Main content
Cope-Evans Family papers
Notifications
Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Caleb Cope (1736-1824) married Mary Mendenhall (1738-1809) in 1760. Their son was Thomas Pim Cope (1768-1854) who married Mary Drinker (1766-1825) in 1792.
Thomas and Mary's children included Henry Cope (1793-1865), Francis Cope (1794-1816), William D. Cope (1798-1873), Caroline R. Cope (1802 -1881), Alfred Cope (1806-1875), and Elenor Cope (1807-1847).
Henry Cope (1793-1865) married Rachel Reeve (1794-1863) in 1818. Henry and Rachel's children included Mary Drinker Cope (1819-1890), Francis R. Cope (1821-1909), Thomas Pim Cope (1823-1900), and Ruth Anna Cope (1834-1879).
Francis R. Cope (1821-1909) married Anna Stewardson Brown (1822-1916) in 1847. Francis and Anna's children included Elizabeth S. Cope (1848-1937), who married Alexis T. Cope (1850-1883) in 1875, and Rachel R. Cope (1850-1939), who married Jonathan Evans (1843-1911) in 1873.
Jonathan Evans was the son of Thomas Evans (1798-1868) and Catharine Wistar Evans (1802-1871).
William D. Cope (1798-1873) married Susan Newbold (1805-1872) in 1834. William and Susan's children included Clementine Cope (1835-1903), Edgar Cope (1838-1895), Caroline Elizabeth Cope (1840-1944), Annette Cope (1843-1916), and Alexis T. Cope (1850-1883).
Thomas Pim Cope (1768-1854), prominent Quaker merchant, member of Philadelphia City Council and Pennsylvania legislature, was the founder of the Cope packet line, a mercantile shipping firm based in Philadelphia which predominantly traded with Liverpool, England. His sons, Henry and Alfred, later took on the business themselves when their father withdrew from the company in 1829. Their brother, William D. Cope (1798-1873), settled in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, where William looked after his father's land interests, establishing his home at "Woodbourne." Henry's sons, Francis R. Cope (1821-1909) and Thomas Pim Cope (1823-1900), also joined the shipping firm, continuing it as Cope Brothers after the death of their father in 1869 and the withdrawal of their uncle Alfred. The company was sold in 1880.
Henry Cope (1793-1865) was the founder of the family enclave "Awbury." During the 1850s, he bought about 40 acres in Germantown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and built his house there. Henry and Rachel's children were raised at Awbury and later built their own homes on the property.
(See "Stokes Cope Emlen Evans: genealogical charts of four closely associated Germantown families" by Francis Joseph Stokes, Jr. for more on Awbury, including a map showing the various houses, dates of construction and original owners).
Collection includes letters (with accompanying poetry, acrostics, drawings, clippings, etc.), marriage certificates, photographs, friendship book, estate related papers, account books, and computer disks. Primarily letters of the closely related Quaker families of Cope and Evans of Germantown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); other families include Brown, Drinker, and Haines.
Letters primarily discuss family, friends, and home life, reflecting the social environment of these relatively well-to-do Quaker families. Letters of Mary Cope (1766-1825) to her children at school are full of affection and advice, both practical and spiritual. Thomas Pim Cope's letters include those to his son Henry at Westtown School, as well as letters reflecting on his business interests, including a copy of an 1805 letter to his then partner, J. Thomas, requesting they end their business association because of Thomas's sloppy bookkeeping habits.
Business matters dominate the letters of brothers Henry, William D., and Alfred Cope: Henry and Alfred continuing the Cope family shipping business begun by their father, and William D. Cope (1798-1873) establishing his farm in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, where he looked after his father's land interests.
The letters of Anna S. Cope (1822-1916) and Francis R. Cope (1821-1909) discuss home life and children as well as family and friends activities; many of Anna S. Cope's letters were written from family vacation spots in New England, where she often went to escape the hot summer months in Philadelphia. Letters of Francis R. Cope include letters written while in Virginia on Freedmen's Relief Association business after the Civil War (1866) as well as letters related to the sale of Pennsylvania Freedmen's Association property in Washington, D.C.
