Rebecca married Alexander James COOPER on 28 Jun 1904 in Gore Bay, Ontario. Alexander was born on 13 Apr 1878 in Stayner, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada; died on 11 Apr 1929 in Thessalon, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Charles Alexander COOPER was born on 15 Apr 1905 in Gore Bay, Ontario; died on 18 Jul 1977.
2. Jeretta Florence COOPER was born on 24 Aug 1906 in Gore Bay, Ontario; died on 1 Jan 1991.
3. Alethea Helen COOPER was born on 25 Dec 1910 in Thessalon, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada; died on 10 Dec 1984.
4. Georgina COOPER was born on 13 Apr 1913 in Thessalon, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada; died on 25 Jun 1917.
5. Beatrice Edith COOPER was born on 30 Jun 1919 in Thessalon, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada; died on 21 Nov 1990.
6. Living

Rebecca married Charles Bert SOMERS on 1 Jul 1931 in Sault Sainte Marie, Algoma, Ontario, Canada. Charles (son of John William SOMERS and Rose JELLY) was born about 1884. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John was married on October 28, 1966, his younger brother Daniel was a witness, also as a witness, was Rueben Cooper, brother to the bride.

John purchased 1/4 acre of Lot 1, Concession 1, Hillier Twp, from his father Lawrence on April 28, 1867.
John in turn sold this property to Sarah E. Hollingsworth on June 28, 1867.

The 1871 Census has a John Murphy, his wife Jane, and daughter Mary residing in the Village of Wellington. John was a shoemaker by trade, and the family were
Quakers by religion.

John and his family moved to Gore Bay (on Manitoulin Island) sometime after the 1871 Census.
Presumably sometime after March 1875, as their son Obadiah was born in Wellington on March 23, 1875. Estimate move to be in 1880.

There is a John Goodmurphy listed as living in Gore Bay in 1883 and operating a Shoe Shop.

Their daughter, Mary Emma, was married on the island in November 1883.

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Following information provided by John and Helen Whidden
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John died in Gore Bay and is buried in Gordon Cemetery.

1881 Census: Twp of Gordon and Mills: Goodmurphy, John, age 38, born Ontario
Religion: Quaker Origin: Irish
Occupation: Shoemaker

1891 Census: Tore of Gore Bay: Goodmurphy, John, age 48, born Ontario
Religion: Freethinker Origin: Irish
Occupation: Merchant

According to the book ("The Early Years of Gore Bay") John Goodmurphy was one of four early shoemakers in Gore Bay, and the map on page 105 of the book, shows
the Goodmurphy shoeshop as next to Jackson Brothers store, which was on the corner of Meredith & Eleanor Streets.
This was the store that John subsequently owned, and, from the evidence of the 1881 Census and 1891 Census, it is clear that he bought it between 1881 and 1891.
He later sold the business to the Smith Brothers, and his daughter sold the store and property to the Smiths in 1928 (documents in Records Office). That store, has
been Jackson's, Goodmurphy's, Smith's, and now Wood's, or, at least the corner property was occupied by Jackson's store of whatever type, whether the same
building or not.

Photograph (photocopy) on hand, of house built by John Goodmurphy, situated at corner of Laird & Eleanor Streets in Gore Bay. John built, lived and died in this
particular house.

Photocopy of photograph of John Goodmurphy (circa 1890's) on hand.

John did other things as well as shoemaking, he is listed as a farmer in 1902, which was not known in the family, and which may just mean that he owned some farm
land. On page 99 of the book, John is said to have "engineered the building of that mill at Murph's Harbour on the south shore; also the building at Srigley Bay..".
This, the family knew nothing about, either.

In his Will, John left all his property in Gore Bay to his daughter, Rebecca Alethea Goodmurphy Cooper. At the time of his death it consisted of Lots 6, 7 & 8 on the
East side of Laird Street (which included the stone house on Eleanor) part of Lot 6 and Lot 7 on the West side of Phipps Street, and part of Lot 6 on the East side of
Phipps Street. He clearly owned a good deal of land and all of it was subsequently sold by his daughter.

It is surmised that John's interest in starting the Ice rink (circa 1903) was because of his daughter's interest.

Above information provided through research, done by John & Helen (Cooper Wright) Whidden, taken from the Archives of Ontario.

Beatrice Goodmurphy (daughter of Joel & Lillie Belle) lived with and worked for the Coopers in Thessalon, before her marriage to Len Shewfelt in 1921.
She has very good memories of this period in her life.
The Cooper house has been recently restored.
According to Bea's memory, John Goodmurphy "was a miserable old guy".


