Richard Joshua Cooper (18 July 1860 – 13 May 1938) was an Irish-born army officer and local politician.
He was the second son of Colonel Rt. Hon. Edward Henry Cooper (1827-1902), an officer in the Grenadier Guards and member of parliament for Sligo and his wife Charlotte Maria nee Mills.
Cooper was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1880, fighting in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882. When the Irish Guards were formed in 1900, Cooper transferred to the new regiment. By the time of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 he had reached the rank of colonel. He was promoted to Brigadier-General, commanding the 29th Infantry Brigade during the Gallipoli Campaign.
He married Constance Mary Grant-Thorold in 1904. The couple had no children.
He was elected to the London County Council at a by-election on 13 May 1912 as a Municipal Reform Party councillor representing Islington North. He was re-elected at the council elections in March 1913. Elections were suspended for the duration of the First World War. When elections resumed in 1919 new electoral boundaries were used: Cooper was elected as a councillor for Westminster St George's. He held the seat three years layer and stood down from the county council at the 1925 election.
Cooper is mentioned in Peter Hart’s book ‘Gallipoli’ where he states “Many wounded were without jackets or distinguishing clothing but a orderly called my attention to the fact that one man far back in the queue was a Brigadier-General. At the time I didn’t know his name but later learned it was Brigadier-General Cooper (29th Brigade). His arm was shattered and in a tourniquet. I told him I had not known sooner who he was and offered to get him quickly to the pier. He asked me how many were in front and how long he would normally have to wait. I told him ‘Hundreds!’ And probably over 24 hours’ wait. He said firmly that I was to give him no advantage and everyone in front must me moved before him’
References[]
- Darryl Lundy. Person Page - 37394. The Peerage: A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain as well as the royal families of Europe.