Daniel Cooper (1752 - 1822)

Born 31 Mar 1752 in Dillenburg, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hessen, Germany

Husband of Elisabetha (Gery) Cooper — married 3 Nov 1778 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA

Descendants

Died 14 Jun 1822 at age 70 in Upper Saucon, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Al Latil [send private message]

Biography

“Daniel Cooper, born at Dillenburg, in the duchy of Nassau, March 31, 1752, arrived in this country about 1770. He located at Goshenhoppen in the present limits of Montgomery County.”^[1]

Daniel's father, Wilhelm Kupper followed him from Germany to Pennsylvania, arriving around 1775, on the eve of the American Revolution.

“On Nov. 3, 1778, he married Elizabeth Gery, daughter of Jacob Gery, of Goshenhoppen, and soon after removed to Upper Saucon. After settling here he was followed by his parents..."^[2] Upper Saucon, northwest of Goshenhoppen, was in Northampton County, now in Lehigh County.

“He was a member of the fifth company, fourth battalion, of Northampton county militia, Philip Boehm lieutenant-colonel, and John Stahl, captain.”^[3]

The records of the Goshenhoppen Reformed Church show that Daniel Cooper’s son Jacob was born 12 Mar. 1780. Sponsors at Jacob’s baptism (no date given) were “Jacob Gery and wife,” presumably the child’s grandparents.^[4]

On 11 Jan. 1784 Catharina, daughter of “Daniel Kupper and wife Elisabeth,” was baptized at the Great Swamp Reformed Church in Lower Milford Twp., Northampton Co. (now Lehigh Co.), Pennsylvania. Sponsors at the baptism were Johannes Gery (presumably the mother’s brother) and Catharina Kupper (the father’s sister).^[5] Daniel’s son Johannes was baptized in the same church on 8 Feb. 1788.^[6]

As we can see from the map, Lower Milford Township was in the southern tip of what is now Lehigh County (about 50 miles north of Philadelphia), but in the 18th century this area was still a part of Northampton County. Daniel Cooper also lived in neighboring Upper Saucon Township, where we find the village of Coopersburg, named for Daniel's son Peter Cooper.

“Sometime between 1778 and 1790 Daniel purchased a tract of land from George Bachman in Upper Saucon Township and erected a house and barn. (George Bachman was a Mennonite settler of the area which is now Coopersburg. He arrived in about 1737 and acquired letters of patent for over 300 acres of land.) In the 1798 United States House tax, Daniel was taxed for a 20 X 25 one-story log house (value $100), a 25 X 30 two-story log barn (value $600), and 110 acres of land (value $1,400). This early house was later converted to stone and stood near the present site of 314 S. Main Street in Coopersburg.”^[7]

“In about 1800 Daniel purchased the first hotel and tavern in the area which was called ‘Der Siebenstern’ (The Seven Star). It was built by George Bachman in 1740-1745 and was noted by the large sign in front which had a crescent and seven stars on it. The sign was suspended on a high post set in the middle of the public road between the tavern and the shed on the opposite side....In addition to operating the ‘Der Siebenstern’ hotel and tavern and engaging in farming, Daniel served several terms as Justice of the Peace.”^[8]

According to another account, 'Der Siebenstern' was "located at the heart of present-day Coopersburg... Daniel Cooper, shortly after his arrival in Philadelphia in 1775, bought Der Siebenstem and surrounding land from the Bachmans. In 1800 he built a stone house and barn on his property.... A son of Daniel Cooper, Peter, in 1829 replaced Der Siebenstern with a modern hostelry Eagle Hotel. He had three sons who became leaders in law, banking, medicine, commerce, and politics, on a regional level, while living in the village. The residents gave their village the name Coopersburg in 1832, in honor of Peter Cooper."^[9]

On 3 Mar. 1805 John, son of Daniel and Elizabeth Cooper, was baptized at St. Paul’s (Blue) Church in Upper Saucon Twp., Northampton Co. (now Lehigh Co.), Pennsylvania.^[10]

“On August 23, 1812 it is recorded that Daniel was married a second time to Margaret Brunner, widow of John Brunner.”^[11]

“Daniel Cooper died on June 14, 1822 and was buried next to his first wife Elizabeth in the Old Mennonite cemetery."^[12]

Daniel Cooper wrote his will on 12 June 1822, two days before his death. The witnesses were John St*** (can’t read) and David Geissinger. In this will “Daniel Cooper of upper saucon township in the County of Lehigh and State Pennsylvania (justice of the Peace) being very weak in body but of Sound Mind Memmory and understanding Blessed be God for the Same;” orders the payment of his just debts and funeral expenses; leaves household furniture to his “beloved wife Margaret” with the right to live in his house together with their son Daniel while she remains his widow, and also a yearly supply of grain to be ground at the mill and brought to her; leaves two tracts of land and farm equipment to his son Daniel; leaves to his wife the use of his indentured servant Margaret Brunner; and leaves the remainder of his estate to his children Jacob, John, Peter, William, Catharina and Elizabeth to be equally divided except that Jacob is to receive $200 more than the others. Lastly he appoints his son Daniel and son-in-law Jacob Seider to be executors of his will.^[13]

