COOPERS in Surrey area

[RankGorger]

Hello all,

In the past few weeks I've been looking into my family tree and have found an awful lot, however I'm running into some problems despite extensive use of Ancestry and FreeBMD.

I've always known I'm of traveller descent, and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the Coopers that were in the Surrey area (especially Croydon). I think I've tracked my great grandmother as Lavinia Cooper (b. 1893-ish) who married a William Reading. As far as I can make out her mother was Amey/Elvinia Cooper (b. 1855) (both names seem to be used).

If anyone thinks they're connected I'd be interested to hear from you as I have a huge amount of information to share.

[Lelu]

Hi just seen your message im a newbie on here & this is my first post.
I have Coopers that lived mainly in Wilford Rd Croydon. I have not come across a Lavinia in my own tree but there is probably a connection somwhere along the line- they were a big family. I have just checked my records tho and found an Elivia Cooper 19 m a John Cooper  23 at St Saviour Croydon 1872 have you got that one?. Brides father george Cooper hawker grooms Edward  Cooper Labourer.

[RankGorger]

Yes, that's the one. The problem I have at the moment is confirming that my g-grandmother Lavinia was indeed the daughter of the Elvinia we've mentioned. I have the marriage you mention as happening on 13th Feb 1872 at St Saviour. I'm reticent to start going further back until I am reasonably confident that I'm on the right line. Another confusing factor is that Elvinia seems to be called Amey in some Census forms (like 1901) - that's what makes me doubt the lineage.

How do these people fit into your tree?

[Lelu]

Hi
As I said I have not yet found a link I just make a note of any references for Coopers in the same area in the South East where mine travelled and alot of them are to be found at Mitcham and Croydon and as the extended family usually travelled together there is usually a family tie in somwhere.
i found a few baptisms on the romanygenes website which I dont know if you are aware of ( if you dont google the website as it has a wealth of info) On some of the records Elvinia has been recorded as Alvinia & maybe Alvie/ Elvie was used as a shortened form and this sounded like Amy to the enumerator of the census.

[social-butterflies]

dont know if this is of interest of you maybe know already but there is famous cooper, who was the royal rat cathcer. matty cooper born about 1800-1811 died 1900 wife eliza lee or james died abt;1865

 
a.

[aug]

Hi

Hope you don't mind me butting in,i have coopers in my tree. My GG-grnadmother was Harriet Gladwin nee'cooper who married a George they both lived on mitcham common..  And they went on to live in wiford rd,maybe my coopers could be related to yours.
 
jew

[casalguidi]

The problem I have at the moment is confirming that my g-grandmother Lavinia was indeed the daughter of the Elvinia we've mentioned.

Ok, so what do you know for sure about your Lavinia and why do you think she may (or may not as the case may be) the daughter of the "Amey" (Alvey/Elvina) in the census 1901 census at Epsom?

Casalguidi

[RankGorger]

aa1webb - He could figure into it somewhere, but I haven't quite got that far back yet

jew - it's certainly possible. I haven't yet come across a Harriet - what timescale are you talking about?

Casalguidi - this is what I know for sure: Lavinia Cooper married a William Walter Reading in 1916. The marriage record says her father was called John Cooper. The only person I can find in the Surrey area called John Cooper on the 1901 census with a daughter called Lavinia/Lavenia was married to a woman called Amey (he was also the only John Cooper that was a travelling gypsy). I couldn't find John and Amey's marriage, but I found someone with a similar tree to mine on Ancestry, and their John Cooper married an Elvinia (for which I can find a marriage record in 1872). They haven't answered my messages, so right now, that's all I've got.

[Steve G]

There is famous cooper, who was the royal rat cathcer.

  That's fascinating! Because, an old mate of mine ~ a Cooper, obviously ~ is 'Rat Catcher' to the MOD. As was his father before him.

 I wonder if there's some hereditary link here?