Died:
Buried in Gordon Cemetery

JOHN married Delilah Jane COOPER on 28 Oct 1866 in Bloomfield, Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Delilah (daughter of Obadiah COOPER and Rebecca BURLINGHAM) was born on 26 Sep 1842 in Bloomfield, Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada; died on 30 Oct 1921 in Thessalon, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Delilah Jane Cooper Goodmurphy, died of senility in Thessalon, Ontario and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Thessalon.
She died in Thessalon while staying with her daughter Rebecca Alethea Goodmurphy Cooper.


Died:
Buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Thessalon

Notes:

Lawrence arrived in Canada about August 1822 with his parents. The family had stopped at Kingston, Ontario , and there he was apprenticed to a man named Carl, to become a shoemaker.
The arrangement stipulated that Lawrence would apprentice for three (3) years, then when he was finished, he was to get a suit of clothes and some money.

Meanwhile his parents and siblings were to have meandered along towards the west, arriving at Smokeville (now Wellington).
The inhabitants at that time were few and far between, but just the same, they had two hotels where whiskey was sold.

Lawrence obviously completed his apprencticeship and headed for Wellington three years later. in 1825 or 1826 he met a Lydia Garratt at a Suree at the Sandbanks, and they were married sometime soon-after.
The Garratts were Quakers who had originated from Belfast and had emigrated to Upper New York State, then crossed over to Canada.

I found Lawrence on the 1840 Census for Murray Township. The Cenus records that there were a total of 7 in the family, all Quakers.
There were four (4) male children, two (2) adults, plus another female over 16 (unknown).
Next door was a Townsend Garratt and family, and a Thmas Garratt and family. Could be siblings of Lydia??

Lawrence took up the Quaker relgion for his family and set up a shoemaking shop in Wellington.
The 1851 Census has the family residing on Lot 11 of the 3rd Concession - Military Tract in Hallowell Twp - a farm made up of 114 acres.

The first two children, Sarah Ann and Rachel Ann were twins and died at birth according to Eliza Cooper.

Townsend and Thomas died of TB.

On Nov 28/1851,Lawrence purchased the North Half of Lot 11 on Conc 3 MT, from Thomas Waring and wife.
On April 28, 1864 Lawrence acuired 1/4 acre of Lot 1, Concession 1 in Hillier Twp, from Rufus Wilder.
On March 8, 1867 he sold the West Half (50 acres of his Hallowell Twp property) to his son Wm Davis, and on April 22, 1867 sold the Eest Half (other 50 acres) to his son Solomon.
On April 28, 1867 Lawrence sold the 1/4 acre on Lot 1 to his son John.

Solomon acquired 70 acres of Lot 1, Conc. 1, in Hillier Twp, on November 5, 1872 from Silas Reynolds & Charlotte Blakely.

Laurence and Lydia were still living at the time of the 1891 Census and lived on the farm at Lot 1 with Solomon and his wife Lydia Morriah Hutchinson.
Apparently Lydia was blind by 83 years of age (1889).

According to the Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages kept by Franklin Jones, the clerk for Hillier Twp., Lawrence and Lydia were registered as dying in the 1st Half of 1892.
An examination of the Death Register of the Ontario Archives has given me the exact dates.
Lawrence died on December 17, 1891, see record # 01538192, and Lydia died on November 15, 1891, see record # 01538292. Lawrence died of paralysis, and Lydia died of old age.

It is not know where they are buried but it is presumed to be in Wellington .

A View of Life in 1861 on the Family Farm
=====================================
In 1861, on Lot 11, Conc. 3 - Military Tract, Hallowell Twp, out of a total of 114 acres, Lawrence and his family had 75 acres under cultivation. 46 acres were growing products and 29 were in pasture.
39 acres supplied 700 lbs. of maple sugar in that year.

The cash value of the property was $3200.00.
The cash value of the farm equipment was $50.00.

On this property, the following products were produced:

Spring Wheat - 4 acres/ 100 bushels
Barley - 10 acres/ 400 bushels
Rye - 7 acres/ 210 bushels
Peas - 14 acres/ 350 bushels
Oats - 5 acres/ 100 bushels
Potatoes - 4 acres/ 450 bushels
Carrots - 200 bushels
Beans - 10 bushels
Hay - 4 tons
Wool - 65 lbs.
20 yards of full cloth
16 yards of flannel

The livestock consisted of :

4 steers
6 milk cows (300 lbs. of butter)
4 horses ( 2 colts)
25 sheep
2 pigs

In 1861, almost 1600 lbs. of pork was barreled and 11,200 lbs. of fish

For transportation, the family had one pleasure carriage valued at $10.00.

