John Cooper - burial Reading, St Laurence 1819 & 1825

[hatofthecat]

If anyone has access to images of the original register it would be great to know if there is any extra detail with these burials.  From Berks FHS burials CD, both at St Laurence, Reading

28-Dec-1819  age 34
31-Dec-1825  age 45

I have my 3x great grandfather John Cooper, a weaver according to baptism record of his son Samuel in 1814, who I think will be one of these two.  The ages match up with two baptisms at same church in 1785 and 1780 respectively.  John Married an Elizabeth Perry, again St Laurence, in 1812. 

I think its more likely the 1819 burial as they had just two further children the second and last Ann being baptised in 1818 but would be good to have anything additional from the record to support the theory.

On Berks FHS Marriages CD there is a marriage for an Elizabeth Cooper to Charles Merryweather at St Laurence 21 Aug 1825.  If that original record shows the bride as a widow it could also help firm up the 1819 burial and 1885 birth for John.  There are no other marriages in right time frame that could be Elizabeth remarrying that I've found.

cheers

[jillruss]

I don't have access to the original registers but I do have a CD of the Reading St Laurence parish register as issued by the Berks FHS.

The Aug 21 1825 marriage is listed as between JAMES Merryweather, wid and Elizabeth Cooper, wid, both otp. Witnesses: Henry Cully, Elizabeth Perry.

I think the name of the female witness is the clincher, don't you?

The burial on 28 December 1819 just says John Cooper, Friar St, age 34.

The burial on 31 December 1825 says John Cooper, Caversham Road, age 45.

Jill

[hatofthecat]

Thanks Jill    I think the Elizabeth Perry witness does confirm it.  I've been trying to figure out who this second Elizabeth Perry was, first thought was she might be wife of Elizabeth Cooper's (nee Perry) only brother Henry (1773-) but I've not found a marriage yet.  There is an Elizabeth Perry (wife of a William) who has a son William baptised at the next door church of St Giles in 1825 so could possibly be her and also a cousin but I think I'll have to do a bit of spade work backwards & sidewards to clear up that one.  The Perry name turns up again in the tree as Charlotte Cooper (1836-) the eldest daughter John & Elizabeth's son Samuel Cooper (1814-1882) married a Robert Perry in 1854 though this was over in Lambeth, London.  Maybe a coincidence but interesting.

A medal award & army discharge on Ancestry has had me down a rabbit hole on John Cooper as it was for a man of same name, also a weaver from Reading and with half his paperwork exactly matching birth year of this John Cooper.  That one seems to have been fighting in the Peninsular war in 1810's and lived to a grand old age with another wife over in Speen (Newbury) as a silk ribbon weaver.  Oddly there was a window in his army career that would have enabled him to pop back and have the children with Elizabeth and her then being the one to die... bit of a stretch so I think I can knock that one on the head 

Pete

[hatofthecat]

Quick extra update.  I ordered a copy of the St Laurence parish register CD from Berks FHS as there seemed to be more on it than the county wide CDs from them I already had.

A few minutes research and I've found more of bride Elizabeth Perry's family including her parent's marriage (and thereby mother's maiden name) and 7 other siblings including an older Elizabeth who had died and a sister baptised as Molly but buried as Mary.  Still to find the elusive extra Elizabeth Perry that was wedding witness but the search goes on ! 

Thanks for drawing this source to my attention jillruss as I'd thought it wasn't worth buying any of the individual parish CDs, I was wrong it seems     Now I'm thinking I'll have to get the St Giles CD too as Elizabeth was noted as "of St Giles" in baptism at St Laurence (her baptism is actually also noted in St Giles register so they must have attended St Giles) also there is definitely at least one sibling who is baptised at St Giles.  This makes me think the family must have been living in the south of town with perhaps their hearts/extended family more in the north.

Pete