Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County, New Jersey, Vol. II (Lewis Publishing Co., New York, 1899), p. 567 — 'ABRAM W. COOPER' biographical sketch (= the fam.2 CHESTER Cooper line; sub-entry of [I.129](I.129.yaml), which covers the SAME book's Long Hill / Daniel Sr Cooper narrative at p. 937). Family-sourced 1899 subscription-biography of Gen. Nathan A. Cooper [[p.496]] + son Abram W. Cooper. KEY pr.71 DATUM: this sketch is SILENT on any kinship to Peter Cooper (Cooper Union founder) OR Sir Astley Cooper — argument-from-silence against the J.151 'relative of Peter Cooper' claim. NEW data: Abram W.'s own 1881 marriage + daughter.

Transcription and notes

Source identification

Verbatim — p. 567

ABRAM W. COOPER. A well known resident of Chester, Mr. Cooper stands a representative of the fifth generation of the family of Chester township. The Coopers have always been prominent in public affairs, and the name stands conspicuously forth on the pages of the history of Morris county. His father was Nathan A. Cooper, a successful man of business, who owned an extensive tract of land and was numbered among the prosperous and progressive citizens of the community. He owned the Cooper mill, at Milltown, which had been built by his uncle in 1826, and which by the terms of his father's will was inherited by the subject of this review. The school privileges of Nathan Cooper were somewhat limited, yet he was a man of broad and practical general information. His knowledge of mathematics was gained largely from practical work as a surveyor in this county in early life, at which time he also became somewhat of an adept in the art of platting or mapping his surveys.

Nathan A. Cooper was united in marriage to Miss Mary H. Leddell, a daughter of Dr. Leddell, of Mendham township. He died July 29, 1879, at the age of seventy-nine years, and his wife died in January, 1890. Their children are Anna E.; Abram W.; Beulah, wife of Henry L. Dayton, of Chester township, Morris county; Mary L., wife of E. I. Smith, postmaster of Chester; Matilda R. and Nathan A., who are living on the old homestead; and Laura H., wife of Oscar Babbitt, of Morristown.

Abram W. Cooper, the second in the family of children, was born March 28, 1847, and in his youth pursued his studies in the common schools. He [...] remained upon the old homestead and assisted in its cultivation until the death of his father, when he came to Milltown and took charge of the mill and other property which fell to him as his share of his father's estate. His life had been quiet and uneventful, but upright and honorable [...]. Politically he is a Democrat, and he is now serving as a member of the town committee.

Mr. Cooper was married October 12, 1881, to Mary, daughter of George Turner, a prominent citizen and merchant of Hope, Warren county, New Jersey. They have one daughter, Mary Denison, who was born November 28, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are members of the Presbyterian church.

pr.71 datum — SILENT on famous-Cooper kinship

This is a family-supplied 1899 subscription biography that explicitly frames the Chester Coopers as "always prominent in public affairs," the name "conspicuously forth on the pages of the history of Morris county" — i.e. exactly the kind of sketch in which a documented kinship to Peter Cooper (Cooper Union founder, then a national figure) or Sir Astley Cooper would be advertised. It claims neither. It traces the family no further back than "the fifth generation of the family of Chester township" (= Nathan I → Nathan II → Abraham → Nathan A. → Abram W.) with no famous-Cooper connection. = argument-from-silence support for pr.71 H5 (the lone J.151 "relative of Peter Cooper" claim is most likely aspirational folklore). NB: the Astley-Cooper descent claim is NOT in Lewis 1899 (both vols checked, no "Astley"/"surgeon"-as-ancestor) — it is Munsell 1882, captured verbatim at I.46 §3 (Chester-Township chapter): "descended from Sir Astley Cooper, the celebrated surgeon, of England." So the two Morris-County histories differ: Munsell asserts a (chronologically impossible) famous-Cooper descent; Lewis asserts none. Both reinforce pr.71 H5.

New / cross-check data

• Abram W. Cooper (= [[p.496]]'s son): b. 28 Mar 1847; m. 12 Oct 1881 Mary, dau. of George Turner (merchant of Hope, Warren Co. NJ); one daughter Mary Denison Cooper b. 28 Nov 1887; Presbyterian; Democrat / Chester town committee; took over the Cooper mill at Milltown after his father's death. (Catalog [[p.496]] frontmatter had "Abram W. 1848-1933"; Lewis gives b. 1847 — day-level/year discrepancy.)
• Gen. Nathan A. Cooper death: Lewis "July 29, 1879, age 79" — vs Chambers "25 Jul" / Find A Grave G.200 "26 Jul." Wife Mary H. Leddell "daughter of Dr. Leddell of Mendham" (NEW: her father was a physician of Mendham); Lewis death "January 1890" vs G.200 "1886" — discrepancy to reconcile.
• Daughters' married names corroborate G.200/[[p.496]]: Beulah → Dayton (here "Henry L. Dayton"; cf. p.523 Nathan A Cooper Jr context), Mary L. → Smith (E. I. Smith, postmaster of Chester), Laura H. → Babbitt (Oscar Babbitt of Morristown).

Cross-references

• I.129 — same book, the Long Hill / Daniel Sr Cooper narrative (Vol II p. 937)
• p.496 Gen Nathan A Cooper
• G.200 — Find A Grave (Pleasant Hill Cemetery; children + dates)
• J.151 — 1885 Beulah Ann Cooper Seward obit (the lone "relative of Peter Cooper" source)
• pr.71 — fam.2 ↔ Peter Cooper kinship investigation (Finding 13 / H5)