Cope Family Papers

The Cope family in America descended from Oliver Cope who settled in northern Delaware, arriving from England in the late 1680s. His son, John Cope, joined the Society of Friends, and his and succeeding generations were active in Quaker affairs. John Cope married twice, the second time in 1721 to Charity Jefferis Evans. They were members of Bradford Monthly Meeting, and their son, Caleb, was born in 1736. Caleb Cope (1736-1824) was married in 1760 at Bradford Monthly Meeting to Mary Mendenhall (died 1809).

Their son, Jasper Cope (1775-1856) was married in 1800 at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Northern District, to Rebecca Shoemaker (1781-1856). She was the daughter of Joseph and Abigail (Jones) Shoemaker. Rebecca's sister, Ann Shoemaker (1772-1837), married John Janney (1765-1823) of Alexandria Monthly Meeting, Virginia, at Frankford Monthly Meeting in Philadelphia, 1817. He died in 1823 while on a sea voyage, a trip recorded in a journal kept by his wife.

Jasper Cope was a dry goods merchant in Baltimore, establishing the firm of Cope and Company. Rebecca and Jasper Cope had seven children, including Emma (b. 1808) who married Charles Yarnell, son of Ellis and Mary Horner Yarnell, in 1834. Emma and Charles Yarnell also had seven children, including Ellis Horner, Charles, and Amy, who are represented in the correspondence.