Clarissa Jane Wiggins

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 14 Dec 1850, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 7 Jun 1860, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 26 Jul 1870, Dennards Bluff, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 5 Jun 1880, McKinleys, Monroe, Alabama

Notes:

occupation: keeping house.

Clarissa married Jeremiah Bayles in 1831 in Monroe, Alabama. Jeremiah (son of Thomas Bayles and Mary Lnu) was born about 1809 in South Carolina; died about 1909 in Reform, Pickens, Alabama; was buried in 1909 in Franklin, Monroe, Alabama. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Elizabeth Bayles was born on 22 Aug 1830 in Monroe, Alabama; died on 11 Apr 1912 in Whatley, Clarke, Alabama.
2. William J. Bayles was born in 1833 in Monroe, Alabama; died in 1880 in Monroe, Alabama.
3. John Elijah Bayles was born in Feb 1835 in Monroe, Alabama; died on 28 Nov 1910 in Franklin, Monroe, Alabama; was buried in Nov 1910 in Franklin, Monroe, Alabama.
4. Washington Wiggins Bayles was born in 1839 in Monroe, Alabama; died on 22 Sep 1864 in Macon, Bibb, Georgia.
5. Marquis D. Lafayette Bayles was born in Feb 1841 in Monroe, Alabama; died after 1900 in Wilcox, Alabama.
6. Clarissa Malinda Bayles was born in 1844 in Monroe, Alabama; died before 1910 in Monroe, Alabama.
7. Perry F. Bayles was born in 1847 in Monroe, Alabama; died in UNKNOWN.
8. Travis Polk Bayles was born on 31 Jul 1849 in Monroe, Alabama; died on 1 Jan 1903 in Monroe, Alabama; was buried in Jan 1903 in Franklin, Monroe, Alabama.
9. Lucy Bayles was born about 1851 in Monroe, Alabama; died in UNKNOWN.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1810, Sampson, North Carolina
• Military: 1812
• Residence: 1830, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 1 Aug 1837, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 1 Feb 1843, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 14 Dec 1850, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 1 Nov 1858, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 8 Jun 1860, Burnt Corn, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 1 Sep 1860, Monroe, Alabama

Notes:

occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.
occupation: farmer.

Elijah married Mariann Ann Locke on 2 Jun 1807 in Cumberland, North Carolina. Mariann (daughter of John Locke and Mary Wilson) was born in 1787 in Cumberland, North Carolina; died in 1865 in Monroe, Alabama; was buried in 1865 in Franklin, Monroe, Alabama. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Mirame
• Residence: 1810, Sampson, North Carolina
• Residence: 1830, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 1840, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 14 Dec 1850, Monroe, Alabama
• Residence: 8 Jun 1860, Burnt Corn, Monroe, Alabama

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military: Between 1775 and 1783, North Carolina

Notes:

North Carolina Militia, Revoluntionary War.
Temporary metalmarker placed by Hunt's Spring Chapter DAR - Revoluntionary Soldier 1755-1819.

Lacking just six years of being 200, the surname, "Wiggins", has been one of the most prevalent and respected family names in the history of Monroe County. In the local telephone book today, 76 families bearing the Wiggins surname are listed. Of course, the beat goes on through countless marriages of the original Wiggins lineage under a multitude of other names.

It all started in the fall of 1817 when William Wiggins, his wife who was the former Elizabeth Cooper, and his four oldest sons and their families, joined with their extended families and neighbors in a wagon train that was formed in Fayetteville, N.C. Slowly they made their way through South Carolina, garnered passport through the Indian country of Georgia, until they connected with the Old Federal Road that brought them into Southwest Alabama.

For the record, it should be noted that among this same pioneer group were included other prominent Monroe County families such as Thompson, Thames, Locke, Bayles, Henderson, Beard, Longmire, Northcutt, Lyons, Dubose, Newbury, Kinnard, Sheffield and Ranaldson.

One of the four sons (Elisha) left the convoy at Greenville and settled in Butler County. Another son, (Elihu), departed when the group reached Burnt Corn and settled in Sparta in Conecuh County. The other two sons, (Stephen and Elijah) and their father (William) moved on and settled in the Mexia area. Later, Elijah moved his family to the Red Hills area in northern Monroe County, where he resided until his death.

