John Cooley

'DAR Ancestor #: A212520

• Service: NEW JERSEY Rank: PATRIOTIC SERVICE
• Birth: CIRCA 1749
• Death: ANTE 6-2-1813 ALEXANDRIA TWP HUNTERDON CO NEW JERSEY
• Service Source: NJ, REV WAR MANUSCRIPTS, FHL ROLL #580799
• Service Description: 1) PAID FOR SERVICES RENDERED

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Appeared in Pittstown in the 1760's on the Grandin Tract with brothers John and Philip Grandin. Married May 27, 1770 at St. Thomas Church near Pittstown. This is the same church to which the Grandins and James Parker belonged. He served as agent for James Parker in connection with the Barker Tract in Alexandria Twp. from about 1770 to 1803. James Parker was a Loyalist, and, according to his diary, in December of 1778, some British troops stopped overnight at his home, apparently en route from New York to Virginia. Worked for James Parker, Jr. as a constable.

Farm #28 in Pittstown, owned by Philip Grandin, was sold to John Cooley in 1793 for 612 pounds 0 shillings and 0 pence. Bond to James Parker given on 6/27/1793 payable 5/1/1794 and another payable 5/1/1795.

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European settlement in Hunterdon County began in the first half of the 18th century. The pioneer agriculturalists of northwestern Hunterdon County were mostly squatters on the vast tracts of land in the region acquired by absentee owners through New Jersey's system of proprietorial landholding. A 16,565-acre property was surveyed for Colonel Thomas Byerly, a West Jersey proprietor, in 1714. After Byerly's death in 1725, his will having devised half of his landholdings to Robert Barker of Middlesex, England, the property devolved to the latter's grandson and heir, Sir Robert Barker, an English soldier who served many years in India, but to satisfy a claim against Byerly's estate, it was divided in half and the L-shaped southeastern portion was sold at a court-ordered sale in 1749. Despite various legal and managerial difficulties, the 7,308-acre remainder, which came to be known as the Alexandria tract and encompassed the west half of what is now Holland Township, was retained by Sir Robert until his death in 1789.

Settlement on the Alexandria tract evidently occurred some years before Sir Robert began to exercise control over the property in the 1760s. When Barker's agent (New York City merchant William McAdams who was engaged in 1764) first visited the Alexandria tract he found forty families residing there who not only questioned Barker's title to the land but as squatters "had no object in view besides getting whatever they could by constant plowing where they had any prospect of reaping and by cutting down the Timber to convert it into Charcoal for the two Neighbouring Forges."

The recalcitrant settlers, after some effort by McAdams, were brought under lease. Although there was considerable change in the makeup of Sir Robert's tenantry over the years, some names appeared repeatedly on his rent roles and more than a few 19th century residents of the area could trace their descent from early settlers on the Alexandria tract. Names on the tenant lists suggest that the settlers had varied ethnic backgrounds and included many of German origins.

Several months before his death in September 1789, Sir Robert conveyed the title of his New Jersey landholdings to three trustees to avoid possible legal difficulties over the transfer of the property to his heirs. Trustee James Parker, a large New Jersey landowner and businessman who had served as Barker's agent and power-of-attorney since 1784, was given sole authority to arrange for the sale of the lands and receive all monies. Parker, who had recently won a protracted legal struggle with the tenants over Sir Robert's right to the property, had the Alexandria tract resurveyed into thirty farms in the spring of 1789, the new lines evidently corresponding generally to pre-existing boundaries, and attempted unsuccessfully to dispose of it as two lots at public auction in the fall of that year. Over the course of the next decade, however, he was able to sell most of the farms separately to various individuals, some of them former tenants.

Excerpted from : http://www.livingplaces.com/NJ/Hunterdon_County/Holland_Township/Am...

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John Cooley represented James Parker (1725-1797), a Perth Amboy lawyer, land owner, and an agent for both the East Jersey Proprietors and the Hunterdon and Sussex County properties of Sir Robert Barker, an absentee British landlord, in the sale of the tract of land in Alexandria, Hunterdon County, New Jersey and Greenwich, Sussex County. See three letters under MEDIA. For his services, John Cooley was allowed to select 300 acres from any part of Parker's lands and located the same east of Gravel Hill.