The letters of sisters Clementine, Caroline, and Annette Cope include many travel letters from Europe. Clementine Cope's letters also include those written while teaching at a Freedmen's Association School in Baltimore in 1865.
There are a number of letters written by children; of particular interest are those written by brothers Henry, Francis, and William D. Cope while a Westtown Boarding School in the early 1800s, and letters of brothers Francis R. Cope (1821-1909) and Thomas P. Cope (1823-1900) while at Haverford College in the 1830s.
The letters of Elizabeth S. Cope relate family and travel news; letters after the death of her husband Alexis T. Cope in 1883 express her loss.
Letters of Rachel and Jonathan Evans discuss children, family, home life, and health concerns and contain much information related both to their roles as parents and to their love for each other. Rachel's letters include information on the illness, treatment, and recovery of their oldest child, Anna Cope Evans, who was sent to "Bournewood" (Brookline, Massachusetts) after a nervous breakdown in 1900; also letters of Anna Cope Evans (b. 1875) from "Bournewood."[Note: many handwritten comments on letters in the collection are in the hand of Elizabeth S. Cope (1848-1937)].
Also marriage certificates; copies of original photographs of members of Hartshorne, Yarnall, Stokes, Garrett, Wistar, Haines, Drinker, and Bright families; friendship book of Francis R. Cope at Haverford College (1835-1838); and papers and account books of estate of Thomas Evans.
Letters are arranged alphabetically by author and then chronologically within each author.
The Cope-Evans Family papers were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College by J. Morris Evans.
Original processing information unknown. Revised by Lillian Sweeney; completed February, 2020.
People
- Cope family
- Evans family
- Cope, Thomas Pim
- Evans, Jonathan, 1843-1911
- Evans, Rachel Reeve Cope
- Cope, William D. (William Drinker)
- Cope, Clementine
- Cope, Francis Reeve, 1821-
- Cope, Anna Stewardson
- Cope, Elizabeth Stewardson
- Foster, Mary C. (Mary Cope), 1854-1936
- Cope, Henry
- Cope, Alfred
- Cope, Alexis T., 1850-1883
- Brown family
- Hartshorne family
- Yarnall family
- Stokes family
- Garrett family
- Wistar family
- Haines family
- Cope, Caleb
Organization
Subject
- Quakers -- Education
- Health
- poetry and poems
- Drawing
- Photography
- Quakers -- Family relationships
- Quakers -- Pennsylvania -- Germantown (Philadelphia)
- Business
- Business ethics
- Quakers in business
- Quaker businesspeople
- Farm life
- Land titles
- Vacations -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- 19th century
- Europe -- description and travel
- Quakers -- Travel
- Americans -- Travel -- England -- History -- 19th century
- Quakers -- Virginia
- Abolitionists
- Quaker abolitionists
- Freedmen
- Freedmen -- Education -- Southern States
- Freedmen -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- African American youth -- Education -- Pennsylvania
- African American youth -- Education -- Southern States
- Mental health
- Death
- Psychiatric hospital care -- History -- Sources
- Mental Illness
Place
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17).
Collection Inventory
Letter writers include (number of letters): Unknown "AL", Eleanor Alderson (2), Elizabeth Allen (2), Albert Bachelder (1), J.H. Bacon (1), Joel Baily (2), Mary C. Beardsley (1), Mary Bettle (1), Anna Biddle (7), Anna Blair (2), and Mrs. EB Broadhurst (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Edward Brown (1), Elizabeth Brown (1), Elizabeth Brown (1), J. & M. Brown (1), John Brown (1), Mary E. Brown (1), Moses Brown (1), Ridgely Brown (2), Susan Brown (3), Thomas S. Brown (1), and William and Mary Brown (2).
Letter writers include: (number of letters): Joanna Sophia Buffum (1), D. H. Burrell (1), John E. Carter (1), Charles Reed Cary (2), Ellen Chase (1), Mary J. B. Chew (1), Ida C. Clothier (1), Mary Coates (1), William and Elizabeth Collins (1), Elmer Compton (1), Banjamin Cook (1), Nathan Cope (1), Sarah Corbit (1), Laura Corse (2), Celia Creeth (1), and James Cropper (1).
