%eadnotat; ]> 5032cori An Inventory of the Cooper-Richardson Family Papers, 1863-1977 Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1987 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000. ENG Cooper-Richardson Family Papers, 1863-1977 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1987 Descriptive Summary Cooper-Richardson Family Papers, 1863-1977 RG 5/032 1 box; .5 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. The Cooper-Richardson collection contains correspondence and family memorabilia from the Cooper family (William E. and Sarah Roberts Matlack Cooper). The Cooper family were Quakers of New Jersey, attending meetings in the Woodbury and Byberry areas. The collection includes correspondence and family memorabilia. Of particular interest is the journal of their granddaughter, Anna C. Richardson, written on her trip to California in 1904, and the writings of Sarah Cooper.

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728

 BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE

The Cooper family were Quakers of New Jersey, attending meetings in the Woodbury and Byberry areas. Materials in this collection focus on the children of William E. and Elizabeth Cooper, their spouses and young children. William Evans Cooper (1812-1856) married Elizabeth M. Roberts (1815-1902) at Woodbury Monthly Meeting in Gloucester County, N.J., in 1836. They had 8 children: Annie, Sarah, Mary Kaighn who married Nathaniel Richardson, Elizabeth Roberts, Joseph Morgan, Lucy, William Alfred, and Henry R. Cooper.

 SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS

Includes correspondence and family memorabilia of the children and grandchildren of William Evans and Sarah Cooper. Of particular interest is the journal of their granddaughter, Anna C. Richardson, written on her trip to California in 1904, and the writings of Sarah Cooper. Correspondence focuses on family matters and includes accounts of accidents, marriages, and general family news. Two family chronologies log the births, deaths, and travels of the Coopers. The latter part of the collection stresses the lives of the daughters of Nathaniel and Mary K. Cooper Richardson, Elizabeth C. and Anne, neither of whom married. Of special interest is the journal of Anna C. Richardson of a two month trip to California in 1904. Anna and two companions traveled to Los Angeles and then north into Canada. The journal includes interesting descriptions of the slums and opium dens of Chinatown in San Francisco and notes prominent sites along the route. Photographs and postcards have been glued into the journal and are commented on extensively.

 Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series

Biographical and genealogical Correspondence Family Memorabilia Journals Publications ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Caroline D. Bain, 1987, 2006 (2006-004)

The collection was given by Caroline D. Bain, descendent of the Cooper family through Stanley Bagg Cooper.

 Access

Collection is open for research.

 Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

 Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Cooper-Richardson Family Papers, RG5/032, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

 Processing information

Photographs removed from the collection are placed in FHL Pictures and pamphlets in SGs

The following pamphlets donated to collection and removed:

Religious Views of the Society of Friends, Howard M. Jenkins, 1893. The Book of the Street [High Street]. Sarah Lowrie and Mabel Ludlum, J.B. Lippincott, 1926.

The following photographs, listed by individual and group family names were transferred to the picture collection:

Cooper Richardson Bagg Stiles Matlack Roberts Meeting Houses, including: (General meeting house File) Abington Woodbury Byberry Cecil (MD) Cooper and Richardson residences, New Jersey. (Residences) Album, “Cooper (Bain).” (PA 48) Photographs. (PA 144: separate finding aid) Related Material

See also:

RG 5/031, Cooper Family Papers SELECTED SEARCH TERMS Materials catalogued separately

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

Diaries Quakers - Diaries Quakers - Social life and customs Cooper family Cooper, William E. (William Evans), 1812-1856 Cooper, Elizabeth M. (Elizabeth Matlack), 1815-1902 Quakers -- New Jersey California -- Description and travel -- 1869-1950 Cooper, Henry R. (Henry Roberts), 1856-1928 Richardson, Elizabeth C., 1863-1947 Richardson, Nathaniel, 1839-1920 Richardson, Mary K. (Mary Kaighn), 1841-1912 Cooper, Anna, 1872-1926 Cooper, Sarah, 1838-1923 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

 Ser. 1. Biographical and Genealogical, 1896-1947 General 1 Early genealogy prepared by William A. Cooper 1 photocopy Family chronologies: Sarah Cooper, amended by Elizabeth M. Cooper 1 Mary K. Richardson 1897. 1

Includes later additions by Elizabeth K. Richardson, 1947.

 Family History, Sarah Cooper, 4mo 17 1896 for Nathaniel and Mary K. Richardson 1 Family History for Henry R. and Jessie Bagg Cooper from Sarah Cooper 1896 1 bound volume in 1 folder 1

Starts with emigration of William and Margaret Cooper to Camden, NJ, from England in 1679; information about early Quakers; detailed information on succeeding generations

 Ser. 2. Correspondence, 1863-1977 General family correspondence, 1863-1898 1

Includes letters from Henry R. Cooper, 1868-1888 and letters to Jessie Bagg Cooper, 1889. Also includes letters of congratulations from members of the Cooper family on the announcement of Henry Cooper's engagement to her.

 Richardson family 1904-1948 1 Stanley Bagg Cooper 1967-1977

Letters concerning genealogical concerns, to family members.

 4mo 16 1865 Sarah to Mary, account and opinion of President Lincoln's death 1 12mo 18 1868 Henry Cooper to his sisters 1

re: Christmas presents and festivities, including a bushel of walnuts.

 Ser. 3. Family Memorabilia, 1862-1973, n.d. Memorials and obituaries 1 Wedding invitation, Nathaniel and Mary (Cooper) Richardson 1862 1 Sarah and Annie Cooper's School, prospectus and material 1891, n.d. 1 Sarah Cooper, “Recollections of the Azores” for Friends Intelligencer1885. 1 Ivory engagement book, Lucy Cooper Walker 1 Canvas portfolio [Nathaniel Richardson] 1 Hand drawn map, Chestnut Glen/Byberry, by Mary B. Cooper 1 Acrylic and watercolor paintings, Anna Richardson 1 Memorabilia of Frances Richardson 1969-1973 1 Ser. 4. Journals, 1881-1904 Sarah Cooper, Accounts of the Activities of the children of; Lucy Cooper Walker; ca. 1881, 1900 Jessie Bagg Cooper 2 vols. 1 Anna Richardson, Journal of trip to California, Oregon, Washington and California 1904 1 Cooper Walker’s Memoirn.d. 1

"Want to know how I look at it, Lieutenant?" or More to Laugh at Than to Weep, by Cooper Walker; mostly about childhood; discusses being raised on farm, particularly the African-Americans who lived with him and took care of him; uneasiness with Quakers; Mother’s feminist activities, including going to prison for involvement in voting rights agitation; includes copies of photos; 1902 notes written by Lucy Cooper Walker annotated list of important dates.

 Ser. 5. Publications, 1900-1910 Cooper Reunion at Greenfields, New Jersey. H. M. Cooper 1900 1 Notes on the Ancestry of Anne Clarke who Married John Cooper, by William A. Cooper 1910 1