Rash's Surname Index
Notes for John COPE
Biography JOHN COPE (the surname sometimes, and always by himself, written COOPE), son of Joseph and Ann (Taylor) Cope, was born o the first day of May, 1783, in the township of East Bradford, County of Chester, and State of Pennsylvania. - The multitudinous and very respectable family of Chester County Copes are all descendants of OLIVER COPE, who came hither from
Wiltshire, England, and may peradventure have been a relative of that Sir John Cope, who commanded the British forces, in the unlucky battle of Preston Pans, in the year 1745. Oliver was among the earliest settlers that followed the fortunes of WILLIAM PENN, to the noble Province which bears his name; and
the family has been remarkable for the thrift and longevity of many of its members. An enterprising young member has recently prepared and published a RECORD of the Descendants of the first Immigrants, which affords a complete and interesting Catalogue of those who bear, or have borne, the family name,
and furnishes good evidence of the ingenuity and persevering industry of the inquisitive Author. Although the Pennsylvania Copes are generally a plain, quakerly, human people, chiefly engaged in Agriculture, and the Mechanic arts, they have nevertheless produced some of the most enlightened, enterprising and successful Merchants, of the city of Philadelphia, - as well as some of the most liberal Patrons and exemplary promoters of the Fine Arts - including that of
Horticulture and ornamental Gardening. John Cope, the subject of this brief and imperfect notice, passed his boyhood under the paternal roof, in the beautiful rural district between West Chester and the river Brandywine, where his father
carried on the business of a Maltster, in addition to the management of an excellent farm. John's early education was of the plain unpretending kind, then usual in the mediocre country schools of the vicinage; But at the age of 17 years, having manifested but little inclination to practical Agriculture, - he had the good fortune to be placed in the Westtown Boarding School - a valuable Institution of Learning, then recently established, under the auspices of the Society of Friends - with the advantage of the kind superintending
management of PHILIP and RACHEL PRICE, -the sagacious tuition of JOHN FORSYTHE, and the able training of that eminent Mathematician, ENOCH LEWIS. Here the active mind of young Cope was admirably developed, by his mathematical teachers; and he subsequently had the benefit of a course of instruction on Natural Philosophy, and the higher Mathematics, in University
of Pennsylvania, under the accomplished Prof. PATTERSON. He also availed himself of the opportunity afforded by his residence in Philadelphia, to study Nautical Astronomy, with the Latin, French and Spanish languages. His progress in these pursuits, naturally directed his attention to the business of Teaching, as a profession; and he soon contemplated engaging in that honorable calling. John was the about twenty years of age. He was in frequent correspondence with his parents and sisters, - and the style of his Letters was remarkably NAIF, frank and appropriate, - indicating a maturing mind, and the formation of independent opinions. In a letter to his father, December, 1803, in reference to Prof. PattersonLectures, he says, 'The Students in Pattersonroom are a sociable, noisy company, - but withal pretty civil, - entertaining a high opinion of Patterson; and some of them were not a little surprised, upon questioning me, to find that I had learned so much under the tuition of an obscure person (to wit, ENOCH
LEWIS!): However I am decidedly of the opinion, that - excluding Military Mathematics - LEWIS'S superior is not in this city.'Soon afterwards, John wrote to his father - 'Patterson has been applied to, by a friend of his, to
recommend a good Master to a school in Princeton. He spoke to me on the subject, and seemed desirous that I should accept the offer. I suppose he would have given me a recommendation; but I declined the chance, - as it lies out of the pale of our Society, and they want a Master immediately.'Some other
attempts were made to engage the young Scholar to take charge of Schools in Bucks County,- in situations which had been occupied by the well known Teacher and Grammarian, JOHN COMLY; those however, were declined, - and he afterwards appears to have been engaged, both in teaching school, and studying
Languages, in Philadelphia, for some 3 or 4 years. While thus employed, he wrote to his father in 1807, - 'I have more than twenty scholars, and, I am sometimes told, a tolerable reputation: Indeed, considering the number of schools, and the little exertion I make, it is strange that I do thus well. I
lately sent ADRIAN (a distinguished Mathematician of New Jersey,) a problem, and its solution, to which he has replied in a letter highly complimentary. This gives me more satisfaction than a little.'Again he wrote, 'The school is
tolerable, - and I am driving on in Nautical Astronomy. I speak French, - so that I have been sometimes taken for FLEMING (that is, a DUTCH FRENCHMAN).'At this period, John Cope mingled much with Scholars and strangers - visitors and
sojourners in the city - literary and scientific men, - among whom he was highly gratified to make the acquaintance of the younger MICHAUX, who was then engaged on his splendid work, descriptive of the FOREST TREES OF NORTH AMERICA. In the spring of 1810, Mr. Cope felt unsettled, and desirous of
seeing more the outside world. With this impression, and to promote his object, he conceived the idea of going into some kind of mercantile or trading business, with a partner, in our South Western Territories, - and stated to his fatherfamily
- I may, before a year, go to Orleans. However you will hear from me before then.'In reference to a younger Brother, he wrote thus, familiarly; I hope JOE will do well; - there are good symptoms in him. Avoiding vulgar company, - I
mean that of persons exceedingly ignorant, &c, - will be to his advantage.'John Cope then proceeded on his new enterprise, by the way of Pittsburgh, and the Ohio river to Cape Girardeau, and thence to St. Louis, - giving in his
Letters a graphic and interesting account of the journey, and the places visited. In one of his letters, while stopping at St. Louis, Mr. Cope wrote, -'The inhabitants are so different from what I have been accustomed to, that I have no society. A little answered my purpose; but that little is gone. Storekeeping is no great amusement, except for a miser; finally I had an itch for traveling; and had I means I would push my boat to extremities of the most daring adventures.'At
St. Louis, his health failed, - with threatening symptoms of hepatic and pulmonary disease. From thence, he descended the Mississippi to Natchez, the terminus of his voyage, - where he arrived the beginning of the ensuing year. Soon after his arrival, the disease became more serious, and he sank under it
on the 18th of March, 1811, in the 28th year of his age. His partner, Azariah C. Dunn, announced the melancholy result, in a letter to the father of the deceased, - adding 'I was happy to have it in my power to attend him during his sickness. He was a young man whom I much esteemed for his integrity and sound principles.'This hopeful and interesting son of Chester county - with whom the compiler of these Notes had the happiness of a personal acquaintance - was unquestionably one of the most profound and promising young Mathematician of his day; and had his life and health been spared to a mature age, he would assuredly have been ranked among the distinguished SAVONS of the Republic, - and his memory would have been deservedly and proudly treasured with that of the jewels of our ancient Bailiwick.
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Return to The Pennocks of Primitive Hall website.
The information in this database may contain errors. If you find any questionable data, or if you have something to add my findings, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the "E-MAIL" link above. Thank you!
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.21 ©2009 on 07 July 2020