Searching for information of ancestors: Copcot
Contact Details
Email: Jane Roper (UK)
(if you have problems making contact email
jontywild@pirton.org.uk)
Please let the website have details of any new information you get for the benefit and encouragement of others.
Hello Jonty
I visited Pirton with my husband on Wednesday,
coming from Ipswich Suffolk, as researching my family history of the Copcot
family (and it's various spellings) I came accross a will of a Ralph Copcott
of Pirton who wished to by buried in the Chancel of Pirton Church. On
visiting the church we didn't find any evidence of this, but then met a very
nice gentleman (Derek Jarrett) who was very helpful with suggestions. He
told me about the History Group who are setting up a data base regarding the
history of Pirton and, hopefully, I can help with some information.
I have quite a bit of information on the Copcot
family of Pirton, who left the area at the beginning of the 1600s. I am
attaching a transcript of the will I have of Ralph Copcott, and on checking
my work, I also have a will of a Richard Copcot (Ralph's cousin) and he
wished to be buried in the church porch. Another will that I have is one of
Thomas Copcot (?Ralph's brother) who witnessed Ralph's will and was a Grocer
in Pirton. Thomas' request was to be buried in the churchyard.
Ralph was quite a colourful gentleman, and with
his family caused one or two riots! I am afraid that it was he who
kidnapped Robert Auncell's wife, Ralph's wife Beatrice apparently being the
instigator. This story appears in the book 'A Foot on Three Daisies,
Pirton's Story'. I also have the Star Chamber Court paper regarding this
case which was about arguments regarding enclosures. Ralph's wife Beatrice
(nee Gent) seems to be a character in her own right as following the death
of her husband and his burial on 22 June 1595 she remarried Henry Lane 4mths
later on 3 October 1595!
To give you a brief history of the family - we
originated in the 1200s at a place called Copcourt (pronounced locally as
Copkt) which is in Oxfordshire on the Oxon/Bucks boarder. Branches of the
family exist in Bucks and their name has evolved as Copcutt, whilst our
branch went on to Herts (?along the Icknield Way) to Pirton and eventually
Widford and Much Hadham where our name evolved as Coptcoat. Our branch is
very small and we only have three boys to carry on the name of Coptcoat. A
direct link to Pirton has yet to be made but things are definitely looking
that way, it just needs a little more digging!
I hope I haven't bored you with all this, but if
you would like copies of the other wills and any other information I have
please let me know. Also any help that you can give me would be
appreciated. I have already agreed to a request by Derek to write a piece
for the parish magazine in return!
Thanking you in advance
Jane Roper (nee Coptcoat)
If you can help in any way or would simply
like to get in touch, please email or write at the address above
or via me on jontywild@pirton.org.uk
Even if you don't have email, but have a friend or
family that do, why not give it a go and contact him that way, you'll be
surprised how easy it is! - Jonty
