cooper John Cooper, the progenitor of the Cooper family in York Co PA, was born at Kendal, in the County of Westmoreland, England, in 1689. He was the son of a linen draper, and came to America in 1720, landing at New Castle, DE. He settled at Peach Bottom township on a tract of land called “Elisha's Lot,” containing fifty acres, purchased from Elisha Perkins, who resided at what is now Lapidum, Harford Co MD. It was granted by patent from Lord Baltimore to Mr Perkins on 19 Dec 1719, and is described as being in Baltimore Co MD. Much of the land in this vicinity, although now in PA, was held under MD title, being in the territory which occasioned the dispute between Penn and Lord Baltimore. The deed from Perkins to Cooper is dated 29 Jan 1721. They were both of Baltimore Co. The consideration named is eighteen pounds of silver money and a gun; the occupation of John Cooper is given as that of a “weaver.” On 20 May 1724 he obtained a patent from Lord Baltimore for a tract of land lying contiguous to the above called Deserts of Arabia.” Another tract of 250 acres was laid off for him on 7 Sep 1724, called “Cooper's Addition,” and later he acquired “Cullins Park,” and also held land under PA title. Much of this land is still in the possession of his descendants. At that early date Mr Cooper was in the midst of the primeval forest, and his stock roamed at will, making it necessary to mark and brand them. He recorded under date of 30 Jun 1730 his two ear marks and brand as follows: “John Cooper his mark for cattle and hogs, vgt.: a poplar leaf and slitt in the left ear and swallow forke in the right;” “Jno. Cooper, his mark, for cattle and hogs, vgt.: a crop and an under keal in each ear;” “John Cooper, his brand, vgt.: two round O's; and a flower duluce.” In order to aid in clearing the land Mr Cooper leased, in Dec 1729, for twenty years, fifty acres to Godfrey Hatfield and fifty acres to Abraham Each, on condition that they “shall plant and set out 100 apple trees on the place and to clear the land good. The first year the making of a pair of horse traces, and the 2d the making of a plow, and then a barrel of Indian corn for each year.”

      John Cooper was married 23 Oct 1722 to Alice Gill, who was no doubt the daughter of Stephen Gill and Elizabeth _____, who resided at or near where Baltimore city now stands. Tradition states that John Cooper, their son, was the first white child b in York Co. John Cooper died in 1759. His will is dated 1 Oct 1759, and probated in Baltimore Co on 18 Nov 1759. It was witnessed by John Forwood, Thomas Hambleton and James Brice. The following were the children of John and Alice-

1.   Priscilla Cooper, b 7 Oct 1724, died 29 Dec 1724; hers is the oldest gravestone in the original Cooper family cemetery in York Co.

      a.   Alice Cooper, b 8 Jul 1726, died young.

      b.   John Cooper, b 29 Nov 1728, married Hannah Wheeler.

      c.    Thomas Cooper, was born 23 Mar 1731 at the homestead in Peach Bottom township in York Co PA. He became a successful farmer on the land he inherited from his father. There in 1774 he built a large stone dwelling. He married Mary Abercrombie (born in Scotland), daughter of James Abercrombie and Rebecca Colgan. Thomas Cooper died on 18 Sep 1798 leaving four children, two others having died in infancy-

             1.   Armfield Cooper, b 1768, married Robert Morgan, son of David Morgan and Lydia _____, and resided in Harford Co MD.

             2.   Alice Cooper, b 22 May 1770, married John Grubb in the Fall of 1798. He was a son of Thomas Grubb of Lancaster Co PA. John Grubb was commissioned captain of Lancaster Co militia on 27 Oct 1792; 11 Sep 1794 as captain of 2nd regular brigade; and major of the State Militia in Dec 1798. In the Spring of 1799 they moved to their home near the town of Erie near Lake Erie where he was a prominent politician.

             3.   Duckett Cooper, b 15 Aug 1775, married William Stump, son of Henry Stump and Rachel Perkins of Harford Co. They lived near Darlington.

             4.   Stephen Thomas Cooper, b 29 Aug 1777, was a farmer. He married in 1814 Kezia Beall, daughter of Zephaniah Beall and Margaret Crawford of Washington Co PA. Stephen and Kezia had ten children-

                    a.   Zephaniah B Cooper, died in childhood.

                    b.   Levi Cooper, b 26 Mar 1819, died unmarried on 11 Jan 1904.

                    c.    Zephaniah B Cooper (the 2nd), b 23 Apr 1823, died unmarried on 20 Dec 1854.

                    d.   Thomas J Cooper, b 1 Jun 1825 on the old homestead in Peach Bottom township in York Co, became a carpenter and worked in that trade in NY as a ship's carpenter until he was 30 years old, and moved back to York Co where he became a farmer and remained for the rest of his life. He married Sarah Bowne about 1855 in New York and immediately move to York Co. She was a daughter of William Bowne and Mary Bowne of Monmouth Co NJ. Thomas died 17 Nov 1901. He and Sarah had 10 children: W Spencer Cooper; Ida Cooper, died in infancy; Nelson B Cooper, b on 17 Sep 1858 in the homestead built by his father in York Co, married Deborah E Stewart; Mamie K Cooper, married William S Dinsmore ; Sidney Cooper, born 29 Mar 1862 on his father homestead, married on 18 Jan 1884 Mary M Stewart, a sister of Deborah E Stewart who married Nelson Cooper; Emma Cooper, twin sister of Sidney, and who died at the age of 20; John E Cooper, lived in Parkersburg, WV; Carrie Cooper, married William Henry; unnamed child Cooper, died in infancy; and Charles Cooper, who married Margaret Bennington.

                    e.   Achsah B Cooper, died in infancy.

                    f.    Henry Cooper, married Martha Ayers of Jarrettsville, MD..

                    g.   Stephen Parker Cooper, died unmarried on 15 Sep 1885.

                    h.   Margaret K Cooper, lived at the old homestead well into the 20th Century.

                    i.     Evan B Cooper, married Mary Jane Woodroe and lived at Mankato, MN.

                    j.     Mary E Cooper, lived with her sister Margaret at the old homestead.

      d.   Stephen Cooper, b 13 May 1733, married Susanna Morgan.

      e.   Nicholas Cooper, married Sarah Gill (see the gill Family).

      f.    Alexander Cooper, married Mary Whiteford.

      g.   Agnes Cooper, b 1736, married John Boyd, son of Samuel Boyd who settled in Lancaster, PA.

      h.   Sara Elizabeth Cooper, b late in the 1730s, married William Rowan [R2b] and left PA in the Fall of 1782, moving to Jefferson Co VA. (79,81)