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18. John William COPPOCK was born on 26 Mar 1833 in St Lukes, Holborn, London.32,49,135 He was baptized on 27 Oct 1833 in St Andrew, Holborn, City of London.49,135,137 He was living after 27 Oct 1833 in Plum Tree Court, Bermondsey, Surrey.32 He appeared in the census in 1841 in Susannah Place, St John Horselydown, Southwark.38 He was living in Mar 1845 in 7 Nutkin's Corner, Bermondsey, Surrey.40 He appeared in the census in 1851 in 9 London Street, Bermondsey.42 (Recorded as Coppik.) In 1851 he was a rope maker.42 He appeared in the census in 1861 in 30 Carter Street, Tower Hamlets, Bromley, Middlesex.147 In 1861 he was a rope maker in Bromley, Middlesex.147 He appeared in the census in 1871 in 12 Scott Street, Plaistow, Essex.148 In 1871 he was a rope maker in Plaistow, Essex.148 He appeared in the census in 1881 in 2 Pragel Street, Plaistow, Essex.149 In 1881 he was a labourer in Plaistow, Essex.149 He died on 15 Feb 1902 in 10 Arragon Road, East Ham, London.49,150 He was a ropemaker and dock labourer.49

John William Coppck was born in 1833 most probably in Holborn (also designated St.Luke's from its registration district) in the City Of London. Both John W. & his elder brother George were baptised from Holborn addresses, but Bermondsey, South London (just across the River Thames) is given as their place of birth in the 1851 Census when living with their parents in Bermondsey. [HO 107/1560 f.448] This is repeated for John W. in 1861 with his own family in Bromley by Bow. [RG 9/301 f.122] However, in the 1881 Census John W.'s place of birth is now given as St.Luke's. [RG 11/1711 f.18] The family may have moved to & fro, but it may well be that inaccurate information was given to the returning officers.

When John W. he was baptised in October 1833 at St.Andrew Holborn the family was resident at Plum Tree Court, Holborn (off the west side of Farringdon Street beneath Holborn Viaduct). When a younger brother, William Joseph, was baptised at St.Mary Magdalene Bermondsey in December 1836 the family were living in Bermondsey Street, Bermondsey. There was nearly a year's delay from his birth. Was this caused by the disruption of moving?

In the 1841 Census John W. is 8 years old & resident with his parents & 3 other children at Susannah Place, on the south side of New Street, Bermondsey. [HO 107/1087/5 f.24] New Street is also their address when the two youngest of those children were baptised at St.John Horsleydown in November 1839 & October 1841. By the time Charlotte Amelia was baptised at St.Mary Magdalene in August 1844 they were living at Folley, Bermondsey. Some time between this & 1851 John W.'s mother Susannah died leaving his father a widower at the census when their adode is 9 London Street north of Hickman's Foll(e)y in the Dockhead area of Bermonsey within the parish of St.Mary Magdalene. John by this time is, like his older brother George, is a rope maker. There are "rope walks" marked nearby & all along the Thames on contemporary maps & they presumably served the maritime industry.

This area known as "Jacob's Island" was made infamous by Charles Dickens in Oliver Twist as the site of Bill Sikes' death. The London Encyclopaedia (Macmillan 1983) says this: "It stands beside the polluted Neckinger, 'the very capital of cholera'.
After being attacked about the fictitious nature of the site, Dickens wrote this defence in the preface to a new edition of the novel: 'In the year 1850 it was publicly declared in London by an amazing alderman that Jacob's Island did not exist and
never has existed. Jacob's Island continues to exist like an ill-bred place as it is in the year 1867, though much improved and changed.' A plan from Wilkinson's Londinia (1818) shows a space between Jacob Street & London Street which probably
represents the island. The present day Jacob Street marks the site."

John W. (a rope maker still) was living at Frederick Place, Newington (an area a mile to the SW of Bermonsey around the Elephant & Castle) when in June 1859 at St.Mary's Newington he married a widow Esther Pipe (nee Walker) who was of the same address. The marriage was witnessed by Esther's brother(?) Charles & Sarah Walker (?Charles' wife). There were some other Walkers living at Frederick Place in the 1851 census but there is no certain connection.

Just under 2 years after their marriage John W. & Esther's son was born in February 1861 at 1 Carter Street, Bromley by Bow, Poplar in the east end of London. north of the Thames & about 5 miles from Bermondsey. They were still at that address when
Esther registered the birth in the middle of March but by April in the 1861 Census they are living at 30 Carter Street. With them is Esther's son John Charles Pipe husband, a scholar aged 5, & Frederick W. now aged 2 months. John W. remains a Ropemaker. At this time the "East End" is undergoing rapid urbanisation & being absorbed by London.

At the 1871 Census they are resident at 42 Scott Street Plaistow with 3 children & John William is still a Ropemaker. By the time Phoebe Esther was born at the same address in October 1874 her father was a Dock Labourer. (Was the demand for ropes decreasing with the demise of sailing vessels?) However, when their eldest son Frederick William is married in 1879 John William is still called a Rope Maker so perhaps the term "Dock Labourer" covered many trades & occupations.

The 4 younger children of John W. & Esther, as revealed in the 1881 Census, were born between 1866 & 1875 at Canning Town 2 miles east of Bromley-by-Bow & near the Royal Docks. The area was developed to house workers in the docks & Thames side industries.

In 1881 they were resident at 2 Pragel Street, Plaistow (about a mile to the NE of Canning Town) with the aforementioned 4 children all of whom were scholars aged 14 to 6 years. Sharing the house were Esther's brothers Charles & Jas.S.Walker both of whom were Agricultural Labourers. Despite the building there must have been some fields left! Jas was unmarried but there is no record of Charles' wife(Sarah?). John W. is now called a Labourer.

