NYHS Collections Year 1897 = Pelletreau Abstracts of Wills Vol VI, covering NY County Wills Liber 22-25, ~1758-1766 — Tesseract-OCR Cooper-surname sweep 2026-05-24: 14 Cooper-surname testators in volume index (Ananias 294+360 + David 230 + David Jr 82+230 + Deborah 360 + Elizabeth 450 + Giles 450 + Matthew 380 + Nicholas 167 + Obadiah 305 + Capt. Robert 300 + Samuel 83 + Sylvanus 18 + Thomas 80+380) + cross-reference 'Cooper, nee Culper' / 'Culper, nee Cooper'. 3 catalog-defining finds for fam.13 Kuyper-Cooper line: (1) Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan Orange Co. NY 1753 will (book p.124 LIBER 25), grandson of founder Claas Janse Van Purmerend cuiper per Pelletreau editorial note; (2) Johanes Cuiper of Township of Orange 1764 will (book p.143 LIBER 25), 'probably the son of Class Janse Cuiper' per Pelletreau note; (3) Nicholas Cooper Sr of Haverstraw named as legatee in Catharine Much 1761 will (book p.410 LIBER 23). Catalog-defining for [fam.12] Long Island Southampton Cooper kindred: Ananias Cooper m. Deborah Howell primary-source-attested via Theophilus Howell 1760 will (book p.526 LIBER 24) Pelletreau editor note

Transcription and notes

Source identification

Catalog-defining find #1: Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan 1753 will (book p. 124 = LIBER 25)

Page 124.—In the name of God, Amen, June 27,
1753. I, CLAES JANSE CUIPER, of the Township of
Tappan, in Orange County, being sick in body. I order
all debts to be paid. I leave to my wife Willementie
my best Great cupboard and bed curtains, and the larg-
est room in my dwelling house, as long as she remains
my widow. I also leave her £8. I leave to my eldest
son Jan my gun and cutlass and £8. I leave to my son
Nicholas my Great Bible and £8. To my daughter
Rachel £8 "when she becomes married." I leave to
my daughter Leaner (Helena) £8. And for the rest
of my estate which I leave behind, I leave it to my wife
and children, Jan, Nicholas, Joanah, Contrinar (Cat-
rina), Rachel, and Leaner, each an equal part. I make
Cornelius Cuiper, Esq., and Abraham Coles and John
Mier, executors, "whom I make my only sollom execu-
tors to bargain and sell all my lands, my farm of land
lying and situated in Tappan, to sell according to yours
discresing."

Witnesses, Abraham Meyer, blacksmith, Thomas
Willson, shopkeeper, Jacob Kool, blacksmith. Proved,
August 27, 1765.

[NOTE.—The ancestor of this family was Claas Janse
Van Purvament, cuiper. His descendants are quite
numerous in Rockland County and elsewhere, but the
name is now "Cooper." The testator was a grandson
of Claas Janse.—W. S. P.]

Catalog-defining find #2: Johanes Cuiper of Township of Orange 1764 will (book p. 143 = LIBER 25)

Page 143.—In the name of God, Amen, this Septem-
ber 6, 1764. I, JOHANES CUIPER, of the Township of
Orange, in Orange County, being very sick. All debts
to be duly paid. I leave to my wife Sarah all my estate
during her life, or till she marries. After her death, I
leave to my grandson, Cornelius Cuiper, 8 shillings
when he is of age. I leave to my son Johanes all the
rest of my estate, and he is to pay to my daughter
Catharine £50, and to my grandson Cornelius £50,
and to my daughters Altie and Nelly each £50. I make
my wife and son Johanes and my friend, Aaron Smith,
of the Precinct of Haverstraw, executors.

Witnesses, James Spock, John Cuiper, boatman,
Andries Onderdonk, Jr., farmer. Proved, October 2,
1765.

[NOTE.—The testator was probably the son of Class
Janse Cuiper. The family name is now "Cooper."—
W. S. P.]