The two orders of business for the newly arrived Wiggins families was to apply for a land grant, clear the land for crops and to found a church.

Thereby, on Nov. 28, 1817, William Wiggins and his sons joined in founding the Old Salem Baptist Church and served among its first deacons. This is believed to have been the first Baptist Church established in all of Monroe County, which in 1817 was still a part of the Alabama Territory (Alabama did not become a state until 1819) and included all of the former land area claimed by the Creek Indian Nation. Many have forgotten that, at that time, Monroe County encompassed half of the land area of our present state. Of note, is the historical fact that the First Baptist Church of Monroeville has its first roots in this over 193 church.

Sadly, William Wiggins died on June 6, 1819 and thus was able to enjoy his frontier home less than two years. Since there was no established cemetery in the area at the time of his death, he was buried in an obscure plot of his land.

Six years later, William Wiggins' wife, the former Elizabeth Cooper who was a member of the prestigious Cooper family that had royal lines in England and a relative of the author, James Fennimore Cooper, died and was buried next to her husband.

Much of the history of the Wiggins family was compiled by Lucy Wiggins Colson, a native of Skinnerton and now a resident of Huntsville, gleaned from her extensive travels in North Carolina and England. She was assisted in locating the graves of William Wiggins and his wife by the extensive genealogy research by the late Oscar Wiggins.

Throughout the following years, other family members were buried nearby on the same plot. Today, there are 68 marked graves and 44 unknown graves that are marked with large rocks.
As a result of their efforts, on May 5, 1984, the graves of William and Elizabeth Wiggins were marked with memorial plaques in a special ceremony by the Hunt's Spring Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter of Huntsville, with the support of the Lt. Joseph M Wilcox Chapter in Camden and the Old Federal Road Chapter of NSDAR of Monroeville. An impressive double tombstone (photo hereon) was erected in their memory by the trustees in 2007.

William Williams earned this honor as a Revolutionary soldier while serving from 1781-82 in the North Carolina 10th Regt. of Foot and the Wilkerson's Company in the District of Wilmington. Such recognition is of the highest honor, for the purpose of the DAR is "to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved America's independence".

The next and latest high honor for this historic cemetery came as recent as this past July 12 when Wiggins Cemetery became only the fourth cemetery in Monroe County to become listed on the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register. Major credit for this recognition is due Susan Thompson Loftin, a direct descendant of Stephen Wiggins. Susan can be credited with the research and completion of the necessary papers and photos required by the Alabama Historical Commission.

To all cemeteries that have achieved this honor, the Commission offers for sale a historical marker. However, they are costly and, at this time, the cemetery fund is not adequate to purchase one. Perhaps, other descendants of this distinguished historic Monroe County family will become aware and desire to contribute towards this worthy goal.

In time, Delia Hendrix Thompson, a direct descendant of Stephen Wiggins (son of William Wiggins) inherited the property. In 1925, she and her husband, C.S. Thompson, deeded the one and a half acres, which encompass all of the graves, for usage as a permanent cemetery. In the transaction, Samuel Thompson and Lorenzo Wiggins became the first Trustees of the Wiggins Cemetery. This cozy, woodland cemetery, located at 430 Thompson Drive in Mexia, has been managed by Wiggins descendants since that date.

Presently, the cemetery is managed by Susan Thompson Loftin. Other Wiggins descendants who help maintain the grounds are trustees, Deloris Thompson Fleming, Linda Thompson Ward, Freddie Biggs, John Coleman Moore, Susan Wiggins Thomas and Johnnie Smith, and members of the Simpson family.

William Wiggins, Sr. and Family
1755 to 1818 , North Carolina

William Wiggins, Sr. was born about 1755 in Halifax Co., or Johnson Co., N.C. to George W. Wiggins and FNU (Wilson) Wiggins. He served in the military between 17 Oct 1780 and 17 Oct 1781 Revolutionary War, Coleman's Co., N. C. 10th Regiment, and also in the military between 17 Oct 1781 and 19 Apr 1782 Revolutionary War, Lt. Wilkerson's Co., N. C. 10th Regiment (Reference Number: 17672). William married Elizabeth Cooper about 1775 in Sampson County, N. C. Elizabeth was born about 1759 in Duplin Co., N. C. to Fleet Cooper, Sr. and Margaret (Coor) Cooper. William and Elizabeth lived in Sampson Co., N. C. after the war where they raised a family of eight sons and one daughter. In 1818, William and Elizabeth came by wagon train to Monroe Co., AL., which was then known as the Alabama Territory. Four of their older son's and their families came with them to AL.