LAWRENCE married Lydia GARRATT about 1826 in Wellington, Hillier Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Lydia (daughter of Caleb GARRATT and Dorcas CARMAN) was born about Oct 1807 in Hallowell Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada; died on 15 Nov 1891 in Wellington, Hillier Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

It is understood that Lydia was blind by the year 1889, being 83 years of age.
She apparently died of old age in 1891.
It is believed that she and Lawrence are buried somewhere around Wellington.

Obadiah married Rebecca BURLINGHAM on 24 Feb 1831. Rebecca (daughter of Renselaer BURLINGHAM and PHEOBE BOWERMAN) was born on 30 Sep 1809 in Hallowell Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada; died on 25 Nov 1882 in Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Buried in Stinson Cemetery - east of Wellington on Hwy 33

Notes:

John Good Murphy came from the Town of Wexford, Ireland, which is in the southeast corner of Ireland, below Cork. Due to the English influence in that area, they were Protestants.
John first served as a Light Dragoon under Captain James Boyd in Wexford in June 1798 after the rebel attack in the town.

John acquired a commission in the British Army when his Grandfather Laurence paid One Hundred Guineas (or $500.00 in Canadian Currency) for the said commission.
John states that he served in Majorca,Egypt, and Malta.
A book entitled "1839 List of Officers of the British Army and Royal Navy - refer to Page 430 - a John Good Murphy, as at October 23,1800, was in the 54th Regiment of Foot at the rank of Ensign.

According to Irene Murphy, she relates the story that John went to France to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, and while there, he received a severe head wound, and afterward, had to wear a silver plate on top of his head.
At times this affected his mind, and his father, Sir Lawrence Murphy, because of his position of authority, was rather ashamed of him, so Captain John was sent to Canada. This may be family lore!!

John was educated as a lawyer in England. If it had not been for his drinking, he might have been a Judge on the Bench in Canada.

The redoubtable John Good Murphy, fought a duel and he shot his opponent's thumb off, this drew blood and settled the quarrel.

The Marquis, whose title was next under the Duke, owned a large tract of land given to him by the Government. John rented a certain amount of this land from the Marquis, and he would pasture his cows in one paddock until one (1) firkin was filled with butter, so that the flavour of the butter would not be changed. A firkin equalled one of our barrels.

The Government gave a Coat of Arms to a Goodmurphy for excelling in growing wheat. The Crest, of beaten gold, was a Rampant Lion with a sheaf of wheat in his front paws.

As to his getting married, he fell in love with one Deborah Davis and married her, she being carried to church on her wedding day, by two servants, in a sedan chair. Deborah was a Quaker by prrofession.

Deborah was required to sort the clothes to go to the wash. It seemed that Deborah did not know much about building fires, which were sometimes needed in Ireland, because one time she put a coal of fire in her apron and nearly set the house on fire.

John was induced by his wife Deborah to go on Half Pay.

John left for Canada with his family, except for his oldest son, William, who elected to stay in Ireland with his grandparents.
John and his family were on a sailing vessel for three months on the ocean, were nearly shipwrecked, but landed safely at last in Kingston, Ontario, which then, was but a small town.

Library and Archives Canada has possession of a letter written on May 21, 1822, wherein John Good Murphy reports his arival with his family at Quebec City. They must have left about February 1822.
From Quebec City they would have travelled on to Kingston.

John made arrangements in Kingston to apprentice his son Lawrence to a man by the name of Carl, as a Shoemaker. The arrangement stipulated that Lawrence would apprentice for three (3) years, then when he was finished, he was to get a suit of clothes and some money.

Having made these arrangements, John and Deborah, and the rest of the children, were to have meandered along towards the west, arriving at Smokeville (now Wellington). The inhabitants at that time were few and far between, but just the same, they had two hotels where whiskey was sold.

John had Kingston as his address when he wrote a letter to the Lieutenant Governor on September 2nd 1822, advising him that he had not received his promised grant of land.

It is believed that John and his family moved from Kingston to Wellington sometime after Sept 1822, with John possibly retaining a temporary residence in Kingston.
Marriage records show that sons John C. and Richard were residents of Wellington, when they were married in 1832.

John's name is on the 1829 Petition to make the Prince Edward a separate District.

