"COPE COAT-OF-ARMS"

by Hazel Kraft Eilers

Arms: Argent on a chevron azure between three roses gules slipped proper as many fleurs-de-lis or, a crescent for difference. Crest: A dragon's head gules issuing from the top of a fleur-de-lis ore. Motto: Aequo adeste animo.

This Cope Armorial Bearing is ascribed to "Oliver Cope of Providence,Rhode Island" in the Register of the Order of Americans or Armorial Ancestry (1959) and cites as reference the  'Roll of Arms' 395.  compiled by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, #395.  However in the 'Roll of Arms' compiled by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, #395 is credited to "Edward Cope of Providence and Seekonk, Rhode Island by 1640, grandson of Sir Edward Cope of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England."

I found only a little material on Edward Cope.  Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (1860) merely mentions "Cope, Edward.  Providence, 1640, or probably earlier by 2 or 3 years."  In Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island (1887) he is mentioned in an item about John Throckmorton (1601-1683/4) . . . "1647 February 27.  He (now again of Providence) was granted the house and land that was Edward Cope's and that he shall either bring a discharge for the town from the creditors of said Edward Cope, or else pay into the hands of the deputies of Providence £15 in wampum at or before May 16th."

I found no mention of Oliver Cope in the Rhode Island records.  Oliver was born in Wiltshire, England about 1647 and died in Pennsylvania in June 1697.  He came to Pennsylvania about 1682/3 and had a grant of land from William Penn at "Backington" or "Blockington" on Naaman's Creek, New Castle Co., Delaware.  Futhey's History of Chester Co., Pennsylvania (1881) contains a list of landowners dated 1689 that shows Oliver Cope the owner of 250 acres.  He married Rebecca, who died in May 1728 and they had four children: Elizabeth, Ruth, William and John.  Ruth Cope married Thomas Buffington (1680-1739).  John Cope was born in 1691 and died February 14 1773.  He settled in East Bradford, PA., about 1712 and built a log house there which was still standing in 1894.  On November 30, 1721, he married Charity (Jefferies) Evans, who died about 1746.  She was the widow of John Evans and the daughter of Robert and Jane (Chandler) Jefferies.

Burke's American Familes with British Ancestry (1937), d'Angerville's Living Descendants of Blood Royal and Wurts' Magna Charta all show the ancestry of Oliver Cope.  The line is trace back to John Cope of Denshanger, Co. Northampton which he acquire in 1397, and of Hausted, Co. Buckingham.  He was Sheriff of Northampton 1378, 1396, 1400, and 1404, and Knight of the Shire 1397,1399,1402, and 1404.  He was an adherent of the House of Lancaster an died in 1415.  He married Joan, daughter and heiress of John Newenham.  She died 1435.  Their son, William Cope of Spratton married a daughter of William Gossage.  William's son Stephen had a son William who married as his first wife Agnes Harcourt.  He was born in 1450 and died in 1513  William and Agnes had a son Stephen born in 1473 who married as his first wife Ann, daughter of William Saunders, and died March 20 1534.  Their son Anthony was born in 1509 and in 1552 he married Anne, daughter of Sir Humphrey Stafford.  His will was proven April 6, 1586, and his wife was living in 1613.  Edward Cope, the son of Anthony and Anne was living in 1613 and was of Brixton, Deverill, Wiltshire.  He married Maud who died in 1635.  Their son John, who married Margaret, had a son John who married Elizabeth.  This John and Elizabeth Cope living at Avebury in 1681 were the parents of Oliver, the man who settle in Chester Co., Pennsylvania with his family.

According to Burke's American Families, Oliver Cope, the Pennsylvania settler, was the great-great grandson of Edward Cope of Brixton, Devrill, Wilts who died before 1634 and this Edward was the father of the Edward who settled in Rhode Island about 1640.  This would make Edward, the Rhode Island settler, the great-great-uncle of Oliver, the Chester Co., Pennsylvania settler.  The entry reads: "Edward, of Brixton, Deverill, Wilts, who married Maud (who died 1635) and died before 1634, leaving issue (1) John, of whom presently; (2) Edward who went to Rhode Island in 1634 . . . "  This Edward, who died before 1634, was the son of Anthony Cope.  About Anthony Cope, Burke states: "Anthony Cope, of Bedhampton, born 1509, was denounced by Justices 1569 for refusing to subscribe to the Act of Uniformity; married 1552 Anne, daughter of Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwyke, and died 1586 (will proven April 6) . . . "This is difficult to reconcile with the statement in the 'Roll of Arms' that Edward, the Rhode Island settler, was "grandson of Sir Edward Cope of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England."

The records do not jibe and more research is needed.  I will leave others to cope with the problem.

Additional references:

Munsell's American Ancestry, vol. 4, 5, & 9

Ellers' NSDAC Bicentennial Ancestor Index (1976)

Gilbert Cope's Descendants of Oliver Cope (1861)

Matthew's American Armoury & Blue Book (1907)

INTERPRETATION

Translated into non-Heraldic terms: A silver (argent) shield, charged on a blue (azure) chevron, between three red (gules) roses with stalks (slipped) of natural color (proper), three ('as many" as last mentioned) gold (or) fleurs-de-lis, and a crescent for difference.

Crest--A red dragon's head issuing from the tope of a gold fleur-de-lis.

Motto--Be present with mind unchangeable.

The chevron is one of the nine so-called Honourable Ordinaries, straight-sided figures one-third the width of the shield, first symbols used to identify men encased in armour.  It is likened unto the roof-tree of a house and is emblematical of one who has protected the defenseless.  It is often granted to one who has accomplished some work of faithful service.

Roses are emblems of peace, hope and joy.  The red rose, according to the old poets, signified and expressed "beauty and grace" and was reckoned the first among flowers.

A large number of the golden lily or fleur-de-lis exist in English armoury, having direct reference to the early French wars in which their original assumers had been engaged.

The dragon stands as the symbol of the most valiant defender of treasure.  The beast is always represented as being encased in stout scales resembling  armour.  Because of their sharpness of sight, they are supposed of all living creatures to be the most valiant.  A part of any symbol always carries the same meaning as the whole.

Marks of cadency are certain devices added to arms to distinguish members and branches of familesi one from the other.  A crescent indicates a second son.

Silver signifies sincerity and peace; blue, loyalty and truth; red, courage and magnanimity; and gold, generosity and elevation of mind.