William and Sarah Cooper came to South Africa on board the Lady Kennaway, arriving at East
London on 20 November 1858. They were part of a special voyage bringing 153 Irish
females to British Kaffraria -- commonly known as the "Kennaway Girls".
William Cooper's place of origin was officially designated as Essex. He was a carpenter by trade. Both
he and his wife were 23 years of age at the time of their arrival. Sarah's maiden name was Everest. They
had two children: Eliza (aged 2) and Ruth (still a baby in arms).
Eliza would eventually marry Worthy Orchard Carter, and moved to Cape Town. They had six daughters,
the eldest of whom came to own the Kirstenbosch Tea Garden in the early 1930s. The next was a
Botanical Artist for UCT working at Kirstenbosch.
The third died of diphtheria, while the fourth became a teacher in Cape Town. None of the four eldest
married. The youngest two migrated to Rhodesia, married and died up there.
