Copeley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Copeley is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Copley Plain in Loughton, which was in Essex; in Copley Hill in Babraham, which was found in Cambridgeshire; or in Copley in Halifax, which was in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Thus, the surname Copeley belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Copeley family

The surname Copeley was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Copley. Another branch of the family was later found at Sprotborough. "The manor subsequently became the property of the Copley family, of whom Sir Godfrey built the present spacious mansion in the reign of Charles II., and whose descendant Sir Joseph Copley, Bart., is now lord." 1

"The manor [of Batley in the West Riding of Yorkshire] was for eighteen generations held by the Copley family." 1

Early History of the Copeley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Copeley research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1534, 1567, 1575, 1577, 1582, 1584, 1590, 1603, 1604, 1607, 1611, 1623, 1648, 1653, 1661, 1662, 1677, 1678, 1679, 1681, 1684, 1685, 1691, 1692, 1693, 1695, 1707 and 1709 are included under the topic Early Copeley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Copeley Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Copeley has been spelled many different ways, including Copley, Coppley, Copply, Coply and others.

Early Notables of the Copeley family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Copley of Bedingfield; Anthony Copley (1567-1607), English, Catholic supporter of Queen Elizabeth, known for his disapproval of the Jesuit meditations on martyrdom; Sir Lionel Copley (1648-1693), who arrived in America in 1692 to become the 1st Royal Governor of Maryland (1692 until...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Copeley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Copeley family to Ireland

Some of the Copeley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Copeley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Copeley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Copeley, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 2

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843