| 2. | Thomas* Cooper was born about 1618 in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England (son of George* Cooper and Rebecca* Bosworth); died on 5 Oct 1675 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. Other Events and Attributes:
- Immigration: 1635, "Christian," Boston, Massachusetts; from England
- Residence: 1643, Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts
Notes:
Thomas Cooper: (Cowper) 41 acres owned in 1647. (-1).
BIRTH: Thomas Cooper was born abt 1618 at Olney, Buckinghamshire, Eng, son of George COOPER and Rebecca BOSWORTH..
MARRIAGE: Married Sarah SLYE abt 1636/1641 probably at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts..
DEATH: 5 Oct 1675 Springfield.(See biography for details.) His estate was valued at £87..
BIOGRAPHY: He arrived in Boston from England in the ship "Christian" in 1635 and came with John Stiles? company from England to Windsor in 1641 and to Springfield in 1643 where he purchased a home lot 14 rods wide and more than 80 rods long for 25 pounds. As a business associate of John Pynchon, Cooper polished and strung wampum, (shell money), by piercing the shells with an awl or drill and stringing the beads and shells in fathoms---the length of outstretched arms---six feet. He was a fur trader, auditor of the selectmen?s accounts, a practicing attorney before the county court, a practical farmer and carpenter, a surveyor, and a bone-setter. Goodwife Cooper often assisted Mistress Pynchon..
Thomas was elected to the first town governing committee in 1644 and later was deputy of the General Court. He served as a selectman for 20 terms. Thomas was a brisk, outspoken man, sometimes difficult to get along with, a good fighter, and had great influence with the local Indians. As a fur agent, Cooper was supplied with trading cloth and wampam by John Pynchon to trade for furs with the Indians. On 27 Jun 1652, Cooper received credit for 348 skins of beaver. Cooper?s outstanding debts to John Pynchon stood at £1000 on 1 Oct 1656 and he continued to be heavily in debt to Pynchon for the remainder of his life. .
In the first election of selectman (administrative board in towns of New England) to be held on 26 Sep. 1644, those chosen were Henry Smith, Thomas Cooper, Samuel Chapin, Richard Sikes, and Henry Burt. In 1649, Thomas Cooper shared a team of oxen with Mr. Moxon (who was a Parson in Springfield) and they were fined 1 ½ bushels of wheat for allowing the oxen to be left unattended across the river. .
In February 1645, he contracted with the town of Springfield to construct the first meeting house, for the price of £80, to be paid in wheat, pork, peas, wampam, debts or labor. The meeting house built was 40 feet in length; 25 feet breadth; 9 feet betwixt joints, double studded with four large glass windows and one smaller window and one large door and two smaller doors. This was to be completed by the 30 Sep 1646. He completed it in less than one month as on 26 Mar 1646 the town acknowledged that Cooper had fulfilled his bargain..
By 1647 he owned 41 acres of land for which he was taxed 11 shillings 4 pence. Taxes could be paid in wheat at 3 shillings 10 pence, Indian corn at 2 shillings 6 pence, or peas at 3 shillings per bushel..
Thomas Cooper was a regular customer of the store owned by John Pynchon and at one time his bill amounted to over 681 pounds. He regularly brought in trade goods of beaver, moose, and deer skins traded from the Indians as well as wild honey and performed carpentry work. Thomas was a member of the inquest jury who determined the cause of death of John Harmon?s son, Ebenezer, who drowned at the age of three. .
Originally land in Springfield was bought from the Indians by a committee or agent for the town. Later individuals would sell blankets, food, and tools to the natives on credit with land as mortgage. Thomas had taken a mortgage from Amoacussen, a Woronoco Indian, in 1660 and received an absolute deed in 1664 when Amoacussen failed to pay. Later the sachems Allignot, Neemp, and Wallump claimed that Amoacussen was not the sole owner of the land and the Hampshire court ordered Thomas to pay them 110 fathom of wampum to get clear title. He probably still made money on the deal..
Jonathan Burt and Thomas Cooper were witnesses of the "spoken" desires of Henry Burt prior to his death. (Thomas Cooper may be a brother-in-law to Jonathan. In those days brother-in-law also means his brother by another marriage of a parent i.e. step-brother; or he could be related to Jonathan?s wife or married to one of his sisters.) Thomas was an Ensign and Jonathan Burt served as first Corporal in the offices of the trained military band of Springfield. He often served in the capacity of a juror; assisted Benjamin Cooley in taking inventory of Nathaniel Bliss? estate. In 1663 his seat in the meeting house was on the first row, a mark of success and respect. .
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King Phillip?s War broke out and on 4 October 1675, John Pynchon and many of the Springfield men were dispatched to Hadley, Massachusetts, to pursue the enemy. The Agawam Indians living near Springfield had been friendly with the whites, but decided to join Phillip?s war of extermination. Toto, an Indian living with a Windsor family, told them of the planned Agawam attack on Springfield. A man was sent to Springfield with the news, arriving in the dead of night, and all the citizens gathered in the three fortified houses in the village..
No attack had come by morning and many thought it was a false alarm. Lieutenant Cooper knew the name of every Agawam Indian - he had dealings with them as an officer of the law, had aided them with loans of seeds or utensils, and did not fear them. He and Thomas Miller rode out to scout the Indian fort. Advancing toward it, they were fired upon and Miller was instantly killed. Lieutenant Thomas Cooper, being very athletic and vigorous, returned to Springfield at a gallop, clinging to his saddle. The horse stopped at the Pynchon house and Thomas fell to the ground dead. This was on 5 Oct 1675. The Indians then attacked the town, burned 33 houses and 22 barns, plundered the deserted houses, but the three houses where the people had fled to were well fortified and few were killed. Major Pynchon with 200 troopers returned at a dead run from Hadley and the Indians retreated with their booty. .
CHILDREN of Thomas Cooper and Sarah Slye:.
1. Sarah b. 1640; md. Thomas Day.
2. Timothy b. 1644; md. Elizabeth Munson.
3. Thomas b. 1646; md. Desire Lamberton.
4. Elizabeth b. 1648; md. Isaac Colton .
5. Mary b. 1651; md. (1) Isaac Colton (2) Edward Stebbins.
6. John b. 1654. .
7. Rebecca b. 1657; md. John Clark.
8. John b. 1659 .
John Harmon of Springfield, MA Associates Part 5
IV 1647 Lot Owners in Springfield.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/2322125/person/1426911794/mediax/2?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7CpgNum
Thomas* married Mary* Slye between 1636 and 1641 in Boston, Suffolk Co, Massachusetts (prob). Mary* was born about 1630; died after 1652. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1651 - 1742 (90 years)