Elizabeth Copley

Notes:

RESEARCH_NOTES:
1. The book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, pp. 88-89:
"Nathaniel Phelps, b. England, about 1627, emigrated to New England with his father, in ship Mary and John, settling with his father in Dorchester, removing to Windsor, Ct., in 1635-6, where he m. Elizabeth Copley, 17 Sep 1650. She was an English lady.
Says the Hon. James H. Phelps of Townshend, Vt., a descendant of the family of Elizabeth Copley, in England was the celebrated artist, John Copley, father of Lord Lyndhurst, who on the 30th of April, 1827, became Lord Chancellor of England.' Lord Lyndhurst appears to have no knowledge of this connection, as may be seen from his letter herewith attached. As this connection must be traced back over 200 years, here is no reason to doubt the same. Mrs. Phelps died in Northampton, Mass., 6 Dec 1712, some ten years after her husband. Her will probated in Northampton, Vol. II, 1678-1716. Reference is made to her sons Nathaniel and William Phelps, who are to have the land her husband left her, to be divided equally between them. Her homestead also to be divided between them, Nathaniel to have the side he lives in, and William the other side. To Abigal 50 pounds; to the children of Matthew and Mary Closson 5 pound each; to her son-in-law, Matthew Closson, 10 shillings; to Thomas Copley 3 pounds; to Samuel and John Lankton 20 shillings each.
Mr. Phelps resided on the Orton place opposite his father's homestead, which he purchased of his brother Samuel. Here he resided up to 1656-7, when he removed with part of his family to Northampton, Mass., one of his first settlers. Says Stiles: 'He was a pious man of good intellect, and of a sound, discriminating judgment - was one of the first deacons of the N. Church. His homestead was occupied by him for 43 years, and by his descendants until 1835.' His homestead comprised the land which was over fifty years ago occupied by Miss Margaret Dwight's school, and which at a later date was a College Institute of J.J. Dudley, Esq., and which is now Shady Lawn. The old homestead stood a few rods north of that edifice. (Clark's Northampton Antiquity).
Although Mr. Phelps, removed to Northampton in 1656-7, we find him paying slip rent in Windsor 4 Jan 1659.
8 Feb 1679, Dea. Nathaniel Phelps, with his sons Nathaniel Jr. and William, took the oath of allegiance before Worshipful Maj. Pynchon.
11 May 1681, he was made a freeman by the General Court at Boston.
He died in Northampton 27 May 1702, aged 75 years, honored and respected.
His children were:
I. Mary, b. Windsor, Ct., 21 Jun 1651, m. Matthew Closson.
II. Nathaniel, b. Windsor, Ct., 2 Jun 1653, m. Grace Martin.
III. Abigail, b. Windsor, Ct., 5 Apr 1655, d. aged 101 yrs., 4 mos., 11 days, m. John Alverd. No issue.
IV. William, b. Northampton, Mass., 22 Jun 1657, m. Abigail Stebbins.
V. Thomas, b. Northampton, Mass., 20 May 1661, d. unmarried.
VI. Mercy, b. Northampton, Mass., 16 Mar 1662, d. 15 Jul 1662."

2. From the book "Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33" under the heading of William Phelps' Children: "Nathaniel, bp. Crewkerne 6 March 1624[/5]; m. Windsor 17 September 1650 Elizabeth (____) Copley ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55]." This would seem to indicate that Elizabeth was married to a Copley.

3. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, p. 565: "Nathaniel (Dea.) (son of William), m. 17 Sep 1650 (O.C.R.) Elizabeth Copley, 'an Englishwoman'; res. in Windsor on the Orton place near his father, but removed 1656 or '7 to Northampton, Mass.; was one of its founders; was regarded as a pious man, of good intellect, and of a sound discriminating judgment; was one of the first deacons of the N. Church. His homestead was occupied by him for 43 years and by his descendants until 1835; the last owner sold and removed to Ohio. This homestead 'comprised the land which was, over 50 years ago, occupied by Miss Margaret Dwight's school, and which at a later date was the College Instit. of J.H. Dudley, Esq., and what is now Shady Lawn. The old homestead stood a few rods N. of that edifice.' - 'Clark's Northampton Antiquities.'
Dea. Nathaniel Phelps d. 27 May 1702; his widow d. 6 Dec 1712. It has been said that she descended from the same family as the celebrated artist John Coply, father of Lord Lyndhurst; but the statement lacks corroboration. Her will (N. Prob. Rec.) divides house and lands equally between her sons Nath'l and Wm.; to her dau. Abigail ₤50; to ch. of Matthew and Mary Closson, ₤5 each; to her son-in-law, Matthew Closson, 10s.; to Thomas Coply, ₤3; and to Samuel and John Lankton, 20s. each.
8 Feb 1678, Dea. Nathaniel, with his sons Nathaniel and William, took the oath of allegiance before Worshipful Major Pynchon; 11 May 1681, he was made a freeman by Gen. Ct. at Boston. Children (the first 3 born at Windsor, the rest at Northampton):
A. Mary, b. 21 Jun 1651 (O.C.R.); m. 12 Dec 1670 at N., Matthew Closson, an Irishman, servant of one of the early settlers of N.; had 10 ch., of whom but 4 lived to adult age; their eldest was b. in N.; they removed to Deerfield abt. 1672, where many of their descendants are now found among the most respectable families of D.
B. Nathaniel (Dea.), b. 2 Apr 1653. - O.C.R.
C. Abigail, b. 5 Apr 1655 (O.C.R); m. John Alvord.
D. William, b. 22 Jun 1657, 'at Northampton' (O.C.R.); m. Abigail Stebbins.
E. Thomas, b. 20 May 1661; d. young, unmd.
F. Mercy, b. 16 May 1662; d. 15 Jul 1662."
[Kerry's note: No Copley family biographies in same book.]

4. "The American Genealogist," 68(Jul 1990):161-166, "The English Origin of William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn., with Notes on His Marriages," by Myrtle Stevens Hyde:
"William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn....
Children (Phelps) of William1, prob. by his apparent first wife Mary (___), bp. Crewkerne, co. Somerset...
iv. Nathaniel bp. 6 March 1624[/5], d. Northampton, Mass., 27 May 1702 (James Edward Buckman, comp., "Northampton Deaths," in Forbes Library, Northampton, p. 13); m. Windsor 17 Sept. 1650 widow Elizabeth COPLEY (Windsor Early Recs. p. 55; see NEHGR 64[1910]:248 fn.). For his probate, see Hampshire Co., Mass., PR 3:93-94..."

Elizabeth married Nathaniel Phelps on 17 Sep 1650 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Nathaniel (son of William Phelps and Mary Marshal) was born on 6 Mar 1624 in Crewkerne, Somerset, England; died on 27 May 1702 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Phelps was born on 21 Jun 1651 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died on 15 Apr 1687 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.
2. Nathaniel Phelps was born on 2 Jun 1653 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died on 19 Jun 1719 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.
3. Abigail Phelps was born on 5 Apr 1655 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; died on 16 Aug 1756 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.
4. William Phelps was born on 22 Jun 1657 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; died on 1 Jun 1745 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.
5. Thomas Phelps, unm. was born on 20 May 1661 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; died in 1677 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.
6. Mercy Phelps was born on 16 May 1662 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; died on 15 Jul 1662 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 30 Oct 1597, Skelbrooke, York, England

Thomas married Elizabeth Griswold on 7 May 1628. Elizabeth (daughter of George Griswold and Joanna Dousabele Leigh) was born in 1604 in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England; died on 6 Dec 1712 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The following is based on excerpts from "Descendants of Thomas and Elizabeth Copley in America," by William Copley, Concord,49 High St., New Hampshire, 1981.

Thomas 1 Copley died August 18, 1634, leaving a widow with two young children and not much future in England. Since her parents and sister Sarah had emigrated to Dorchester, Mass., and then Windsor, Conn., in 1636, Elizabeth1 Copley followed suit. Her name is first mentioned in America on Sept. 17, 1650, when "widow Elizabeth Copley, and English woman," married Nathaniel Phelps in Windsor. He was born in England about 1627, the son of William Phelps. His brother Samuel married Elizabeth's sister Sarah Griswold less thatn two months later in Windsor.

Nathaniel and Elizabeth1 Phelps moved to Northampton, Mass., about 1656, where they spent the rest of their lives. Elizabeth1 was the mother of six children by her second husband. Nathaniel Phelps died in Northampton 27 May 1702. Elizabeth1 (Copley) Phelps died 6 Dec. 1712 in Northampton. She was probably about 100 years old, but no source gives her age.

George married Joanna Dousabele Leigh in 1594 in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England. Joanna was born in 1576 in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England; died on 28 Aug 1615 in Wooten, Warwickshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]