The early Copen's of Virginia and West Virginia

The Copen's likely descend from Williiam Coppin who was granted land on Occupacia Creek in old Rappahannock, now Essex County Virginia in 1665. This is very close to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

     William Copein was probably born around 1722. This date is based on his first known masonry job in 1743 on a house in Spotylvania County Va. He also worked on Malborough Plantation, the house of John Mercer in Stafford County in 1749. William Copein was a Master Stone Mason. This means that contrary to much of the information available online he did not do brick work nor did he actually build the buildings that are attributed to him. William Copein carved and put together the stonework. He likely learned his craft as an apprentice and so we can assume that he didn't become a master mason until the age of 21. Today, he is most famous for his work at Aquia Church in Stafford. Unlike Malborough Plantation, which no longer stands, the church still exists and is a beautiful example of Colonial workmanship. Not only did William carve the beautiful windows and doorways but he also wrote the bible verses that are on the wall behind the alter. We have to assume that William could both read and write which was uncommon during that time.

   

      William Copein lived on Chopawamsic Creek, near the entrance of Quantico Marine Base. In 1749 he purchased 43A from Reverend James Scott the Rector of Aquia Episcopal Church. The Scott's owned two plantations, Dipple and Westwood, both were very near the entrance to Quantico. William's neighbors in 1783 were: William Scott, Alexander Scott, James Scott, Simon Luhall, and William Fielder. The first three men listed were son's of Rev. James Scott. By this date he had acquired 150A of land. He was also a witness to the will of Rev James Scott's widow Sarah Brown Scott.

     On October 4, 1764, William Copein was found guilty of assaulting his neighbor Thomas Randolph and ordered to pay him damages of £1 s14 d4 and haypnee plus 56 lbs of tobacco and 76 lbs of net tobacco. 

      In 1773 William Copein worked as a Mason on Pohick Church in Fairfax, Virginia. This was the Parish Church of our future President George Washington. William was paid £6 by the vestry for carving the baptismal font, which he either copied or based on a picture from the book "Langley's Treasury of Designs". He was also paid 10 shillings by George Washington in 1774 to carve George's initials and those of George William Fairfax into the side of their pews.  The font was damaged and the original base was destroyed but the upper bowl still exists.

     He also carved all of the doorways and window openings to the church. Today, they bear the graffiti left behind by Union soldiers that ransacked the church and used it as a stable.

      

     I do not know what religious affiliation William Copein belonged to. He may have attended Aquia Church if he attended any. His children, however, belonged to Chopawamsic Baptist Church.

     Between the commencement of the building of Aquia Church and the building of Pohick Church, William Copen got married and fathered six children that reached adulthood. We know from his will and other records that his wife was named Elizabeth and his children were: William, John, Samuel, George, Zaccheus, and Sarah.

    The sources so far, point to his wife being Elizabeth Wharton, the daughter of Samuel and Ann Wharton of King George County, Virginia. William Copin and Elizabeth appear in a chancery suit with other Wharton heirs in the records of Caroline County in 1779. She had brothers named: Zacheus, Samuel, John and Joseph. Elizabeth Wharton is named in his will of 1732 and she is also under 21 at the time the will was written so she was born between 1712 and 1732. Her father mentions her last so it's likely she was the youngest.

IN THE NAME of God AMEN I William Copin Senior of the County of Prince William and Parish of Detingen being of sound mind and memory at this time thanks be to god Almighty God for the same but calling to mind the uncertainty of human life do make and ordain this my last will and Testament in manner and form as followeth. And first I most humbly recommend my soul to Almighty God who gave it to me hoping for a Resurrection to eternal life through the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ which he has made for sinners and I would have my body committed to the earth from whence it came to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereafter named. Item having given in my life time to my son William Copin in house hold goods to the value of Eight pounds Eleven shillings and and to my Daughter Sally Lynn fourteen pounds, to my son George Copin Eight pounds seven shillings to my son Zacheus Copin Eleven pounds fifteen shillings it is my will that all I have in my possession at the time of my decease both real and personal I give and bequeath to loving wife Elizabeth Copein during her life after my debts are paid and after her decease what she leaves to be divided so as to make William and George and Zacheus' part equal with Sally's and after that to divide what remains equally between William, Sally, George and Zacheus or to their heirs, and I appoint my loving wife Elizabeth Copein and my son Zacheus Copin Executors of this my last will and Testament. In witness whereof I have set my hand and affixed my seal this Eighteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Three.

William Copen Senior

Signed Sealed and declared to be his last will by

the Testator in presence of us and in his presence attested by

Early Wells

Josius Stoner, Benjamin Stoner

At a Court Continued and held for Prince William County February the 5th 1805.

This Last Will and Testament of William Copin Deceased was presented to the Court by George Copin, and it appearing that the Witnesses reside in the state of Kentucky and it further appearing by Testimony and a Comparison of handwriting that the said Will is in the hand writing of the said William Copin dec'd It is therefore ordered to be recorded.

Teste, J.Williams

**1. William Copin Jr was born about 1759 and he died in 1840. He lived within five miles of his brother George at Independent Hill. He was taxed for the first time on his own in 1783 which is likely the year he married Cecelia Abell. He was taxed in the household of his father in 1782. Cecelia Abell seems to have been his only wife. She went by the nickname Cely, which some record keepers mistakenly wrote down as Selly leading to a misconception that William's wife name was Sally. She died in 1844. Cecelia Abell Copin was mentioned in her father's 1805 will. 

"Item I give and bequeath to my daughter Cecelia, William Copin’s wife a feather bed and furniture."  and "one third of two fourths shall be given to Cecelia wife of William Copin"

    

      William and Cecelia had about 8 children. I have found the names of 6 of them. There are two extra girls in his household in the early census records I can not place. The marriage records of Prince William County are non-existent. The proven children of William and Cecelia (Abell) Copen were:

***a. John Copen born 1784/85. In 1799 his father indentured to him to local Tailor named James Barbour. 

 District of Columbia Daily Advertiser (J. and J. D. Westcott), District of Columbia, March 18, 1800. Four-Pence Reward. RAN AWAY from the subscriber, living in Dumfries, on Sunday the 2d inst. an Apprentice lad to the Taylor's business, by the name of JOHN COPEN, 15 years of age, 5 feet high, short light hair, grey eyes, down look. Had on when he went away, a blue coating coat and overalls, and blue waistcoat, with silver plaited buttons on them, and a new black hat.--Whoever secures the said apprentice so that I may get him again, shall receive the above reward. All persons are forwarned from harboring or employing the said apprentice, all masters of vessels from carrying him off at their peril. JAMES BARBER.

***b. Joshua Copen was born March 27, 1790 and died December 19, 1869. He followed his Uncle Zaccheus Copen and moved to Wood County, West Virginia in 1815.  On September 8, 1816 he married his cousin Catherine Copen, the daughter of Zaccheus. His death was reported in the register of Wood County and his parents names were recorded there. During the War of 1812 he enlisted in the Virginia Militia under Capt. Gilbert's Company.

***c. Elizabeth Copen was born c1792 and died in the 1860's in Edward County, Illinois. She was dismissed from Chopawamsic Baptist Church in 1815 when she moved to Wood County, West Virginia with her brother Joshua. She married Thomas Riggs on September 8, 1816 in a double ceremony with Joshua and Catherine. After the death of Thomas Riggs, she married a Wheeler.

***d. Annie Copin was born c1795 and died on June 14, 1880 in Prince William County, Virginia. She married her first cousin Chapman Copin, a son of George, on December 19, 1820 at the home of her father William Copin by Rev. Cumberland George. Her parents are also recorded on the death register of PWC.  (There are two different marriage dates on the pension application).

***e. Moses Copin was born June 26, 1798 and died September 14, 1858 in Prince William County, Virginia. He married Nancy Thompson? (Moses was the administrator of Joseph Thompson's estate in 1841 and according to early census records Joseph only had 2 daughters born between 1795-1800)

***f. Catherine Copin was born c1805 and died December 30, 1888 in Loudoun County, Virginia. She married William B. Carter on May 12, 1832. The register of her death documents her parents names.

It appears from early census records that there was likely a daughter born between John and Joshua and another born between Moses and Catherine.


