Mrs. Sarah COOLEY
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth: Abt 1620 - ;Of Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts
Christening:
Death: 23 Aug 1684 - Longmeadow, Hampden, Massachusetts
Burial:
Cause of Death:
AFN #:
Spouses and Children
1. *Benjamin COOLEY (25 Feb 1615 - 17 Aug 1684) 1
Marriage: 1642 1
Children:
1. Bethia COOLEY (1643-1711) 1
2. Obadiah COOLEY (1647-1690) 1
3. Eliakim I COOLEY (1649-1711) 1
4. Daniel COOLEY (1651-1727) 1
5. Sarah COOLEY (1653-1743) 1
6. Benjamin II COOLEY (1656-1731) 1
7. Mary COOLEY (1659-1720) 1
8. Joseph , Lt. COOLEY (1661-1740) 1
Notes
General:
Possible names: Sarah Savage/Colton/Tremaine
Source: This info was sent to me by my friend Ray Cooley.
1676, Mar. 27. Presented by the Grandjury to the Courte at Northampton. . some for wearing of silk and yt in a flonting manner & attire some for Long haire & other extravegancies, Contrary to honest Labor & Order & Demeanor not Becoming a Wilderness State at Least the Profession of Christianity & Religion. (Green, page 139). [Sarah Cooley was among those presented to the grand jury]. court 25 wives and 5 maids of Springfield, Hadley, Hatfield and Westfield were presented to the jury as persons of small estate who "use to wear silk contrary to law." At the March court in 1676, the jury presented 68 persons from five towns, "some for wearing silk and that in aflaunting manner and others for long hair and other extravagancies." One of these was Sarah Cooley. Why these people should have been so attired in such a time of stress, directly after the destruction of the town, is hard to understand. It suggests that in their haste to save their best from the flames on that day, these people had nothing but silk to wear. Comment by Harry Andrew Wright.
The colonial laws of the Massachusetts Colony regulated the subject of extravagant dressing, and our Hampshire court was awake to its duty. The County Court first took notice of the class of offences by summoning before it the selectmen of all the towns for not accessing "forbidden apparel" at it's full value, and this not leading to a reformation the extravagant women were duly proceeded against under the colonial law. In many cases, when women were summoned before the court on a charge of wearing silks or finery, their husbands were forced to apologize for their absence. It was a very difficult thing to bring women into law court. In September, 1673, it is recorded: -
"Diverse women at Springfeild presented at ye Courte in March last for that being of meane estate they did weare Silkes contrary to Law vixt Goodwife Labden Goody Colton Goody Morgan Goody Barnard Mercy & Hephzihod Jones Hunters wife & Daughter & Abelll Wrights wife, & warned this Courte the six former appring in Courte the were admonisht of their extravagancyes & dismist"
The Goody Morgan referred to was Mrs. David Morgan (Mary Clark, who was the mother of John Morgan that married Mercy Cooley, daughter of Eliakim Cooley, son of Benjamin Cooley; Goody Colton was an aunt of Joanna Colton, wife of Jonathan Cooley our direct ancestor; Mercy and Hephzibod Jones were Mercy and Hephzibad Colton both aunts of Joanna Colton) Three years later the following persons were: vizt
"presented by ye Grand Jury to ye Courte at Northampton March 26, 1676 some for wearing silke & yt in a flonting manner & attire for Long haire & and other extravagancies, Contrary to honest & Labor Order & Demeaning not Becoming a Wilderness State at ye Profession of Christianity & Religion."
In the list of ye offenders were the followeing from this village:
"Wife of Henry Rogers, Lidia Excile, Hanah Morgan, Sally Gilburt, Hanah Leonard, Nathll Bliss, Thos Stebbins & his wife, John Bakers wife, Jonath Stebbins, Henry Chapin, Coporal Holyoke, Mary and Sarah Colton, Sarah Cooley, Mary Holyoke, Meriam Merricke, Sarah & Mary Dumbleton."
[Reference: Springfield, 1636-1886, History of Town and City by Mason A. Green. Published 1886 by C. A Nichols & Co., Publishers, Springfield, MA, page 137-139]
So if you are a snappy dresser like me, you came by it honest. Also you are probably related, as I am, to some of the "rowdy young men" sitting Below ye Pillars on ye North Side and In ye seate in ye Gallery wth faces agt ye minister. Goodman & Goodwife or "Goody" referred to in those days, were as Mr. & Mrs are today.
Year after year the selectmen and deacons, or some committee chosen in town-meeting assigned the pews or "dignified" the meeting house, and their arbitrary duties often caused heart-burnings quite as intense as those resulting from assignments of land, since the rule followed was worldly condition and social importance. In the winter of 1663 Deacon Chapin and the selectmen, consisting of Thomas Cooper, Robert Ashley, John Pynchon, Benjamin Cooley and Samuel Marshfield distributed the seats as follows, no mention being made of Mr. Pynchon, as he probably owned a seat: -
"Goodwife Chapin is to sitt in the seate alonge with Mrs Glover and Mrs Hollyocke
In ye first seate: Robt Ashley; Benjamin Cooly; Tho: Cooper; George Colton, & Rowld Stebbins:
In ye 2d seate: Nathanell Ely, Rich Sykes, Tho Mirick, & William Warriner.
