Cope family

The House of Cope is an English and British noble and aristocratic family, which hails from Banbury, Oxfordshire. Family members have served as Members of the Royal Household, Members of the Privy Council, Members of the House of Commons, diplomats, bankers, merchants, government officials, academics, artists, and authors.
The Cope family began its rise during the Tudor period by serving King Henry VII, King Henry VIII, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I.
The Cope family started to influence the English economy and international trade in the 17th century. England's expansion in foreign trade expanded in the same century.
The family motto in the Latin language is Aequo Adesto Animo (eng. Be present with mind unchangeable).
Background[edit | edit source]
The earliest origins of the Cope surname date from the ancient AngloSaxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person who habitually wore a long cloak or cape. The surname Cope is derived from the Old English word cope, which emerged about 1225 and comes from the Old English word cape, which refers to a cloak or cape.
The surname Cope was first found in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire where the family "appear in the character of civil servants of the crown in the reign of Richard II and Henry IV, and were rewarded with large grants of land."
The first prominent member of the family was John Cope of Deanshanger (d. 1415) who was Member of Parliament for Northants (currently known as Northamptonshire) in 1397.
The earliest known members of the Cope family rose when England was ruled by the House of Lancaster but it rose to prominent positions during the Tudor period by serving the King of England Henry VII and King of England Henry VIII.
Sir William Cope PC was the Cofferer of the Royal Household for the King of England Henry VII and Keeper of the Porchester Castle.
Sir William's father was Stephen Cope, his grandfather was William Cope, and his greatgrandfather was John Cope MP for Northants.
Sir William Cope PC married Agnes Harcourt, the daughter of Sir Robert Harcourt. Sir William's second wife was Jane Spencer the daughter of Sir John Spencer of Hodnell. Sir William had several children with Jane Spencer. Sir William sold the lordships of Wormleighton and Fenny Compton to the Spencer Family, later Althorp.
Diplomat Sir Walter Cope started to build the Cope Castle in 1605 and finished in 1607. Architect John Thorpe designed the building. Cope Castle was renamed Holland House because Sir Walter Cope's daughter Isabel Cope married Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland. During its history, Holland House became a salon for prominent figures. Lord Byron, CharlesMaurice de TalleyrandPérigord, Thomas Babington Macaulay, and Madame de Staël dined at the house. Holland House was heavily bombed during WWII. The remains of the Holland House are in Holland Park, Kensington, London.
According to Martha Hiden: "He (Sir Walter Cope) was one of the leaders of his time in creating and developing England's foreign trade." Cope owned the Custom House Quay in the City of London. Cope was an investor in new jointstock companies.
Sir Anthony Cope was knighted by the Queen of England and Ireland Elizabeth I in 1590. He was also made the 1st Baron of Hanwell by the King of England, Ireland, and Scotland James I in 1611.
Notable members[edit | edit source]

