ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L Archives

Archiver > ISLE-OF-WIGHT > 2000-04 > 0955399380


From: (Paul Cutmore)
Subject: Re: COOPER Mystery
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 21:43 +0100 (BST)
In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.20000410002439.00874580@mail.giant.net.au>


Dear David

> So are you actually saying here that William who married Jane CAWSE was
> the same man who had all those children by Anne UNKNOWN and that they
> weren't married? IN which case he IS in fact the son of James COOPER and
> Elizabeth EDWARDS.

I'm saying that, in my opinion, there's indirect circumstantial evidence
of a connection and of some re-writing of history. However, whether these
two Williams were the same person is still just speculation and other
speculations could be equally valid. For example, the marriage witness
connection is far from indicating a blood tie.

> Sounds perfectly logical to me, but how to ever prove it?

Could be very difficult and probably impossible! One possible avenue of
further investigation is through the Wellow records. Barnabas COOPER, son
of John, was of Wellow when he purchased the Brook Smithy in June 1799. It
may be just coincidence that Wellow is also where his speculative
greatuncle James had much of his property.

(Anyhow, I reckon that Barnabas was doing well for a lad of 23 to purchase
the Smithy for 126. I reckon he'd either got a good dowry from his wife
Elizabeth LEIGH or inherited some money, possibly from James' estate.)

Barnabas's son Benjamin later became blacksmith of Wellow. There may be
some evidence of a connection in the Wellow property records, although
James actually left his Wellow Farm to sons of his brother Caleb so it
could be a total red herring.

Paul

This thread: