In a message dated 12/01/2000 11:09:29 AM Eastern Standard Time, rwcooper@kellnet.com writes: > Subj: [CRV] Suffield, CT: Thomas COOPER and his Land after 1675 > Date: 12/01/2000 11:09:29 AM Eastern Standard Time > From: rwcooper@kellnet.com (Randal W Cooper) > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:CT-RIVER-VALLEY-L@rootsweb.com">CT-RIVER-VALLEY-L@rootsweb.com</A> > To: CT-RIVER-VALLEY-L@rootsweb.com > > > > > Dear Subscribers to the Connecticut River Valley Mailing List, > > Can anyone help me determine what happened to Thomas COOPER's land in > Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut, after Thomas COOPER was killed > by Indians in 1675? Thomas COOPER died 5 Oct 1675 at Springfield, > Massachusetts. > > I quote from ~Biography of a Town, Suffield, Connecticut, 1670-1970~, > Robert Hayden Alcorn, page 12: > > "...Lieutenant Thomas COOPER, one of the original five men who had > helped John PYNCHON found Suffield, was killed. COOPER had for years > been on the friendliest terms with the Indians. He spoke their language. > He had confidence in them and was certain that he could dissuade them > from overt hostility. He was fifty-eight when he gave his life for the > colony." > > According to Mr. Alcorn, Thomas COOPER had come to New England in 1635 > when he was eighteen years old. Thomas COOPER had lived some time at > Windsor, Connecticut, knew the whole region well and had the added > advantage of friendly relations with the Indians. Thomas COOPER had > moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1643 and built the first > meetinghouse there in 1645. Furthermore, COOPER served for seventeen > years as a Selectman in Springfield and had been a deputy to the General > Court. Thomas COOPER had proven ability and skill in town affairs. This > information is on page 6 of Alcorn's book. > > If you know where Thomas COOPER's Suffield land was located and who > farmed it after 1675, please share such information! Thank you. > > Randal W. Cooper > > > Randal, If according to custom, the land was inherited by his oldest son Timothy, here is what happened according "Beginnings; Thomas Cooper of Springfield", by Agnes Thomson Cooper and John Bradley Cooper: p.18: At this time (a. 1675) Albany passed from Dutch control to that of the English. Albany merchants under the old regime had enjoyed a complete monopoly of the fur trade. The English changed all of this, giving New York a monopoly on the foreign trade in furs and leaving Albany with but a monopoly of the fur trade with the Indians. The Albany merchants were disgruntled at this loss of a choice portion of their trade to New York and were thus not about to tolerate the intrusion of Massachusetts traders into what they considered strictly Albany territory. Cooper's private mail was temporarily withheld, examined and found to contain statements critical of the local authorities. Displeased with these criticisms, the Governor and his Council expelled Cooper from the Albany area. Exclusion from this territory resulted in the failure of the trading venture and Cooper died soon after. After Timothy's death Pynchon obtained a judgment against the estate and took possession of the home lot which he sold to Cornet John Parsons on 20 December 1679. To further satisfy the debt to Pynchon, Cooper's widow deeded her right of dower in land in Springfield, Albany and New Jersey. In 1680 she tried to recover her dower right to the property Pynchon had sold to Parsons. Her suit was unsuccessful.