Lawrence Copeland Jr. (abt. 1609 - 1699)

Born about 12 Jun 1609 in St Marys, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Townsend) Copeland — married 12 Dec 1651 in Boston, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 30 Dec 1699 at about age 90 in Braintree, Suffolk County, Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

He was born between 1603 to 1626 in England and his parents were Susanna (Hill, 1592–1630) and Lawrence C. Copeland, Sr. (c1590-c1640)

In 1651 he emigrated from England to Massachusetts. ^[1]

Lawrence Copeland, Jr. married between 1651 to 1654 to Lydia Townsend (1630–1688).

He died on 30 Dec 1699 in Braintree, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. ^[2]

Burial Inscription: "In memory of Mr. Lawrence Copeland, who Died Dec. 30, 1699, 100 years old." ^[3]

Conflicting Vitals

Lawrence Copeland was born before 1603 in England per death record.

Lawrence Copeland was born about 12 Jun 1609. ^{[citation needed]}

Lawrence Copeland was born in 1626. ^[2]

The town record says ...

"Lawrence Copeland a verry aged man born in the Reign of our Gracious Soverreigne Queen Elizabeth of Blessed memory (died) December ye 30th 1699".

The town record says ...

"Lawrence Copeland a verry aged man born in the Reign of our Gracious Soverreigne Queen Elizabeth of Blessed memory (died) December ye 30th 1699".

Marshall's Diary says "aged 100 years".

Sewall's Diary calls him "aged at least 110", by witness of one Arnold, an Octogenarian and former neighbor.

It has been said that he died at age 100, or even 110, but this is from long held family tradition/myth, and is not substantiated with any degree of certainty. It is quite likely that the exaggerated life span is a result of combining his death date with the birth date of his father.

Conflicting Marriage

Married 12 Dec 1651 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. ^{[citation needed]}

Married 12 Dec 1651 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts ^[4] ...

"married Dec. 12, 1651 at Braintree, by Mr. Hibbuis of Boston, Lydia Townsend, born -, died Jan. 8, 1687/8, daughter of perhaps of the Lynn family, not the Boston family."

Lawrence Copeland married on 16 Feb 1653 in Boston, Massachusetts to Lyddia Townsend. ^[5]

"Lawrence Copeland & Lyddia Townsend was marryed 12:16:53 by Mr. Hibbins", in Brantrey. ^[6]

Laurance Copeland and Lidia Townsend were maried the twelfth day of the tenth mo 1654, maried by Mr. Hibbins of Boston."; recorded in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. ^[7]

If his age as given is correct it is note worthy that he did not marry, or at least had no children who survived him, until he was nearly fifty years old. His Will shows no other children than those born by wife Lydia Townsend.

Known Children

1. Thomas #1 Copeland, b: 10 May 1652; d: 11 Apr 1653
2. Thomas #2 Copeland, b: c16 Feb 1655; d: 06 Jun 1706; m: 03 Feb 1692 Mehitable Atwood
3. Ephraim Copeland, b: 17 Nov 1655; d: 09 Aug 1690
4. William Copeland, b: 15 Nov 1656; d: 30 Oct 1716; m: 13 Apr 1694 Mary Bass
5. John Copeland, b: 10 Dec 1658; d: 07 Aug 1714; m: Ruth Newcomb
6. Lydia Copeland, b: 31 Mar 1661; d: 08 May 1727; m: 1682 Joseph White, Jr.
7. Abigail Copeland, b: 26 Nov 1674; d: 14 Feb 1752; m: 23 Nov 1715 Eleazer Esgate=Isgate.

Will

S.P.14-118: Will of Lawrence Copeland, Jun. 20, 1698 - 1700. Administration given to son Thomas by the court Jan. 28, 1699 (1700).

To son Thomas my house, orchard & barn & yards & tilling land in the field undisposed of & a small point of salt meadow on N.E. end of sd. land, & 3a. salt S. on the great river, meadow of John Whitman W., N. upland of Thomas Holbrook, E. by Wm. Copeland & 1/2 a. small piece of upland about 2a. lying between the fields & Jonathan Hayward, W. by land I formerly gave my son Ephraim deceased & low water mark easterly said half to lie & be next his own land southerly.

To son William as addition to what I have already given by deed all my salt meadow undisposed of lying between meadow of Joseph Greene easterly & that now given son Thomas Westerly & half the above upland & one cow.

To son John £15 in three installments up to 10 yrs. from my decease.

To dau. Lydia White £6 in 6 years.

To dau. Hannah £10 in 2 years & 1 heifer, one bed & 2 good blankets, one chest, one platter of pewter, one warming pan, 20 lbs. flax.

To dau. Abigail £10 in 5 years, one bed, two good blankets, one pewter platter, one lining wheel & 20 lbs. good flax well dressed.

