GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

Nearby places

COPLE

"COPLE, a parish in the hundred of Wixamtree, in the county of Bedford, 4 miles south east of Bedford, its post town and railway station. It is situated on a branch of the river Ouse. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £215, in the patronage of Christ Church, Oxford. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient square structure, and contains brasses and monuments from 1380. Here is a free school, chiefly supported by the Duke of Bedford, who is lord of the manor, and has a large mansion here. It was here that Butler wrote part of his "Hudibras." Cope Hall was lately the residence of the Earl of Ludlow."

"WATER END, a hamlet in the parish of Cople, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile south of Cople."

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Cople can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 2, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • All Saints Church, Cople, supposedly one of the most beautiful Churches in Bedfordshire. What a pity they're hiding it behind the trees!
  • All Saints Church, Cople. (View 2).
• There are photographs and a description of All Saints on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.
• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • All Saints Church, Cople

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of All Saints is an interesting edifice of sandstone and Dunstable clunch, in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel with side chapels, nave with clerestory, aisles, south porch and a tower containing 5 bells: on the north side of the chancel is an altar-tomb of Purbeck marble, to the Luke family, and on the south side a similar one to the Grey family: there are many brasses: the nave and chancel have been restored since 1877, at a cost of £1,000, and in 1890 a new east window was erected, at a cost of over £380. The register dates from the year 1560. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
  • A description of All Saints Parish Church and its history can be found on the Cople Village website.

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for All Saints are available on microfiche for the period 1560-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Community Websites

• Cople Village web site.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Cople parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Cople parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Cople parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9

Military History

• The BFHS Project in conjunction with Roll of Honour contains the Cople War Memorial transcription with details of the men found on it.