Dr James Riley Cotter Jr.

Brief Life History of James Riley

When Dr James Riley Cotter Jr. was born in 1763, in Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland, his father, James Riley Cotter Sr., was 23 and his mother, Ann McNees, was 24. He married Rebecca Ellis in 1788, in New Hope, Greene, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of at least 12 sons and 10 daughters. He lived in Plymouth St Andrew, Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom in 1841. He died on 30 October 1836, in Rheatown, Greene, Tennessee, United States, at the age of 73, and was buried in Rheatown, Greene, Tennessee, United States.

Photos and Memories (5)

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Family Time Line

Dr James Riley Cotter Jr.
1763–1836
Rebecca Ellis
1767–1858
Marriage: 1788
Henry Cotter
1789–1839
William Cotter Sr
1789–1865
John Cotter
1790–1829
James Riley "Buck" Cotter
1790–1844
Sarah Cotter
1790–1850
Margaret Peggy Cotter
1790–
George W Cotter
1790–1836
George Reuben Cotter
1791–1844
Mary Polly Cotter Grills
1793–1867
Abner Cotter Sr
1794–1827
Catherine Cotter
1796–
Margaret Polly Cotter
1802–1867
Samuel Cline Cotter
1805–1856
Rachel Cotter
1809–1840
Hugh Ellis Cotter
1811–1873
Nancy Cotter
1813–1847
Margaret Cotter
1813–
Abel Worth Cotter
1815–1870
Rebeckah Cotter
1818–1877
John Cotter
1819–
Catherine Cotter
1821–
Abner W Cotter
1824–1836

Sources (10)

  • James Cotter in household of William Smith, "England and Wales Census, 1841"
  • Legacy NFS Source: James Cotter Sr. - Individual or family possessions: birth-name: James Cotter Sr.
  • James Cotter, "Find A Grave Index"

Parents and Siblings

World Events (8)

1776

Thomas Jefferson's American Declaration of Independence endorsed by Congress. Colonies declare independence.

1776 · The Declaration to the King

"""At the end of the Second Continental Congress the 13 colonies came together to petition independence from King George III. With no opposing votes, the Declaration of Independence was drafted and ready for all delegates to sign on the Fourth of July 1776. While many think the Declaration was to tell the King that they were becoming independent, its true purpose was to be a formal explanation of why the Congress voted together to declare their independence from Britain. The Declaration also is home to one of the best-known sentences in the English language, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."""""""

1783 · A Free America

The Revolutionary War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris which gave the new nation boundries on which they could expand and trade with other countries without any problems.

Name Meaning

Irish (Cork): from a shortened form of Mac Coitir, earlier Mac Oitir ‘son of Oitir’, a Gaelicized form of the Old Norse personal name Óttarr (from ótti ‘fear, dread’). Old Norse Óttarr appears to have had two renderings in Gaelic, Ottar and Oitir. The former appears in Cotter, the latter in Cottier , but the record, especially of Cottier, suggests that the two names have sometimes been confused.

English: status name from Middle English coter, a technical term in the feudal system for a serf or bond tenant who held a cottage by service rather than rent, from Old English cot ‘cottage, hut’ (see Coates ) + -er agent suffix. However, in England the name is usually that of Irish immigrant families.

Possibly an Americanized form of German Kotter .

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

Story Highlight

James Cotter, Jr Story

James Cotter held a high position in the Irish government when he was kidnapped and held for ransom on a ship bound for America. It was not known if the ransom was paid because shortly after they reac …

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