**2. John Copin was born around 1756 and died around 1781. On May 1, 1777 Sargent John Copin enlisted in the 3rd Virginia Reg. under Valentine Peyton for three years. He was likely in the Siege of Charlestowne, SC with his brother Samuel who was in another unit. His commander, Valentine Peyton, was killed in the battle. John may have been killed in the siege or may have been discharged afterwards. One of the stories I came across in my research was that his death was caused by being thrown from his horse on his journey home after the war. He never married and his remaining brothers claimed his war bounty.

Letter to William Copein Sr from his son John:

Camp Kakiat, State of New York October 16th'79

Honoured Sir,

Yesterday Evening, I received a letter from you dated May the 4^th 79; and I am exceeding happy to hear that you and all Friends is well 
But I am very Sorry to hear that you should be informed with a falsity concerning my being Imposed upon by my 
Company But am 

Much more amazed to think that you should believe so unlikely a Story for the fellow that you say told Mr. Rigby that he was in 
company 
with me and saw me imposed upon is a Grand & errant Liar: for I never saw his face as I know of: Neither do I believe that Ever he saw mine. 

Neither has any person living saw me

imposed upon by my men: No, death would be Sweeter, and the Grave more welcome to me, than to live and enjoy the [?] 
and to have the Command and Authority over men, and not be capable of compelling them to obey my orders. 
What me imposed upon by my men: I suppose you mean insolence of Language and Disobedience of orders: 
No it is entirely a diverse to that, for my men, stands in as much Submission, and pays as much honour & respect to 
me as though I was a commissioned Officer. What I to be the first and orderly Sergeant of the Company, in whose 
hands lies the whip case and Command of the Company; to Suffer my self to be imposed upon by my man; No – my 
Sergeants & Corporals are in more Submission and pays 

more honour and Respect to me than some other

Sergeants' Private Soldiers do to them. I am 

Filled with amazement & astonishment to think that you should believe so unlikely a Story for I thought that you always know’d that my Spirits was too great to Suffer myself to be impos'd upon, by any man living 

– What me impos'd upon No never as long as Life, 

health & strength last, will I ever Refuse a challenge

or take an affront from any man Living But if anyone doubts my manhood, or my Conduct or Character

Let them apply to the Officers and Soldiers of the 3rd

Virginia Regiment where I am Satisfied they will find Sufficient Proof of each kind. I wrote you a Long

Letter dated October 8th'79wherein I gave you an account of all Present affairs, which I believe to be in very trusty hands and I believe you will not fail to get 

it. I have nothing new to inform you of at Present.

I am in full health and Spirits, and may

these lines find you in that happy state. 

I am with Great Sincerity, your Affectionate

Son John Coppin 

 

**3. Samuel Copin was born about 1762 and died about 1781. He served under Col. Henry Lee in his Legion of the Horse. He likely enlisted around 1780 because he is not in the Rolls prior to that date. In May 1780 he was in the Battle of Charlestowne, SC with his brother John who was in another unit. According to papers filed by his brother George, he was taken prisoner by the English during the siege and died in the hospital in Petersburg, Appomattox County, Virginia after his release.

The letter below may also be another letter from John. The possibility it is from Samuel comes from the bounty application from George, who stated that Samuel joined the Light Dragoons. The letter is very hard to read and I have done my best to transcribe it.

Camp Mount Morris (New York), Oct. 19, 79'
Honored Sir,
Yesterday morning I received a letter from you dated Oct. 16, 79', in which I had the happiness to hear that you and all the family was well, but I should be very glad to know what you mean by my retiring from the indulgences of the army life. What would you have me to do, would you have me to come skunking home like a ? dog with it's tail tucked in his ? it the ? of the small sphere of 3 years or would you have me to ? self to the dull life of a farmer or some other country laborer ? ? ? ? to build the wall of my house and not the ? So would you have me to ? ? ? when the fight is all in my own hands.........no. I am determined to be a Light Dragoon & for one of brave Washington. I'll protect & defend my friends & country & to be a scourge to the British Tyrants as long as life should last.
I am your affectionate son
Saml Coppin 

 

**4. Sarah Copin born around 1765 and was supposed to have died April 27, 1823. I don't have much on Sarah. I know from the will of William Copein that she married a Lynn. According to Prince William County Court minutes in 1856 she was the wife of William Lynn. The same minutes give the name of three children: Cassandra, Thompson and Seymour. Catherine may have died young.

