Scoatney (Scott) Cooper: A Timeline

Scoatney Scott is my maternal 2x Great-Grandmother. More specifically, she is my mother’s mother’s father’s mother. Here’s what that looks like:

Scoatney Scott  →  Noah Cooper  →  Elnora Cooper  →  Mom  →  Me

For as long as I can remember seeing my mom’s Cooper-Cummings family tree, I remember seeing her name, with her husband July Cooper, right up near the top of the tree. But I’ve never really known that much about her. With another family reunion coming up this summer, I decided to see what more I could find about her life and her family.

Shared by cousin F. Davis.

I’ll use this timeline for the basic details of her life, updating it and adding links as I find more info and write more posts.

1860 or 1861, December: Scoatney is born to Solomon Scott and Cherry (??) in Hancock County, GA. This is

either just months before or less than a year after the start of the Civil War. It is likely Scoatney and her family were all enslaved at the time of her birth.

1870: Five years after the end of the Civil War and the passage of the 13th Amendment, Scoatney is now 10 years

old and living with her parents Solomon and Cherry, plus older brother Fed and younger siblings Masonia, Daniel and an unnamed baby Scott in Hancock County, GA. Her father is a farmer, her mother a house servant, and brother Fed is a field hand.

1870-1872: Scoatney's mother likely dies.

1872, November 16: Scoatney's father Solomon remarries. He weds Nelly Little in Putnam County, GA, and in

doing so, gives Scoatney a number of step-siblings.

1880: Scoatney is about 19 years old and is now married to 22-year-old July Cooper.

They are living with and working as laborers for Andrew and Silvy Tucker, an older black couple.

1884, February: Scoatney and July welcome a daughter, Mandana.

1885, September 2 or 3: Scoatney and July welcome son Flag(g). He will remain close

to home with his wife for many years, living as a farmer and Baptist preacher, but will eventually move to his daughter's home in St. Petersburg, Florida.

1887, September 29: Scoatney and July welcome son Daniel.

1889 or 1890, November 3: Scoatney and July welcome son Noah. He will later move to

Washington, DC with his family, work various labor and janitorial jobs and purchase 2 homes in the city.

1894,  January 19: Scoatney and July welcome another son to the family, Benjamin. He will later

move with his wife to Washington, DC and work various jobs, including as a janitor for an apartment building and a butler for a private home.

1899 or 1900, December 18: Scoatney and July welcome son Andrew. Scoatney is now about 40.

1902, July 19 or 29: Scoatney and July welcome son Willie. He will later become a merchant

marine and eventually settle in California.

1904, December 19: Scoatney and July welcome son James. He will eventually move to

Washington, DC.

Abt. 1906: Son Flag marries Em(m)eline Ward.

Abt. 1907: Son Daniel marries Marie Williams.

1907, September 4: Scoatney and July welcome their final child, a daughter, Julia.

1910: Scoatney and July are living with five of their children (Noah, Ben, Andrew, James and Julia).

Scoatney and the oldest children are helping July on the farm. 

Abt. 1914: Son Noah marries Nancy Thomas.

1917, June 5: Sons Daniel, Noah, and Ben register for the draft for World War I.

1917-1920: Son Benjamin marries Alice Gardner.

1918, September 12: Sons Flag(g) and Andrew are a part of the 3^rd round of draft registrations

for World War I.

1920: Scoatney and July are still farming in Burke County, though Scoatney is now listed as the

head of household. Noah and Ben are no longer in the household, but sons James, Willis and Andrew, and daughter Julia, are still in the home and helping out with the farm.

Abt. 1922: Son Andrew marries Hattie Smith.

1924, October 11: Scoatney, about 63 years old, has her will witnessed in Burke County,GA, where

she and her family live.

1926, April 1: Son Willie marries Daisy Anderson in Mecklenberg, North Carolina. He is widowed

just over 3 years later, when his wife dies of Hodgkin's Disease.

Abt. 1927: Daughter Julia marries John Hildery Davis.

1927, December 8: Scoatney's daughter Mandana (Cooper) Sheely passes away. She is buried

at home in the Cooper-Thomas Cemetery.

1930: Now about 70, Scoatney continues to live with husband July on land that they own in

Burke County, GA, with children Daniel, Andrew, Julia and their families nearby.

1932, January 26: Scoatney passes away at the age of about 72. She is buried at home in the

Cooper-ThomasCemetery in Gough, Burke County, GA.