Copson Blog

Hi,
I am Evelyn (Copson) Kellett from Langhorne, Pa. I have enclosed two pictures. One of the Copson brothers who
went on to be professional fighters and one, of my dad who chose not to continue.

(To view these photos, click on this URL.  You may need to toggle back and forth to see them both.)

http://picasaweb.google.com/copsons/YoungChappy?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6dr-e798Hi4gE#5318685566221079170

The Fighters are Young Chappy, Al Markie and Jimmy Mack. The single photo is that of my dad Bobbie Copson who when he did fight, fought under the name of Bobby Mack. All of the boys were abandoned by their father Charles J. Copson.
The were placed in different homes later to be found and raised by their step-father Christian Mack who the boys
greatly admired.

We lived the in Kensington section of Philadelphia and moved to the Bucks County area in 1951. My dad married
Anna Rose and raised four children. Loretta, Evelyn, Robert (decd) and Thomas. While living in Philadelphia
my dad worked at Artloom Carpet Company.

I am presently in touch with cousins from each of the Copson Family of Fighters by doing the family genealogy
We are all sharing information and hope to complete my project by meeting them. If any one has any information
I would be very grateful to receive it.

Thanks,
Evie (Copson) Kellett
eviekellett@verizon.net

This just in from SKC Clark.  Comments invited.

_____

I noticed your website and thought I’d give you the etymology/history of the name “Copson”.  A close family friend of mine from New Zealand is called Copson and a few years back he asked me to look into his name history.

I have not read all of your site’s theories on the origin of the name but I can discount one immediately.  The name does not stem from the place name Copston Magna.  Nor is the greatest concentration of Copsons in/near Coventry.  The greatest concentration is actually further northeast.

I can also tell you that Copson is not of Scandinavian origin.  The “Copi’s Farm” idea would have lead the name to be “Copby”.

The origin is this: “Copstán” in modern English often rendered “Copstone” from the Old English “Cop” or “Coppie”, meaning hill, and “stan” (pronounced “staan”) meaning stone.  The word “cop” for hill can still be seen in Dutch and especially Frisian and Afrikaans where “koppie” is the preferred word for hill.

Therefore, to summarise, the name ‘Copson’ is derived from Anglo-Saxon (also called Old English) and was originally Copstán.

Hope this helps!

Here’s an obituary found at the Yates County (NY) Genealogical and Historical Society.

Arthur T. Copson

Arthur T. Copson, formerly of Bluff Point, died Monday, April 24, 1967, following a long illness.

He retired from the Western Union in Oswego in 1965, following 55 years of service.

Surviving are his wife, Laura Dick Copson; sisters, Mrs. Shirley McNulty of Painted Post and Mrs. Lucy Disbrow of Bluff Point; brother, Donald Copson of Newcastle, Pa.; several neices and nephews.

Funeral services and burial were in Oswego.