Charles Cooper
Note: I am including all these attachments to emphasize how careful
Charles was about keeping his house in order. He has even
preserved the receipt he received from the Department of Education,
dated 1921, for the $1.00 he paid for the certificate he received.
Draw your own conclusions.
Charles Cooper was born in Ontario on Sept 1, 1867, to John
Cooper and Agnes Ross. He grew up in the Hanover district.
At some point in his early life he decided to become a teacher. In July, 1888 at Walkerton, ON he wrote and passed Non
Professional Examinations. In December he was issued a Third Class Certificate, which gave him authority to teach for three years.
He subsequently took training in Owen Sound Normal School. In
1891 he passed the Junior Leaving Examinations, and in 1892 he
successfully passed the Senior Leaving Examination held at Owen Sound.
On December 31, 1892 he received the Public School Teacher's
Second-Class Certificate of Qualification as a Public School Teacher.
He taught for several years in a Public School and in November, 1895 he received
the following letter of recommendation from his Inspector.
P.S. Inspector's Office
Watford, Nov 8th/95
This certifies that the Bearer Mr
Chas Cooper has taught a number of years in my inspectoral division
with eminent success. In my official visits I always found the
classes in a very satisfactory condition and the results of
Examinations for Promotion, High School Entrance and Public School
Leaving have been very creditable.
Mr. Cooper is a good disciplinarian
controlling his classes without severity and at the same time
preserving the best of order. He is an Excellent Teacher in all
Departments of P. S. work and I can heartily recommend him to the
favorable notice of all our Educational Authorities.
Signed
(undecipherable) (see an image of the original)
P.S. Inspector
Charles came west and in 1898 and taught, on probation, for a year and
was then granted an Interim Certificate (Second Class) and was
authorized to teach in any Public School in the North-West Territories.
In the fall of 1901 he applied for a permanent certificate, but because
his school had been inspected only once, his Interim Certificate
was extended until the end of 1902. At that time he said that he
had been farming and had taught only as a substitute for a few weeks.
Charles was a farmer and teacher in the Wordsworth District for the next several years.
In 1910 Charles purchased from Mr. John Newman Davies a parcel of land
described as Section 11, Township 6, Range 3, West of the Second
Meridian.
The price of the land was $1 688.40. The amount owing to the
Department of the Interior was a further $8.00 per acre, or a total of
$4 867.30. When Charles took over there was owing on the
principal a total of $4 348.05.
At the time of the signing of the agreement, Charles bought the land,
buildings, and also 5 horses, 2 cows, one calf, 1 buggy, 2 double sets
of harness, one single set of harness, 1 mower, 1 plow, and one Bell
piano. The ten year terms with the Department of
the Interior called for a payment of $640.00 per year for
ten years. In the fall of 1912 Charles was able to make a payment
of $500.00. Grain prices had been fair, but flax was $.40 per
bushel. Prices didn't improve and Charles was not able to make
any further payments until 1915, when he sent a bank draft for
$400.00. The next payment recorded was in 1917 when he was able
to send $300.00. No payment was made in 1918. A payment of
$300.00 was made in 1919, and he was again granted an extension of the
time to complete the payments. In 1923 he sent another $437.00,
and in 1924 he made 3 payments of $150.00 each. In September 1925
he sent another $846.00 and he was told his interest in the land would
be protected pending receipt of a reasonable payment. He made two
more payments and in 1928 he received word that his aunt Jane Cooper in
Scotland had died and that she had left to him the sum of 272 pounds
sterling. He immediately forwarded the total amount to the
Department of the Interior. No further notices of payment due
were recorded, so this money, plus whatever he was able to give from
farm produce completed payments on the farm.
Charles was plagued by arthritis, and found working
the farm very difficult. In 1921, Charles applied to have his
teaching certificate reinstated. Accordingly, he was awarded an
Interim Second Class Certificate. He taught at the original
Green Hill School in 1922, and, following a fire which destroyed the old
school, he taught in the new school, built on the SW corner of Section
13, Township 6, Range 3, West of the second meridian until 1925.
Charles became increasingly disabled by arthritis. He died on
Sept 1, (his birthday), 1934, and is buried in the cemetery at Alameda,
SK. Why there, when he was an active member on Moose Creek United
Church? Grandma Cooper told me she buried him there at his
request. He said, of Moose Creek cemetery, "I don't want
to be buried in that slough!".
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