In July 1833, John was in Wellington, placing ads in the Hallowell Free Press, with regards to Village lots for sale.
He placed a followup ad in January 1834. It is presumed that he was acting on behalf of the Crown vis a viz the sale of these lots.
The 1833 ad on July 30, 1833, used the name of John G. Murphy, Senior, H.P. 54th Regiment, Colbourne Street, Wellington, Ontario.
The ad on January 1, 1834 was placed by John Good Murphy, H.P. 54th Reg't, Cooleys Hotel on Colborne St in Wellington. Note the change in surnames !!!

John placed an ad in the Patriot and Farners Monitor (York Edition - see August 16th 1833 Issue) indicating that he was planning to proceed to Toronto (York) to locate his granted land.
The ad ran until the November 22nd edition. The ad states that the family has been in Upper Canada for 11 years (that gives an arrival year of 1822).
John presumably took up his grant of land in 1833 or later. Three (3) lots in Collingwood Township, in Grey County.
Apparently Collingwood Twp was not surveyed until 1835, and it is felt that these properties were taken for investment purposes.
The properties were granted to John's oldest son William Davis, upon his death. William then sold off these properties.
There is no evidence to support that the family moved away from Prince Edward County. To the contrary, Lawrence, John, Richard, and Davis all stayed in the County. Thomas moved to Northumberland County.

There is so far, no more record of John and his whereabouts, but he obviously died between 1844 and 1848, as Deborah is widowed in 1848.

In 1842, Deborah is found to be living in Percy Twp, near Warkworth, with her are two single males, deemed to be Gilbert and Francis, her two youngest children, who were born in 1823 and 1825, respectively. The prior child, Margurete (Peggy) was married in September 1839. Deborah was liviing at Lot 20 - South Half - Conc. 5, which she acquired from the Forsyth brothers on October 21, 1844. It is not known when John and Deborah moved the family to Percy Twp, but it may have been after Margurete was married in September 1839.

Deborah sold her property to her son Gilbert on March 18, 1848 and by that time she was a Widow, but the exact month/year of John's death is unknown at this time.

It is presumed that Deborah passed away between 1848 and 1850 as she is not listed on the 1850 Census for Percy Twp.

Francis relocated to Ameliasburg Twp, P.E. County in 1860 and Gilbert relocated to Hillier Twp in later 1863 or early 1864.

JOHN married DEBORAH DAVIS in 1802 in Ossory Diocese, Church of Ireland. DEBORAH (daughter of William DAVIS and Jane SPARROW) was born on 24 Feb 1783 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland; died about 1849 in Warkworth, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In researching at the LDS Family History Centre in Trenton, I found record of a Deborah Davis with parents named William and Jane. These parental first names
seem to fit as John and Deborah named their oldest son William and their first daughter Jane.
It is also interesting to note that the surname DAVIS is also listed as DAVIES..

Deborah appears on the 1842 Census for Percy Township - Lot 20 on Concession 5.
There were two (2) married Females - Deborah, and maybe her daughter Margurete - not sure.
Also there were two (2) single males - age 18 to 21. They would be Gilbert and Francis.
There is one (1) male under the age of 5 - name unknown at this time.
Also the Cenus records that Deborah had been in Canada for 20 years (1842 -20 = 1822).
According to the Land Office Records, Deborah purchased the South Half of Lot 5 from William Forsyth and John B Forsyth on October 31,1844.
Deborah then sold the South Half to her son Gilbert on March 18,1848.

Caleb married Dorcas CARMAN on 17 Jan 1807 in Wellington, Hillier Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Dorcas (daughter of Townsend CARMAN and Sarah GURNEY) was born on 12 Nov 1789 in Dutchess County, NY State; died on 8 Apr 1872 in Wooler, Murray Twp, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Living with her son Richard and his family in Murray Township per the 1871 Census.

John married Mehetabel BULL on 31 Jul 1803 in Hallowell Twp, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Mehetabel (daughter of JOSIAH BULL and MEHETABEL THOMAS) was born on 27 Nov 1785 in Dutchess County, NY State; died on 11 Apr 1854 in Bloomfield, Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Buried in Stinson Cemetery - east of Wellington on Hwy 33

Renselaer married PHEOBE BOWERMAN about 1808. PHEOBE (daughter of ICHABOD BOWERMAN and Rebecca MASTIN) was born on 15 Jun 1793 in Dutchess County, New York, USA; died on 4 May 1877 in Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Died:
Buried in Stinson Cemetery