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The Copley Family Line The following is based on excerpts that I transcribed from "Descendants of Thomas and Elizabeth Copley in America," by William Copley, Concord,49 High St., New Hampshire, 1981. So far, I have only added some information with respect to Hiram H. Copley (of the seventh generation). Please let me know if you have any comments or corrections. First
Generation
William Copley opens his work with the following introduction:
Unfortunately, it
recently came to this writer's attention (thanks to a vigilant reader) that
Gustave Anjou (1863-1942) has been exposed as fraud who prepared false genealogies
for wealthy clients. As a result, we can now only rely on genealogy work actually
done by William Copley subsequent to Gustave Anjou's work. Thus we must strongly
question the idea that Thomas1 Copley
descended from Adam de Copley, who died in 1070.
William's Copley's primary research and work appears to have started with Thomas1 Copley and Elizabeth1 Griswold. Thus this writer believes most of what follows is reasonably accurate. For more information about Gustave Anjou and a list of the many fraudulent family genealogies he produced, visit this web page:http://www.linkline.com/personal/xymox/fraud/fraud223.htm William Copley starts his genealogy of the Copley family on May 7, 1628, when Thomas1 married Elizabeth1 Griswold, daughter of Edward Griswold of Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Her birthdate is unknown, but it seems to have been about 1610-1614. Thomas and Elizabeth had two children, born at Skelbrook:
Second Generation Thomas1 Copley died August 18, 1634, leaving a widow with two young children and not much future in England. Since her parents and sister Sarah had emigrated to Dorchester, Mass., and then Windsor, Conn., in 1636, Elizabeth1 Copley followed suit. Her name is first mentioned in America on Sept. 17, 1650, when "widow Elizabeth Copley, and English woman," married Nathaniel Phelps in Windsor. He was born in England about 1627, the son of William Phelps. His brother Samuel married Elizabeth's sister Sarah Griswold less thatn two months later in Windsor. Nathaniel and Elizabeth1 Phelps moved to Northampton, Mass., about 1656, where they spent the rest of their lives. Elizabeth1 was the mother of six children by her second husband. Nathaniel Phelps died in Northampton 27 May 1702. Elizabeth1 (Copley) Phelps died 6 Dec. 1712 in Northampton. She was probably about 100 years old, but no source gives her age. Children of Nathaniel Phelps and Elizabeth1 (Copley) Phelps:
Thomas2
Copley (Thomas1), born 3 Sept. 1630, first appears in Northampton,
Mass., where he took the oath of fidelity in 1661. He was living in Springfield
when he marred, 15 Nov. 1672, at Westfield, Ruth Denslow. She was born 19
Sept. 1653 at Windsor, Conn., the daughter of Henry and Susanna Denslow, the
first settlers of Windsor, Conn., the daughter of Henry and Susanna Denslow,
the first settlers of Windsor Locks, according to tradition. She was twenty-three
years younger than her husband, which is evidence of the short supply of single
people on the New England frontier. We might suspect that Thomas had an earlier
wife, but there is no evidence of such a marriage.