In ye 3d seate: Serja Stebbins; Serja: Morgan; Benj Mum; John Leonard; Auth. Dorchester, Saml Marshfeild:
In ye 4th seate: Benja Parsons; Janoth Burt, Wm Branch; Reice Bedotha; Jo Dumbleton; Rowld Thomas:
In ye 5th seate: John Matthews; Jo Clarke; John Lamb; Lawr Bliss; Tho Miller; Tho Day:
In ye 6th seate: John Lombard; Griffin Joanes; N, Pritchard; Rich Excell; The Noble; Saml Ely:
In ye 7th seate: Jonath Taylor; Tho Bancroft; John Scot; Nath Burt; John Stewart; Wm Brooks:
In ye 8th seate: Jer Horton; Jo Bag; Jo Riley; Lyman Beamon; Abell Wright:
In ye 9th seate: Joh Henryson; Saml Terry; Obadi Miller; Hugh Dudley:
In ye 10th seate: Jo Crowfoote; Edwr Foster; Charles Feery; James Osborne; Wm Hunter; Peter Swinock:
In ye forseate of ye gallery:
In ye upper parte above ye Pillars on ye North side: -- Henry Chapin; John Bliss; Jo Keefe:
In ye upp pt above ye Pillars on ye South side - - Ffraunces Pepper; James Warriner; Saml Bliss:
Below ye Pillars on ye North Side -- Saml Holyoke; David Ashly; Jonath Ashly; Japth Chapin; Tim Cooper; Isack Colton; Obadi Cooly:
On ye South side below ye Pillars - Tho Cooper Junr; Jos Warriner; John Leonard; Josh Harmon; Saml Harmon; Increase Sikes; John Dorchester:
In ye seate in ye Gallery wth faces agt ye minister - Ephraim Colton; Eliakim Cooly; Jonath Morgan; Saml Stebbins; James Dorchester:
In ye backer seats of ye Gallery on ye North side at ye upp end of it - - James Taylor; John Horton; Hugh Mackey; Wm Morgan:
In ye South side at ye upp end of ye Backer seate - - Jonath Ball; Saml Ball; Jos Harmon; Nathanell Sikes; Tho Thompson
In ye Backer Seate (a break) the Pillars on ye North side - -John Hitchcock; Jo Clarke; Jon Lombard; Sam Bliss
On ye south side - - Jos Thomas; Tho Stebbins; Joe Bedortha.
Those of the present generation having ancestors in this congregation, and being curious to learn their social importance, can entertain themselves by studying the above list; and, if the family vanity is not flattered by ancestral assignments to " ye Backer Seate." let it be remembered that the good people of that day were themselves often quite as much disturbed at the way they were ranked. This trouble became so serious in 1666 that the selectmen were compelled to interfere; many having refused to sit where they were assigned, and having acted : with a high hand," it was ordered: -
"Whosoever of this towneship shall not fro tyme to tyme in respect of their sitting in ye meeting house sumit ymselves to the ordering of ye Select men & Deacons or such as are inpowered to seate a & order psons in ye meeting house: All such Persons as shall refuse or neglect to attend unro order as aforesd shall forfeite as is hereinafter expressed viz: Hee or She that shall not take his or her seate ordered ym from Tyme to tyme But shall on ye days or Tymes of Gods Publick worship Goe into & abide in any other seate appointed for some time; Such disorderly pson pr psons for ye first offence shall forfeit Three shillings foure pence to ye Towne Treasuury, wch shall be exacted by warrent fro ye Selectmen directed tp ye Constable tp Levy ye same. And if afterward Hee or She shall still psist in such disorder, they shall pay sixe shillings eight pence as a fine to ye Towne to be exacted; & if a 3rd tyme they shall still psist in such obstinacy, such pson to pay Ten shillings; to be exacted as aforesd; And if afterward they shall still psist in such obstinacy, ye selectmen are hereby ordered to complaine of such pson to ye magistrate or county courte to deale with them as shall Judge meete:
And whereas the Seate wch was made by ye Towne at a common Town charge (formerly called the Guard seate) is now appointed by the selectmen (who only have ye disposing of that Seate) for Boys to sit in; & ye Selectmen having declared that the smaler boys should sit there that they may be more in sight of ye congregation & having warned all men out ye said seate, both maryed & other growne psons, some whereof doe still continue to sit there, & seem as if they did it wth a high hand; It is therefore hereby ordered that noe Persons of this Towneship above ye age of 15 or 16 yeares shall sit in ye seate aforesd formerly called ye Guard Seate, unless he be ordered to sit there to looke to ye Boys, etc."
The selectmen promulgating this order were John Pynchon, George Colton, Benjamin Cooley, Samuel Marshfield and Lawrence Bliss. The vigorous action seemed to have a sobering effect; but it did not pave the way for a permanent peace among the young people in the gallery. Some years later (1669) Miles Morgan and Jonathan Burt were stationed "up in ye gallery to give check to disorders in youth and rowdy young men In tyme of God's worship. Anthony Dorchester to sit in ye guard seate for ye like end." [Note: George Colton was the grandfather of Joanna Colton who married Jonathan Cooley]. {Reference: Springfield, 1636-1886, History of Town and City by Mason A. Green. Published 1886 by C. A Nichols & Co., Publishers, Springfield, MA, page 131-132]