Robert Cooper of Salisbury

John and Robert Cooper of Salisbury had lent £3000 to William Maynard of Nevis at some date before 1776, when a schedule of payments was agreed between Maynard, his London consignees Mills & Swanston and his creditors including John and Robert Cooper, in which Mills & Swanston provided penal bonds to the two Coopers for £6000. Mills & Swanston failed in 1781; by 1787 the Coopers had received 9s in the pound from the assignees of Mills & Swanston, and later received a further 4s in the pound before the remaining debts were assumed by Lane, Fraser, which itself failed in 1793.

1. Three Robert Coopers of Salisbury had wills proved between 1778 and 1799. The earliest, proved in 1778, shows both his son and his son-in-law as named Robert Cooper; the latest showed his brother-in-law as the late Robert Cooper. None of the wills refers to the loans on Nevis and LBS cannot determine with confidence which of the three was the lender.

Common Records 1794-1797, British Library, EAP794/1/1/25, https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP794-1-1-25 pp. 255-287.

1. Will of Robert Cooper of Market Place Salisbury, proved 09/07/1778, PROB 11/1043/282; will of Robert Cooper Linen draper of Salisbury proved 26/01/1786,PROB 11/1137/290; and will of Robert Cooper of Salisbury proved 07/02/1799 PROB 11/1319/41.