Thomas2 lived in Westfield from 1672 to 1679, and he then moved to Suffield, Mass. (now Conn.), where he lived the rest of his life. He became one of the original grantees of land in Suffield, when 60 acres on High Street were given to him 4 Apr. 1677. On 30 Oct. 1677 he was granted a lot "15 or 16 rod broad … he building and settling on it, this being part of his allotment and the rest of his land to be made up in some other place." In 1682 he was one of thirty-four inhabitants of the town allowed to vote. From 1682 to 1703 he held a variety of town offices, including tythingman, constable, surveyor of highways, fence viewer and selectman. A real town father if there ever was one. Ruth (Denslow) Copley died 5 Oct. 1692, and Thomas2 married secondly, 25 May 1693, Ruth (Cogan) Taylor, the widow of Samuel Taylor of Springfield, whom she had married 24 June 1675. Thomas2 Copley died 29 Nov. 1712 at Northhampton, and his widow died 3 Nov. 1724. Children, all by first wife:
Third
Generation
Thomas3 Copley (Thomas2), born 28 July 1678, first appears in Suffield records in 1710, when he was listed among the dissenters from a town vote to pay a schoolmaster. He was given 5 acres of land in 1713. On 24 Oct. 1717, he married Mary Marshall at Suffield. Little is known of her background, except that she was born about 1679 and her father was John Marshall. Thomas3 carried on his father's tradition as a respected town leader. From 1714 to 1740 he was a selectman, surveyor of highways, tythingman and fence viewer. He may have had a sawmill, since the town paid him in 1735 and 1736 for "timber" and "plank." He also had a bull that was in demand, as he was paid 30 shillings for the use of it in 1740. Mary (Marshall) Copley died 15 Aug. 1751, age 72, and Thomas3 made out his will four days after. It was none too soon, as he died on Aug. 30. Children, all born in Suffield:
Fourth Generation Thomas4 Copley (Thomas3), was born 9 Jan. 1719, but we know little about his life, since he died so young. He married at Suffield, 22 Dec. 1742, Jemima Barker, daughter of Oliver and Mary Barker. She was born 18 June 1720 at Springfield, Mass. Thomas4 drowned in the Connecticut River at Hartford 15 April 1744. In 1749, Jemima Copley married Victory Sikes in Suffield. Child of Thomas4 and Jemima:
Fifth
Generation
Thomas5 Copley (Thomas4), 28 Dec. 1743, is best known to posterity for saving this branch of the family from extinction. Although his grandfather Thomas3 had but one male grandson to carry on the Copley name, Thomas5 left at least thirteen male grandsons. He lived at Suffield until about 1774, when he moved a few miles west to Granby, Conn. He married, 17 July 1765, Phenix Lane. She was born 3 Jan. 1741, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Adams) Lane. After bearing three children, she died 17 Feb. 1773 at Suffield. Thomas' second wife was Mary Holcomb, married 11 July 1774 at Granby. She was born 6 April 1749 at Simsbury, Conn., to John and Mary (Kent) Holcomb. Thomas5 died at North Granby 4 Jan. 1797, and his wife Mary died 4 Oct. 1811. Children by first wife, born Suffield:
Sixth
Generation
Ebenezer6 Copley (Thomas5), born 19 Dec. 1787, came to New York with his brother Oliver. He married, 19 Jan. 1809, Annis Alvord in Jefferson County, N.Y. She was born 9 March 1793 in Conn., daughter of Asahel Gould and Sarah (Morey) Alvord. A farmer and shoemaker, Ebenezer6 soon located in Decatur, Y.Y., near Cooperstown. Family tradition says he was drafted in the War of 1812. In 1835 he moved west with nine children and settled near Little Prairie Ronde, Cass County, Mich. He died 15 March 1841 at Volinia, Cass Co. Annis Copley died Feb. 1848 in Volinia. Children, first nine born in Decatur, N.Y.:
Seventh
Generation
Hiram Hamilton7 Copley (Ebenezer6), born 31 July 1810, married, 1839 or 1840, in Cass County, Mich., Caroline Alexander. He lived in Mendon and also near Buckley (Wexford County), Michigan. Hiram probably died around 1875. Wexford County records pertaining to Caroline Alexander-Copley, indicate she died May 28, 1882, as a widow (Book 1, pg. 30), and that she and her parents, John and Ruth Alexander, where all born Indiana. Her cause of death was listed as spinal complication, and her parents place of residence was in Gassler or Cassler, Michigan. Hiram and Caroline had a daughter they named Edith Gertrude. Edith Copley was born July 26, 1855 in Buckley, Michigan and died there on May 3, 1898. It is also believed that Edith was the first white girl born in Wexford County. Edith Gertrude Copley was married to Antoine Pierre Levi on Sept. 12, 1874 by Reverend R. Redeoff. Together, Edith and Antoine had six children. Hiram and Caroline
also must have had other children as there are a number of Copley family members
buried in the Cornell Cemetery of Wexford County, Michigan. The cemetery is
located East of Mesick on M-115 to M-37. To find it, turn left (north) on
M-37 and go to 4 Road (about 6 miles), then turn left (west) on 4 Road. The
cemetery is about 1 mile on the south side of the road, on the corner of 4
and 11 Roads. This is a view
of the cemetery entrance and this is a
view which includes the church.
Following is a list of Copley family members in the Cornell Cemetery:
Also, if one stands in front of the cemetery and looks down the road, a farm house can just be seen in the distance about one-quarter mile away. Apparently, there are also some other Copley Grave markers have been found near the house. This is what it looks like when you look down the road (the house is barely visible to the right side.
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