They were Elijah Daniel, Stephen, and twins Elihu and Elisha. The Wiggins families attended Old Salem Baptist Church which is near Mexia, AL. They lived in what is known as Red Hills Area. They were farmers. Recently, William Wiggins, Sr.'s Family Bible was located. At the time it is in the possession of Mrs. Virginia Whitaker of Monroe, Louisiana. She acquired the Bible from an Uncle in California and has had it rebound. William Wiggins, Sr.'s children were all listed in the Bible, along with his parents as follows:

Father: George W. Wiggins b: Abt. 1725 in N.C. Mother: FNU Wilson b: Abt. 1720

Married: 1775 in Sampson Co., NC to Elizabeth Cooper b: 1759 in Duplin County, North Carolina

Children:

(1). Elihu Wiggins b: 16 Dec 1776 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(2). Elisha Wiggins b: 16 Dec 1776 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(3). Stephen Wiggins b: 10 Feb 1778 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(4). Willis Wiggins b: 16 May 1781 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(5). Elijah Daniel Wiggins b: 15 Jan 1784 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(6). Lewis Wiggins b: 1786 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(7). Reuben Wiggins b: 1788 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(8). William Wiggins, Jr. b: 7 Jun 1791 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.
(9). Elizabeth Wiggins b: 20 Nov 1796 in Sampson Co., North Carolina.

William married Elizabeth Cooper about 1775 in Duplin, North Carolina. Elizabeth (daughter of Fleet Cooper and Margaret Coore) was born in 1759 in Duplin, North Carolina; died on 13 Jul 1825 in Mexia, Monroe, Alabama; was buried in Jul 1825 in Mexia, Monroe, Alabama. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Temporary marker placed by Hunt's Spring Chapter DAR - Wife of Revoluntionary Soldier 1759 1825.

William Wiggins' wife, the former Elizabeth Cooper who was a member of the prestigious Cooper family that had royal lines in England and a relative of the author, James Fennimore Cooper, died and was buried next to her husband.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Reference Number: mill

John + Mary Wilson. Mary was born in 1755 in , Bladen, North Carolina; died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1786, Halifax, North Carolina

William + Priscilla Brown. Priscilla (daughter of Thomas Brown and Jane Williams) was born about 1740 in , Bertie, North Carolina; died about 1790 in Halifax, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Politics: North Carolina
• Residence: 1783, Duplin, North Carolina
• Religion: Between 1785 and 1787, North Carolina
• Residence: 1790, Sampson, North Carolina

Notes:

After the Coopers arrived in what is now Sampson County, they were members of Coharie Baptist (Rowan) Church, which was founded near Clinton in 1749. We do not know when he became a minister, but he was pastor of the Coharie Baptist Church from 1785 to 1787.
Civil Officer: Judge , Court of Common Pleas, First Court in Sampson: Signer of Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration for Duplin County.
Cooper Family History and Genealogy
A signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

bFleet Cooper Sr - Last Will and Testament
/biIn the name of God, Amen/i
i I, Fleet Cooper, Senior, of the county of Sampson and State of North Carolina, being of sound mind and memory, calling to mind the mortality of my body, do make and ordain this, my Last Will and Testament in the following manner and form./i
i First: I give to the estate of my son bJohn Cooper/b, deceased, one cow and calf, he having received part of his legacy in his lifetime./i
i Likewise to my son bFleet Cooper/b 136 acres of land where he now lives./i
i Likewise to my son bWilliam Cooper/b 150 acres of land where he now lives and all the land I own on Sheppards Branch./i
i Likewise to my son bCoore Cooper/b the tract of land that I bought of James Bennett and Henry Easterling and 150 acres joining the same; and 150 acres of land at the White Pond and head of the Great Branch./i
i Likewise to my daughter bElizabeth Wiggins/b I give five shillings, she having already received her legacy./i
i Likewise to my daughter bMary Peterson/b I give five shillings, she having already received as aforesaid./i
i Likewise to my daughter bGrace Holmes/b I give five shillings, she also having received as aforesaid./i
i Also to bPolly Holmes/b, daughter of the said bGrace Holmes/b, seventy five acres of land where the said Grace now lives, the right vested in the said bPolly/b after the death of her mother, the said bGrace/b, who is to have her lifetime on the said land./i
i And the rest of my property I leave to my son, bCoore Cooper/b; and each legacy to each of the legatees as before mentioned, to them, their heirs and assigns forever./i
i And I, the said Fleet Cooper, Senior, acknowledge this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament./i
i In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal; this day 2nd day of July, 1795/i
i (Seal of Fleet Cooper)/i
i (witnesses)/i
i Fleet Cooper Jr/i
i William Cooper/i
i Abner Fort/i

