William Cooper, a Utah pioneer, was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England on November 10, 1820 to William Cooper and Hannah Mee. He had a happy childhood and was well educated for one of the working class. He continued to get more education after his marriage by attending night classes. In his youth he was active in the Methodist church as a local preacher. He was also a good singer and was a choir director. He earned his living as a boat gauger. He measured how much of a boat on the canal remained above water before it was loaded with coal from the mine, then measured it again after it was loaded. In this way the weight of the load for each boat was estimated.

On 21 July 1843 he married Millizzer Robinson, daughter of Samuel Robinson and Mary Price, who worked in the mills of Notts. Twelve children were born to them - nine lived to maturity. They are John, William (died at 4 years), William, Annie C. (Warrilow), Orson P., Eliza Snow (Parkin), Heber K., Sariah (Hartley), Joseph Samuel (died at 4 years), Catherine (Holbrook), Ruth (died September 1862 on the plains), Mary Rebecca (Robinson). They were all born in England except the last two.

In 1848 William and Millizzer joined the L.D.S. Church. The Methodist minister was quite upset at losing these active members and the family was subject to much persecution. One of the children, Orson, had to be taken out of school because of the cruel treatment he received due to his new faith. William Cooper was active in helping the missionaries with singing and preaching at their meetings and was appointed Branch President before he left England.

On 14 May 1862 William and Millizzer and their eight children left England aboard the William Tapscot, with Captain J. B. Bell. There were 807 Saints aboard, which were divided into two wards. William presided over one of them. While still docked at Liverpool, a storm arose and the ship was grounded on a sandbar. All passengers had to throw all unnecessary baggage overboard in order to lighten the ship. We think they had to throw out many cherished articles and their family records. They were six weeks on the ocean. Each family did their own cooking on a big stove on the top deck. Sea biscuits and salt park was regular fare. Split pea soup and potatoes were an occasional treat and each person was allowed a certain amount of soda and sweet crackers.

Once there was a terrible storm that lasted for three days. On the second day the captain went below to explain the seriousness of the situation and requested the Saints to pray. He said he hadn't lost a Mormon yet. Different members led in prayer and the captain was sure their lives would be spared. Upon their arrival in New York they took the train to the Mississippi River, then rode a flat boat up the river. When they were on the train they were fired upon by Union Soldiers who thought the train had Confederate soldiers and supplies on board. When they discovered they were Mormons, they let them proceed. They waited six weeks in Florence, Nebraska and were met by ox-teams arriving form Utah. Two large-sized families were assigned to each wagon, which meant anyone able to walk the distance to Utah was expected to do so. William Gibson was in charge of their wagon. William and Millizzer's daughter Ruth was born, but only lived three weeks as Millizzer was unable to nurse her.

They arrived in the Valley October 1862 and spent the first winter in part of the Robert Telford house in West Bountiful. The next spring they purchased land around the Five Points area and built a log cabin. Later this cabin was placed on the grounds of the original Bountiful Second Ward and used as a relic museum for the Kimball Camp of DUP. It is now on the grounds behind the Wilford Wood Museum and badly in need of restoration.

William and his two oldest sons did various kinds of manual labor, such as digging ditches or construction work. William was not very robust and found it very hard to adjust to the trying circumstances of pioneer life. He was able to teach night school in South Bountiful and was paid almost entirely with produce.

In October 1868, six years after his arrival, William succumbed to sickness and discouragement. He is buried in the Bountiful Cemetery. Through all the change of his life, he lived and died firm in the faith of the church for which he had sacrificed so much.