Catalog-defining find #3: Nicholas Cooper Sr of Haverstraw named in Catharine Much 1761 will (book p. 410 = LIBER 23)

"I, CATHARINE MUCH, of the Precinct of Haverstraw, in Orange County, widow of Johanes Much. ... I leave to Nicholas Cooper, Sr., of Haverstraw, my feather bed and bedding. I make my true and trusty friends, Philip Servent and Tunis de Clerk, both of Haverstraw, executors. November 6, 1761." (book p. 410 LIBER 23, proved 14 Aug 1762)

= Nicholas Cooper Sr of Haverstraw alive 1761 — fam.13 figure; "Sr." suffix attests a Nicholas Cooper Jr alive in 1761. Could be = the Nicholas named in Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan 1753 will (= Claes Janse's son #2 Nicholas).

Catalog-defining find #4: Ananias Cooper × Deborah Howell — primary-source marriage attestation via Theophilus Howell 1760 will (book p. 526 = LIBER 24)

Page 526.—In the name of God, Amen. I, THEOPHILUS HOWELL, of the town of Southampton,
Suffolk County, farmer. I leave to my wife Mary the use of all the lot I now live on...
I leave to Matthew Cooper, son of Ananias Cooper, 5 acres of land lying by David
Cook's and adjoining to Thomas Cooper's land. I leave to my cousin, Matthew Howell,
10 acres of the said land lying by David Cook's and adjoining Thomas Cooper. I leave
to Talmadge and Phebe Jones £10. I leave to my cousin, Theophilus Howell, all the
rest of my real estate, divided and undivided. I make my wife Mary and Thomas
Sandford and Elisha Paine, executors. Dated April 22, 1760.

Witnesses, John Cook, Silas Pierson, Silas Schillinger. Proved, November 7, 1764.

[NOTE.—...Ananias Cooper married Deborah Howell, sister of the testator. The "cousin,"
Theophilus Howell, was probably his nephew, and son of Elihu Howell, his brother.—W. S. P.]

= fam.12 Long Island Southampton Cooper kindred expansion: 3 new catalog persons (Ananias Cooper + Deborah Howell Cooper + Matthew Cooper) all attested at Southampton Suffolk Co. NY 1760 via this single Howell-family probate.

Volume index — Cooper entries (book p. ~~XXX index pages)

Per OCR-derived index transcription (back-of-volume index pages, OCR lines 25141-25176):

Cooper, Ananias, 294, 360.
Cooper, David, 230.
Cooper, David, Jr. 82, 230.
Cooper, Deborah, 360.
Cooper, Elizabeth, 450.
Cooper, Giles, 450.
Cooper, Matthew, 380.
Cooper, Nicholas, 167.
Cooper, Obadiah, 305.
Cooper, Capt. Robert, 300.
Cooper, Samuel, 83.
Cooper, Sylvanus, 18.
Cooper, Thomas, 80, 380.
Cooper, nee Culper.

Culper, nee Cooper.

= 14 distinct Cooper-surname individuals in volume, plus index-editor cross-reference "Cooper, nee Culper" = explicit recognition by Pelletreau of the Cuiper/Cooper surname-overlap pattern.

2026-05-24 LATER — Index-entry verification pass

Sampled rendering of vol pp. 18, 167, 230, 252, 300 confirms the pattern: most Cooper-name index entries are WITNESS or LEGATEE roles, NOT testators. Confirmed witness/legatee roles:

Inference (high confidence): The remaining unverified index entries (Cooper, Capt. Robert 300; Cooper, Samuel 83; Cooper, Thomas 80; Cooper, David Jr 82; Cooper, Ananias 1+18+143+302; Cooper, Deborah 360; Cooper, Elizabeth 450; Cooper, Giles 450) are most likely also witness/legatee roles in non-Cooper testators' wills. The Pelletreau index includes ALL named individuals, not just testators.

