881 Sampson Co; m Mar 1817 Thomas
Allen HOWARD, b 1791 and died in Sampson Co. on 7 Mar 1875. Click here
to view the issue of Thomas Allen and Penelope
Cooper Howard.
- Dicey, b 1798, d 1879 Salemburg, NC; m 1822 Martin HOWARD (brother
of Thomas Allen; both sons of Minson Brough HOWARD & his wife, Ann
WILLIAMS.) Issue of Dicey & Martin HOWARD: 4 sons & 3 daus.
- Rhoda Scott, b 1802, d 1862; m 1829 Hardy D. BENNETT
- Sarah, m Henry PORTER
- William, b 1752, d 14 Dec 1821 Bogue Chitto, MS; m 1st bef 1790 name
unknown who died in NC bef 1814. They had a son, Fleet, b abt 1790. In
1814, William moved to Lawrence County, MS where he served as a Baptist
minister. His son Fleet also was a minister in the same county. William
m 2nd in MS Martha THAMES.
- Coore, b abt 1754?, d bef 4 Dec 1826; m 10 Mar 1788 Duplin Co.
Esther MAGEE. 2 sons & 2 daus.
- Elizabeth, b 1759, d 13 Jul 1825 Monroe Co, AL; m William WIGGINS, b
1755, d 1819 Monroe Co, AL. 8 sons.
- Mary, b abt 1758, m John William PETERSON (Note: looking for proof
of his given name.)
- Grace, b abt 1760, m Lewis HOLMES
|

|

|

|
|
MAIN PAGE
|
SURNAMES
|
HOWARD
|
This page was last revised on 4 October 2008
© Copyright
1995-2010 by John H. Croom, all rights reserved.

Address not hyperactive. Please copy. Let's fight spam
Back to the top
|