The Copas Family

 

Charles Copas was born in 1849 in 10 Hardings Yard, Newbury, Berkshire, England to James and Mary (Witts) Copas who had thirteen children, seven boys and six girls (Names found to the left). The family lived in Thatcham and had their first nine children there then moved to Chapel Street, Newbury where they then settled down.

 

In 1869, at the age of 20 Charles married Mary Ann Paice.  Together, they had eleven children, three of which died in the same year as their birth. Later in 1883, Charles was tried for the act of simple larceny. Fortunately, he was found not guilty and was given no sentence for imprisonment or death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three and a half years after his wife, Mary Ann Paice died, he and his eldest daughter, Ada H Copas travelled to Canada to look for opportunities for the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles worked as a coal dealer and haulier while in Thatcham. For some time before moving to Canada, he worked as part of the management of the Gasworks at Thatcham.

After obtaining a job to instal gas lamps in the city of Montreal, he and his daughter returned to England to pack up the family of eight and start a new life. The family departed from Liverpool, England and arrived in Canada on October 31st, 1891.

 

On May 20th, 1893 an article was published in the Montreal Daily Star regarding an inquest held at the Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal on the body of Charles Copas. He had been installing a 2-inch service pipe at the Herald office for the use of their engine, and in cutting the hole in the pipe was overcome by gas. The jury ruled a verdict of "accidental death".

 

 

 

William Charles Copas known as Charlie was born on October 22, 1876 and lived on New Road, Thatcham, Berkshire. In his younger life he helped his grandfather, James Copas deliver coal, as his grandfather was a coal merchant. When he was twelve, his mother passed away from typhoid and exhaustion. At the age of 14 he worked as a papermaker and labourer.

He was fifteen when he moved with his family to Verdun, Quebec. William C at 123a Galt street. When his father passed away two years later, William was delivering paper for J. C. Wilson Paper Co. He went out to work and when returning home that night, found that his dad had been killed.

 

After his dad's funeral, he left his job and worked his way back to England on a cattle boat. On January 27th, 1896 he enlisted in the Army Corp. of the Hussars of the Line, for seven years in the army and five years reserve. He was listed under army number 3834 at Hornslow, England. At the age of his enlistment he was 19 years old and a baker by trade. 

He left England on the 10th of September 1896 and arrived in Bangolore, India October 2nd 1896. One of his commanding officers in India was Sir Winston Churchill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On February 19th, 1906 at the age of 30 William C married Hazel Annie Shipton at Stewards Anglican Church. They had seven children, including one daughter who died in infancy. Four out of five of the boys served in World War 2, following in the footsteps of their father who had served in World War 1.

 

He worked for the Canadian Pacific Express for thirty years, owned his own house at 331 Argyle Avenue, Verdun, Que. Retired at the age of 65 years old. Died in Montreal Hospital at the age of 78 after a number of strokes on July 4th, 1954. He is buried in Mount Royal Cemetry beside his wife, Hazel Annie Shipton who died on October 8th, 1957.

 

 

 

 

 

William Arthur Copas known as Art was born February 4th, 1920, the fourth son of William Charles Copas and Hazel Annie Shipton. He lived with his parents and brothers in Verdun, Quebec. Ethel, his only sister, was sent away at an early age to live with an aunt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He learned to swim although almost drowning when his brother, George threw him in the lake. He left school in grade eight to help support the family by working at the J. C. Wilson Paper Co. where his father had worked 40 years previously. 

 

When he was working at the J. C. Wilson Paper Co. his boss told him that he had a friend in England who was looking for a Canadian penpal to write to. Arthur decided that it would be something he was interested in as his family was originally from England so he started writing to Peggy Shields.

 

When the war started, he enlisted in the 5th light anti-aircraft division where he served in England, Sicily, and North Africa before being injured during an air raid where he was shell shocked and his right arm broken. He was sent back from England to Canada on an army hospital ship and remained in the Montreal Hospital until he recovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the Second World War when stationed in England, he visited the Shields' family. By this time, Peggy was engaged to be married but Ethel, Peggy's sister was single.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the war he met and married his first wife, Shirley Scanlan and had two sons, Gary William and Kenneth Arthur within two years. The marriage did not last very long and Arthur moved from Quebec to Ontario with the boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He began writing to the Shields family and found that Ethel was still single and now wrote him as a penpal. She later left her family in England and came over to marry him and help raise his boys.

 

He and Ethel had a daughter on Easter Sunday, April 22nd, 1962. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Art moved to Ontario he kept the same job as a Canada Customs officer, but this time working from the main Canada Customs house on Front Street in Toronto. He changed locations over the years, working at the airport as well as being the "Collector of Cutoms" in Georgetown, Ontario before taking an early retirement at the age of 57.

 

After retiring, researching the family tree at the Church of Latterday Saints became his main passion and the highlight of his retirement was finally returning to England the summer before he died, and managed to meet distant memebers of the Copas family.

 

He died August 27th, 1986 after suffering a major heartattack.