***a. Cassandra Lynn born 1790 and died 1871. She married Jesse W. Davis.

***b. Catherine Lynn born c1794 (not the same Catherine that married Isaac Davis, who was a daughter of JOHN and Sarah).

***c. Thompson Lynn born c1797 and died 1866. He married twice. 1st to Gincie Norman and 2nd to Adelia Copin

***d. Seymour Lynn born 1800. He also married twice; Lucinda Cray and Selina Luckett.

Seymour, Thompson, and Cassandra are on a deed transferring the military land of John Copin from Joshua Copen to his son Thomas B. Copen.

 **5. George Copin was born around 1767 and died in November 23, 1843. He shows up for the first time in PWC tax records as a male between 16-21 in 1787. He married 1st Eleanor Fielder in 1789 and had two sons. He married 2nd Sarah Murphy around 1802.  He had at least six children. I found the names of five of them.

In 1794 George Copin was in the Virginia Militia under Capt. Asmore during the Whiskey Rebellion.

 

***a. Chapman Copin was born 1790/91 and died May 8, 1880. He married his cousin Annie Copin, the daughter of William and Cecelia in 1820. It does appear from early census records that they may have had a child that died in infancy. He had a relationship with Elizabeth Hopkins, who lived in his house, and had a son named Charles Milton Copin by her. During the War of 1812 he enlisted as a private in the Virginia Militia under Capt Jackson's.

***b. John J. Copin was probably born before 1812 because a deed was transferred to him from his father in 1832. I have not been able to find anything further on him. I have no idea if he was a son of Eleanor or Sarah. He may have moved to Wood County with his uncle Zaccheus, moved to Ohio, or died young.

**c. Katherine A. M. Copin was born about 1804. She never married and lived with her brother Chapman for the remainder of her life. She is buried in the same cemetery as Charles Milton Copin under the initials K.M. Copin. She was a witness for Annie Copin for Chapmin's pension.

**d. Delia Copin was born around 1807 and died August 25, 1882. She married Thompson Lynn. Her death was reported twice in the PWC death register leading some people to assume that they were two different people. Many people wrongly documented Cordelia Keys Lynn, wife of William as a daughter of George which was in error. Cordelia Keys Lynn moved to Washington, DC with other Keys family members and died there in 1889. (Adelia Copin Lynn has two different reported death dates). She was a witness for Annie Copin when she applied for Chapmin Copin's pension in 1880.

**e. Laura H. Copin was born about 1821 and died February 17, 1886 in Washington, DC. She married Peyton Keys. Her parents names are on her marriage and death record. Her husband supplied the information on her mother Sarah Murphy Copin's death record in 1858.

There was another male in the early census records. One was born before 1800 and the other was born closer to 1810. Since I don't know for sure which one of these is John J. I won't venture to guess at this time. There are a couple of candidates that moved to Wood County, WV that I will cover later. Perhaps, some later PWC tax records would be of help.

**6. Zaccheus Copin was born 1770 and died in Wood County, West Virginia. He married first, Jane Lynn about 1791. He was a male over 16 in the house of his father in 1788. He was taxed on his own for the first time in 1792. Jane was the daughter of Michael Lynn. 

Michael Lynn wrote his will in 1805 and it was recorded in 1807. He refers to his daughter as Jene Copin, so it could be Jenny, Virginia or Jane. We know from the deposition of Joseph Asbury on the pension application of John and Samuel Copin that William Copein only had five sons. John and Samuel died unmarried and without issue. William was married to Cecelia Abell, George was married to Sarah Murphy  (they appear on a deed together as early as January 1805). That leaves only Zaccheus. Zaccheus and Jane are both mentioned in a deed of transfer in Harrison County in 1811.

Jane Lynn Copin likely died in 1813. She was "dismissed" from Chopawamsic Baptist church that year and Zaccheus remarried on October 12, 1814 to Latisha Lewis.

Latisha Lewis was the daughter of John Lewis and Deborah his wife. John Lewis and his wife are enumerated in the 1830 Wood County census. Both were listed as being born between 1761 and 1770. John Lewis died before the end of the year and Zaccheus became administrator of his estate.

