My Cooper ancestry plus the extended families I have found along the way. We are all related under the skin.
My Cooper ancestry was fairly easy to research. Following those primary individuals, those who are well known in my family either because we actually knew them or well documented in the US Census, it was traced back to Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftsbury- who by his own right was historical and thus had many a historian write about him. From him, I was able to follow the path backwards. The Cooper family split in two: part of them ended up in Cooperstown, New York and the rest in Kent, Delaware. My own ancestors are from the Kent, Delaware Coopers. My cousin Coopers are from Cooperstown, New York.
I have chosen to include all the Coopers I was able to research as well as the extended families because I just could not throw that information away. It has taken several years to compile my ancestry chart, using various methods, the most popular method being the back door approach. My definition of a back door approach means that I have had to research other family members to locate my direct lineage. Sometimes the brother, sister, aunt or uncle of one can lead to another. Therefore, I had logged a lot of information that didn't necessarily mean anything to my own lineage but again, I just couldn't erase what I found. Many people rely on the gatherings of those who have done a lot of work in the field of genealogy and if my own research helps someone, great.
The Cooper family had an interesting past. We had royal blood, sometimes it was a good thing, sometimes not so good. In our case, for the American Coopers, it was a good thing. If not for Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftsbury, being of good standing, we might not have thought about coming abroad. As with most royalty of his time, he was granted land in the new colonies, specifically in South Carolina. Both the Cooper and Ashley Rivers are named for him. Those rivers are in and around Charleston. Anthony Ashley never made it to the new colony but after he fell from grace, his son John Cooper would. That is where my story in America begins.
Many people assume their lineage only follows the male side, or the paternal side. The maternal, or female side is often discounted. I believe a portion of that belief relies on the lack of information provided for the women throughout history. Unless she was royal or did something noteworthy, she usually is just a wife or daughter and nothing more. In some cases, I was able to find facts on some of my female ancestors, which took me much further back that the Cooper lineage.
The Cooper lineage continues through Ann Broadway. Her ancestry is traced back to the Sutton's. Hervey Sutton, 1st Lord served under William the Conqueror. William the Conqueror created the first known genealogy called the Doomsday Books. In addition, some of the Sutton/Dudley ancestors were written on the walls of Dudd Castle. This provided a valuable ancestry for future generations. The name Sutton would eventually become the name Dudley. They are the same family. Sutton meant the location South Of... Dudley is interpreted as One Of Dudd Castle.
The most notorious Dudley was Robert, 1st Earl of Leicester whose romance with Queen Elizabeth I would lead to his demise and he would be deemed a traitor. His son would open the first major ship building factory in England, which proved incredibly valuable for the development of the Royal Navy. His shipbuilding would lead to England's quest to settle the New World.
The Dudley's that arrived on American shores did so basically for the same reason most early settlers came.. to escape religious persecution. Interestingly, the earliest Cooper's arrived via Holland and were considered Separatists. They were also hunted and chased out of Holland to America. The name Cooper meant one of ship building.
When doing research on your family, please try to verify all information you find. I have tried my best to note only accurate and accepted names and dates but it is possible I have made mistakes along the way. Since my lineage has very notable individuals, I am confident that historians have taken the necessary steps to ensure their data was correct.
"Isn't it strange that Princes and Kings
And clowns who caper in stardust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a set of tools,
A shapeless mass, and a book of rules,
And each must make, ere life has flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone."
I have chosen to include all the Coopers I was able to research as well as the extended families because I just could not throw that information away. It has taken several years to compile my ancestry chart, using various methods, the most popular method being the back door approach. My definition of a back door approach means that I have had to research other family members to locate my direct lineage. Sometimes the brother, sister, aunt or uncle of one can lead to another. Therefore, I had logged a lot of information that didn't necessarily mean anything to my own lineage but again, I just couldn't erase what I found. Many people rely on the gatherings of those who have done a lot of work in the field of genealogy and if my own research helps someone, great.
The Cooper family had an interesting past. We had royal blood, sometimes it was a good thing, sometimes not so good. In our case, for the American Coopers, it was a good thing. If not for Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftsbury, being of good standing, we might not have thought about coming abroad. As with most royalty of his time, he was granted land in the new colonies, specifically in South Carolina. Both the Cooper and Ashley Rivers are named for him. Those rivers are in and around Charleston. Anthony Ashley never made it to the new colony but after he fell from grace, his son John Cooper would. That is where my story in America begins.
Many people assume their lineage only follows the male side, or the paternal side. The maternal, or female side is often discounted. I believe a portion of that belief relies on the lack of information provided for the women throughout history. Unless she was royal or did something noteworthy, she usually is just a wife or daughter and nothing more. In some cases, I was able to find facts on some of my female ancestors, which took me much further back that the Cooper lineage.
The Cooper lineage continues through Ann Broadway. Her ancestry is traced back to the Sutton's. Hervey Sutton, 1st Lord served under William the Conqueror. William the Conqueror created the first known genealogy called the Doomsday Books. In addition, some of the Sutton/Dudley ancestors were written on the walls of Dudd Castle. This provided a valuable ancestry for future generations. The name Sutton would eventually become the name Dudley. They are the same family. Sutton meant the location South Of... Dudley is interpreted as One Of Dudd Castle.
The most notorious Dudley was Robert, 1st Earl of Leicester whose romance with Queen Elizabeth I would lead to his demise and he would be deemed a traitor. His son would open the first major ship building factory in England, which proved incredibly valuable for the development of the Royal Navy. His shipbuilding would lead to England's quest to settle the New World.
The Dudley's that arrived on American shores did so basically for the same reason most early settlers came.. to escape religious persecution. Interestingly, the earliest Cooper's arrived via Holland and were considered Separatists. They were also hunted and chased out of Holland to America. The name Cooper meant one of ship building.
When doing research on your family, please try to verify all information you find. I have tried my best to note only accurate and accepted names and dates but it is possible I have made mistakes along the way. Since my lineage has very notable individuals, I am confident that historians have taken the necessary steps to ensure their data was correct.
"Isn't it strange that Princes and Kings
And clowns who caper in stardust rings,
And common people like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given a set of tools,
A shapeless mass, and a book of rules,
And each must make, ere life has flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone."