Humility Cooper
Humility Cooper: Mayflower passenger
"The names of those which came over first, in the year 1620, and were by the blessing of God the first beginners and in a sort the foundation of all the Plantations and Colonies in New England; and their families ...
"Edward Tilley and Ann his wife, and two children that were their cousins, Henry Sampson and Humility Cooper."
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1637, ed.
Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 441-3.
Humility Cooper & the 1623 Division of Land
The 1623 Division of Land marked the end of the Pilgrims' earliest system of land held in common by all. Governor Bradford explains it in this way:
"And so assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end, only for present use (but made no division for inheritance) and ranged all boys and youth under some family. This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression."
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1637, ed.
Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 120.
Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, &c, Vol. I 1627-1651 is the oldest record book of the Plymouth settlement. It begins with the 1623 Division of Land, recorded in the handwriting of Governor William Bradford. The lands of "Humillitie Cooper" were among those designated as "their grounds which came first over in the May Floure, according as thier lotes were cast" and described in this way "these lye one the north side of the towne nexte adjoyning to their gardens which came in the Fortune."
Humility Cooper & the 1627 Division of Cattle
Plymouth Colony Records Vol. I also tells of the 1627 Division of Cattle: "At a publique court held the 22th of May it was concluded by the whole Companie, that the cattell wch were the Companies, to wit, the Cowes & the Goates should be equally devided to all the psonts of the same company ... & so the lotts fell as followeth, thirteene psons being pportioned to one lot..."
"The fift lot fell to Mr Willm Brewster & his companie Joyned to him (2) Loue Brewster (3) Wrestling Brewster (4) Richard More (5) Henri Samson (6) Johnathan Brewster (7) Lucrecia Brewster (8) Willm Brewster (9) Mary Brewster (10) Thomas Prince (11) Pacience Prince (13) Humillyty Cooper.
"To this lot ffell one of the fower Heyfers Came in the Jacob Caled the Blind Heyfer & 2 shee goats."
Humility Cooper: her death
"And seeing it hath pleased Him to give me [William Bradford] to see thirty years completed since these beginnings, and that the great works of His providence are to be observed, I have thought it not unworthy my pains to take a view of the decreasings and increasings of these persons and such changes as hath passed over them and theirs in this thirty years...
"Edward Tilley and his wife both died soon after their arrival, and the girl Humility, their cousin, was sent for into England and died there."
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1637, ed.
Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 443-7.
Eugene Stratton cites evidence showing that Humility Cooper of the Mayflower may have been the same as a Humility Cooper, daughter of Robert Cooper, who was baptized in London in 1638-9 at age 19. This would mean that Humility Cooper was an infant at the time of her arrival in Plymouth.
Eugene Aubrey Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History &
People, 1620-1691 (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1986), p. 273.
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