Notes for Fleet Cooper, Sr.




			The Ancestors of H A R R Y F E R G U S O N J O H N S O N of North Carolina

Notes for Fleet Cooper, Sr.

Born in Philadelphia. Moved with his family in 1725 to Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. Grew up in Loudon Co., Virginia. On the 21st of January in 1764 he was living in Dobbs Co., NC when he bought 100 acres on Great Coharie river in Duplin Co., NC. This part of Duplin County would later become Sampson County. [Sampson Co., NC Deed Book 1, page 103]
Over time, acquired much additional land on the west side of the "Great Cohera." Received 640 acres by Land Grant No. 281 on 26 October 1767.
He was the 17th of 21 signers of the Duplin County Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration passed by the General Assembly at New Bern, the capital of North Carolina at the time, in November 1777. [Wheeler: N.C. Sketches, p. 138-139; also, McGowan: Flashes of Duplin's History and Government, p. 43]
Fleet Cooper served as one of 12 Justices appointed by the Governor when Sampson County was formed . The first court session took place on 21 June 1784.
"A bronze plaque at Concord Crossroads on Highway 24, 6 miles west of Clinton reads: 'Fleet Cooper, Sr. 1722-1795; Civil Officer; Judge, Court of Common Pleas, First Court in Sampson; Signer of Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration for Duplin County; wed Marguerite Coore 1747 and had issue: John; Fleet, Jr.; William; Coore; Elizabeth; Mary; Grace.'" ["The Heritage of Sampson Co., NC," published by Sampson Co. Historical Society, 1983; Article #564 by Mamie C. Sawyer, p. 376.]
The children of Fleet Cooper, Sr. had private schoolteachers and received a good education. ["The Heritage of Sampson Co., NC," published by Sampson Co. Historical Society, 1983; Article #565 by Mary John Parker, p. 376.]

Abstract of will:
....I give to the estate of my son John Cooper, dec'd, one cow and one calf, he having received part of his legacy in his lifetime....to my son Fleet Cooper 136 acres of land where he now lives and all the land I own on Sheppard's Branch....to my daughter, Elizabeth Wiggins, five shillings....to Polly Holmes, daughter of the said Grace Holmes, seventy five acres of land....set my hand and seal...this 2nd day of July 1795. Fleet Cooper - {seal}

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