Zaccheus Copin moved to West Virginia in 1796. He is listed in the tax records of Harrison County, WV from 1799-1813. He lived in Kanawha County from 1816-1819. He had seemingly moved to Elizabeth, West Virginia by 1820 and established a permanent residence. He appears in the records of both Wood and Kanawha counties during those years. He had a shipping business around this time where he was delivering salt from Kanawha to Ohio and beyond so that may be why he seemed to go back and forth. In or around 1830, he was aledgedley abandoned by his wife, although it really looks like he left her. In 1832 he left his family and moved to Gallia County Ohio for a short time. He had moved back to Wood by 1841 because he recorded a deed that year and there is a chancery suit that say's he was a resident of Wood. The court record of 1856 claims that he had moved to Kanawha.   

His children by both wives were; (you can separate them by the marriage dates)

***a. John Copen was born July 7, 1791 and died June 14, 1851 in Elkview, Kanawha County, WV. He married Rebecca Cobb February 4, 1820 in Kanawha County. They apparently didn't get on very well and he filed for divorce on December 9, 1834. His original petition was denied although he accused her of having a haughty, intractable, and violent temper, of leaving his house for weeks at a time, scalding him with boiling water twice, threatening to shoot him, beating him with his own crutches when his leg was broken, and trying to poison him by putting arsenic in his coffee.  I do not know if the divorce was ever granted but it came up again in chancery when Rebecca tried to get her part of his estate after his death.

There is very little evidence to support John being a son of Zaccheus other than proximity. He most likely arrived in Kanawha with Zaccheus. He is in the 1816 tax digest for Kanawha and Zaccheus appears in Kanawha Court records for that year. It is a possibility that he could have been the son of William and Cecelia but the birth date is off by several years or he could have been the mysterious John J. Copin s/o George that just disappeared.

***b. Catherine Copen was born about 1794 and died in 1863. She married her cousin Joshua Copin s/o William and Cecelia on September 8, 1816. We know from Joshua's obituary that he and Catherine were 1st cousins. We also know that William had a daughter named Catherine that married William Carter and George had a daughter Katherine that died unmarried so it leaves only Zaccheus.

***c. Thompson Copen was born about 1797. He married Sarah Rockhold on April 27, 1815 in Wood County, WV. He died in Wirt County.  His children were; Ephraim E., Drusilla, Chapman, Thompson, Sarah, Melissa, John Joseph, Samuel Harten, George W., and Hiram Prebble.

He is living in the household of Zaccheus in 1813. He was written into the Harrison County tax record below Zaccheus' name but was crossed out. Probably because he was under 16. He enlisted in the 5th Regiment Virginia Militia in Wood County in 1814.

He lived next to Zaccheus on Grieves Run Creek, near Elizabeth West Virginia.

On September 29, 1829 Zaccheus Copen was granted 50a on Grieves Run adjoining Abraham Prebble. He sold this land in 1831 to Alfred Faught. In 1832 Thompson Copen bought land on Grieves Run below Alfred Fought from Cynthia Dils. He sold part of this land in 1845 to Benjamin Roberts and part in 1847 to Hiram Prebble.

***d. William Copen was born on June 15, 1799 in Harrison County and died February 12, 1875 in Elkview, Kanawha, WV. He married Jane Pegan May 14, 1827 in Kanawha County. 

Jane Pagan was apprenticed to Jesse Gandee in June 1817 by the Wood County Overseers of the Poor until she was 18. On the next page is mentioned her presumed father, Alexander Pegan, who had his guardianship of the children of Stephen Hayman revoked for failing to pay the security. Alexander Pegan was born in Lancaster Pennsylvania. He is in the 1810 Brooke WV census with what appears to be a wife and several children. One of the girls fits Jane's reported age. In 1816 he marries the widow of Stephen Hayman in Wood County (W) V. They moved to Brown County Ohio where he died sometime between 1820-1830. As of right now nothing more is known about the other children living in the household in 1810. I have several DNA connections to his daughter by his second marriage to help prove the connection to the Pegan family.

William Copen enlisted in the Civil War when he was in his 60's. He supplied the information that he was born in Harrison County, WV. Zaccheus Copen sold him land in 1841 on the Elk River.





