Historical records matching Maria Ivanovna Cooper
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About Maria Ivanovna Cooper
GEDCOM Source
see Notes: Death Notice
GEDCOM Note
Daughter of Chevalier Jean de Smirnov
Born 20th Sept, 1807 (Notes from Maria in Cooper.doc and onback of photo)
MARIA DE SMIRNOFF From the Cooper Chronicles
Robert and Helena Masson, both Russians, lived in St. Petersburg(now Leningrad), and had five children. The elder daughter,Sarah, married an Englishman, Leonard Cooper, solicitor, livingin London. The younger daughter, Maria, married a Russian, Jeande Smirnoff, a civil servant, living in St. Petersburgh. Someyears later Leonard and Sarah Cooper with their family movedto Madras in India, where Leonard established a legal practiseand was appointed an Attorney of the Supreme Court. He alsoheld the high rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Honourable EastIndia Company. Jean de Smirnoff, by royal decree, was giventhe title Chevalier and appointed Consul-General for Russia,Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Courtof Holland. Jean and Maria moved to Amsterdam with their family.
Sarah and Leonard Cooper had four children and the eldest wasgiven his father's christian name - Leonard. Maria and Jeanhad six children and the eldest, a daughter, was given her mother'schristian name - Maria. It is believed that the parents of eachfamily arranged a betrothal of Leonard and Maria after the latterattained her twenty first birthday.
When only forty eight years of age, Jean de Smirnoff died froma sabre wound inflicted by a Russian officer in Amsterdam. Thebody of Jean was interred in the Cathedral at Rotterdam on 4thAugust,1815, in hiregrave No.66 Chancel, Great Church. Hismurderer was found guilty by a Russian Court and he paid thefull penalty; (vide photostat copies of translations from theGovernment Archivist in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at TheHague in 1936).
The bereaved mother, Maria, and her children returned to St.Petersburgh where they were taken under the immediate protectionof Emperor Alexander. Maria, the daughter, then only eightyears of age, was taken to the Czar's palace and there hereaftershe received a similar education and training as other juniormembers of the royal family. A reference from the School ofSt. Catherine, Petersburgh and a given testimonial dated 27thFeb 1823, testifies to her good conduct and diligent attentionto the curriculum subjects which included language and handicrafts;an English translation appears on these pages.
After having lived in the glamour of the Russian Court withits graces and splendour for thirteen years, Maria was twentyone years old, and the time had come for marriage to her betrothed;to her cousin, an Englishman, Leonard Cooper, a solicitor, livingin Madras. She sailed in the British ship 'Rose' which wasunder -the command of Captain Marquis-
On 18th September,1828, Maria and Leonard were married at theCathedral of St. George, Madras- Captain Marquis was one ofthe official witnesses to the ceremony and a silver tureen givenby him and inscribed: "Presented to Miss Smirnoff by her sincerefriend,Captain Thomas Marquis H.C. ship Rose on her marriageday", is treasured by Dr. Alfred and Mary Cooper in their homeat Manly: Alfred is a great grandson of Maria and Leonard (II).
In 1829, at the age of 51 years, Sarah (nee Masson), wife ofLeonard (I), died; she was buried in St. George's Cathedral,Madras. In 1834 Leonard (I) retired and returned to England,where he remarried and lived in Lower Halliford, Middlesex.In 1853, and at the age of 70 years Leonard (I) died; he wasburied in Twickenham, Middlesex.
In 1845 Maria Louisa, the eldest child of Leonard (II) and Maria,married Major General Thomas Chalon and they continued to livein Madras for some years.
Leonard (II) and Maria had twelve children, three of whom diedin infancy. The first two boys, Leonard and Samuel, lived andwere educated in England up to the age of 15 years. Their father,Leonard (II), was one of the Attorneys, Solicitors and Proctorsof the Madras Supreme Court and he had a successful legal practise.He was appointed High Sheriff of Madras- Both Leonard (II)and Maria mixed in the top level society of Madras and theywere frequent invitees to government house.
The sons, Leornard and Samuel, returned from England in 1848;Leonard as midshipman for five months, in the ship 'Lady Flora';(vide photostat copies of mariners ticket and a personal referencefrom Captain Eagles, dated April 1913.) Shortly after theirreturn to India , Maria, in an effort to have the boys in apermanent position in the civil service, wrote a very impassionedletter to Colonel S.H. Mountain in England. He was a friendof General Oglander, who had sailed on the same voyage on 'TheRose' as Maria when she came to India to be married, and hewas very kind to her. As Maria’s letter also mentions membersof her family, it is thought the content, will be found interesting.Unfortunately the ink in the letter was too light for photocopyingand it had to be rewritten. The Colonel's reply could not befound and it would appear from the subsequent movements of theboys, that the Colonel was unable to help Maria.
Leonard (II) worked in the office of Leonard (I), and in 1850he was appointed Under-Sheriff of Madras. In the following yearhe was articled as a clerk to his father, and the latter wasagain appointed High Sheriff for a further twelve months.
In 1852, when the father appeared in his prime, he took illsuddenly and died at the age of forty eight years. He was buriedin St. George's Cathedral, Madras. The grieved mother was lefta widow with seven sons and a daughter.
Shortly after the loss of their father, Leonard and Samuel leftMadras to seek a livelihood in Australia. There, Leonard workedin a shipping office and later in a bank. From each he receivedfavourable reference. Samuel, it is thought, found employmentin a country area.
About 1856, Maria decided to join her sons in Australia. Understandably(this was only 86 years after Captain Cook discovered our land),her relations overseas were horrified and wrote begging herto change her mind. However, she adhered to her original decisionand with her four younger children, Sarah, Alexander, Charlesand John, Maria sailed for Australia. Sarah married Daniel CampbellBegbie, whose family lived in Madras, and Maria with her son-in-law,purchased 'Norwood', a farming property on the Upper ManningRiver (now Mt. George)
For over twenty years she spent her time between members ofthe family, but in her last five years Maria made her permanenthome at 'Norwood'. She died there in 1883. Thus ended a lifewhich, when a chiId, started with grief in Holland, followedby adolescence in a royal palace in Russia, marriage and motherhoodof a large family and the early demise of her husband in India,and finally, her complete retirement to the serenity of a smallcountry village which rests on the banks of the Manning Riveron the North Coast of New South Wales.
Photographs and picture of Maria and Husband, Leonard (II) withrelatives are included in the Wingham Museum.
Maria was buried in a private cemetery at “Woodside” near Wingham,New South Wales. The inscription on her headstone appears below,reads:
IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE
OF
MARIA
WIDOW OF THE LATE LEONARD COOPER
SHERIFF OF MADRAS E.l. BORN 20TH SEPTEMBER 1805 DIED 5TH NOVEMBER 1883
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Maria Ivanovna Cooper's Timeline
| 1807 |
September 20, 1807
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St Petersburgh, Russia (Russian Federation)
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| 1828 |
1828
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Madras, India
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| 1830 |
April 6, 1830
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Madras, Tamil Nadu IND
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| 1832 |
April 7, 1832
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Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
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| 1833 |
June 19, 1833
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Madras, Tamil Nadu IND
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| 1834 |
November 14, 1834
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Marylebone, London, England (United Kingdom)
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| 1837 |
November 19, 1837
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Madras, India
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| 1839 |
June 25, 1839
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Madras, India
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| 1841 |
June 5, 1841
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Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
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