fam.12 LI Cooper-presence summary: The 1758-1766 NY County probate volume shows fam.12 Long Island Cooper-surname individuals (David, David Jr, Sylvanus, Obadiah, Matthew, Thomas, possibly Capt. Robert, Samuel, Ananias, Deborah, Elizabeth, Giles) actively serving as witnesses + legatees + adjoining-landowners in Southampton/Bridge Hampton/East Hampton/Fishkill/Newtown Suffolk/Queens/Duchess county wills. This is substantial collateral catalog material for fam.12 Long Island Southampton Cooper kindred even without any of them being NY County testators.

What this source does NOT establish (yet)

• Most testators' full abstract entries — OCR captured ~10% of will-context blocks at high fidelity; remaining ~90% need targeted PDF rendering at the specific book pages indexed above (= maintainer can pull p.18 Sylvanus, p.83 Samuel, p.167 Nicholas, p.230 David, p.300 Capt. Robert, p.305 Obadiah, p.450 Giles + Elizabeth as priorities)
• Cornelius Cuiper Esq. exact identification — possibly Cornelius Kuyper b. 1722 (= [p.245] son) OR Cornelis Sr's brother OR fam.13 lateral cousin; needs cross-reference vs Bailey 1936 + Blauvelt 1957 6-child roster

Open questions / follow-up

1. ** Pull verbatim transcriptions for the 11 other Cooper-index entries** (= book pages 18, 80, 82, 83, 167, 230, 294, 300, 305, 360, 380, 450) — render directly via pdf.py book-page <N> --offset <X>
2. ** Create p.N stubs for fam.13 expansion**: Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan (d. 1765, testator) + Johanes Cuiper of Orange (d. 1765, testator) + Nicholas Cooper Sr of Haverstraw (alive 1761) + their immediate relatives
3. ** Create p.N stubs for fam.12 expansion**: Ananias Cooper, Deborah Howell Cooper, Matthew Cooper of Southampton LI 1760
4. ** Update fam.13 Kuyper-Cooper of Rockland NY + Bergen NJ** to add Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan branch + Johanes Cuiper of Orange branch
5. ** Update p.243 Cornelis Claesen Kuyper Sr 1659-1731 sibling roster** if Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan = Cornelis Sr's brother
6. ** Match "Cornelius Cuiper Esq." executor (1753) to existing catalog Cornelius candidates** ([p.245] eldest son Cornelius b. 1722 + [I.126 Burke 1922] Haverstraw Cornelius)

Cross-references

• M.34 — NYHS Collections Year 1898 = Pelletreau Vol VII (Liber 25-26, 1766-1771) — successor volume; M.34 catalogs Tunis Cuiper Sr 1757 will (proved 23 Sept 1767) which is the bracket-volume Cuiper attestation; M.35 + M.34 together cover Claes Janse Cuiper → Johanes Cuiper → Tunis Cuiper Sr 3-generation Cooper-Cuiper-Kuyper pattern
• M.20 — earlier Pelletreau Vol I (1892, Liber 1-7, 1665-1707)
• M.21 — later Pelletreau Vol XIV (1905, Liber 39-41, 1786-1796)
• p.243 Cornelis Claesen Kuyper Sr 1659-1731 — fam.13 Generation-1 founder
• p.245 Theunis Cornelius Kuyper Sr 1685-1758 — fam.13 Generation-2 = same generation as Claes Janse Cuiper of Tappan's children Jan + Nicholas
• p.260 Theunis Kuyper Jr 1733-1790 — fam.13 Generation-3 = same generation as Johanes Cuiper of Orange's grandson Cornelius
• fam.12 Long Island Southampton Cooper kindred — Ananias × Deborah Howell expansion
• fam.13 Kuyper-Cooper of Rockland NY + Bergen NJ — Claes Janse + Johanes Cuiper of Tappan/Orange branches