***e. Samuel W. Copen was born about 1805 and very likely died around 1848 in Lewis County, Kentucky. While living in Kanawha County, Zaccheus indentured Samuel to Charleston tailor James Truslow. He ran away not long afterwards.

From the "Western Courier" Nov. 19, 1822
$10 Reward
Eloped from the subscriber on the 12th instant, an apprentice to the tailoring business, names Samuel Copin - who was bound by indentures dated the 11th day of November 1818 to serve until the first day of October 1826, It is supposed said boy is lurking somewhere in Wood County near Parkersburg or Elizabeth, as his father and some other relations live near the town last mentioned. Said boy is now a little over 17 years of age about five feet eight or nine inches high, well grown for his age, dark skin, dark hair, and black eyes, rather of a down look but of a lively appearance and conversation. Had on when he eloped a blue broad cloth coat with guilt buttons, blue vest, grey casinett pantaloons, a hat with a bell crown, rather worse for wear but no other clothing now recollected. Five dollars will be paid for the apprehension of said boy if taken in this state, anywhere within fifty miles of this place and delivered to me, and the above reward if taken at a greater distance and delivered aforesaid. All persons are forewarned from harboring or employing said boy. James Truslow, Charleston Nov 13th

Samuel ran away to Scioto, Ohio, where is listed in the 1830 census. He worked as a steamboat captain so it may account for his moving around quite a bit. He lived in Todd County, Kentucky in 1840 and possibly Tennessee before moving a final time to Lewis County Kentucky. He married Avis Amelia Orcutt in Scioto on September 14, 1829. She died on June 14, 1834. Samuel married 2nd to Nancy Jewett in Brown County, Ohio on January 20, 1836. He married 3rd to Louisa E. Parker in Lewis County, Kentucky on May 15, 1846. He had seven known children. His first marriage produced: Asenath, and James Augustus, who both died young. Virginia married Thomas J. Stratton. His second marriage produced: Nancy married Benjamin Bartlow. Virgil A., who died in Andersonville Confederate Prison and Avis Ameila, who married 1st Charles Coan and 2nd Amos Vail. She died in Licking, Ohio. His last marriage produced one son, John S. Copens, who added an "s" to the spelling of the name. He married 1st Louisiana Aills and 2nd Sarah McCallister and lived his entire life in Lewis County, Ky.

***f. Mary Copen was born bout 1809 in Harrison County, WV and died in Meigs County, Ohio. She married Leander Edens on April 9, 1835 in Kanawha County, WV. Her husband was a deponent for Zaccheus Copin in a chancery suit.

***g. Eliza Copen was born about 1817 and died February 1, 1897 in Meigs County, Ohio. She married  Aaron Caplinger on June 5, 1836 in Wood County, WV. Her mother Letisha is living with her in 1850.

 Melissa A Copen
Hocking Port
Athen Co
Ohio

.. Wood Co Va April 1 1848

Dear Miss  I take the present opportunity
to inform you that I am well and I hope these
few lines may find you enjoying the same state of health - I hope you are doing well and are pleased with your new home  I am glad to have that .. pleased. The last high water has done a great deal of damage it was all over the settlement. There is a great many sick

Franklin Reeder expecting to die. Mr McDermont died last week - Melissa Caplinger your dear little namesake is very sick I cannot tell you what is the matter.
I cannot tell you something about your mother I have not seen her since last summer - Mrs Seer(?) is very fat you would be very much alarmed. Tell your sister that she dont look so slim and pretty as she did when she
was down there she is well and hearty.

I must tell you something about the weddings.
Sarah Deem Jesse Lee, Thomas Stephens Mary Hirdman. There is a great many more useless to mention - I am not .. the last time I saw W.R he was well he was just as pretty and sweet as he ever was he has been on the river this winter He loves to pester me about wearing Stored edging(?)He said I was to stingy to wear my own.
Mr Cook has got out of his difficulty  I would tell you all about it but it is too sad - I can not find much to write about
would like to spend a few more happy
hours in your company but I fear I never
shall. Often think how we engaged ourselves
<missing line?>

I went to Pomeroy last November
I was in a few miles of you I had not time
call  I want you to write again

So no more at present
        Yours in haste
                   Elizabeth Dye

***h. Deborah Ellen Copen was born about 1819 and died in Boyle County, Ky. She married Alfred Lord on August 1, 1849 in Athens County, Ohio.