- John Cope of Deanshanger (d. 1415), Member of Parliament for Northants
- Sir William Cope PC (d. 1513), Keeper of the Porchester Castle, Constructor of Hanwell Castle, Cofferer of the Royal Household of King Henry VII, Member of the Privy Council.
- Sir Anthony Cope (1486-1551), Author, Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, Vice Chamberlain and Principal Chamberlain to Queen Consort and wife of King Henry VIII Catherine Parr
- Dr Alan Cope (d. 1578), Author, Senior Proctor at the University of Oxford, Fellow at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford, Master of Arts, Native of the City of London
- Sir Walter Cope (1553-1614), Constructor of the Cope Castle in London, Gentleman Usher of the Privy Chamber for King James I, Master of the Court of Wards, Chamberlain of the Exchequer, RegistrarGeneral of Commerce, and Member of Parliament for Westminster
- Sir Anthony Cope (1550-1615), 1st Baronet of Hanwell, Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Member of Parliament for Banbury and Oxfordshire
- Sir William Cope (1577-1637), 2nd Baronet of Hanwell, Member of Parliament for Banbury and Oxfordshire, Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Member of Lincoln's Inn
- Sir John Cope (1608-1638), 3rd Baronet of Hanwell
- Sir Anthony Cope (1632-1675), 4th Baronet of Hanwell, Member of Parliament for Banbury and Oxfordshire
- Sir John Cope (1634-1721), 5th Baronet of Hanwell, Member of Parliament for Banbury and Oxfordshire, Owner of Bramshill House in Hampshire
- Sir John Cope (1673-1749), 6th Baronet of Hanwell, Commissioner and Director of the Bank of England, Whigs Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle, Tavistock, Hampshire, and Lymington
- Sir John Cope KP (1688-1760) Whig MP for Queenborough and Liskeard, Governor of Limerick, CommanderinChief in Scotland, Lieutenant General
- Sir Jonathan Cope (c. 1690-1765), 1st Baronet of Bruern, Tory Member of Parliament for Banbury, Owner of Hanwell Castle, Owner of the ground at the Custom House in the City of London
- Sir Monoux Cope (1696-1763), 7th Baronet of Hanwell
- Edward Cope Hopton (1708-1754), Tory MP for Hereford
- Sir John Mordaunt Cope (1731-1779), 8th Baronet of Hanwell
- Sir Richard Cope (1719-1806), 9th Baronet of Hanwell, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons
- Sir Charles Cope (1743-1781), 2nd Baronet of Bruern, Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire
- Sir Jonathan Cope (c. 1758-1821), 4th Baronet of Bruern Sir Denzil Cope (17661812), 10th Baronet of Hanwell Sir John Cope (17681851), 11th Baronet of Hanwell
- Sir Charles Cope (c. 1770-1781), 3rd Baronet of Bruern
- Charles West Cope RA (1811-1890), Victorian Era Painter, Professor of Painting, Academian at The Royal Academy of Arts in London, Silver Medal from the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in London
- Sir William Henry Cope (1811-1892), 12th Baronet of Hanwell, Rector of Easton, Author of Bramshill Its History and Architecture (H.J. Infield, 1883)
- Thomas Cope (1827-1884), Tobacco Manufacturer, Founder and Owner of Cope Bros & Co., Founding Member and the First Speaker of the Liverpool Parliamentary Debating Society
- George Cope (1822–1888), Tobacco Manufacturer, Founder and Owner of Cope Bros & Co., Owner of the Dove Park (Reynolds Park) in Liverpool
- Sir Anthony Cope (1842-1932), 13th Baronet of Hanwell, Lieutenant colonel
- Sir William Cope (1870-1946), 1st Baron Cope, Conservative Member of Parliament for Liandaff and Barry, The Comptroller of the Household, Master of Arts, Clare College, University of Cambridge
- Sir Denzil Cope (1873-1940), 14th Baronet of Hanwell
- Sir Anthony Mohun Leckonby Cope (1927-1966), 15th Baronet of Hanwell
- Joan Penelope Cope (1926-1991), Author of Bramshill Being the Memoirs of Joan Penelope Cope (1938), Daughter of Sir Denzil Cope, 14th Baronet of Hanwell, Lady Grant, Wife of Sir Duncan Alexander Grant, 13th Baronet of Dalvey
- Sir Mordaunt Leckonby Cope (1878-1972), 16th Baronet of Hanwell
- Lord John Cope MP, Baron Cope of Berkeley (1937), Opposition Chief Whip of the House of Lords, Paymaster General, Treasurer of the Household, Conservative Member of Parliament for Northavon and South Gloucestershire, Member of the House of Lords
Family estates[edit | edit source]
Firstly Baronets of Hanwell lived at Hanwell Castle but then they moved to Bramshill House in Hampshire. Baronets of Bruern remained at Hanwell Castle, Tangley Hall, and Bruern Abbey in Oxfordshire.
The Cope family held lands in Notts, Derbys and Essex and also in Hardwick, Hanwell, Drayton, Bruern and Tangley.
Hanwell Castle in Oxfordshire[edit | edit source]

Hanwell Castle in Banbury, Oxfordshire was the seat of the Cope family for several centuries. It has hosted English Kings and Queens.
The construction work of the Hanwell Castle began in 1498 by William Cope. Sir Anthony Cope completed the Hanwell Hall. It had four towers and a gatehouse. The “gallant house of Hanwell.” It was a spacious quadrangular building, with massive towers at the angles.
The Spencer family had a significant connection to Hanwell Castle during the 16th century. This relationship was established through marriages and property transactions between the Cope and Spencer families.
King of England, Ireland, and Scotland James I made royal visits to the Hanwell Castle in 1605 and 1612. King James' visit was hosted by the 1st Baronet of Hanwell, Sir Anthony Cope. Sir Anthony created a beautiful garden for the estate.
King of England, Ireland, and Scotland Charles I visited Hanwell Castle in 1637. King Charles' visit was hosted by Sir William Cope, the 2nd Baronet of Hanwell.
Copes lived at Hanwell Castle until 1714 but the Copes owned it until 1781. 4th Baronet of Bruern, Sir Charles Cope was the last owner. In the 18th century, following the death of Sir Charles Cope of Bruern in 1781, extensive demolition was carried out. Most of the original structure was demolished in the 18th century, with only the south-west tower and south wing surviving from the original 1498 construction.
Sir Charles Cope, 3rd Baronet of Bruern, was the last male Cope to own the castle. Upon his death in 1781, Hanwell passed to one of his sisters, Catherine Cope. In 1790, Catherine's daughter Arabella Diana Cope (1767–1825) married John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, and received Hanwell from her mother.
Kellogg College, University of Oxford, has practised excavation at the estate. Hanwell Castle is a Grade IIlisted building.
Many members of the Cope family are buried at St. Peter's Church in Oxfordshire.
Tangley Hall in Oxfordshire[edit | edit source]
Tangley Hall is a historic property located in Bruern, Oxfordshire. The hall has a rich history dating back several centuries.
Anthony Cope's son Edward Cope inherited Tangley Hall, Milton Under Wychwood, Chipping Norton, in 1551. Edward's son Sir Anthony Cope (b. 1548) inherited the estate.
Tangley Hall is a Grade II listed building, indicating its historical and architectural significance.
The Cope Castle (Holland House) in Kensington, London[edit | edit source]

