Early Black History in Tottenville
Part I The Cooley Family
An African American community of families settled in the Tottenville area as early as 1830, but it was not until 2009 that their story came to light. In Chapter 3 of Tottenville, the Town the Oyster Built, Barnett Shepherd introduces the Cooley family — Philip and Eliza Cooley, African Americans from Gloucester County, Virginia — as follows:
One of the early families to settle in the emerging town of Tottenville was that of Philip and Eliza Cooley, African Americans from Gloucester County, Virginia. Philip Cooley (“Cooler” is a spelling also used) was an oysterman. He married Eliza Morris (1805-1884) while in Virginia. Eliza had purchased Philip’s freedom. As free blacks they could not remain in Virginia and relocated with their children to Staten Island. Abraham Cole Totten, the sea captain, who sailed often to Virginia and Maryland for oyster seed, must have encouraged them to locate on Staten Island, because on June 7, 1830, he sold Philip 22 acres.
Philip filed copies of his freedom papers in the County Clerk’s Office on Staten Island. This made it impossible for anyone to consider him a runaway slave.
"Certificate of Emancipation of Philip Cooler. 1830. No. 131. Philip Cooler, a tawny colored man, 35 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches high, having a scar on the back of his right wrist, one on the back of his right hand, and a small one over his right eye, and emancipated by Eliza Morris by deed recorded in Gloucester County court is registered in the office of Gloucester County, April, 1830.
The register of Philip Cooler, a person of color was examined by court and found to be truly made.”