Letter writers include number of letters): "Dolittle Dorothy" (1), Annie Drinker (1), Charles G. Drinker (2), Charles M. Drinker (1), Elizabeth Drinker (2), Frances Drinker (1), George Drinker (2), Henry S. Drinker (1), Henry W. Drinker (5), Joesph D. Drinker (1), M. Drinker (1), Rachel Drinker (11), Rebecca Drinker (3), Richard Drinker (1), Robert W. Drinker (3), Sandwith Drinker (1), Willis Drinker (1), Elizabeth Mary Dupree (2), and Julia Duprois (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): A. Maria Earle (1), Robert Earle (1), Rebecca Embree (2), Mary Cope Emlen (3), Samuel Emlen (1), Mary Farnum (7), and Davis Forsythe (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Alfred C. Garrett (1), E. W. Garrett (2), Hannah R. Garrett (2), M. H. Carrett (1), William C. Geddes (1), Isabella Gottier (3), Stephen Grellet (1), and Samuel R. Gummere (2).
Letter writers include (number of letters): M. E. H. (1), Francis C. Haines (1), Hannah R. Haines (1), M. R. Haines (14), Mary D. Haines (1), Phebe Haines (1), William H. Haines (1), Harrison children (2), Jane Harrison (1), Smith Harrison (1), Anna C. Hartshorne (2), Charles Harshorne (1), H. Harshorne (1), Mary E. Hartsorne (1), Mary E. Hartshorne (4), Jacob Harvey (1), Caroline Hazard, John Hazard (2), and Rowland Hazard (2).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Joseph R. Ingersoll (1), Anna Jelly (1), A. A. Jenkins (1), Ann Jones (1), Francis T. King (1), E.P. Kirkbride (1), E. N. L'duvier (1), Nettie LaMotte (1), Martha Leeds (3), Caroline M. Lewis (5), William Draper Lewis (1), and S. Lloyd (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Walter H. Magill (1), Charles Minor (1), I. M. Mintzer (2), Sarah Emlen Moore (1), Ann Morris (1), Caspar Morris (1), Hannah P. Morris (1), Jacqueline P. Morris (2), Joseph Paul Morris (2), Samuel Morris (2), Sibylla T. Morris (2), Issac Murphy, Annie P. Newbold (1), Margaret C. Newbold (1), William Newbold (3), Sarah C. W. Nordhoff (2), and Rosa P. Norris (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Hannah Pastorius (1), Johnathan Pim (1), William Pim (1), Charles P. Pleasants (1), Fanny Pleasants (1), Martha Pleasants (1), Jane Pretlow (1), Eli K. Price (1), and Hannah Price (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Richard Randolph (1), John Reeve (1), Julia K. Reeve (3), Susan S. Reeve (6), Charles Rhoads (1), Charles J. Rhoads (1), D. Rhoads (1), Dr. Rhoads (1), H. Rhoads (1), James E. Rhoads (2), Jonathan E. Rhoads (2), Sarah W. Rhoads (1), Emily Rose (1), Robert H. Rose, and William T. Rutty (1).
Letter writers include (number of letters): William Sansom (1), Alfred G. Scattergood (1), John Sergeant (1), Blakey Sharpless (1), Issac Sharpless (1), Catharine M. Shipley (1), Margaret Shoemaker (1), Agnes A. Simpson (1), H. Simpson (9), J. Simpson (3), R. Simpson (1), Sallie Simpson (1), Amelia C. Smith (1), Daniel B. Smith (2), E. P. Smith (1), Esther Morton Smith (1), B. M. Snover (1), Hetty N. Stokes (1), John Stokes (1), Katharine W. Stokes (2), Mary Stokes (1), Witmer Stone (5), and Anna Brown Stork (10).
Letter writers include (number of letters): Charles Tabor (5), Hannah Tatum (6), John D. Thomas (1), Thodore Thomas (1), Eleanor Cope Tyson (4), Jesse Tyson (1), and Job. R. Tyson (5).