bCivil Officer, Judge, Signer of Oath of Allegiance of Duplin County.
/bFleet Cooper Sr. , son of Bejamin and Elizabeth was born in Philedalphia; moved with his family to Isle of Wight County Virginia in 1725; spent his youth in Louden County where in 1747 he married Marguerite Coore; and on January 21 ,1764 was a resident of Dobbs County, North Carolina, when he bought 100 acres on Great Coharie, Duplin County. Later aquired much additional land on the west side of the "Great Cohera". Received 640 acres by land grant No. 281 on October 26,1767, He was 17th of 21 signers of the Duplin County Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration passed by the General Assembly at New Bern, November 1777. The Governor appointed 12 men as Justices of the newly formed county of Sampson, including Fleet Cooper.

His will, dated July 2, 1795 was proved by his son Fleet, Jr. in November Court 1801 but was not recorded until 1828. In his will he mentioned his son John (deceased), Fleet Jr., William, Coore, Elizabeth Wiggins, Mary Peterson and Grace Holmes. His children had private teachers and were well educated.

A historical sketch of Great Cohers Church lists Fleet Cooper as pastor 1785-1787
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 and Grace." Abstract of will:
I give to the estate of my son John Cooper , dec,d, one cow and 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 Sheppards Branch....to my daughter Elizabeth Wiggins. five shillings...to Polly Holmes, daughter of said grace Holmes, seventy five acres of land... set my hand and seal...this 2nd day od July 1795. Signed; Fleet Cooper.

The Reverend Fleet Cooper, Sr.

"Our Heritage"
By Claude Moore

The Rev. Fleet Cooper, Sr., (1722-1795) was a pioneer Baptist minister in
Sampson and Duplin Counties and was a prominent political figure during the
American Revolution. According to a reliable genealogist, the Coopers were
descended from at least four of the Barons who signed the Magna Carta and
Fleet Cooper was descended from a brother of Anthony Ashley Cooper (Earl of
Shaftsbury), who was one of the Lords Proprietors who were granted the
Carolinas in 1663 by Charles II.

The first Cooper to come to America was James Cooper, a son of George
Ashley Cooper. He came from Stratford on the Avon and landed in Philadelphia
in 1682. James Cooper was a member of the Society of Friends. He married
and had two daughters and four sons: Isaac, Samuel, William and Benjamin.

Benjamin Cooper (1701-1776) was married in 1720 to Elizabeth Kelly and in
1725 he moved to Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and then to Loudon County,
Virginia. They had several children among who was Fleet Cooper, the subject
of this article.

Fleet Cooper was born in 1722 in Philadelphia and spent his youth in
Virginia. We know nothing about his early education but he was married in
1747 to Margaret Coore of Loudon County, Virginia, whose father, Thomas
Coore, later move to Northampton County, N.C.

He moved first to Dobbs County, and in 1764, he received a grant of land
on Coharie Swamp in Sampson County. Later he received grants for more than
a 1,000 acres of land. This was located at Concord, six miles west of
Clinton on Highway 24. After the Coopers arrived in what is now Sampson
County, they were members of Coharie Baptist (Rowan) Church, which was
founded near Clinton in 1749. We do not know when he became a minister, but
he was pastor of the Coharie Baptist Church from 1785 to 1787.

At the beginning of the American Revolution Fleet Cooper, Sr. signed the
"Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration" (1777). This qualified descendants for
memberships in the Daughters of the American Revolution or Sons of the
American Revolution. In 1784, when Sampson County was established, Fleet
Cooper, Sr., was one of the 12 justices appointed to the Court of Pleas and
Quarterly Sessions.