Sir Robert Barker, 1st and last Bt.1

b. circa 1732, d. 14 September 1789

Sir Robert Barker, 1st and last Bt. was born circa 1732 at St. Anne's, Soho, London, England.1 He was the son of Robert Barker and Hannah Whitehead.1 He married Anne Hallowes, daughter of Brabazon Hallowes and Anne Jackson, on 4 November 1780 at Bolsover, Derbyshire, England.1 He died on 14 September 1789 at Bushbridge, Surrey, England, without issue.1 He was buried on 28 September 1789 at Hammersmith, London, England.1 His will was probated in October 1789.1

He gained the rank of officer in 1749 in the service of the Honourable East India Company Service.1 He gained the rank of Captain in 1758 in the service of the Artillery, at Chandernagore and Plassey.1 He gained the rank of Major.1 He fought in the capture of Manila in October 1762.1 He gained the rank of Colonel in 1764 in the service of the British Army.1 He was invested as a Knight on 16 April 1764.1 He gained the rank of Brigadier-General in 1770 in the service of the Honourable East India Company Service.1 He held the office of Provincial Commander in Chief at Bengal in 1770, signing the treaty of Pyzabad with the Rohillas against the Mahrattas.1 He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Wallingford between 1774 and 1780.1 He was invested as a Fellow, Royal Society (F.R.S.).1 He was created 1st Baronet Barker, of Bushbridge [near Godalming], co. Surrey [Great Britain] on 24 March 1781.1

On his death, his baronetcy became extinct.1

Citations 1. [S15] George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume V, page 210. Hereinafter cited as The Complete Baronetage.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p13217.htm

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from New Jersey State Gazette

Tues. Dec. 8, Hickory Tavern for sale at public vendue on Tues. Jan. 5th next. This noted tavern, now in the possession of Spencer Carter, is in Hunterdon County partly in Bethlehem and partly in Alexandria twp. on the public road from NY to Easton. It contains 208 acres and is improved by a double log house, a good framed barn and stable with other outhouses, and a large orchard. To view the premises apply to John Cooly (sic) of Alex. or Spencer Carte. The vendue to begin at 12 o'clock on the premises when conditions of sale will be made known and attendance given by James Parker. Perth Amboy Nov. 9, 1795.

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"Mr. Jacob R. Anderson, the present owner of the Spring Mills Property, says that William Godley purchased of John Cooley in 1790, and in 1793 took down an old rickety mill, "and in digging out the foundation discovered where there had been a mill previous to the one he took down." Mr. Anderson has these facts from Mr. Augustus Godley, a son of the above-mentioned William Godley."

History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey, Snell, 1881, p.428

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The earliest record of the Cooley name in Hunterdon County is dated February 18, 1757. A grant by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Letters of administration is given to Mary Cooley, Administrator of the estate of James Cooley, deceased, of Bethlehem. It is unlikely that James and Mary were the parents of John Cooley because none of the court documents regarding Mary Cooley and the estate list a child. James Cooley may have been a relative however, and the reason John Cooley came to Hunterdon County. No paper trail has been found. The ages of James and Mary Cooley are unknown, and Mary Cooley disappeared from records after the unsuccessful efforts to pay her husband's debts.

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Princeton University Library's Manuscripts Division Manuscripts Division One Washington Road Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA Phone: 609-258-3184 Fax: 609-258-2324 rbsc@princeton.edu http://www.princeton.edu/~rbsc

http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?eadid=C0409&kw=

The collection consists of papers relating to the Cooley family of Alexandria, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Included are 19th-century deeds, bonds, land surveys, and mortgages for the John Cooley farm, which was acquired through James Parker (1725-1795) who was acting as agent for Sir Robert Barker; receipts, bonds, diaries, lists of accounts, and miscellaneous documents of William Cooley (1791-1872) and Paul P. Cooley (d. 1907); and correspondence (1929-1938) of Harvey Cooley. Also present are genealogical notes, clippings, copies of wills and deeds, and photographs for the Apgar, Carhart, Cooley, Parker, and Van Buskirk families, as well as newsletters of the Cooley Family Association of America.

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From Princeton - File Cooley family papers Hunterdon County Book 2 of Wills, page 309 Will of John Cooley, probated 6/28/1813

Wife Abigail: one third of estate Children: Phillip received a lesser share, as John had purchased land for him.