In 1895 Esther was living at 3 Providence Villas, Barking Road, Plaistow with her son Edward Henry who "had never done any work except assist...in fetching linen for the mangle, by which she earned her living." "Her husband had been away three years." (Edward Henry's Inquest report West Ham & Stratford Express 25/6/1895 p3 c4) Does this mean John William & Esther had been separated since 1892 or was he away working? Daphne Stewart nee Howe believes that he left home due to frequent arguments but does not know whether he went to live with Fred. immediately. [letter 24/1/98]

John W. is a witness to the marriage in 1897 at Walthamstow Parish Church of his grandaughter Ellen (daughter of Fred.W.). In 1901 he appears to be an Assistant Domestic Gardener at a children's home in Croydon. John William he is residing with his eldest son's wife at 10 Arragon Road (next door to grandaughter Ellen, husband & family at 8 Arragon Road) when he died in February 1902 of acute bronchitis. He was now a Night Watchman (presumably at the docks as he is still called a Dock Labourer on his wife Esther's death certificate aged 68. Esther died of cancer of the womb & exhaustion at 623 Barking Road Plaistow in November 1905. The death was registered by her daughter Pamela.

John William COPPOCK and Esther P WALKER were married on 26 Jun 1859 in St Mary, Newington, London.49 Esther P WALKER (daughter of Thomas WALKER and Phoebe STANLEY) was born before 27 Nov 1836 in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.151,152 She was baptized on 27 Nov 1836 in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.151,153 She appeared in the census in 1861 in 30 Carter Street, Tower Hamlets, Bromley, Middlesex.147 She appeared in the census in 1871 in 12 Scott Street, Plaistow, Essex.148 She appeared in the census in 1881 in 2 Pragel Street, Plaistow, Essex.149 She died on 30 Nov 1905 in 623 Barking Road, Plaistow.150,151 She was a launderess.151

Esther Pipe was born at Biggleswade 40 miles north of London in Bedfordshire on the Great North Road. She was baptised at Biggleswade Parish Church in November 1836 & at the 1841 Census she is resident, with her mother Phoebe 6 siblings (4 older & 2 younger), at Cowfairlands, Biggleswade. [HO 107/2/6 f.8] There is no trace of the family at Biggleswade in the 1851 Census. Her father & mother & some of the children are living in Bermondsey in 1851 but there is no trace of Esther. In March 1855 Esther married a Mariner John Pipe (There were Pipes in Biggleswade) at St.John's Southwark in which parish they were both resident. Their son John Charles Pipe born in Bermondsey 1855-6. John Pipe died of Pneumonia in the London Hospital Whitechapel in July 1856 aged 23.

In 1901 Esther is living separated from her husband at 623 Barking Road, Plaistow with 2 grandchildren. John William COPPOCK and Esther P WALKER had the following children:

+62

i.

Frederick William COPPOCK.

+63

ii.

Pamela COPPOCK.

64

iii.

Edward Henry COPPOCK was born on 27 Sep 1870 in Plaistow/Canning Town, Essex.151 He was born on 27 Sep 1870 in Plaistow/Canning Town London England.154 He appeared in the census in 1871 in 12 Scott Street, Plaistow, Essex.148 He appeared in the census in 1881 in 2 Pragel Street, Plaistow, Essex.149 He died open verdict "Found dead" by jury on 16 Jun 1895 in Plaistow, Essex.151,155 His body was found floating in a dock by the Thames. He died on 16 Jun 1895 in Plaistow London England.156 He was a None.

Edward was living with his parents in 1881.

The following is a report on Edward Henry's inquest from the West Ham & Stratford Express 25/6/1895 p3 c4:

PLAISTOW

A DOCK MYSTERY. - On Monday afternoon Mr. C. C. Lewis held an inquiry respecting the death of Henry Edward Coppock, aged 24, son of a dock labourer, late of 2, Providence-villas, Barking-road, Plaistow, who was last week reported by his mother to be
missing.--Esther Coppock, mother of the deceased, said her husband had been away three years. Deceased had never done any work except assist witness in fetching linen for the mangle, by which she earned her living. He was subject to fits and had had
one on Sunday night, the 9th. Usually on Sunday evenings he left home and went to the corner of Liverpool-road to listen to some preaching there. He did so on Sunday night, the 16th, having then 6s. in silver and some coppers in his pockets, beside
some copper coins strung upon a cord. He had only been to the docks twice, and witness believed he would not know his way there. He was saving the money he had to buy some clothes, and had never threatened to destroy himself. On the day he left home
his sister had been beating her little girl, and he remarked to his mother that that kind of thing made him feel inclined to cut his throat, if he had a razor.--Michael Hurley, of the Black Bull, New Gravel Lane, Shadwell, a stevedore, said that on
Saturday night last he went into the dock towards the ship Gwendoline, lying at "N" jetty. As he walked along he saw a body floating, and got into a boat and secured it. He then called Constable Gradley, of the dock police, and they brought the corpse
ashore. It was very much decomposed. He saw the body searched, and although three pouches and a money purse were found, not a single coin of any description was discovered. The clothing of the deceased was not torn.--Constable Gradley, 271 dock
police, who searched the body, produced several articles found thereon, but said there was no money at all. A purse was now produced Mrs Coppock said had contained the money having holes in it that her son had. The deceased's hat, a hard felt one,
was tightly wedged on his head.--Inspr. French said that there was a "level" made in the dock on saturday, and he presumed that the body was washed in from the river, it being found just in the eddy caused by the inflow.--The Coroner pointed out that
there was no evidence to show how the deceased got into the dock, and the only mysterious circumstances was that his money was gone.--The jury returned an open verdict of "Found dead."

+65

iv.

Louisa Sarah COPPOCK.

+66

v.

Phoebe Esther COPPOCK.