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#575 William Copeland◊

Other names for William: John Copeland◊.

William was born Abt 1750 in Pennsylvania or Ireland. He died 1843 in Fayette Twp., Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania.

The muster rolls in the Pennsylvania Archives show a William Copeland serving from Pennsylvania as a matross (gunner's assistant) under Captains Rupers and Everly. He also served as an almoner, a kind of medical orderly. He appears on the 1777 muster and is marked "served his Tour" on the 1783 muster. He was originally from Philadelphia Co. but, by the time of his death in 1843, had relocated to western Pennsylvania. He appears on the Tax & Exoneration Lists of 1783 for the Dock Ward of Philadelphia. He is paying £40 for something called "Occupation" and appears to be also paying £90 for George Fudges.

As mentioned in the introduction, we find a William Coplen on the 1790 Federal Census of North Huntingdon, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. He is living with two other males aged 16 or older, two males younger than 16, and two females. Thomas, John and Joseph might account for three of the males. Whether the fourth is a son who died later or a boarder is unknown. The two females could be the Janes: wife and daughter.

William does not show up in either North Huntingdon Twp. or Fayette Twp. (where he may be later) on the 1800 and 1810 censuses. In fact, there seem to be no Copelands in the area on the 1800 census. In 1810 John and Joseph are back and William might be one of the older people living in those families. However, I favor another possibility: that William returned east for a while. A William Copeland shows up in temporarily in the Philadelphia area for the 1800 to 1810 period. He is on the 1800 Federal Census of Philadelphia and also shows on the Pennsylvania Census for the same year. He is found on the 1810 Federal Census for Northern Liberties, Philadelphia Co. However, he does not appear before (in 1790) or after (in 1820). There are also family stories and some census indication of Copeland relatives back east.

If this is a match then there are two females living with him, one 16-25 in 1800 and one under 16. His daughter might fit the older one. Since Jane, his wife, would be at least 40 at this point, she may have died or still be living back west. In 1810, we also see two women, age adjusted ten years, living with William.

With 1820 onward, we again run into questions of identity. We believe William, the war veteran, died in 1843. Therefore, he should appear on the 1820-1840 censuses. The best candidate found so far is in Fayette, Allegeny Co. He appears starting with the 1820 Federal Census and will disappear after the 1840 Census. The problem is that the 1830 Federal Census and 1840 Federal Census list William as 50-59 and 60-70 respectively, which is about 20 years too young...certainly too young to have been the veteran. Since most other evidence seems to point to these being the same individual, we might assume the census takers were misinformed but must keep in mind that this might be a different William.

The 1820 Census had a number of special counts which put individuals into multiple categories. Subtracting the various columns to arrive at the distinct individuals, we have living with him: two males 10-15, one male 16-18, one male 19-25, one female 10-15, one female 26-44.

On the 1830 Census William, listed as Wm. Copland, is living with one female 20-29 and one female 40-49.

On the 1840 Census he is living with one male 20-30 and one 40-50.

Several researchers add a daughter, Margaret, who was born Abt 1773 but I've seen no source information for that so far and have not included her.

John, Thomas, Jane and Joseph have a presence in the physical record as they are named in William's will, written in 1837:

"...I will and bequeath to my son Thomas Copland one cow...to my son John Copland one beauraugh and fifty dollars...to my daughter Jane one beauraugh and fifty dollars...to my son Joseph Copland the residuary and remainder of all my estate both personal and real of every description...I constitute and appoint my son Joseph Copland my executor..."

The will was recorded 17 Oct 1843.

∞ William married #576 Jane Parkinson◊. She is the daughter of James Parkinson.

Marriage notes

They married 11/12 May 1772 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1700-1821 lists them as "Parkison, Jane and William Cowpland."

  

Other names for Jane: «Unknown» Martin◊, Jane Martin◊.

See the introduction about this family and difficulties of reconciling family story with official records.

If [Hedley] is correct and William and John are not the same individuals, then this individual may have been Miss Martin from Sewickly Twp., Pennsylvania. If this is true, then she is likely the daughter of James Martin who appears on the 1790 census of South Huntingdon Twp. This was part of Sewickley and the remaining Martin families in the general area were concentrated in Salem and Mt. Pleasant, which are fairly distant.

If the identification of John Copeland as William Copeland is correct (as I have used in this family tree), then we have the name Jane Parkinson from various sources. Martin is just close enough to be a case of mistaken memory in a later generation. Alternatively, William may have married twice, once to Jane and once to Miss Martin, although no record of that has been found.

Children of this relationship:

#582MiJohn Copeland◊(21 Sep 1775–)
#52394MiiThomas Copeland(26 Nov 1776–Bef 3 May 1834)
#52395FiiiJane Copeland(1778–)
#52181MivJoseph Copeland(1780–)

1790 U.S. Census, Newberry, York Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.. Series: M637; Roll: 9; Page: 385; Image: 208; Family History Library Film: 0568149

1790 U.S. Census, North Huntingdon, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.. Series: M637; Roll: 9; Page: 104; Image: 65; Family History Library Film: 0568149

1800 Pennsylvania Census, Philadelphia South Ward, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. .

1800 U.S. Census, Philadelphia South Ward, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Roll: 43; Page: 236,237; Image: 96; Family History Library Film: 363346

1810 U.S. Census, N. Huntingdon Twp., Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Roll: 51; Page: 806; Image: 0193677; Family History Library Film: 00220

1810 U.S. Census, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Roll: 56; Page: 154; Image: 0193682; Family History Library Film: 00213

1820 U.S. Census, Fayette Twp., Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.. Page: 70; NARA Roll: M33_97; Image: 47

1830 U.S. Census, Fayette Twp., Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.. Page: 291; NARA Series: M19; Roll Number: 144; Family History Film: 0020618

1840 U.S. Census, Fayette Twp., Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania, Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.. Roll: 440; Page: 190; Image: 393; Family History Library Film: 0020536

Capt. Fenwick Y. Hedley, Old And New Westmoreland, Vols. III-IV, (New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1918). Ref. as [Hedley] Vol. IV, p. 865

Copeland-Parkinson marriage record, Pennsylvania Marriages to 1790 Provo, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010..

Cora Ott, "MANSFIELD & SPEAKMAN family", RootsWeb.com, extracted 13 Mar 2015. (http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PAALLEGH/1999-05/0927202183)

DAR Genealogical Research System, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Ancestor #: A025878

Floyd G. Hoestine, compiler, Pennsylvania Society Sons of the American Revolution - 1955 Year Book, 1956, Pennsylvania Society Sons of the American Revolution. p. 151

Gene Ford, "My Pennsylvania Line (Shirley, Speakman, Crooks, Ringer and others)", RootsWeb GEDCOM, (Ancestry.com WorldConnect , db=gf12125).

Lineage application of Samuel Finley Henderson, Approved 1 May 1947, Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Volume: 343; SAR Membership Number: 68567

Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1700-1821, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1700-1821 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2011. Original data: Pennsylvania Marriage Records. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Archives Printed Series, 1876. Series 2, Series 6

Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Year: 1786

Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission; Records of the Office of the Comptroller General, RG-4; Tax & Exoneration Lists, 1762-1794 Microfilm Roll: 336

Thomas Lynch Montgomery, editor, Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth Series, (Harrisburg: Harrisburg Publishing Co., State Printer, 1906). vol. 1, pp. 189, 526, 577

Line Generation: 1

Relationship: Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather