William B. Cooper

William Barkley Cooper (born December 16, 1771 in Laurel , Delaware Colony , † April 27, 1849 ibid) was an American politician and governor of the state of Delaware from 1841 to 1845 .

Early years and political advancement

Little is known about Cooper's school education. Due to his later appointment as a judge, however, he must have studied law. At a young age he was a member of the militia of his state and made it up to captain. Between 1797 and 1805 he was a Justice of the Peace in Sussex County . There he also worked as a sheriff for a few years. From 1816 to 1817, Cooper was a member of the House of Representatives from Delaware . He was then a judge at an appeals court between 1817 and 1829. Politically, he was originally a member of the Federalist Party . After they broke up, he joined the Whig Party . In 1840 he was elected as their candidate for the new governor of his state.

Governor of Delaware and further résumé

William Cooper began his four-year term on January 19, 1841. During this time, Delaware was incorporated into the Fourth Federal Judicial District. His term of office was relatively calm and uneventful. After his term in office he was not allowed to run again because of a constitutional clause. Therefore, he had to leave office on January 21, 1845. After that, Cooper withdrew from politics. He later oversaw a project on Broad Creek in Sussex County. William Cooper died in April 1849. He was married three times and had one son. His brother Thomas (1764-1829) represented the State of Delaware in the US House of Representatives between 1813 and 1817 .

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 1, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• William Cooper of the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Delaware (English)
• William B. Cooper in the database of Find a Grave (English)