Children^[14]:

1. Jacob, b. 12 Mar. 1780; m. (1) Gertrude Siegfried; m. (2) Susanna (Fink) Owen; died at sea in 1821.

2. Catharina, b. 21 Jan. 1782; died after seven days.

3. Catharina, b. 30 Dec. 1783; m. Jacob Seider; buried at the St. Paul's Blue Church cemetery.

4. son, b. 27 Apr. 1786; d. 1 June 1786.

5. Johannes (John), b. 4 Nov. 1787. “John Cooper, the second son of Daniel Cooper, died in 1847, leaving a daughter, Fayette, who was married to Elias Nitrauer.” This could be an error, as Daniel had a younger son John. It seems likely that the elder John died young, and the younger John was the father of Fayette (Cooper) Nitrauer.

6. Peter, b. 26 Sept. 1790; m. Susannah Buchecker; d. 19 May 1837. He was an innkeeper, surveyer and justice of the peace. In 1832 the town of Coopersburg in Upper Saucon Township was named in his honor.^[15]

7. William, b. 30 Apr. 1793; moved to Schuylkill Co.

8. Elizabeth, b. 25 May 1795; m. Abraham Slifer; d. 1867.

9. Charles, b. 20 Dec. 1797; d. 27 Nov. 1803.^[16]

10. Daniel, b. 11 July 1801; m. Sarah Ott; d. Apr. 1864.

11. John, b. 28 Aug. 1804. Perhaps this John, and not his elder brother by the same name, was the father of Fayette Cooper who married Elias Nitrauer. However, the phrasing of Daniel Cooper's will (especially the order in which the sons were listed) tends to cast doubt on this.

Burial

Burial:

Date: 1822

Place: Saucon Mennonite Meeting House Cemetery; Saucon Valley, Pa.

Sources

1. ↑ Alfred Mathews and Austin Hungerford, History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Evarts and Richards, 1884), p. 437. Click here to view this material at Hathi Trust.
2. ↑ Mathews and Hungerford, p. 437.
3. ↑ Charles Rhoads Roberts, History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 3 vols. (Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914), 2:199. Click here to view this material at Hathi Trust.
4. ↑ “Church Records of the Goshenhoppen Reformed Charge 1731-1833,” translated and edited by Prof. William J. Hinke, in The Pennsylvania-German Society Annual Report, vol. 28 (12 Sept. 1917), p. 329; digital images, Hathi Trust (accessed 2014).
5. ↑ “Church Record of the Great Swamp Reformed Congregation, Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania 1736-1833,” translated by Professor William J. Hinke, in The Pennsylvania-German Society Annual Report, vol. 28 (12 Sept. 1917), p. 452, showing also that Catharina was born 11 Nov. 1783; digital images, Hathi Trust (accessed 2014).
6. ↑ “Church Record of the Great Swamp Reformed Congregation, Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania 1736-1833,” p. 455. Sponsors were “Joh. Helligas and wife”; Johannes was born 4 Nov. 1787.
7. ↑ History and Genealogy of the Cooper Family of Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, by Dale E. Berger, 1985, p. 6.
8. ↑ History and Genealogy of the Cooper Family of Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, by Dale E. Berger, 1985, p. 6. (It would appear that Daniel Cooper bought the land not from George Bachman, who died in 1753, but from his heirs.)
9. ↑ Coopersburg Historic District.
10. ↑ Church Book of the St. Paul’s (Blue) Church, Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, Pa., Lutheran and Reformed, translated by Charles Robert Rhoads, copied by Robert F. Ehret; p. 2, showing also that John was born 28 Aug. 1804 and that the sponsors at his baptism were John and Eva Weukel.
11. ↑ Berger, p. 7.
12. ↑ Berger, p. 7; see also Daniel Cooper's findagrave profile.
13. ↑ Lehigh County Probate Court, file #426 (Will of Daniel Cooper); photocopy sent to John Schmeeckle by the Lehigh County Historical Society.
14. ↑ All names and birth dates are from Berger, p. 6, except for the youngest son John, for whom see Church Book of the St. Paul’s (Blue) Church. Other information is from Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of The Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, ed. John W. Jordan et al. (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905), p. 68.
15. ↑ Berger, p. 37.
16. ↑ Charles Cooper's findagrave profile

• Source: Find A Grave: Memorial #9922762

Acknowledgments

Thank you to John Schmeeckle for creating WikiTree profile Cooper-6502 through the import of Burkhalter.ged on Dec 9, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by John and others.