The Cooper Family of Southampton, Long Island
The Cooper Family of Southampton, Long Island is on my maternal great-grandfather Charles Griner’s side of his paternal line, his 5x great-grandmother Priscilla Burnett‘s mother was Mary Cooper, who married Thomas Burnett Jr.
Mary was one of the daughter of John Cooper Sr and Wibroe Griggs. The Cooper family was one of the founding families of Southampton, Long Island.
The Cooper Family and their history:
John Cooper Sr. was born 1594 in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. He came to America in 1635 at age 41, on the “Hopewell”, with his wife, Wibroe and his four children aged thirteen through five.
According to publication of “The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633; Volume 1, which was published by Robert Charles Anderson for the New England Historic Genealogical Society .. Robert stated that our ancestor John Cooper was a InnKeeper and had a license to sell alcohol in Southampton, his other jobs, also included being a Selectman, a Petit Jury and is also responsible for overseeing the town of Southampton and the well-being and safety of their citizens living in that town. John was also a well-known land owner.
In in his will dated May 6th, 1662 and later it was proved in late of 1662 or early 1663 it stated:
John Cooper of Southampton on Long Island bequeathed to “the children of Henry Pierson that a white mare I brought of Mr. Tappin”; the poor of said town a mare foal.. towards the maintaining of a schoolmaster”; to Thomas Topping’s son Thomas a mare foal, and if the said child die without issue then to redound to the children of theabovesaid Thomas Topping to be divided among them”; to “John Topping’s daughter Sarah mare foal”; to “my son John Cooper’s children and to my son Thomas Cooper’s children, & to my daughter White’s children and to my daughter Cook’s children all the remaining part of all my mares & mare colts”, to my son Henry Pierson (step-son) twenty shillings,” and to”my daughter White twenty shillings, [and] to my daughter Cook, twenty shillings”; to “my son Thomas Copoer twenty pounds sterlings”; to my daughter White’s children, ten pounds, and to my daughter Cook’s children ten pounds”; to “Mr. Woster of Merrimak, or if he be deceased to his eldest son, a barrel of beef.. for said Mr. Woster or his eldest son by his first wife”; debt owed by “my son Thomas Cooper” forgiven, and also to “my son Thomas Cooper the best of my horses that he can choose, also I give unto my son John’s children & to my son Thomas[‘s]children, and to my daughter White’s children, and to my daughter Cook’s children, one horse betwixt them all”; “my son John Cooper” to be executor and residuary legatee; to “my son Thomas Cooper” moveables; Isaac Willman and Isaac Halsey to be overseers.
The undated inventory of the estate of “the late deceased John Cooper” totalled 374 pounds and 15 shillings., which the “house & land” was 21 pounds.
Source in reference to:”The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633; Volume 1, page 202-204. and the will of John Cooper Sr. from The First Book of Records of the Town of Southampton with other Ancient Documents of Historic Values:
As I notice that my ancestor Mary Cooper was left out of her father’s will and I wondered why she was left out? as I was researching farther I discovered a book titled “From The First Book of Records of the Town of Southampton with other Ancient Documents of Historic Values” by Hedges, Pelletreau, & Foster, John H. Hunt Publisher, Sag Harbor, New York 1874. that mentioned two of my ancestors Thomas Burnett and John Cooper Sr. had a very strong dislike for each other and there are no less than three incidents of charges of Battery in these court records and they all involved Thomas Burnett, who was the plaintiff, and John Cooper Sr., the defendant in one case, and John Cooper Jr., is the defendant in the other two cases! there was one account in the court records of the Town of Southampton in the case of John Cooper, he had assaulted Thomas Burnett, which ended up in bloodshed, which means that John Cooper Sr. clearly had a problem with Thomas Burnett.. what cause the rift between these two men are unknown! Now this is the REASON to why Mary Cooper, the wife of Thomas Burnett, was left out of her father’s John Cooper’s will.. John Cooper Sr. did Not approve the relationship between his daughter, Mary Cooper to Thomas Burnett. * See bellow
From: The First Book of Records of the Town of Southampton with other Ancient Documents of Historic Value. Pages # 97 and 103
- March 26 1654: An action of Battery entered per Thomas Burnet plf Against John Cooper defendant to bee tried at Court April 2d next being tho next third day of the week.
- July 18th 1654: An action of blood shed & battery entered by Thomas Burnet against John Cooper Junior. An actinn of Battery entered by Thomas Burnet against John Cooper Jr. both to bee tried next quarter Court
From the Deeds of Records: The Town of Southampton
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PAGE 635. “Mary Burnet widow of Thomas Burnet, by virtue of a deed from her son John Burnet, eldest son and right heir of Thomas Burnet, is possessed of a piece of meadow and upland lying at Ketchaponack Neck, part of which did belong to my deceased husband, and part ex-changed with Lieut. Thomas Cooper, deceased. The whole being bounded south by Jonathan Raynor, north formerly Edward Howell, west by creek, east by upland. She gives the same to her well beloved son Dan Burnet, because I know that it was his father’s desire that he should have the same, though forgotten to be willed unto him. Reserving the use of the same during my natural life.” Dec. 26, 1700. (Probably Lot 21. See Vol. II, Records, pages 277, 278.)
Page 268. Mary Burnet, widow of Thomas Burnetsells to Thomas Cooper, “All that my lot of land and mead-ow lying at a place called Quaquanantuck Neck being No.19 and is a £150 lot. Thomas Cooper gives in exchange lot No. 38 of meadow upon the Beach and 30 shillings in money, Witness, Joel Burnet. (See Vol 11. Records Page 254,)
Page 230. John Burnet—”i’or divers good reasonsand more especially for 21 shillings good current money”confirms a sale made to Thomas Cooper, “by my honored mother Mary Burnett.” Being a certain lot of meadowlately laid out at a place called Accabogue, and fell to the allotment of my deceased father Thomas Burnet, of which. 1/2 fell and of right did belong un to me. Dated May 4, 1687, (The above is lot 22 and is at Red Creek. See Vol II Printed Records Page 116—118.)
Page 214. Mary Burnet, widow of Thomas Burnett sells to Thomas Cooper at a place called Accabogue being a £150 lot. In exchange Thomas Cooper gives her three roods of land in Halseys Neck in the close of said Widow Mary Burnet which was formerly belonging to Robert Woolley.Dated Oct. 2, 1685.
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The records also proves the kinship of my ancestor Mary Burnett (nee Cooper), to the Cooper Family of Southampton, Long Island and to her sister, Ann White (nee Cooper) Ancestor of Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women”
Read John Cooper Sr.’s biography in the The Great Migration