"It is my will and I do hereby give and bequeath to my son in law William Vanderbilt that share of my estate Real and personal which may descend to my Grand children the heirs of my daughter late Nancy Moore viz Tency, Abigail & John Moore in trust whick sd is to be by himn secured to them with Real Estate and the interest arising therefrom to be paid annually to the or to their legal guardian for their benefit during their minority and upon their arriving at full age..."

Sworn at Flemington June 28, 1813

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It has been proven through DNA that this John Cooley is not related to Benjamin Cooley who immigrated to Springfield, MA nor to Cooleys of Dutch Descent as had been previously proposed in manuscripts. If you are a male Cooley and would like to be tested, please contact Michael Cooley http://ancestraldata.com/mailer/?michael

The contemporaries John and William Cooley are likely cousins, if not brothers. You can follow DNA updates at the DNA Blog https://dna.ancestraldata.com/groups/Cooley/CF10/ or see https://www.facebook.com/groups/cooley.dna

The descendants of William Cooley have the oral tradition that their ancestor came from Ireland. They match the descendants of Alexander H. Cameron who have the oral tradition that their ancestor came from Scotland. Both John Cooley, later in life, and William Cooley belonged to Presbyterian churches in the United States. The Presbyterian Church was the Church of Scotland. It can be assumed that John Cooley, his father, or grandfather came from Ulster County, Ireland during the Scots-Irish immigration to America which peaked between 1718 and 1774. No documents exist which state the parents of John Cooley. All NJ repositories have been checked. Also, unlike for Palatine immigrants to Philadelphia, there are very few extant manifests for Scots-Irish, and most do not include full passenger lists. - R. Jaffer

See the tree of William Cooley

According to FTDNA: John Cooley and Gen Scot 68 (R-S5488) share a common direct paternal line ancestor (R-DF21) who lived around 1600 BCE (3,600 years ago).

Gen Scot 68 was a man who lived between 2126 and 1886 BCE during the Bronze Age and was found in the region now known as Moray, Scotland.

He was associated with the Bronze Age Britain cultural group.

His direct maternal line belonged to mtDNA haplogroup T2a1b1a.

Notable Connection: This Cooley line and Bob McLaren (R-BY1702) share a common paternal line ancestor (R-DF13) who lived around 1700 BCE (3,800 years ago).

Bob McLaren (1938-2020) was the long-time clan genealogist for the Clan McLaren Societies of both North America and Scotland. One of the early genetic genealogists, he founded the McLaren DNA Project.

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While John and Abigail Cooley married in a Church of England rather than a Presbyterian Church which they later joined, they probably did so because the Grandin family, who was his employer, belonged to this church. Also, John Grandin's wife, Abigail Lippincott, was the aunt of Abigail Lippincott who married John Cooley. The church in which they married had been located in Kingwood but in 1770 was rebuilt on the other side of the road putting it in Alexandria. Hence, the St Thomas Church of Alexandria is the same congregation as the St. Thomas Church of Greenwich.

Rev. William Frazer's Three Parishes, St. Thomas's, St. Andrew's, and Musconetcong, N.J., 1768-70 https://www.jstor.org/stable/20083262?seq=21

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A fire in Ireland about 100 years ago destroyed many records. This record still exists: https://www.ancestryireland.com/scotsinulster/index.php

Hearth money rolls, 1660s.
In the 1660s the government introduced a tax on hearths as a means of raising revenue.

The returns, arranged by parish and usually with townland locations, list the names of all householders paying this tax survive for half the counties in Ireland with coverage most complete in Ulster (in full or in part for all counties except Down). Surviving hearth money rolls will be found in PRONI.

Number of results from this database based on search criteria "Cooley": 7

• Banaster,Cooley, Killetey,Parish of Derryaghy.
• Cooley, James,Scotch Quarter of Carrickfergus.
• OBoylan, Patrick,Ballynacooley,Parish of Duneane.
• McLernan, Owin,Ballynacooley,Parish of Duneane.
• OMurry, Neale,Ballynacooley,Parish of Duneane.
• Henein, Thomas,Ballynacooley,Parish of Duneane.
• McGirr, Phelemy, Cooley, Ternmonaguirk Parish, Omagh Barony.

For historical information about the Scotch Quarter of Carrickfergus read: https://ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/wooco...