Thanks to my fellow genealogist Jim Priestaf we have two surviving letters that were exchanged between three different Copen sisters. It is through this that we were able to prove the relationship of five different children of Zaccheus and Latisha. In her letter she references her mother, who had recently left her sister Eliza Caplinger's home, her sister Elizabeth Wolfe, and of course the sister she was writing to.....Melissa Wolfe. 


Hocking Port, February the 29^th, 1852
Dear Sister,
I received your letter on the 29 of last month and was glad to hear from you.  You must not think hard of my negligence in not writing to you before for you know my failing well.  I suppose you would like to know what we are all about.  Well I have been piecing up some quilts.  I have 6 ready to quilt, with Miss Mary Poples help.  Mother is here and she is knitting.  Henry and Edwin is a going to school and Mister Lord is at work at Coolville on the seminary at present but he talks of going to Marietta and if he likes I expect we will move up there for he has been trying hard to sell this winter and would have sold to Doctor Knonchel and went to Coolville if I had been willing and, well I expect you will think I am very wicked when I tell you that the folks are going to meeting whilst I am writing.  Minister Mathers preaches today, we still have Baptist meetings once and a while but no one has joined in the place the Methodists had a quarterly meeting last fall and they got two converts:  Shepherd Humphrey and Martha Frost, and Miss Hannah Humphrey married to a Mr. Redd.  Well I suppose you have long since heard of Mr. and Mrs. Dows separation?  Well, she went to Athens and got a very bad name there, worse than she had here but she has left Carol to his Uncle Wells and gone with Phebe Jane to her parents and since she got there she has had a spell of the brain fever and has gone entirely blind.  We are all looking for Dow back this spring and and  Well we have had several sick in the place old and young
Mr and Misses McKimm, Martha Stone, Carles ------------------------ Davis, besides lots of Baleys have come to and  Sarah Ware and Cynda Milam is going to have some addition to their party.  Well we have had some very cold weather here this winter and a plenty of sleighing and this child did not get one single ride but I am praying for more snow and then I calculate to hire some old pony and put out and we have had the school here divided, a young man by the name of Summers and Harriet Sawyer is teachers.  Harriet has the small scholars and teaches in the Methodist Church and a noisy one it is.  Summers had to whip Ann Rebecca Spencer and Emeline Poples for their bad behavior and it made quite a disturbance for they are both young women.  They have had plenty of parties here this winter.  They had one at Mr. Huntington’s Friday evening to bid Finley Wilson goodbye for he is going to Illinois but I don’t expect you care a lot hearing about parties none.  Your old Beau waits on Caroline Huntington or that is he walks with her.  Matilda D. has two beaus, the school teacher and the mill wright, Mr. Pile but it is hard telling what they will do, the old lady talks as much about her beau’s as ever.  There has been a good many changes here since you left although the time is short.  Some has married and some has moved away and some is dead.  Peter Frost died last fall with the cholera.  We have two ----- stories.  Mr. Tailor you know that was here with that store boat with his niece, well I got to see her the other day and I do think she is the ugliest mortal I ever set eyes on.  Old Mr. Kimes is a going to move down to Hicksville.  Mother (Letisha Lewis Copen) sends her love to you and your man and to Lisabeth (Elizabeth Copen Wolfe) and family.  She says the folks were all well when she left Arons (Aaron Caplinger), Eliza has got another girl and Lee and Arty (Eliza and Aarons daughter’s Letisha and Artemesia) has some tall times, I guess.  I expect you think it is time I should draw this letter to a close but I cannot till I beg a little for mother she ------------And some flannel and I think you and Bet (Elizabeth Copen Wolfe) can give 1 dollar apiece and that will help a long considerable. I helped to buy her a shawl and several other things since she has been here but if you think you can’t help buy her clothes you may take her between you and I will help you buy them for her.  If you had drother do that, I can send her down to Ripley on a boat and Joel (Elizabeth’s husband) or Russell (Melissa’s husband) may meet her there at any time that you will set, that is if she will go and I reckon she would if you can send 1 or 2 dollars.  I don’t expect you will thank me for begging but I can’t help that for I am not able to do my house work.  I have to keep a hired girl all the time and I have to give them more when she is here and Mr. Lord was sick so long last summer it will put him very much behind.  We are all well as usual except colds.  My throat is still sore and Edwin was takin sick last fall with chills and fever and his throat swelled almost entirely shut and has been swelled ever since.  I have to be very careful of him for every time he takes cold he is as bad as ever.  Henry and Edwin sends their love to you.  Give my love to Jane and enquiring friends.  ------- the same for yourself.  When you write again you must say something to Lord for he is in the __ pouts because you did not say anything about him in your last letter.  Well I must quit for it is twelve O’Clock and my candle is burning away.  Excuse all mistakes for there is many. 
Deborah E. Lord to Melissa A. Woolf