The Coopers had the following children: John; Fleet, Jr.; William; Coore;
Elizabeth; Grace; and Mary. Fleet Cooper, Jr., (1750-1828) was also a
pioneer Baptist minister. He married Sarah Scott in 1777 and had the
following children: Mrs. Elizabeth Pope (1779-1848); Wilson (1780-1857);
John (1782-1832); Jacob (1783-1826); Daniel (1785-1851); Mrs. Nancy
Blackburn (1793-1878); Mrs. Penelope Howard (1797-1881); Mrs. Dicey Howard
(1798-1879); Mrs. Rhoda Bennett (1802-1862); Mrs. Sarah Porter; and Mrs.
Mary Butler Sessoms. Grace Cooper married Lewis Holmes, a brother of
Governor Gabriel Holmes and moved south. Elizabeth Cooper married a Mr.
Wiggins. Mary Cooper married a Mr. Peterson.

Many of the descendants of Fleet Cooper had been doctors, lawyers, and
teachers and have been political leaders. The descendants are scattered all
over the United States. They hold an annual family reunion in Salemburg,
N.C.

Sources of Information: Mary John Parker and Mamie Chambers Sawyer.

bFleet Sr's Patriot Service
/blast half of 18th century , Duplin/Sampson NC
Cooper, Fleet Sr, Material Aid, Patriot Service
Although we found no record of specific military service for him, we believe he contributed generously in material goods for the military cause. Men have been accepted into the Sons of the American Revolution based on Fleet Sr's name.
He was born about 1721 in Philadelphia, Pa. Moved to Isle of Wight County, Va, in 1725 and spent most of his youth in Louden County, Va., where he married Margaret Coore in 1747. Fleet Sr was among the Civil officers and other prominent persons who signed the Oath of Allegiance in late 1777. This is on file in the Clerk's office in Duplin County.
Immediately after the surrender of the British Army at Yorktown he was among those who worked to establish Sampson County and became one of its first justices of the court of pleas and quarter sessions in 1784. He held that position until ill health forced him to retire. His will went to the court for pobate in Nov, 1801. Fleet Sr's son John (1748-1792) was a Capt. in the NC militia, his son William was a Lieutenant in the 5th Continental Line, and his son Fleet Jr (1750-1828) is said to have fought in the Revolution but no records have been found. bSource: Revolutionary War Records Duplin/Sampson by V.L. Bizzell and O.M. Bizzell pgs 68-69.

