Coppelay History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsEtymology of CoppelayWhat does the name Coppelay mean? The ancestors of the bearers of the Coppelay family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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 Coppelay 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 Coppelay familyThe surname Coppelay 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 Coppelay familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coppelay 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 Coppelay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Coppelay Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Coppelay include Copley, Coppley, Copply, Coply and others. Early Notables of the Coppelay familyNotables 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... Migration of the Coppelay family to IrelandSome of the Coppelay 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. Migration of the Coppelay familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Coppelay or a variant listed above: James Copley who settled in Virginia in 1635; and Thomas Copley, who came to Maryland in 1636.
|