***i. Elizabeth Copen was born March 1822 and died October 10, 1916 in Miami, Kansas. She married Joel Wolfe on December 31, 1841 in Highland County, Ohio.

Photo kindly given to me by Jim Priestaf

***j. Addison M. Copen was born about 1824 and died in Missouri. He ran away from home at the age of ten with a horse trader. He then ran away from the horse trader and joined the military and fought in the Mexican War. He lived a nomadic lifestyle and so he isn't in traditional records very often. In 1888 he was living in an old Herdic cab amongst the Gypsy's in Washington, DC. He never saw his family again after leaving home but must have kept correspondence with his sisters Elizabeth and Melissa.

  

***k. Artemesia Ann Copen was born 1827. She married David Lee on Jue 24, 1847 in Athens County, Ohio. Eliza Copen Caplinger named one of her daughters after her.

***l. Melissa Ann Copen was born on September 21, 1828 and died August 13, 1921 in Highland County, Ohio. She married Russell Wolfe on May 28, 1851 in Highland County, Ohio.

Photo kindly given to me by Jim Priestaf

***m. George Washington Copen was born on May 10, 1831 and died June 27, 1914. He married Jane Guthrie June 10, 1853. He married Myrtle Deem on June 21, 1900. He married Elvira Ayers on September 16, 1907. He was living with his mother and sister in the 1850 census. His parents names appear on his second marriage record. 

This photo was kindly given to me by Amber Jaynes

There are three Copen boys that I'm not 100% sure of their lineage. They obviously lived with Zaccheus Copen so they have been lumped into his family but no other evidence exists except that they lived close to each other.

****George W. Copen was born around 1804. He married Zaida Henson on May 4, 1826. He moved to Gallia Ohio by 1836. He moved to Scioto County, Ohio by 1845 because his wife witnessed a marriage there that year. He moved to Lawrence County, Ohio and then to St Francois, Missouri. He probably died in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

     *George lived in Kanawha at the same time William and John lived there. He moved to Scioto after Samuel moved there. He named a daughter Jennie Lind Copen. He named a son William Morrison Copen. He had a son named Thompson. His other children were; Bartlett C., Columbus F, America, Avis Amelia, Mary, Perlina V., and Winfield Scott. He also fits the age of a male child in the house of William Copin of Prince William County.

     *Thompson Copen was born around 1797. He is living with Zaccheus or near Zaccheus because he is listed, but scratched out, of the 1813 Harrison County tax digest.  Thompson named two of his sons Chapman and John Jospeh, which also happens to be the names of the sons of George Copen of Prince William County (brother of Zaccheus). He also fits in age of a son of George in the census of 1810.

     *John Copen born around 1791 (married Rebecca Cobb). William and George Copen (brothers of Zaccheus) also had sons named John but they both disappeared from records.  William Copen apprenticed his son in 1799 and he ran away and in 1800. Perhaps to Harrison County? The age listed for John Copin, son of William, is given as 15 in an 1800 newspaper article.

     *Another thing to keep in mind is that there are no records that directly connect Zaccheus to these three men. He sells his son William Copen his land. He apprenticed his son Samuel W. Copen to James Truslow.  William Copen supplied the information that he was born in Harrison County. There are five males in the household of Zaccheus in 1810 which would infer that they are living with him, but these boys could also be apprentices or farm laborers. This can also be said about the boys listed in the 1810 households of his brothers.  So, this is a disclaimer to copy these three men into the family of Zaccheus at your own risk. Maybe look for a DNA connection to their wives families.