The Old COOPER Bible

Austin COOPER and Elizabeth GIBSON (my second great-grandparents) of Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland, had 14 children after they were married on 24 Jun 1851, in the Church of Ireland. Austin also had a son from a previous marriage to Mary Agnes IRWIN who had died [in childbirth].  The names written on my grandfather’s (John Carrick COOPER, the son of Alexander Sisson COOPER) tree include * -

*Austin Irwin COOPER 

*Henry COOPER

*Alexander Sisson COOPER

 Arthur Lincoln COOPER

*Edwin Ashley COOPER

*Samuel COOPER

*John Turner COOPER

*Walter COOPER

*Ashley J. COOPER

James COOPER

Sylvester COOPER

*Jane "Jenny" M. COOPER

*Bessie COOPER

*Marion Frances COOPER

*Mary "Minnie" E. COOPER

Those highlighted in yellow were included from my (third, 1x removed) cousin’s, Richard Austin Cooper, book, Butterhill & Beyond (on a Chapeau Gules): Illustrated History of the Cooper Family of Byfleet, Killenure Castle, Co. Tipperary and Abbeville House, Co. Dublin. The one highlighted in blue is my find.

In 2006, I discovered Ancestry.com’s Message Boards. I typed in ‘Alexander Sisson Cooper’ in different formats. No show. I continued with his male sibling ‘Arthur Lincoln Cooper’ and up popped a jewel. There he was listed in a query titled ‘Old Cooper Bible’ found in Denver, Colorado, at a boarding house on Speer Blvd. back in 1960. Included was my great-grandfather, Alexander ‘Sissen’ Cooper, with birth date and location of 3 Oct 1854 in ‘Martinstown’‡ of Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland. The author who found this Bible requested that she would like to get this to the Cooper family it belongs to. I e-mailed her and had the family Bible in my own hands days later. What a treasure!

It is small measuring 4”x6”x2.” Sadly, the front title page is torn out, so I do not know when this Bible was published. The back inner cover was transcribed for the query.

“Ashley Joseph Cooper was born 22 August 1868 at Roscommon.

Henry Cooper was born on Monday Morning the 12th of April 1852 at Martinstown.

Mary Elizabeth Cooper was born the 20th of August 1853 at Martinstown.

Alexander Sissen Cooper was born on the 3rd of October 1854 on Tuesday night at half past two at Martinstown. Baptized by his grandfather the 31 of the same month.

Aurthur Linclon Cooper was born on the 20th of January 1856 on Monday at (can't read) at Canterbury Bariack. Baptized by his g Uncle August 1858 in Qubleu.

Elizabeth Cooper was born on Sunday the 31st May 1857 at Faringdon Rvan. Baptized by her grandfather July 1851.”

I turned to the pages between the Testaments and found this.

“Austin & Elizabeth [nee Gibson] Cooper were married on Saturday the 14th of June 1851.

Austin Irwin Cooper was born on Sunday the 25th of March 1849 at 10 o'clock & baptized on Tuesday the 17th of April Dublin.” (Austin Irwin Cooper was the child of Austin Cooper and Mary Irwin. Mary died in 1849, possibly in childbirth.)

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"Henry Cooper was born on Monday the 12th April 1852 at 10 o.ck. noon.

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"Alexander Sisson Cooper was born was born Oct 3 1854

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"Arthur Lincoln Cooper was born January 28 1856

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"Elizabeth Cooper was born May 31 1857”

This is in different handwriting as in the back of the Bible.

Thank you, Karen Greer, for finding this treasure to answer questions of some of Austin and Elizabeth’s children. This Bible added more questions for me to answer. The first one is: How did it end up in Denver, Colorado?

I will write about each child as I find more information about them through research and hopefully cousin contact.

‡There are both a Martinstown and a Marlinstown in Co. Westmeath, Ireland. ‘Martinstown’ is the transcription from the Bible in the query. Marlinstown is the closest to Mullingar. I see Marlinstown on the original Bible page.

I love the Bible notes at the bottom of the second page. 

◬18 parts refer to Election

⧺18 parts refer to Predestination