Ezekiel Simmons-Franklin C-VA Court Case
This is Baker researcher Jan Swart. I have read several postings on this Simmons site about Ezekiel Simmons who married Patsy Cooper in Franklin County, VA in 1797. I thought I would add this bit about the Cooper side.
Patsy Cooper who married Ezekiel Simmons was the daughter of Nathaniel Cooper. Patsy Cooper's brother was a John Cooper who married Sarah "Sally". John and his wife ended up being administrators of his father Nathaniel Cooper's estate. A daughter of this John Cooper and Sarah Cooper is my ancestor, Lucinda Cooper who married Caleb C. Baker.
Reading some of these notes, I was delighted to know that Ezekiel Simmons and Patsy Cooper moved away from Franklin County, ending up in Hendricks County, IN because I had NO idea what happened to any of these heirs in this suit besides my Lucy Cooper and Caleb C. Baker.
I recently found a three-page Franklin County Virginia Chancery suit at the Library of Virginin called, Ezekiel Simmons against "the heirs of Nathaniel Cooper-1827."
This suit was against the admininistrix Sarah"Sally" Cooper and her husband administrator John Cooper (my Lucinda Cooper's parents) by other heirs in the estate of Nathaniel Cooper.
Heirs appear to be a couple of John and Sarah Cooper children including my Lucy Cooper who married my Caleb C. Baker. I believe Lucy had a brother, John Cooper who married MaryAnn Hannan who was likely the sister of Caleb C. Baker's first wife, Jane Hannan.
The suit heirs as named are:
..".Ezeckiel Simmons and Patsy, his wife; Arthur Cooper; Amos Grace? and Elizabeth, his wife, John Cooper; Caleb Baker and Lucy his wife; Burnett Cooper";
I believe Nathaniel Cooper has a brother Arthur Cooper. Patsy "Patty" Cooper, for sure was a daughter of Nathanial Cooper, (it says on her marriage record). She married Ezekiel Simmons on 12 Jul 1797 in Franklin County, Va. pg 18. I'm assuming at this point that Elizabeth who married Amos Grace is another daughter of Nathaniel but haven't proved it. Burnett Cooper might be another brother to Lucinda and John Cooper but haven't proved that either.