Morris County NJ Court of Common Pleas Minute Book Vol 4-6 (1766-1778) (FamilySearch DGS 7903185), image 305 of 669, December Term 1771 — case caption 'William Throgmorton a Eleanor Johnson, Richard Johnson & John Vantyle, Daniel Cooper Executors of Henry Johnson the late Sheriff of Morris' = image-verified attestation of (a) Henry Johnson as a deceased prior Sheriff of Morris County (NEW catalog person), and (b) Daniel Cooper as one of four Executors of Henry Johnson's estate, alongside widow Eleanor Johnson + Richard Johnson + John Vantyle. Case: William Throgmorton suing the Johnson estate executors; Sheriff returned £52.14 of judgments levied; David Ogden motions for Alias Fieri Facias for residue.

Transcription and notes

NEW catalog fiduciary role for Daniel Cooper Sr + NEW catalog person Henry Johnson

This entry catalogs Morris CCP Vol 4-6 image 305 = printed pp. 166-167 = December Term 1771 session. The catalog-critical record:

"William Throgmorton a Eleanor Johnson, Richard Johnson & John Vantyle, Daniel Cooper Executors of Henry Johnson the late Sheriff of Mor[ris], [Sheriff hav]ing returned sold [judg]ments by him levied on in this action for £52-14 Current at 8 [d.]. On motion of David Ogden, Ordered that an Alias Fieri facias do issue for the Residue or [no buyers]"

Catalog significance:

1. NEW catalog person: Henry Johnson = deceased Sheriff of Morris County by Dec 1771.
2. Daniel Cooper as Executor of Henry Johnson's estate (likely Daniel Sr based on standing + lack of "Junr" suffix in cursive).
3. Sheriff succession context — Henry Johnson's Sheriff tenure fills a yet-unknown slot in the Morris Co. Sheriff chronology.

Source

• File: (image held in the family archive)
• DGS 7903185 image 305 of 669; FamilySearch ark: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSHM-VJ4D?view=fullText
• Date: December Term 1771; printed pp. 166-167
• Source tier: Primary-source manuscript minute book (1771 clerk hand)

What this source establishes

1. Daniel Cooper as Executor of Henry Johnson's estate

Daniel Cooper named as one of four Executors of Henry Johnson, who held the office of Sheriff of Morris County during some prior period. Likely Daniel Sr based on: - No "Junr" suffix in the clerk's hand (Daniel Jr usually distinguished with Junr suffix in court records of this era) - Daniel Sr's standing as Judge of CCP makes him a natural choice for executor of a former Sheriff's estate - Daniel Jr was still active in his own affairs as former-Sheriff + soon-to-be-JP

Possible Daniel Jr alternative: Daniel Jr was Daniel Sr's eldest son + himself a former Sheriff = also plausible executor. Image-zoom of cursive could disambiguate.

2. Henry Johnson — NEW catalog Sheriff predecessor or successor

The Morris Co. Sheriff sequence per now-corrected catalog evidence: - ≈ 1753-1757: Daniel Cooper Sr (Honeyman M.24 + Img128/129 1762 "Late High Sheriff") - 4 July 1758 → ≈ 1769-1770: Daniel Cooper Jr (commissioned by John Reading per I.100; held office through 1768-69 per pr.44 Vol 26; "late Sheriff" by 1770 per Img223) - ≈ 1770-pre-Dec-1771: Henry Johnson (per this I.106 entry: "late Sheriff" by Dec 1771; held office post-Daniel-Jr; deceased before Dec 1771) - Pre-1753: possibly Henry Johnson OR another predecessor

The most parsimonious reading: Henry Johnson was the Morris Co. Sheriff who succeeded Daniel Jr c. 1769-1770 and died c. 1770-1771. Short tenure ~1 year before death. Alternative: Henry Johnson held the office at some pre-1753 point. Image-verification of Vol 4-6 sessions 1769-1771 + cross-reference with Honeyman M.24 needed.

3. Daniel Cooper Sr expanding fiduciary network

By 1771, Daniel Sr's roles extend beyond judicial (Judge of CCP) to fiduciary (Executor of Henry Johnson). The catalog has prior Daniel Sr fiduciary roles: - 1748 Elias Van Court 1750 will: Daniel Sr as Overseer (A.12) - 1745 Emanuel Coryell 1748 will: Daniel Sr as Overseer (A.18) - 1771 Henry Johnson estate: Daniel Sr as Executor (this entry)

Pattern: Daniel Sr was a trusted fiduciary across Morris + Hunterdon Co. landed-gentry families.

4. William Throgmorton + David Ogden as plaintiff side

Throgmorton suing the Johnson estate for £52.14 worth of judgments levied on Henry Johnson's property during his lifetime. Plaintiff-attorney David Ogden = Newark legal community (I.94). Sheriff returned the writ; Alias Fi. Fa. for residue. Standard estate-collection process.

Cross-references

• p.1 Daniel Cooper Sr 1695-1795 — primary subject; NEW Executor-of-Johnson role
• I.99 + I.100 — Daniel Jr Sheriff 1758-1769 (preceding Henry Johnson)
• M.24 Honeyman — Sheriff attribution context
• A.12 — Daniel Sr as Overseer 1750 Elias Van Court will
• A.18 — Daniel Sr as Overseer 1748 Emanuel Coryell will
• pr.55 — Morris CCP research thread

Open questions / follow-up

• Henry Johnson Sheriff tenure dates — when was he Sheriff? ~~Most parsimonious: 1769-1770 succeeding Daniel Jr.~~ REVISED 2026-06-10: his probable will (A.83 §1i — Henry Johnson of Roxbury, made 2 Nov 1762, proved 17 Mar 1763) puts his death in early 1763, so the tenure must be pre-1762 — not 1769-70. Honeyman M.24 cross-check still wanted.
• ~~ Henry Johnson will — would name Daniel Cooper as executor + identify family relationships. Search NJ Archives Vol 33-34 Wills (1761-1780) for Henry Johnson of Morris Co.~~ FOUND 2026-06-10 → A.83 §1i (NJA Wills Vol IV, Lib. 11 p. 460): Henry Johnson of Roxbury Twsp. — wife Elliner, children Richard, Henry, John, Elliner, Zackeas, Mary Leuy, Zacherias; forge + saw mill; executors = wife + son Richard + friend John Van Tuyl = 3-of-4 match to this entry's 1771 executor list (identification = executor-set convergence, not document-stated). Daniel Cooper is NOT among the will's executors — his 1771 executor/administrator role must post-date the will (substituted/added administrator?, or this minute's cursive grouping reads differently). NEW follow-up: pull NJSA loose papers for Henry Johnson of Roxbury 1763 (would show how Daniel Cooper was joined) — pairs with the image-zoom item below.
• Eleanor Johnson + Richard Johnson + John Vantyle identification — family relationships to Henry; possible cross-reference with adjacent Cooper-family records.
• Create p.X Henry Johnson stub — late Sheriff of Morris Co.; executor relationship with Daniel Cooper Sr — pending more research.
• Confirm "Daniel Cooper" vs "Daniel Cooper Junr" in this entry via image-zoom — important for identifying which Cooper held the executor role.