Cooper Family

Five of the children of James and Mary Cooper of Pennsylvania are known to have settled in Pendleton County, Kentucky. David Cooper, born 1771, who first appeared on the Pendleton County tax list in 1799, married April 1, 1795 Margaret/Peggy McMillian, daughter of William McMillian. In 1819 David Cooper was taxed on 50 acres drained by the waters of Grassy Creek and Eagle Creek (straddling the crest of the dry ridge-drained by Grassy Creek east to the Licking River and drained on the west by a tributary of Eagle Creek to the Kentucky River:

(1) David Cooper, born 1771, who first appeared on the Pendleton County tax list in 1799, married April 1, 1795 Margaret/Peggy McMillian, daughter of William McMillian. In 1819 David Cooper was taxed on 50 acres drained by the waters of Grassy Creek and Eagle Creek (straddling the crest of the dry ridge-drained by Grassy Creek east to the Licing River and drained on the west by a tributary of Eagle Creek to the Kentucky River).

2) William Cooper, who first appeared on the Pendleton County tax lists in 1806, moved to Campbell County, Kentucky about 1807. The family returned to Pendleton County in 1814 where William died in 1815; his will being probated in December. He was survived by his widow, Martha Cooper (maiden name may be McMillian). In 1819 the family was taxed on 80 acres on Forklick Creek;

3) Martha Cooper, born 1775, married February 24, 1795 James McMillian, son of Robert and Phoebe McMillian. This family was known to reside in Decatur County, Indiana in 1834;

4) John Cooper, born before 1774, resided in Pendleton COunty 1799 to 1801, when he moved to Ohio. He and his family resided in Pendleton County in 1809 and 1810, moving away about 1811; and

5) James Cooper, the oldest son, first settled in Bourbon County, Kentucky, resided in Pendleton County about 1816, then moved away.

Because of the locations of their land and homes, the families of David Cooper and Martha Cooper (widow of William) became residents of Grant County, Kentucky in 1820 when it was formed out of Pendleton County. The family of David Cooper consisted of one male under 10, one male between 18 and 25, one male age 45 or older, one female under 10, one female between 10 and 16, two females 16 to 26, one female 26 to 45, and one female age 45 or older. No further record of this family has been found, other than one in Grant Circuit Court Orders, August 1826, in Elizabeth Franks vs John Frans - 'A deposition is to be taken from David Cooper of the State of Indiana.'

The other family was that of Martha Cooper, the widow of William Cooper, who first appeared on the Pendleton tax list in 1806, and who died in Pendleton County. His will, probated in December, 1815, named his wife Martha and their eight children. Martha Cooper's family in the 1820 Census of Grant County consisted of two males between ages 18 and 25, one female under 10, one female between 16 and 26, and 1 female 45 or older. Martha died in Grant County in 1824.

Martha Cooper's will, probated in Grant County in 1824, named three sons: (1) James, (who was 21 or older when he married Lyda McMullin in Pendleton County April 6, 1815), (2) John (who probably turned 21 when he first appeared on the Pendleton tax list in 1819, married Ruth Owens in Grant County December 15, 1821), and William (who probably turned 21 when he first appeared on the Grant County tax list in 1823, and who was unmarried when he executed a Grant County deed to Ezekiah Hill in March, 1825, was residing in Bartholomew, Indiana in 1830.

Martha Cooper's will also named her daughters, all were married by 1824: (1) Betsy Cooper Lawson (married Aaron Lawson), died July 20, 1853 in Marshall County, Indiana, (2) Jane Cooper Hawkins (born ca 1790, died September 28, 1855 in Marshall County, Indiana, married June 20, 1805 in Pendleton County Zadach Hawkins), (3) Margaret Cooper Fallenash/Fornash), (4) nancy Fallenash (married March 3, 1817 in Pendleton County James Fallenash/Fornash, moved to Indiana bout 1822), and (5) Sally Cooper Owens (married December 9, 1821 in Grant County John Owens, moved out of state about 1824).

With the exception of the Thomas and Margaret Fallenash family who  moved to Harrison County, Kentucky about 1829, all other Cooper descendants moved out of state by 1825.

From the files of James R. Glacking
Published in Footsteps of the Past, October 18, 2001

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