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1. John Thomas COPPOCK was born about 1772 in Middlesex.1,2 He was living in 1806 in Bear Alley, Holborn, Middlesex (west side of Farringdon Street).3 On 27 May 1818 he was a printer in City of London Middlesex England.4 He was living on 27 May 1818 in West Street, City of London, Middlesex.4 In 1841 he was a compositor in Clerkenwell, Middlesex.5 In 1847 he was a Printer.6 In 1851 he was a Printer/compositor in St Lukes, Holborn, London.1,7 In 1855 he was a printer.8,9 He died of old age (not certified) on 5 Dec 1855 in 14 Rose Street, Saint Luke, London.8,9 Elizabeth Fowler was present at death (from certificate).

According to the 1851 Census John Thomas was born c.1772 in Middlesex, however there is no trace of a baptism for John Thomas in the IGI for London & Middlesex. There are several possible Middlesex parishes not covered by the IGI. According to the recollections of Florence Workman nee Coppock, an Australian great-granddaughter of John Thomas, his son Joseph Henry was an Irish Londoner. The Census could therefore be incorrect & John Thomas may have originated in Ireland. However, there are Coppocks around London in 1500s & 1600s. It is possible that the Coppock name originated in Ireland much further back in the family's history.

A John Thomas Coppock married Mary Ann Austin at St.Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminister, London in September 1797. We have found no trace of any issue from this marriage. The Coppocks still living in the Westminister area at the 1851 Census were from Manchester, Stockport & Oxfordshire. There is no trace of a burial of Mary Ann Coppock at St.Martin's 1797-1802, but the widower John Thomas Coppock married Elizabeth Miller at Christ Church Newgate in 1803. In July 1804 a child of a John Thomas & Elizabeth Coppock was baptised at St.Luke's Old Street, London just 2 miles away.

When 2 more children were baptised in July 1806 & September 1808 at St.Sepulchre, Holborn, a mile from Old Street, the family were resident at Bear Alley off the west side of Farringdon Street. By June 1812 when another child was baptised at St.Andrew, Holborn they were living at Union Court. In December 1813 a further child was baptised this time at the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion Chapel at Spa Fields, Clerkenwell a couple of miles distant. Were they living nearby & it proved a convenient church or were they converts in the Evangelical Revival?

Their sixth child, Frederick was baptised in January 1817 at St Andrew, Holborn, and then we find a child, Henry, baptised in May 1818 at St Sepulchre, parents John and Mary Coppock. Did John Thomas have a mistress called Mary, or has the mother's name been recorded as Mary in error, and should be Elizabeth? John Coppock's occupation on the baptism record is given as printer, which fits with the occupation shown in other records we have found. The 1841 and 1851 censuses both show John with Elizabeth. Their Henry had children, one of whom emigrated to Canada.

John and Elizabeth's daughter Elizabeth Frances married in 1847 at Christ Church Greyfriars, Newgate Street, the next door parish to St.Sepulchre, aged about 34. Her address was Clerkenwell. Was she still with her ageing parents before that? In 1851 John Thomas & Elizabeth are living in part of 29 Norman Buildings, Great Mitchell Street in the St.Luke's City Road area, Middlesex.
John Thomas died of "old age" in 1855 at 83 years at 14 Rose Street Saint Luke Middlesex, possibly the home of his married daughter Elizabeth. He was a Printer and his daughter Elizabeth registered his death, having been present when it occurred.

John Thomas COPPOCK and Mary Ann AUSTIN were married on 18 Sep 1797 in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster.10,11,12

John Thomas COPPOCK and Elizabeth MILLER were married in 1803 in Christ Church, Greyfriars, Newgate, London.8,13
This must be checked - have been informed that he married Elizabeth Miller. Date on IGI for marriage with Elizabeth BAKER is 1800. She was born 9 Feb 1771, but IGI does not state place of birth. No reference given on IGI.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true
The Pallot Marriage Index is the correct entry, showing Elizabeth MILLER as John Thomas' spouse. Sadly, it is not possible to verify the Pallot entry against the parish register for Christ Church, Newgate, as all of the church's registers were destroyed in 1940 during an air raid by Nazi bombers. There is a very partial transcription of the registers, but this only records nobles, gentry and professional people, and therefore is of no use to most people researching family history. They appeared in the census in 1841 in 7 Easton Court Clerkenwell Middlesex London.5 They appeared in the census in 1851 in 29 Normans Buildings, City Road, St Lukes, Middlesex.1,14 Elizabeth MILLER (daughter of Living and Living) was born on 15 May 1781 in St Luke, Old Street, Middlesex, England.15,16 She was baptized on 17 Jun 1781 in St Luke, Old Street, Middlesex, England.16 She was also known as Elizabeth Baker. Some researchers have cited Elizabeth Baker as John Thomas Coppock's second wife. However, Pallot's Marriage Index shows John Coppock to have married Elizabeth Miller. No parish register record is available for the marriage (see marriage record above). Elizabeth surname is given as Baker by the Australian descendents of her son Joseph Henry. This appears to be the name of mother given on Joseph Henry's Death Certificate. It seems that this name was mis-remembered as we have discovered a marriage of Elizabeth Miller to John Thomas Coppock in the Pallot's Marriage Index. Baker could have been easily confused with Miller by family trying to remember for the Registrar. Joseph's son Joseph Junior claimed that the family was Irish but the Census records that both Elizabeth & John Thomas were born in Middlesex. Either his recollection or the Census could be inaccurate or the Irish connection could have been in a previous generation.

Deaths Jun 1863
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COPPOCK Elizabeth Edmonton 3a 116

John Thomas COPPOCK and Elizabeth MILLER had the following children:

+2

i.

John James COPPOCK.

+3

ii.

George Charles COPPOCK.

+4

iii.

William Thomas COPPOCK.

+5

iv.

Joseph Henry COPPOCK.

+6

v.

Elizabeth Frances COPPOCK.

+7

vi.

Frederick COPPOCK.


Should Mary actually have been recorded as Elizabeth in her child Henry's baptism record? Or was she John Thomas' mistress? This is impossible to verify, and as he was already married to Elizabeth, it is unlikely that he would have married bigamously. We have therefore left her as a separate spouse. The 1841 and 1851 censuses both show John Thomas with Elizabeth (that is, she was still alive for some long while after 1818). John Thomas COPPOCK and Mary had the following children:

+8

i.

Henry COPPOCK.