Discovering Grandpa Cooper's Family
My Aunty Dot gave me a list of her parent's brothers and sisters, so I set to work rummaging through England's BDM's. Pa Cooper - George William Harbour Cooper had 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Annie, Rose, Dolly, Alf, & Albert, but I found 2 more. Here is the list of 8 children born to parents - William Frederick Harbour Cooper and Mary - maiden name King. They were married on the 19th November 1865 in St. Mary Magdalene Church, Bermondsey England.
William Frederick Harbour................1868 - 1871
Dorothy Jane.....................................1870 - 1871
Annie Louisa Harbour.......................1872 - 1960
George William Harbour...................1874 - 1957.....my Pa
Rosa Harbour....................................1875 - 1950
Alice Amelia......................................1877 - 1970
Alfred Arthur.....................................1879 -
Albert Harbour..................................1883 - 1915
So what's with this Harbour name, you may ask! No one knows the real story, we can only surmise. It looks like the family name should have been Harbour. From the records, William Frederick added the Cooper on his marriage certificate and states his Father as Richard Harbour. Maybe Richard wasn't his biological father. We can only guess that his Mother didn't marry Richard and her maiden name was Cooper or William's biological father was Cooper.
The first 2 children, William & Dorothy, both died just a few weeks apart. Such a tragedy in the beginning of these young couple's lives! I went in search of epidemics in England around 1871 and sure enough I found a great outbreak of smallpox ragging in 1871-72. Their death certificates would reveal the cause of death, of which I haven't obtained - due to lack of funds - however I think we can come to this conclusion.
Annie Louisa Harbour - married an Irishman, Frances Duggan in 1898 a soldier in the British Royal Engineers. They emigrated to Sydney Australia in 1912 - so perhaps that is why our Grandparents came to Australia also. They had 1 son named Frank and I believe his descendants survive today in Australia.
My Grandpa, George William Harbour - married Gertrude Emma Parrott in 1896 and for the first 7 years of married life, George's work took him to Rhodesia in South Africa while leaving wife and children in London.......he was a store keeper and pay officer for a shipping company. George and Frank were both born in England. By 1907 we find them in Kootenay, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Still working for a shipyard as storekeeper. Here we find George has built themselves a house nestled in the Rockies.
Dorothy Jane.....................................1870 - 1871
Annie Louisa Harbour.......................1872 - 1960
George William Harbour...................1874 - 1957.....my Pa
Rosa Harbour....................................1875 - 1950
Alice Amelia......................................1877 - 1970
Alfred Arthur.....................................1879 -
Albert Harbour..................................1883 - 1915
So what's with this Harbour name, you may ask! No one knows the real story, we can only surmise. It looks like the family name should have been Harbour. From the records, William Frederick added the Cooper on his marriage certificate and states his Father as Richard Harbour. Maybe Richard wasn't his biological father. We can only guess that his Mother didn't marry Richard and her maiden name was Cooper or William's biological father was Cooper.
The first 2 children, William & Dorothy, both died just a few weeks apart. Such a tragedy in the beginning of these young couple's lives! I went in search of epidemics in England around 1871 and sure enough I found a great outbreak of smallpox ragging in 1871-72. Their death certificates would reveal the cause of death, of which I haven't obtained - due to lack of funds - however I think we can come to this conclusion.
Annie Louisa Harbour - married an Irishman, Frances Duggan in 1898 a soldier in the British Royal Engineers. They emigrated to Sydney Australia in 1912 - so perhaps that is why our Grandparents came to Australia also. They had 1 son named Frank and I believe his descendants survive today in Australia.
My Grandpa, George William Harbour - married Gertrude Emma Parrott in 1896 and for the first 7 years of married life, George's work took him to Rhodesia in South Africa while leaving wife and children in London.......he was a store keeper and pay officer for a shipping company. George and Frank were both born in England. By 1907 we find them in Kootenay, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Still working for a shipyard as storekeeper. Here we find George has built themselves a house nestled in the Rockies.
Perhaps they found the winters too cold so they migrated to Sydney Australia around 1916 leaving behind their eldest son George Robert, now married, in Canada. A tragic day in 1918 for Carrie - Georges wife - and 2 young children, when George accidentally electrocuted himself while working at home.
George and Gertrude Cooper settled into living in Sydney Australia pretty quickly and George with his experience in Store Keeping, bought himself an old bakery in Homebush on the corner of Station Street and Parramatta Road - click on the photo and take a closer look at the signage - and turned it into a produce store with living quarters upstairs. Within a 5 year period, they had 3 more children - Dorothy, Harold and Gladys - my mother Gladys being the youngest. This is where my mother spent her childhood days....
Rosa or Rose Harbour - married Frederick Lane in 1897, then 10 years later 1907, married John Hollings. I believe descendants survive today.
Alice Amelia - they called Dolly - married Walter Shillingford in 1899 and descendants survive today. This is the branch from which I made the contact with a cousin in the US and she helped me piece this family together......how do you find a Dolly in the birth records?
Alfred Arthur - married Ada Barnsdale in 1905. I have recorded births of 3 sons but haven't worked out what became of them.
Albert Harbour - married Ellen Fowler in 1908 and had 1 girl and 2 boys. Albert was a tragedy of the Great War and was Killed in Action - a Private at France & Flanders 1915. I believe there is 1 descendant that survives today.
This family grew up on the southeast side of the River Thames, the industrial area in the city of London...today they call Southwark. Their Father William Frederick was a tanner by trade.
Click on this link to the probable Tannery he worked at.
Click on this link to some great archaeology finds and historical background in this area
Alice Amelia - they called Dolly - married Walter Shillingford in 1899 and descendants survive today. This is the branch from which I made the contact with a cousin in the US and she helped me piece this family together......how do you find a Dolly in the birth records?
Alfred Arthur - married Ada Barnsdale in 1905. I have recorded births of 3 sons but haven't worked out what became of them.
Albert Harbour - married Ellen Fowler in 1908 and had 1 girl and 2 boys. Albert was a tragedy of the Great War and was Killed in Action - a Private at France & Flanders 1915. I believe there is 1 descendant that survives today.
This family grew up on the southeast side of the River Thames, the industrial area in the city of London...today they call Southwark. Their Father William Frederick was a tanner by trade.
Click on this link to the probable Tannery he worked at.
Click on this link to some great archaeology finds and historical background in this area