A Brief History of John Cooper 1825-1960
Mr John Cooper of ST LUKE London started out as a skilled watch maker, but then in 1825 aged 19 years he decided to have a change of career and went into taxidermy. In his early years he preserved and mounted many taxidermy birds, fish and mammals.
In 1850 his first son also named JOHN COOPER started to work in the family business. This is when the stuffed fish started to become in very high demand.
In 1872 John Cooper Jr was only 10 years old and working full time within the family business, when John Cooper Senior became to ill to continue working and John Cooper Jr took over the business. Sadly John Cooper Sr passed away in September 1872. Thus John Cooper Jr became John Cooper Sr.
In 1880 John Cooper sons joined the very prolific family business. The sons names were John Cooper Jr and Frederick Cooper. Sadly J Cooper died in 1916 leaving the ever enlarging work load to his sons. Demand started to decrease in 1933 and the sons thought about closing the door on the family business, then by chance they found a very gifted taxidermists of the name of W.B.GRIGGS who took the company over and carried on the business using the same name, J.COOPER AND SONS still from 28 Radnor street
Then in 1935 W.B.GRIGGS moved the taxidermy company to 78 BATH ROAD HOUSLOW MIDDX. this is where he taught his son Len Griggs the taxiderny game.
Jack Opie Carp
In September 1954 Mr Jack Opie had just arrived with his fishing companions Gerry and May Berth-Jones to find the Kefford brothers, Dick and Harry, leaving after a week-long session on the now famous pool. Opie asked Harry Kefford for permission to cast out into Redmire’s Willow Pitch where he had been fishing all that week and alas with no success. As Jack Opie helped the Kefford brothers to load up their car, his buzzer sounded and after a long drawn out fight the 27lbs 5ozs fish was safely netted. The following morning Gerry Berth-Jones asked the then Redmire owner Colonel Maclean if Opie could take the carp away to be mounted which he granted. The carp was taken to London and mounted by J cooper & Sons 78 Bath Road Hounslow.
In 1953 W.B.Griggs had passed away and his son L. Griggs carried on the business until 1960.
