Genealogy
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the Association's establishment, growing enthusiasm for the history
of the family has resulted in more lines being completed by those
eager to find and record their connection with the lines in THE COOLEY
GENEALOGY.
One function of the Association is to be a repository for new information about the family. Its records and files have grown steadily with data not found in THE COOLEY GENEALOGY. THE COOLEY GENEALOGY, completed and published by Dean Cooley in 1941, is a work recording all of the information which Dean Cooley had accumulated in almost sixty years. In 1943 the unsold copies of the book were donated to the Association; all of those copies have been sold to individuals or placed in libraries. The main section of THE COOLEY GENEALOGY records the descendants of Benjamin Cooley, who settled in Longmeadow, Massachusetts circa 1640. A reprint of the book was prepared in 1988, and all of the reprints have been sold. Other Cooley immigrant lines have been documented as part of the Association records. Cornelius Coele of Holland settled in New York state; his descendants in Pennsylvania spelled their name Cooley and Colley. Samuel Coley was one of the first settlers of Milford, Connecticut. Peter Cooley sailed from London with his three sons and settled in Virginia just prior to the Revolution. Abraham Cooley came to New York State about 1780, and having "visited relatives" moved to North Carolina and later to Virginia. Various spellings are numerous; public records include variations such as Coley, Colley, Cully, Culy, and MacKilcooley, all stemming from the Gaelic ancestral clan MacGiollachuille. The COOLEY ASSOCIATION is concerned about all individuals with a Cooley name in their pedigree. A Member’s Search for his Roots William Warren Cooley, a descendant of the immigrant ancestor Benjamin Cooley, journeyed to England and Ireland recently to study firsthand the Cooley connections in the British Isles. He has documented his travels in this 6-minute video. A broadband connection is required to view this fascinating documentary. Bill can be reached at coolbill2@comcast.net. If you are unable to view the video below you may also watch it HERE.
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