Joshua Cooper (died 1757)

Joshua Cooper (c. 1696 – 4 August 1757)[1] was an Irish landowner and politician from Markree Castle, near Collooney in County Sligo.

He was High Sheriff of Sligo in 1718,[2] and sat in the House of Commons of Ireland as Member of Parliament (MP) for Sligo County from 1719 until his death.[3]

Cooper was the oldest son of Arthur Cooper (1667–1693) of Markree and his wife Mary Allen, daughter of Sir Joshua Allen and brother of the 1st Viscount Allen. Arthur's father was Edward Cooper (c. 1616–1676), a cornet in the Cromwellian army who was awarded lands in County Sligo in 1663 after the defeat of the O'Brien Clan. Edward bequeathed Markree to Arthur, and his lands in Limerick and Kerry to Arthur's younger brother Richard.[4][5]

Joshua Cooper married Mary Bingham, the daughter of Richard Bingham of Newbrook, County Mayo. They had two sons, Joshua (1732–1800) and Richard.[4] On his death, the Markree estate passed to Joshua, who was also an MP and became a Privy Councillor.[3][4]

References

1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "IE"
2. Wood-Martin, W. G. (1892). "History of Sligo: County and Town". Dublin: Hodges Figgis. p. 497. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
3. "Biographies of Members of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800: Cooper, Josua". Ulster Historical Foundation. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
4. Burke, Sir Bernard (1871). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. Volume 1. London: Harrison. p. 277. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
5. Bell, Kate, ed. (2013). "Hidden Histories: Political/Historical Perspectives of Sligo" (PDF). Sligo LEADER Partnership Company Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by William Ormsby Chidley Coote	Member of Parliament for Sligo County 1719–1757 With: William Ormsby to 1727 Owen Wynne I 1727–37 James Wynne 1737–49 Owen Wynne II from 1749	Succeeded by Owen Wynne II Benjamin Burton