/bNotes for Fleet Cooper, Sr.:
Source: "The Heritage of Sampson County, North Carolina, 1784 - 1984," published by the Sampson County Historical Society, pp. 375-
376, #564.
" Fleet Cooper, (1721-1795) one of the original Justices of the Sampson County Court when Sampson became a county in 1784, had
a rich heritage. His fifth great-grandfather was John Cooper, Esq. of County Hants in England. John's son, Richard Cooper, owned large
estates in Suffolk and Southampton and was allowed to purchase the Manor of Paulett in the 23rd year of Henry VIII (1532). He married
June Kingsmill, daughter of John Kingsmill (died 1509) and Joan Gifford, and died 8 May 1566. Wurts, in his seven volume work on the
Magna Charta Barons, their ancestors and descendants, traces her descent from John Lackland (King John) and the Plantagenets, Sveide
the Viking, and at least four of the Magna Charta Barons elected by the English people in 1215 to see that King John kept his promises
made in the Magna Charta. They were Will de Mobray, Robert de Roos, Gilbert Clare, and his father, Gilbert Clare, both barons.
"Richard and June had a son, John Cooper, member of Parliament 1586, who died 1610 having married Martha, daughter of Anthony
Skutt. They were parents of Sir John Cooper, Baronet, who married Ann Ashley (died 20 July 1628), daughter and sole heiress of Sir
Anthony Ashley and his firs wife Okeover, and died 23 March 1681. Ashley had been knighted for his capture of Callis as Knight of
Wemborne, St. Giles, County Dorset, served as Secretary of War under Queen Elizabeth, and Secretary of the Privy Council in the reign of
James I. John and Ann's son, Anthony Ashley Cooper, was one of the Lords Proprietors to whom Charles II gave the Carolina Charter in
1663, 'one of the ablest and most prominent statesmen of his time.' He left no heirs.
"His brother, another son of Sir John Cooper and Ann Ashley, was George Ashley Cooper, who was born 22 July 1621 and died 28 Jan.
1682. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Oldfield, Alderman of London. (a)
"Their son James Cooper of Stratford-on-Avon immigrated to America in 1682 and died in Philadelphia 4 Dec. 1732. He married first Hester and second Mary. James was a first cousin of Judge Cooper of Burlington, N. J. who was father of the author, James Fenimore
Cooper. Tradition says that James was a minister and signed a note with some of his parishioners. It was a bad crop year, and they were
unable to pay, and the creditors looked to him. At that time in England, when one could not pay a debt, he was put in prison. Out of respect for him, the authorities gave him the choice of coming to America. Tradition further states that he was visiting an old friend, Edward
Byllinge, who carried him around and showed him several sites, watching to see which one appealed to him most, then gave him the
deed to it the next day. Whether that story be true or not, we do not know, but the deed, dated 21 Sept. 1682, reads: 'Edward Byllinge to
James Cooper 50 Acres, consideration ' out of good will and kindness for ye truth's sake he beareth unto you said property.''. (b)
In December 1684 James patented a lot on Chestnut St. between 4th and 5th Sts. in Philadelphia, across from where the old marble customhouse would later be built. (c)
He died in 1732 leaving an incomplete undated will which was allowed to be probated. In it, he mentions wife Mary, daughters Esther Hussey and Rebecca, and sons Isaac, Samuel, William, and Benjamin. (d)
Most of their names appear in the records of the Philadelphia Meeting between 1705 and 1729. (e).
" Benjamin Cooper was born in Philadelphia 1701 (a); bought from his father for 40 pounds 300 acres 18 Jan. 1720 (e); and married 28 Nov.
1720 Elizabeth Kelly. (f)
Murphy Rowe Cooper, in his book on the Cooper Family, says: 'Benjamin was a visionary man to whom success was always just around the corner. He was on the move seeking greener pastures. In 1725 he moved to Isle of Wight County, Va. Later he moved to Loudoun County where they were living when his son, Fleet, married Marguerite Coore. Still later he moved to Kentucky where he died in 1776.' (g)
" Fleet Cooper was born in Philadelphia 1721; moved with his family to Isle of Wright Co. 1725; spent his youth in Loudoun County where
he married 1747 Marguerite Coore; and on 21 Jan. 1764 was a resident of Dobbs Co., N.C. when he bought 100 acres on Great Coharie in
Duplin County. (h)
He was 17th of 21 signers of the Duplin County Oath of Allegiance and Abjuration passed by the General Assembly at New Bern November 1777. (i)
The Governor appointed 12 men as Justices of the newly formed county of Sampson, including Fleet Cooper. At the first session, 21 June 1784, the Court Minutes recorded: 'The Governor's Commission was read appointing the several magistrates to administer Justice in said county, and the following persons...Fleet Cooper...have taken the oath required by law.' (j)
His will, dated 2 July 1795, was proved by his son Fleet, Jr. in November Court 1801 but was not recorded until 1828. He mentions
son John, deceased, Fleet, Jr., William, Coore, Elizabeth Wiggins, Mary Peterson, and Grace Holmes. (k) 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.'
"Sources: (a) Wurts: Magna Charta Vol. 7 p. 2114; (b) Gloucester Deeds, Trenton, N.J. #1 p. 77-79; (c) Pennsylvania Patent Book A-1
and Philadelphia Exemplification Book 1 p. 65; (d) Philadelphia Will Book E p. 291 #296; (e) (SIC) Hinshaw: Encyclopedia of American
Genealogy --- Philadelphia Monthly Meeting; (f) Record of Marriages in Christ Church, Philadelphia; (g) Cooper: The Cooper Family p. 74;
(h) Sampson Deed Book 1 p. 103; (i) Wheeler: N.C. Sketches, p. 138-139 also McGowan: Flashes of Duplin's History and Government, p. 43; (j) Minutes of Sampson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions June 1784; (k) Sampson Will Book 8 p. 255. ----Mamie C. Sawyer"
OTHER NOTES: On April 20, 1776, Fleet Sr. enlisted in the Revolutionary War and was given an honorable discharge 2 1/2 years later.
Taken from the Religious Herald, February 22, 1828, pg 27: "Died, in Sampson county, NC, after a few days' illness, the Rev. Fleet Cooper, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. The deceased had been an advocate for the doctrines of the cross in the Baptist church for fifty years, left behind him an unblemished reputation, and died in the full assurance of a glorious immortality. 'Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, for the rest from their labors and their works do follow them.'"
**********
The following is taken from the Goshen Baptist Association Minutes, 1828 (NC).
" Resolved that these Minutes contain an obituary notice of the death of Elder Fleet Cooper, of Sampson County, who rested from his labors in the month of March last. Brother Cooper was a faithful Minister of the Gospel, incessantly toiling for the salvation of his fellowmen. Few, if any, within our knowledge, have borne the burden and heat of the day more emphatically than brother Cooper. His circle of religious acquaintance was very large, in which he was much beloved. Thus the routine of Ministerial and Christian duty ran round in the midst of wearisome fatigue and privation, for about fifty years; and it was remarkable that his eyes were not dim, nor his force abated, relative to the great concern of Religion, to the close of his toilsome pilgrimage. The subject of this notice, as a man, appeared somewhat blunt in his manners, on a superficial acquaintance; but was found to be essentially kind and polite on further intercourse. His was that love which was free from his simulation. His public discourses, in the judgment of the worldling, were often a little rigid, but strictly scriptural in the opinion of the Church, generally doctrinal, though he chiefly excelled in practical and experimental preaching, the impressions of which will long remain on the hearts of many who have been refreshed and built up by his searching addresses. But his Bible and pulpits are now exchanged, no doubt, for the sweet vision of eternal blessedness. The large Church on the coheries mourns the loss of so bright a pattern, and so good an earthly shepherd. 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.'" **********
Source: Minutes of the Rowan Baptist Church, Sampson CO., NC.
"We continued then some time without a parson though not altogether destitute of Ministerial helps. Till the Church though proper to call our
Reverend Brother Fleet Cooper upon tryal of his ministerial qualification s and finding him as we trust by the grace of God faithful was on the 8th day of April ADO, 1785 ordained a minister and then the pastoral care of the church devolved to him."
This was found in the Wake Forrest (NC)University Library.
**********