The 20a. land I formerly gave son Ephraim Copeland deceased shall rest & remain to his brothers as they have agreed. Eldest son Thomas executor, friends Joseph Arnold & Joseph Allen overseers.

dated: Jun. 20, 1698.

witnesses: Joseph Arnold, Jonathan Hayward, Joseph Allen.

S.P.14-119, Inventory, Jan.7,1699(1700): Salt meadow £45, House, barn, orchard & land adjoining £110.

Extract ^[8]

COPELAND FAMILY

Lawrence Copeland (1), the immigrant ancestor of Charles Augustus Copeland of Blackstone, Massachusetts, was born in Scotland, 1599. The family tradition as to the Scotch origin of the immigrant seems reliable. The Scotch family of Copeland has been located in Dumfriesshire since before the year 1400. He came to this country about the time that Cromwell sent over his Scottish prisoners of war, many of whom became settlers and prosperous citizens in a few years. He settled in Braintree where he married soon afterward, Lydia Townsend, December 12, 1651. She died January 8, 1688. He died December 30, 1699, at Braintree, aged one hundred years, according to other testimony, besides Marshall's Diary and the town records. One statement of a contemporary makes him even older; but if he were born in 1599 he was over fifty years old when he married and seventy-five when his youngest child was born; which rather tends to support a family tradition that he brought his first wife with him, in which case she must have died soon afterward. Copeland's name seldom appears on the records. He was a quiet sort of a citizen, evidently a farmer.

He resided in East Braintree south or east of the junction of Hayward and Howard Sts. and near Quincy Ave. and is referred to in 1678 when a road was laid out from Commercial St. towards his homestead and those of Joseph Arnold and Thomas Holbrook, now known as Hayward St. The Copeland Family (1937) by Warren Turner Copeland is somewhat inaccurate as to dates on the earliest generations.

C. E. Banks says he came from Co. Northinnberland.

"Lawrence Cowpland" was one of the witnesses to the deed of purchase from the Indians made in 1639 by Rev. John Wheelwright at Exeter, N.H. where Wheelwright had gone from Mt. Wollaston in late 1638. He was evidently in Braintree by 1643 when on Dec.6, he was fined £2 by the court for covenanting for £15 wages per annum being both released half the time which was ordered to be stayed in John Mossers hand & by him to be paid 2/ to Martin Saunders & £3/18/ to the Treasurer - (Records of the Court of Assistants).

Research Notes

Source Key, Torrey's New England Marriages; Lawrence COPELAND, d: 1699 @100 m: 12 Dec 1651 Lydia TOWNSEND, d: 1688); Braintree {Reg. 4:285, 9:154, 12:110, 37:286, 97:184; Copeland 9; Snow-Estes 2:108; Braintree 715; Clark (,15) 39+; Townsend (,3) 33; Caldwell Anc. 13; Thayer (1835) 81; GDMNH 162; Savage 1:455; Copeland (1910) 1}

His true burial place is unknown. Some early descendants placed a memorial to him at Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA, ascribing to him the mythical centenarian status. As such, a FindAGrave cenotaph memorial was also placed there.

According to early accounts, he formerly had a gravestone standing to the rear (near the City Hall line) of Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA which also stated he was aged 100 years, but the stone has disappeared since 1904. However it is given in lists such as those in "Pattee's History" or "The Register" and "Where American Independence Began" by D. M. Wilson; edition#2 in 1906.

Sources

1. ↑ Passenger and Immigration Lists Index 1500s-1900s edited by P. William Filby; Gale Research of Farmington Hills, MI, USA in 2012; Ancestry Record 7486 #1452436
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #53725055 for Lawrence Copeland, b: 1626 Lancashire, England; d: 30 Dec 1699 Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA; burial unknown; cenotaph: Hancock Cemetery, Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
3. ↑ "Quincy Inscriptions" published in New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGR) 9:154
4. ↑ Sprague: p1137, 5131
5. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Vital and Town Records, compiled by Jay and Delene Holbrook of Holbrook Research Institute; Ancestry Record 2495 #44583009
6. ↑ "Early records of Boston" in NEHGR 12:110 (1858)
7. ↑ "Braintree Records" in New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGR) 37:286 (1883)
8. ↑ Worcester County, Massachusetts Memoirs in 2 volumes

• Mayflower connection

• Biography from New England Families - Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, v2 Lewis Historical Publishing Company in 1914; p772

• "Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Norfolk, MA" 1640-1850 Waldo Chamberlain Sprague of Braintree, MA in 2001; including the modern town of Randolph & Holbrook and the city of Quincy, after the separation from Braintree in 1792/3

• History of the Town of Exeter, New Hampshire by Charles Henry Bell & J. J. Little & Co. of Astor Place, New York in 1889; p24

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=25804043&pid=1055

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=21888859&pid=243

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=21888859&pid=1167090422