Biography:
Elizabeth Anne Cooper
03/07/1848 –30/01/1915
Elizabeth Anne Cooper
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Elizabeth Ann Cooper (nee Ashmall)
Elizabeth Ann ASHMALL was born on 3rd July 1848 in Hammerwich Staffordshire, a village that is mentioned in the Domesday book. Additionally, it was the site of the UK’s largest hoard of Anglo Saxon gold (the Staffordshire Hoard) discovered in a field near the village in 2009. Her parents were Elias and his wife, Mary (nee Glover) , with Elias listed as a farmer of 170 acres and employing 6 labourers in the 1851 census. Was the site of the Staffordshire hoard situated on some of the land farmed by Elias?
Elizabeth was the oldest of eight children, having three sisters and four brothers, two of whom died in early childhood. The family fortunes appear to be upwards as by the census of 1871 Elias was farming 320 acres and within the farmhouse he employed three servants.
Elizabeth married Richard Powell Cooper on 30th April 1872, with the ceremony taking place at the church in Hammerwich, St John the Baptist. We can speculate that Elizabeth would have met Richard after he qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in the late 1860’s and set up a Veterinary Practice in Lichfield that was a short distance from Elizabeth’s home village. Perhaps he carried out work at the Ashmall family farm.
By 1881 Richard and Elizabeth were living in Bore Street in Lichfield and had four children: Richard (6), William (3) Mary (1) and Ethel (3 months).
As Richard’s Practice prospered Elizabeth moved to a former manor house, Shenstone Court (4 miles from Lichfield), in 1889. This was a grand Manor House that came with an estate of over 100 acres. Although Shenstone Court remained the family home for the rest of Elizabeth’s life, Richard became more involved in a family business, William Cooper & Nephews (Richard being one of the nephews), with the result that he travelled weekly to Berkhamsted to help run this business, whilst continuing with his Practice in Lichfield.
Elizabeth started spending time in Berkhamsted, staying with her eldest son, Richard Ashmole Cooper, who had become involved in running the family business and was settled with his wife and family at a large house in Whitehill, which is where Elizabeth is recorded in the 1901 census. We can assume that Elizabeth spent much time making the trip down from Shenstone Court to spend time with her grandchildren, before her eventual death on 30th January 1915, some two years after the death of her husband. Elizabeth left an estate valued at £19,518, that is equivalent to about £2.5m today. She is buried in the Cooper family vault in Rectory Lane Cemetery.
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Elizabeth Ann Cooper (nee Ashmall)
Elizabeth Ann ASHMALL was born on 3rd July 1848 in Hammerwich Staffordshire, a village that is mentioned in the Domesday book. Additionally, it was the site of the UK’s largest hoard of Anglo Saxon gold (the Staffordshire Hoard) discovered in a field near the village in 2009. Her parents were Elias and his wife, Mary (nee Glover) , with Elias listed as a farmer of 170 acres and employing 6 labourers in the 1851 census. Was the site of the Staffordshire hoard situated on some of the land farmed by Elias?
Elizabeth was the oldest of eight children, having three sisters and four brothers, two of whom died in early childhood. The family fortunes appear to be upwards as by the census of 1871 Elias was farming 320 acres and within the farmhouse he employed three servants.
Elizabeth married Richard Powell Cooper on 30th April 1872, with the ceremony taking place at the church in Hammerwich, St John the Baptist. We can speculate that Elizabeth would have met Richard after he qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in the late 1860’s and set up a Veterinary Practice in Lichfield that was a short distance from Elizabeth’s home village. Perhaps he carried out work at the Ashmall family farm.
By 1881 Richard and Elizabeth were living in Bore Street in Lichfield and had four children: Richard (6), William (3) Mary (1) and Ethel (3 months).
As Richard’s Practice prospered Elizabeth moved to a former manor house, Shenstone Court (4 miles from Lichfield), in 1889. This was a grand Manor House that came with an estate of over 100 acres. Although Shenstone Court remained the family home for the rest of Elizabeth’s life, Richard became more involved in a family business, William Cooper & Nephews (Richard being one of the nephews), with the result that he travelled weekly to Berkhamsted to help run this business, whilst continuing with his Practice in Lichfield.
Elizabeth started spending time in Berkhamsted, staying with her eldest son, Richard Ashmole Cooper, who had become involved in running the family business and was settled with his wife and family at a large house in Whitehill, which is where Elizabeth is recorded in the 1901 census. We can assume that Elizabeth spent much time making the trip down from Shenstone Court to spend time with her grandchildren, before her eventual death on 30th January 1915, some two years after the death of her husband. Elizabeth left an estate valued at £19,518, that is equivalent to about £2.5m today. She is buried in the Cooper family vault in Rectory Lane Cemetery.
Relatives
Historical Connections
The following local places of interest are linked to Elizabeth Anne Cooper:
Coopers Chemical Works
Berkhamsted Castle
Ashlyns Hall
Sunnyside Church
White Hill
Military graves