Fleet married Margaret Coore in 1747 in Loudon, Virginia. Margaret (daughter of Thomas Coore and Margitt Lnu) was born in 1725 in Northampton, North Carolina; died in 1795 in Sampson, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1783, Duplin, North Carolina
• Residence: 1790, Sampson, North Carolina

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Bef 1751, Rowan, North Carolina
• Politics: 1775
• Politics: 1776
• Military: 4 Apr 1776, North Carolina
• Politics: Between 1793 and 1799

Notes:

Was appointed Colonel of the 1st Rowan Regiment.
The Locke Family
Matthew Locke, one of the first settlers of Rowan county, and the patriarchal head of a large family, was born in 1730. He was an early and devoted friend of liberty and the rights of the people. His stability of character and maturity of judgment caused him to be held in high esteem in all controversial matters among his fellow citizens. In 1771, during the "Regulation" troubles, he was selected by the people, with Herman Husbands, to receive the lawful fees of the sheriffs, and other crown officers, whose exorbitant exactions and oppressive conduct were then everywhere disturbing the peace and welfare of society. In 1775, he was a member of the Colonial Assembly, and in 1776 member of the Provincial Congress, which met on the 12th of November of that year, and formed the first Constitution. From 1793 to 1799 he was a member of Congress, and was succeeded by the Hon. Archibald Henderson. He married a daughter of Richard Brandon, an early patriot of the same county. He died in 1801, aged seventy-one years.

Matthew Locke had at one time four sons in the Revolutionary war. Francis Locke, his eldest son, was appointed by the Provincial Congress which met at Halifax on the 4th of April, 1776, Colonel of the 1st Rowan Regiment, with Alexander Dobbins as Lieutenant Colonel; James Brandon, 1st Major, and James Smith, 2d Major. He was attached to General Lincoln's army when General Ashe was defeated at Brier Creek, and composed one of the members of the court-martial to inquire into that unfortunate affair. Colonel Locke commanded the forces which attacked and signally defeated a large body of Tories assembled at Ramsour's Mill, under Col. John Moore. (For particulars, see "Lincoln county"). Another son, Lieutenant George Locke, a brave young officer, was killed by the British in the skirmish near Charlotte, in September, 1780.

