Thomas Frederick Cooper (1789 – 9 March 1863) was a well-known

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

English watchmaker in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

who made high quality timepieces, particularly for the American market.

Biography

Cooper was active for over forty years from about 1819 at several addresses in London: 1819–1822/3 at 16 Wynwatt Street,

Northampton Square Northampton Square, a green town square, is in a corner of Clerkenwell projecting into Finsbury, in Central London. It is between Goswell Road and St John Street (and Spencer and Percival Streets), has a very broad pedestrian walkway on the nor ...

Clerkenwell Clerkenwell () is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an ancient parish from the mediaeval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The well after which it was named was redisco ...

1826–1832 at 5 President Street, St Luke's 1835–1837 at 4 Duncan Place, City Road 1837–1838 at 18 King William Street,

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

1839–1875 at 6 Calthorpe Street, Gray's Inn Road,

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

, where he advertised as a ''Watch Escapement and Chronometer Maker'' in the Trade Directories. His obituary in the ''Horological Journal'' of 1863 noted that he was "...one of the oldest manufacturers in the trade. He was deservedly in high repute for the excellence of his productions, and his name stood at the top in America". He was also especially noted for duplex escapements.

Family

Cooper married Ann Patience Layton in 1836 and they had nine children including: Thomas Frederick (1842–1880), who continued his father's business. After his death it was discovered that, to cover debts incurred by unsuccessful financial speculations and without the family's knowledge or agreement, he had mortgaged much of its assets. Charles Samuel Cooper, became a watchmaker at

Camberwell Camberwell () is a district of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles and a common of which Goose Green is a remnant. This e ...

Napoleon Cooper, who became a commercial traveller Josephine, who successfully sued an architect's clerk, Frederick Albery, for breach of promise after courting her when he had already been engaged for three years to marry another woman. When he failed to pay the £150 fine, plus costs, the Cooper family successfully bankrupted him.

Death

Cooper died at home in Calthorpe Street on 9 March 1863, leaving an estate valued for probate at approaching £12,000, . His widow Ann Patience Cooper and unmarried daughter Anne Victoria Cooper were two of his executors."COOPER Thomas Frederick. Effects under £12,000" in ''Wills and Administrations, England and Wales'' (1863)
p. 268
/ref> He is buried in a family grave on the west side of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Frederick Thomas English watchmakers (people) 1789 births 1863 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery Defunct watchmaking companies Horology