Contents [hide]

Cowper History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Cowper History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Cowper family

The surname Cowper was first found in Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the family as follows: Johannes Cowper, glover; and Johannes Couper, coupar,. 1

Early History of the Cowper family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowper research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1147, 1430, 1453, 1455, 1484, 1487, 1510, 1512, 1534, 1561, 1600, 1622, 1656, 1659, 1664, 1666, 1670, 1683, 1705, 1709, 1723, 1728 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Cowper History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cowper Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Cowper has appeared include Cowper, Couper, Copper and others.

Early Notables of the Cowper family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Cowper (c.1453-1484), English mason, who was in charge of the work at Rothesay Castle, Bute, in 1512
Sir William Cowper, 1st Baronet of Ratling Court, Nonington, Kent
William Cowper (1664-1723), English jurist, created 1st Earl Cowper, who was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in 1705, the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain
Spencer Cowper (1670-1728), British MP and barrister

Cowper migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Cowper arrived in North America very early:

Cowper Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Cowper, (Couper), who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607
Johanna Cowper, who settled in Virginia in 1622
William Cowper, who landed in New England in 1633 2
Alveryn Cowper, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 2
Philip Cowper, who landed in Maryland in 1650 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cowper Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Samuel Cowper, who landed in Virginia in 1714 2
John Cowper, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 2
Grace Cowper, who settled in Maryland in 1720
John Cowper, who settled in Maryland in 1732
Basil Cowper, who arrived in Savannah, Georgia sometime between 1774 and 1775

Cowper Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Cowper, who was naturalized in New York, NY in 1827
Enrique Augustus Cowper, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1861 2

Cowper migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cowper Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Cowper, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caspar" in 1849 3
Miss Mary Cowper who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Cowper migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cowper Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Cowper, (b. 1817), aged 43, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 5
Mr. John Cowper, (b. 1826), aged 34, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 5
Mr. Henry Cowper, (b. 1851), aged 9, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 5
Mr. John Cowper, (b. 1854), aged 6, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 5
Miss Ann Cowper, (b. 1858), aged 2, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cowper (post 1700) +

Steve Camberling Cowper (b. 1938), American politician, 6th Governor of Alaska from 1986 to 1990
William W. Cowper, American politician, Member of North Carolina State Senate, 1829-32, 1834-37 6
Steve Camberling Cowper (b. 1938), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Alaska State House of Representatives, 1975-78; Governor of Alaska, 1986-90 6
Rose Cowper, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wyoming, 1944 6
Peter Poole Cowper (1902-1962), English professional footballer
Geraldine "Gerry" Cowper (b. 1958), English actress, best known for her role as Rosie Miller in EastEnders
Professor Edward Shickle Cowper (1790-1852), English head of the department of engineering at King's College London
William Cowper (1731-1800), English poet and hymnodist
Mr. Robert Cowper, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1571 to 1572
Mr. John Cowper, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1476 to 1477
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cowper family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Ernest Sedgwick Cowper, Canadian 2nd Class passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 13 7

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CASPAR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Caspar.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/