Hon. Francis Locke, son of Francis Locke, the "hero of Ramsour's Mill," was born on the 31st of October, 1766. He was elected Judge of the Superior Court in 1803, and resigned in 1814, at which time he was elected a Senator in Congress in 1814-'15. He never married, and died in January, 1823, in the forty-fourth year of his age. His mortal remains, with those of his father, Colonel Francis Locke, repose in the graveyard of Thyatira Church, Rowan county, N.C.

b138.Colonel/b bFrancis/b bLocke,/b born 1722 in Northern Ireland; died 1796 in Rowan county, North Carolina. He was the son of b276. John/b bLocke/b and b277. Mary/b bElizabeth/b bPatton/b. He married b139. Anne/b bBrandon/b.

b139.Anne/b bBrandon,/b born 1722 in Lane, Pa. She was the daughter of b278. John/b bJr/b bBrandon/b and b279. Elizabeth/b bCathey/b.

Notes for Colonel Francis Locke:
Colonel Locke serve in the North Carolina Milita 1779- 1781 page 40, According to Pierce's Register, Page 27 Alphabetical List of Officer of the Continental Army by Heitman and Pierce's Register, Appendix , page 503, Rowan County 2 Companies , according to Lt Col John Dobbin (1st Major), and James Brandon (2nd Major) He is listed in the Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots as, Locke Francis, Rowan North Carolina Vol 3, Page-Serial 11393, Volume 3. He is buried in Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Rowan county, North Carolina.

Children of Colonel Locke and Anne Brandon are:
intblu69 /u i. Rebecca Locke, born 1754; died 10 Jan 1841 in Granville County, North Carolina; married Thomas Howell 1775 in North Carolina.ntbl ii. John Locke, born Abt. 1762; married Margaret Locke 28 Jan 1779.ntbl iii. Elizabeth Locke, born 1756; married John Gibson 13 Jan 1776.ntbl iv. Margaret Locke, born 1758; married George Gibson 17 May 1780.ntbl v. Matthew Locke, born Abt. 1760; died Bef. 1810; married Ann Branson.ntbl vi. Anne Locke, born 1762; married Matthew Locke 20 Jan 1784.ntbl vii. Mary Locke, born 1764; married William Gibson.ntbl viii. Francis (Esquire) Locke, born 31 Oct 1766; died Jan 1823.
ntbl Notes for Francis (Esquire) Locke: Was single,( Will shows two Illegitimate sons, Francis Locke or Cooper and William Hamilton )
ntbl ix. William Locke, born Abt. 1768.

/iSon of John Locke & Elizabeth.

Grew up in Lancaster,Pennsylvania

John Locke died in 1744. Elizabeth married John Brandon who moved the family to Anson County,NC

Francis Locke purchased acreage from his step-father in 1753;building his home near Salisbury.

He and his brother Matthew Locke owned a "fleet of wagons" used to transport deerskins & goods to Salem,Salisbury and Charleston,SC.

1759,appointed Ensign in a Militia Company commanded by General Griffith Rutherford.

1764 Opened a Tavern. Appointed "sheriff" the same year serving until 1766.

During the early 1770's Francis Locke held many County Positions.

1775 participated in the "Snow Campaign"
1776 commanded the Rowan Militia in the expedition led by Gen. Griffith Rutherford against the Cherokee.
1777-1778 remained in command near Salisbury, guarding military stores and arresting local Tories.

June 20, 1780 Colonel of Whig forces victory over the Tories at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill.
June,1780 Fought at "Colson's Mill.

1781 Fought along "Grant's Creek" near Salisbury. Took part in Nathanael Greene's "Race to the Dan".

1784 Resigned his commission;settling on his Plantation

Elected as State Attorney to replace WILLIAM SHARPE.

Father of Francis Locke,Jr. who became Superior Court Judge and United States Congressman.

His brother MATTHEW Locke(Brigadier-General in the American Revolution. Member of the Provincial Congress. U.S. Congress, 1793-1799.) is buried in same cemetery.


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Francis married Anne Brandon in 1753 in Rowan, North Carolina. Anne (daughter of John Richard Brandon and Elizabeth Cathey) was born in 1722 in Thyatira, Rowan, North Carolina; died in 1798 in Thyatira, Rowan, North Carolina; was buried in 1798 in Mill Bridge, Rowan, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]