Benjamin Cooper born to William Cooper / Rachel Head in 1854/5 in Cinderford although no trace of his birth can be found in the Registrars office. Married Eva Shepherd in 1879 and died at an early age (42) in 1896 a few days before his last son Tom was born.Thought to have been buried in St Johns Church, Cinderford.

Eva Shepherd, born to William Shepherd / Sarah Watkins in Abbenhall, Married Benjamin Cooper in 1879, moved up north (Yorkshire, Goldthorpe / Thurscoe) after Benjamin died (1896) in the early 1900's and was married for a second time to William Bowen father to Ethel Bowen who was married to her son Tom.

Informant to the registrar on his death was William Peake (brother in law), he was married to Catherine Alice Shepherd, Eva's sister, also living in Greenbottom at the time.

Benjamin Cooper could be born to one of two families, both families lived in Littledean Woodside during the period 1852-1854 and had further children after Benjamin.

The only other chance of finding more details is from a family source that said that Benjamin Cooper (#1) was born in Abergaveny, Gwent, but this differs from a number of census records that show him living with William Cooper / Rachel Head, and place of birth as East Dean.

Further Details
http://www.btinternet.com/~wysis/bencpp.htm

1881 Cinderford Bridge
William Cooper abt 1817 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Head Westbury on Severn - East Dean Gloucestershire
Rachel Cooper abt 1823 Sevenhampton, Wiltshire, England Wife Westbury on Severn - East Dean Gloucestershire
Charlie Cooper abt 1868 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Son Westbury on Severn - East Dean Gloucestershire
Elizabeth Jones abt 1877 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Granddaughter Westbury on Severn - East Dean Gloucestershire

1871 Ruspidge
William Cooper abt 1817 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Rachel Cooper abt 1824 Wiltshire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Benjamin Cooper abt 1855 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Charlie Cooper abt 1868 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
John Cooper abt 1860 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Lilla Cooper abt 1853 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Rachel Cooper abt 1863 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
William Cooper abt 1857 Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire

1861 Cinderford
William Cooper abt 1817 Eastham, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Rachel Cooper abt 1823 Swenhampton, Wiltshire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
William Cooper abt 1858 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Benjamin Cooper abt 1855 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
John Cooper abt 1860 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Lilla Cooper abt 1853 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Sarah Cooper abt 1846 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

next door

Benjamin Cooper abt 1819 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Susan Cooper abt 1820 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Frederick Cooper abt 1853 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Llewellin Cooper abt 1856 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Mary Cooper abt 1851 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Susan Cooper abt 1859 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Tom Cooper abt 1861 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire

1851 Woodside ( around Cinderford Iron Works / Bilson)
William Cooper abt 1818 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Rachel Cooper abt 1812 Highworth, Wiltshire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Samuel Cooper abt 1850 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Son East Dean Gloucestershire
Sarah Cooper abt 1846 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

Mariage
Name: Rachel Head
Name: William Cooper
Year of Registration: 1843
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Westbury On Severn
County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 11
Page: 599

Theer are a few William Cooper "suspects" in the 1841 but none a "strong enough" match so far ...

Possible, which would indicate a Non-conformist family which is why you are probably having difficulty with the BMD registrations around 1855 ( not compulsory then )

WILLIAM COOPER
--------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth: 28 JUL 1817
Christening: 15 FEB 1818 Independent-Nc, Little Dean, Gloucester, England
-----------------------------------------------------------
Parents:
Father: JOHN COOPER
Mother: MARY
--------------------------------------------------------------
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.
The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
C036141 1803 - 1837 0595449 (RG4 766) Film 6911875 Film

This Wiltshire HEAD family is in the East Dean area from approx 1850, could easily be related to Rachel. Perhaps her Brother /a Cousin ? moved to the Forest in late 1840's or 1850.

1851
Martha Head abt 1811 Oshburgh, Berkshire, England Head Little Dean Gloucestershire
Esther Head abt 1850 Little Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Little Dean Gloucestershire
Henry Head abt 1843 Swindon, Wiltshire, England Son Little Dean Gloucestershire
John Head abt 1846 Upper Shatton, Wiltshire, England Son Little Dean Gloucestershire
Sarah Head abt 1848 Upper Shatton, Wiltshire, England Daughter Little Dean Gloucestershire
William Head abt 1844 Upper Shatton, Wiltshire, England Son Little Dean Gloucestershire

1871 Green Bottom
William Sheppard abt 1823 Cookum, Berkshire, England Head East Dean Gloucestershire
Sarah Sheppard abt 1833 Shirenewton, Monmouthshire, Wales Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Catherine Sheppard abt 1861 Greenbotton E Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Eva Sheppard abt 1859 Greenbotton E Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Martha Jane Sheppard abt 1858 Greenbotton E Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

1861 Green Bottom
William Shappard abt 1822 Cookham, Gloucestershire, England Head East Dean Paper Maker
Sarah Shappard abt 1829 Chepstow, Gloucestershire, England Wife East Dean Gloucestershire
Alice Shappard abt 1860 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Eva Shappard abt 1859 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire
Martha Jane Shappard abt 1857 East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter East Dean Gloucestershire

William is described as a Paper Maker - Gunn's Mill springs to mind as a possible connection.

Thanks for the assistance with my research, Griffith Cooper / Margaret Woolford are the parents of William Cooper. You are quite correct that Williams wife was Rachel Head, I have not followed the Head line yet but the details you have found match what information I have so far.

William Shepherd (often with different spellings) met Sarah Watkins I suspect at Guns Mill as William was a papermaker and Sarah a domestic at Guns Mill (from the census) so you would be quite correct with your assumption.

The problem I have with my research at present is I am not 100% sure of the parents of Benjamin Cooper my Great Grandfather. According to his marriage certificate William and Sarah are listed as his parents but I have been unable to find his birth certificate. I have all the birth certificates of his brothers and sisters but cant find his. Sources in the family have told me that thee is a Welsh connection and possibly Abergavenny, with this in mind I applied to the Pontypool registrar but nothing was found. What confuses the issue is that another Benjamin Cooper was born in the same year to Williams cousin but I have never found the two on the same census year? Thanks for your help, Richard

Sorry an error in para 3 of my last e-mail William / Sarah should of course read William / Rachel