Thomas Cooper and Joane West

Thomas Cooper was born in 1623 in Watlington, Oxfordshire, England to parents Simon Cooper (1600-1662) and Margaret Fritwell.

Thomas was baptised on 10 March 1623 at nearby Cuxham, Oxfordshire, a mile away from Watlington. Lots more photos of the church can be found here.

Thomas was a shepherd working in the fields in Watlington.

At the age of 25 Thomas was married to Joane West on 12 June 1648 at Shirburn, Oxfordshire.

Joane West was most likely born in 1626 in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire and was baptised there on 18 May 1628, her father being listed as John on the parish register. Tetsworth is six miles from Watlington.

Thomas and Joane had ten children –

1. Simon b 1649 Watlington d 1714 Watlington, marr Margaret Heydon. 7 children.
2. Joan b 1651 Watlington
3. Anne b 1653 Watlington
4. Thomas b 1654 d 1654 Watlington
5. Thomas b 1656 d 1656 Watlington
6. Thomas b 1658 Watlington d 1700 Watlington
7. John b 1661 Watlington
8. Mary b 1664 d 1665 Watlingon
9. William b 1666 Watlington
10. Mary b 1667 Watlington

It seems Thomas Cooper was a maltster in Watlington.

The maltster selected cereals, mainly barley,from the growing fields,for malting.The barley could also be grown on a brewers premises.The maltster would then modify the barley,using nature as part of the process,to allow the brewmaster to be able to make beer from it.

On 20 January 1668, he appears in a lease document held in the Oxfordshire History Centre – Thomas Cooper of Watlington, malster Property: Barn and entry adjoining and little piece of ground, part of a messuage or tenement in Sherborne St., Watlington Rent: 13s.6d. per annum

Thomas died on 17 September 1700 at Watlington, and was buried there at St Leonards on 19 September 1700. Sadly his son Thomas died too and was also buried two days later.

It looks the family tried very hard to carry on the family name, naming three children Thomas after a previous one had died as a baby.

I haven’t been able to find the burial of his wife Joane.