Charles Alfred Cooper
{{Short description|English newspaper editor and author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Charles Alfred Cooper
| image = Charles Alfred Cooper (1829–1916).png
| alt =
| caption = In The Sketch, 9 January 1901
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1829|09|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Hull, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1916|04|14|1829|09|16|df=yes}}
| death_place = Bournemouth, England
| burial_place = Dean Cemetery
| occupation = Journalist, writer
| awards =
| spouse = {{Marriage|Susannah Towers|1852|1887|end=d.}}
| children =
| education =
| signature =
| party =
}}
File:14,15,16 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh.jpg
Charles Alfred Cooper FRSE LLD (16 September 1829 – 14 April 1916) was an English newspaper editor and author. In 1894 he co-founded the Walter Scott Club.{{Cite web|url=http://www.walterscottclub.com/1894-charles-a-cooper|title=1894 Charles A. Cooper|publisher=The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club|language=en|access-date=2019-06-17}}
Life
File:The grave of Charles Alfred Cooper, Dean Cemetery.JPG
He was born in Hull on 16 September 1829, the son of Charles Cooper, an architect in Hull. He attended Hull Grammar School.{{Cite book |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |title=Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 |access-date=2023-11-21 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead |page=202}}
Initially working as a journalist for the Hull Advertiser he rose to be its Sub-editor and Manager. In 1861, he became a political correspondent working at the House of Commons for the Morning Star. In 1868, he resigned his position to become Assistant Editor to Alexander Russel in The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. When Russel died in 1876, the editorship was taken by Rev Dr Robert Wallace and on his retiral in 1880 Cooper was placed as editor.Leith Observer 22.4.1916 He served as editor for 25 years, until retiring in 1906 (aged 76) to be replaced by John Pettigrew Croal.The Scotsman, obituary 16 April 1916
During his period as editor he lived at 15 Charlotte Square, one of Edinburgh's most prestigious addresses.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directories 1888 onwards
In 1890, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh his proposers including Alexander Crum Brown, Sir Arthur Mitchell and John McLaren, Lord McLaren. The University of Edinburgh awarded him a Doctor of Letters (LLD) in 1907.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/makingofmodernyo00fletiala/page/281/mode/1up |title=The Making of Modern Yorkshire, 1750–1914 |first=J. S. |last=Fletcher |publisher=George Allen & Unwin |place=London |page=279 |date=1918 |access-date=2023-11-21 |via=Internet Archive}}
He died in Bournemouth on 14 April 1916.{{Cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000164/19160417/014/0002 |title=Death of Prominent Journalist |newspaper=Dundee Courier |page=2 |date=17 April 1916 |access-date=2023-11-21 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription}}
He is buried in Dean Cemetery in western Edinburgh with his wife Susanna, who had died in 1887, and two of their sons: Frank Towers Cooper KC (1883–1915) and James Cooper (1866–1929). The grave lies on the north wall of the first north extension.
Publications
- Letters on Egypt (1891)
- Letters on South Africa (1895)
- An Editor's Retrospect (1896) (an autobiography)
Family
In 1852, he married Susannah Towers, who died in 1887.
Their son F T Cooper KC died in 1915.Leith Observer 22.4.1916
References
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