There are so many "coincidences" that statisticians would report a high probability that Thadeus and Abraham are linked by family. Evidence seems compelling.
This plan is laid down from a scale of forty chains to an inch. Signature of Stephen Reeder & Josua Hains - S.C.C. This plan represents a tract of land surveyed for Abraham Cooley on the waters of Tom's Creek, beginning at a Black Oak on the West side of a branch, and runs south fifty chains to a Black Oak thence North fifty chains to a Spanish Oak, thence West fifty seven chains to the Beginning Containing four hundred acres. Surveyed December the thirteenth one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine. Signed James Mathews
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Montgomery Co, VA; Stephen Reeder 3-29-1785 assigned by - to Thadeus Cooley 150 acres SW side his land Adventutes III-1. http://www.rader.org/wythe.htm
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Page 125 (Wythe Co, VA Will Book 1)
WILL OF THADEUS COOLEY
October 20, 1814
Wife: Elizabeth
Rachel Grayson, Hannah Simpson, Polly Hardy, Elizabeth Cooley, Julia Hutsell, [these appear to be all daughters of Thadeus. Rachel Cooley m. William Grayson. Julia Ann Cooley m. Michael Hutsell. Polly Cooley m. Charles Hardy]
Matilda Stuart [Matilda Cooley Stuart, b. 1800 Wythe, VA likely married a Stuart before later married John Snodgrass, they lived Jessamine Co, KY 1820, moved to Fayette Co, IN with Thadeus' son John Cooley & wife Martha Snodgrass (sister of John Snodgrass) c.1823]
GD: Cathy Cooley d/o Daniel Cooley dec'd, Tucker Cooley, Sally Cooley [grandchildren of Thadeus': (John) Tucker Cooley and Sally Cooley, children of Daniel Cooley who d. 1812 in Grayson Co. Abraham Cooley's son Benjamin F Cooley on jury that reviewed Last Will of Daniel May 1812]
Sons: John, Joseph [John Cooley m. Martha Snodgrass c1808 Montgomery Co, VA]
GS: Reuben Cooley [grandson of Thadeus, same Reuben Cooley that lived in Jessamine Co, KY, son of Reuben Cooley Sr. b. c1769 Montgomery Co, VA d. Mercer Co, KY 1795 - eldest son of Thadeus listed VA tax lists 1790]
Daughter: Betsy Cooley
Exec: Joseph Cooley, son [youngest son of Thadeus] m. Sally Ragsdale 1815. He lived next to John Cooley family 1820 in Wythe Co, before John moved to IN c.1823]
Witnesses: Joseph Evans, Lewis Hutsell (0), Josiah Reeder [likely relative of Sarah Reeder, wife of Abraham Cooley]
Sec: Joseph Evans, John Boring
Recorded: December 13, 1814 Jacob T. Fishback, DC
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THE COOLEY FAMILY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
DEAN MORTIMER E COOLEY, FOUNDER
Mrs Richard Rust Robert M Willis, mem
No 9A Ev Papachristojorou Rt 1, Box 1
Ayu Omoloyites Ironton, Ohio 45638
Nicosia, Cyprus
Dear Mrs Rust,
In answer to your most welcome letter, I received today, I am also a descendant of ? Coal Creek, Carroll County, Virginia; Peter Cooley son of Abraham Cooley and Sarah Reeder Cooley.
This information copied from a letter dated July 27, 1934, written by Julia Worrell Gowdy, of Pleasant Hill, Missouri.
Abraham Cooley, was an Englishman, crossed the ocean to America when comparatively a young man. His wife was of French descent. Her name was Sarah Reeder. They came to New York, grandfather Benjamin Franklin Cooley was 7 years old when they moved from New York to North Carolina. They remained there five years and then moved to Virginia, grandfather Benjamin Franklin Cooley was about 12 years old when he came to Virginia and lived there all the rest of his life.
The names of the parents of Abraham Cooley; dates of his marriage and death had not been established in 1960. Using the above slip date (to figure from birth date of his son Benjamin Franklin Cooley (Aug 24, 1774) we find this picture.
Abraham Cooley and Sarah Reeder his wife came to New York (date uncertain) but moved from New York to North Carolina in 1781. On Oct 13, 1783 he was granted 400 acres in Surry County, NC - Which he and his wife Sarah conveyed to Henry Burchum on Mar 20, 1786, Deed Book F, page 32. It would be about this time they moved to Virginia.
Abraham Cooley was buried in an old field cemetery about 1/8 mile So of US 58 on the bank of Crooked Creek near Woodlawn, Carroll Co, Virginia....
-----Original Message-----
From: jpclauss <jpclauss@aol.com>
To: michael <michael@newsummer.com>
Sent: Sat, Feb 4, 2012 11:41 pm
Subject: Thadeus and Abraham Cooley, possible brothers
Michael,
I found additional evidence that seems to link Thadeus and Abraham Cooley.
A book on civil war includes letters from a private John T Cooley writing to his cousin Julia Ann (Cooley) Price in 1864. Julia Ann Cooley Price was the daughter of Benjamin F Cooley, Abraham's son. Pvt John T Cooley was the son of John Tucker Cooley Sr, who was the son of Daniel Cooley, son of Thadeus (listed as Tucker Cooley, son of Daniel in Thadeus' 1814 will). I found another posting indicating Daniel's children were John Tucker and Sally Cooley (below), which also supports John Tucker as son of Daniel. John Tucker Sr. lived his life in Wythe and Tazewell Counties, near to descendents of Thadeus. Abraham and his children lived in Grayson and Carroll Counties.
Given this info, the letters seem to provide strong evidence that Thadeus and Abraham were brothers.
Regards
John
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2. DAVID2 COLLINS (DAVID1) was born Abt. 1787 in Montgomery Co., Va., and died March 1866 in Wythe Co., Va. He married ELIZABETH STEPHENS Bef. 1815.
Notes for DAVID COLLINS:Listed in Wythe Co. census records 1820/30/40/50/60 1831 Mar 15: David and Elizabeth sold land in Montgomery Co., Stoney Creek on Main Rd. 1832 Mar 6: David and Elizabeth sold land in Montgomery Co. (formerly owned by David Collins)
Notes for ELIZABETH STEPHENS: She was the widow of Daniel Cooley (son of Thaddeus Cooley) and mother of 2 children, John Tucker and Sally Cooley) when she married David Collins.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/l/u/n/Susan-Lundy/GENE7-0002.html