Post by Sarah Stuart on Jan 22, 2011 2:45:42 GMT -5
The first record my family has of our Coopers is of Ashley-Cooper. Ashley-Cooper was a privateer for Queen Elizabeth I. When finally Ashley-Cooper decided to come back to England his share of looting for the Queen amounted to three million pounds worth of gold (not including the treasures he didn't tell the Queen about). We know little else of Ashley-Cooper.
Many generations later…
James Cooper was born abt.1801 in Tawer, London. He worked as a tailor for his whole life, living mainly in the areas of Berkshire and London. His wife’s name was Emily (last name unknown. Born abt. 1804 in Hampshire) with whom he stayed with until her death in 1867 in Newbury. Together James and Emily had nine children: Eliza Victoria (b. 1832 Newbury), Augusta (b. 1837 Newbury), John (b. 1835 Newbury), James Robert (b. 15 December 1829 Middlesex), Hophilus (b. 1844 Newbury), Theophilus Randell-Cooper (b. 1845 Kent. Unsure whether he is James and Emily’s son or grandson), Emily (b. 1831 England), Helen (b.1826 England) and my great, great grandmother: Louisa Lucy.
All the Cooper boys and daughter Augusta carried on their father’s occupation. It appeared to be a successful business as near the end of his life James lived with three servants and three other family members. It is unknown when James passed away.
Louisa Lucy was born in 1841 at Newbury, Berkshire. She married Thomas Henry Gundry in 1866 in St Giles, Middlesex and had five children with him. (See Gundry section for their children.) Six years after the death of her husband Thomas, Louisa married a man called William Mitchell who was wealthy boil maker. She stayed with him until her death in 1906 at Bromley, London.
Ashley-Cooper's Gold
In about 1923 my great grandfather Louis Oliver Gundry received a letter from a solicitor in England stating that there was fortune of gold in the Bank of England which belonged to Ashley-Cooper and due to the Great Fire of London burning all the records they didn't know who the heirs were. The solicitors traced the heirs of the fortune to the Gundrys only they weren’t sure which Gundry so they sent a letter to all the Gundrys in the world (at the time there were only a few) asking that they return to England and bring proof that they were related to Ashley-Cooper. My great grandfather never returned, believing it to be a wild goose chase. The gold was never claimed by the rightful heirs and it went into consolidated revenue and was no more.
I have been trying to find information on this case so if anyone has any or knows how to search for it then please let me know!
(See Gundry section for more information on the Gundry family.)
Many generations later…
James Cooper was born abt.1801 in Tawer, London. He worked as a tailor for his whole life, living mainly in the areas of Berkshire and London. His wife’s name was Emily (last name unknown. Born abt. 1804 in Hampshire) with whom he stayed with until her death in 1867 in Newbury. Together James and Emily had nine children: Eliza Victoria (b. 1832 Newbury), Augusta (b. 1837 Newbury), John (b. 1835 Newbury), James Robert (b. 15 December 1829 Middlesex), Hophilus (b. 1844 Newbury), Theophilus Randell-Cooper (b. 1845 Kent. Unsure whether he is James and Emily’s son or grandson), Emily (b. 1831 England), Helen (b.1826 England) and my great, great grandmother: Louisa Lucy.
All the Cooper boys and daughter Augusta carried on their father’s occupation. It appeared to be a successful business as near the end of his life James lived with three servants and three other family members. It is unknown when James passed away.
Louisa Lucy was born in 1841 at Newbury, Berkshire. She married Thomas Henry Gundry in 1866 in St Giles, Middlesex and had five children with him. (See Gundry section for their children.) Six years after the death of her husband Thomas, Louisa married a man called William Mitchell who was wealthy boil maker. She stayed with him until her death in 1906 at Bromley, London.
Ashley-Cooper's Gold
In about 1923 my great grandfather Louis Oliver Gundry received a letter from a solicitor in England stating that there was fortune of gold in the Bank of England which belonged to Ashley-Cooper and due to the Great Fire of London burning all the records they didn't know who the heirs were. The solicitors traced the heirs of the fortune to the Gundrys only they weren’t sure which Gundry so they sent a letter to all the Gundrys in the world (at the time there were only a few) asking that they return to England and bring proof that they were related to Ashley-Cooper. My great grandfather never returned, believing it to be a wild goose chase. The gold was never claimed by the rightful heirs and it went into consolidated revenue and was no more.
I have been trying to find information on this case so if anyone has any or knows how to search for it then please let me know!
(See Gundry section for more information on the Gundry family.)