Diplomat Sir Walter Cope started to build the Cope Castle in Kensington, London, in 1605 and finished in 1607. Architect John Thorpe designed the building.
The original house featured brick construction with stone and stucco embellishments; a central tower and porch; shingled and steep-roofed turrets; a projecting arcade with carved stonework parapet.
Cope Castle was renamed Holland House because Sir Walter Cope's daughter Isabel Cope married Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland, giving the house its current name.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Holland House became a celebrated political and social hub. Under the ownership of Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, and later his descendants, it became the social center of the Whig party.
During its history, Holland House became a salon for prominent figures. Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Walter Scott, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord, Thomas Babington Macaulay, and Madame de Staël dined at the house. Holland House was heavily bombed during WWII. The remains of the Holland House are in Holland Park.
In 1949, the ruins were designated a Grade I listed building. Part of the ruins has been restored and is used as an open-air theatre during summer months. The remaining structures are now owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The surrounding area has become Holland Park, a popular public space.
Moreton Pinkney in West Northamptonshire[edit | edit source]
Moreton Pinkney Manor has a rich history dating back several centuries. in the 17th century the manor house had irregular gable ends at the rear, which still exist today, indicating the presence of an earlier structure. The manor was owned by the Cope family as evidenced by their shields on the building. The Cope family owned the manor of Moreton Pinkney from 1720 until 1821, a period of over a century.
The Cope family played a role in shaping the village's landscape and development during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
As major landowners, the Copes involved in agricultural improvements or changes in land management, which were common among landowners during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Moreton Pinkney was known as a lace village into the 1870s. This industry may have had its roots in earlier periods.
Sir Anthony Cope of Hanwell acquired the Moreton Pinkey. The manor house, which is described as ancient, bears the shields of the Cope family, indicating their ownership. However, by the 19th century, the manor had passed to other owners. In 1859, it was rebuilt, probably incorporating some of the older fabric, under the ownership of the Barons Semphill. The Duke of Grafton is also mentioned as a later owner of the manor.
The Manor House is a Grade II listed building, recognising its historical and architectural significance.
Bruern Abbey in Oxfordshire[edit | edit source]

The original site was likely an open pasture (brueria) where the abbey was constructed. The abbey acquired properties in western Oxfordshire, eastern Gloucestershire, and Priddy in Somerset. Sheep farming and wool trade were significant economic activities for the abbey.
Financial struggles were common, with the abbey owing large sums of money between 1284 and 1340. The abbey was dissolved in October 1536 as part of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. A Georgian cottage in the grounds includes a three-bay vaulted chamber, which may be a remnant of the original abbey buildings.
It is important to note that the current Bruern Abbey is not on the site of the original Cistercian monastery founded in 1147.
Sir Anthony Cope bought the Bruern estate after 1610. The Bruern Abbey, a Baroque palace, in Oxfordshire was constructed for Sir John Cope (1688-1760) around the 1720s.
The architect of the Bruern Abbey is highly likely Oxford mason William Townsend. Townsend left his mark on Blenheim Palace, which is nearby. Bleinheim Palace became the home of General John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. Churchills and Spencers had a close connection to the Cope family.
Bramshill House in Hampshire[edit | edit source]


Bramshill House, a Jacobean mansion influenced by the Italian Renaissance, in Hampshire was bought by the 5th Baron of Hanwell, Sir John Cope in 1699. Bramshill House became the family seat of the Cope family. During the ownership of the Cope family, the landscape was shaped by the owners. Copes made several changes to the estate by modernising the property. The interior design was shaped by the Copes.
During her visit to Bramshill House in 1845, Queen Victoria was hosted by the Cope family. This visit is significant as it coincided with the birth of Queen Victoria's child, Princess Helena, who was born in 1846. The house has historical importance and was part of the royal visit that took place during this period. The visit to Bramshill House in 1845 marked an important moment during Queen Victoria's reign and personal life.
As the Prince of Wales in 1871, King Edward VII visited Bramshill House, where he was hosted by the Cope family.
The Cope family sold the grand estate in 1936. Bramshill House is a Grade Ilisted house.
Dove Park in Liverpool[edit | edit source]
Dove Park (currently Reynolds Park) was the home of George Cope, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, a tobacco manufacturer ('of Liverpool and London') who had bought it at auction in 1873 and whose widow sold it in 1907. It was the Cope family who had enlarged the original estate (and its house, on the site of the presentday sheltered housing complex, Calvert Court, Church Road) by acquiring an adjacent property which had its entrance in Woolton Hill Road.
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