Thomas Cooper
(1844-1923)

Thomas Cooper was the ninth of the thirteen children of shoemaker Robert Cooper and his wife Elizabeth Fison of Silver Street in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

Thomas married Rebecca Porter, of nearby Little Thetford in 1864, and the couple settled down to become parents to at least eight children.

Thomas is noted as working as a Tallow Chandler (a kind of Candle Maker), but by the time of the 1871 he had moved with his family southwards to Braintree in the neighbouring county of Essex, England, where he begins work with the Great Eastern Railway (GER) company.

He was initially noted as a Signalman, but then became a Railway Guard - a role he appears to have held for more than 30 years.

Thomas pre-deceased Rebecca by about 15 years in 1923.

Life Events

Born

• 20th July 1844 at Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

Baptised

• 3rd November 1845, with his brother Henry Cooper, at St. Mary's Church, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• Rebecca Porter (1848-1938) on 5th July 1864 at St. Mary's Church, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.

Children

• Emily Cooper (1865-?)
• Edith Cooper (1866-1961) married Frederick North (1867-1902)
• Thomas Cooper (1870-?)
• Rosa I Cooper (1876-?)
• Alfred O C Cooper (1878-?)
• Grace E Cooper (1882-?)
• Ronald Cooper (1886-?)
• Mabel W Cooper (1887-?)

Census and Residence

• 1851: 8yrs, Walpole Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1861: Ely Census destroyed.
• 1871: 26yrs, 3 Albert Road, Braintree, Essex, England.
• 1881: 36yrs, 41 Albert Road, Braintree, Essex, England.
• 1891: 46yrs, Mount Road, Braintree, Essex, England.
• 1901: 56yrs, Rayne Road, Bocking, Essex, England.
• 1911: 66yrs, 2 High Villa, Rayne Road, Bocking, Essex, England.

Employment

• 1871: Tallow Chandler
• 1871: Signalman
• 1881-1911: Railway Guard for Great Eastern Railway (GER)

Death

• During 1923, location not yet known.

Burial

• Location not yet known.