COOPER, Daniel

1749 - 1822

Daniel Cooper was baptised at Fressingfield, Suffolk on 20 February 1750, son of Daniel Cooper (1719-1781), a prosperous landowner, and his wife Elizabeth née Cousins (died 1790). He became an ensign in the Suffolk Fencibles but his future wife, Martha Hockley persuaded him to resign for him to study as an artist and he married Martha at Bury St Edmund’s on 30 December 1779. Daniel and his wife then moved to Nottingham, where Daniel became a drawing master at a local school, and Martha opened a school for young ladies. By 1791, they were back in Suffolk living at Eastgate Street, Bury St Edmund’s, the rate books record him living there 1791-1817, they had lost seven of their children in the twelve years in Nottingham. Daniel was employed as a drawing master at King Edward VI grammar school, which was next door to his home, and from the local gentry he obtained portrait commissions. Three more children were born in Bury St Edmund’s Edwin, Frances and Anne. After Martha died in 1814, Daniel, on 6 September 1815, took another wife Amelia Barfield (1783-) of Langham, Suffolk, and had at least one further child. Daniel retired to his farm ‘Finches’ at Fressingfield but when Daniel’s will was proved at Norwich in 1822, he was described as of Norwich and formerly of Tivetshall St Mary, Norfolk but it is probable that he had inherited several Norfolk properties from his father.

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Works by This Artist