Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Cooper, Daniel
COOPER, DANIEL (1817?–1842), naturalist, was born about 1817, being the second son of John Thomas Cooper, the chemist. He was educated for the medical profession, and while still a lad showed great love of natural history, particularly botany and conchology. He took an active part in establishing the Botanical Society of London, of which he became first curator, his duties being to receive and distribute the dried plants among the members. At this time he was an assistant in the zoological department of the British Museum, but had employed his leisure hours in compiling his ‘Flora Metropolitana,’ much being due to his own observations. This work contains a list of the land and fresh water shells round London, which was also separately issued. The next year, 1837, a supplement to his ‘Flora’ was published, the wrapper containing announcements of his botanical classes and sets of his shells, to be had at his address, 82 Blackfriars Road. In 1840 he exhibited some ferns from Settle, Yorkshire, at the Linnean Society, of which society he was an associate. With Mr. Busk he began the ‘Microscopic Journal,’ and edited a new edition of Bingley's ‘Useful Knowledge.’
Shortly after this he gave up lecturing on botany and entered the army at Chatham; then being attached to the 17th lancers, he joined his regiment at Leeds as assistant-surgeon, but died two months afterwards, 24 Nov. 1842, at the early age of twenty-five. He was buried with military honours at Quarry Hill cemetery, Leeds.
[Proc. Linn. Soc. i. 52, 173; Gent. Mag. new ser. xix. (1843), 108; Roy. Soc. Cat. Sci. Papers, ii. 41.]