FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ADAM COOPER

Adam Cooper was born in 1845 and baptised at Defford parish church February 16. His parents were William and Sarah Cooper (née Hawker) and he was one of ten children. William was an agricultural labourer, which according to the 1861 census is how Adam and his brothers were employed.

However, on January 2 1865 Adam appears before the Worcester Sessions and is sentenced to 6 calendar months, with hard labour, for stealing a fowl and the following year again appears at the Sessions accused and convicted of stealing a gun and powder flask. This time he gets 18 calendar months with hard labour and it is during this sentence that he is admitted to the Powick Asylum. On April 9 1866 he is admitted to the Powick Asylum from the Worcester County Gaol and his condition is listed as Mania with epilepsy. 

He is returned to the County Gaol on May 8 1867 by order of the Secretary of State. The asylum records show that he was deemed safe to return to the Gaol and they had applied to the Secretary of State to do this but it seems that Adam became aware of this and escaped from the asylum by picking the lock of the ward he was in. He was eventually captured by the police a few days later in Defford, returned to the asylum but taken straight away to the County Gaol. By May 28 1867 he was back at the asylum. He had tried to hang himself, but was found and cut down barely alive, taken to the infirmary ward of the gaol where he refused to eat, threatened the prison warders and other prisoners in the ward and “generally conducted himself in the most disorderly and violent manner”. His stay at Powick was shorter this time, two months, as it was believed by the Doctors there he was “feigning his insanity”. He was returned to the County Gaol but within two weeks was again sent to an asylum. This time he was sent to Fisherton House Lunatic Asylum. 

Prior to the establishment of Broadmoor, Fisherton House Asylum outside Salisbury accepted what were described as criminal lunatics from all over the country. The criminal lunatics were housed in separate wards to the other patients. Cooper would be released from here in June 1868 by order of the Secretary of State. But by October he was back in court, summarily convicted of poaching. Followed by a conviction for housebreaking in January 1869 for which he receives 7 years penal servitude.

On May 15 1878, Adam Cooper married Jane Cull at Eckington in Worcestershire. Married life did not stop Adam’s criminal tendencies and he was continually in and out of court.  In 1897 he is found guilty of stealing broccoli and serves two calendar months with hard labour and then another three calendar months with hard labour in 1899 for stealing potatoes. As well as the cases mentioned between 1866 and 1898, he appears in court and is sentenced a further 36 times for poaching and assault.

The prisoners in convict prison lunatic asylums gives a quarterly record of each prisoner giving their surgeons remarks and their conduct. Adam Cooper is described as weak minded and his conduct fluctuates between very good, indifferent and bad. The habitual criminals register lists descriptions of individuals coming up for release from prison, Adam Cooper’s from 1904 is below.

The 1911 census suggests that Adam and Jane had ten children, five of whom have died and that they are now living in Kidderminster. It also gives his occupation as market gardener. His occupation changes regularly on public documents such as the baptismal records for his children, marriage records and the census, but on court documents he is always referred to as a labourer. His various occupations include water bailiff, market gardener and gamekeeper.

One of his daughters was Annie Lavinia married John Bosley in 1899 three weeks after she first met him.

Unfortunately, John was another career criminal with convictions ranging from theft to grievous bodily harm. He was arrested on 10th November 1899, the day after the wedding and in January 1900, John, Adam and three others stood trial for what the papers called the Kidderminster Conspiracy Case. The main charges were theft of a long list of jewellery, receiving stolen property, attempting to break into various properties and businesses with the aim to steal money and other valuables. One of the targets was Powick Asylum.

Bosley, Cooper and a third defendant were found guilty and sentenced to seven, five and three years respectively, the other two defendants were found not guilty but cautioned by the judge to beware public houses and dangerous characters.

In the 1901 census Annie can be found living in London under her maiden name working as a housemaid. The following year she marries William Henry Bossom and together they have three children, Nellie, William and Margaret. Annie dies in 1965 and is buried in Ealing and Old Brentford Cemetery, she shares her grave with her daughter Margaret and Margaret’s husband Reginald Axe.

Another of Adam’s children, James, enlists in the army on August 13 1914 this is within 10 days of Britain declaring war on Germany.  His papers give a description of him: height 5’ 8”, fresh complexion, brown eyes, light brown hair and a birthmark on his right hip. But another entry gives a true picture of him. By October the army is looking to discharge him, a letter seeking his discharge states

“He evidently only intends to draw pay etc. and make himself a nuisance and is quite useless.”

and then goes on to say

“This man has caused a great deal of trouble and owes money – bills attached”

The 1921 census shows Adam and Jane living in Kidderminster with their son William. Adam is now listed as 89 and not working. Jane dies in 1925 and Adam in 1929.

Research by Nicola Hewitt, 2023