Letter writers include (number of letters): E. C. Vanuxem (1), M. A. Vanuxem (2), Hannah Sansom Vaux (1), M. N. W. (1), George Walker (7), Sarah M. Walker (3), Hannah A. Walker (3), Yardley Warner, James A. Washington (1), John K. West (1), Mary Williams (1), Amy Wills (1), E. W. Wistar (1), Alex C. Wood (1), Lily C. Wood (1), Richard D. Wood (1), Caroline C. Yarnall (1), Caroline R. Yarnall (7), Ellis H. Yarnall (1), Emma C. Yarnall (1), and Francis C. Yarnall (1).
Letters written by Agnes Cope (7 letters, 2 in hand of her mother)
Letters written by Alexis Thomas Cope (34 letters)
Letters written by Alfred Cope (29 letters, invitation, and a poem)
Letters written by Alfred Cope Jr. (28 letters, a telegram)
A letter written by Amy Y. Cope
Letters written by Annette Cope (22 letters)
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 14 letters
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 33 letters.
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 33 letters.
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 20 letters.
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 28 letters.
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities.This folder has 48 letters.
All of these letters were signed by Anna S. Cope and many revolve around family matters and activities. This folder has 55 letters.
4 letters written by Caleb Cope
Letters written by Caroline E. Cope (33 letters)
Letters written by Clementine Cope (53 letters)
Letters written by Clementine Cope (39 letters)
Letters written by Edgar Cope (11 letters)
Letters written by Edward Drinker Cope (3 letters, 1 photocopy letter)
Letters written by Eleanor Tyson Cope (4 letters)
Letter written by Elizabeth Stokes Waln Cope
Letters written by Elizabeth Waln Stokes (20 letters)
Letters written by Evelyn Flower Morris Cope (5 letters)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (24 letters)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (38 letters)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (28 letters)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (38 letters and drawings/acrostic)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (19 letters and acrostics)
Letters written by Elizabeth S. Cope to her family (41 letters and booklet of views of "The Bellevue" White Mountains)
Letters written by Francis Cope (12 letters)
Letters written by Francis Hazen Cope (11 letters, 4 in someone else's hand)
Letters written by Francis R. Jr. Cope (24 letters, 1 in hand of his mother)
Letters written by Gilbert Cope (3 Letters, 1 TDS)
Letters written by Henry Cope (20 letters, 5 typed transcripts, and 1 handwritten transcript)
Letters written by Henry Cope (8 letters, 4 typed transcirpt, 6 handwritten transcripts, and an invitation)
Letters written by Henry Cope (2 letters, 1 telegram)
Letters from Herman M. Cope (2 letters)
A letter from James Biddle Cope (1 photocopy of a letter)
A letter from Jasper Cope (1 letter)
Letters from John E. Cope (2 letters)
Letters from Margaret Tatnall Cope (4 letters)
Letters, mainly addressed to her children, from Mary Drinker Cope (38 letters)
Letters from Mary S. Cope (2 letters, 1 fragment letter)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (18 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (20 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (39 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (24 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (51 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (29 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (35 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (50 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (33 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (40 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (28 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (51 letters)
Letters from Francis R. Cope, primarily to family members (26 letters)
Letters and invoices to and from Francis R. Cope re: the Pennsylvania Freedmen's Association (42 items)
The orderbook for coal deliveries from this organization.
Letters from Rachel Reeve Cope (1 letter, extract of letter and note)
Letters from Ruth Anna Cope (9 letters)
Letters from Susan L. Newbold Cope (22 letters)
Letters from Thomas Pym Cope (23 letters, 1 photocopy of handwritten transcript)
Letters from Thomas Pim Cope (40 letters) (Folder 1/2)
Letters from Thomas Pim Cope (21 letters, 5 photocopies of letters) (Folder 2/2)
Letters from Thomas Pim Cope (42 letters)
A handwritten copy of a resolution of Chapter of American Architects
Letters from William Drinker Cope, primarily addressed to his brothers on matters of business (18 letters, a list, a bill)
Letters from William Drinker Cope, primarily addressed to his brothers on matters of business (36 letters)
Letters from William Drinker Cope, primarily addressed to his brothers on matters of business (27 letters)
Letters from William Drinker Cope, primarily addressed to his brothers on matters of business (26 letters)
Letters from William Drinker Cope, primarily addressed to his brothers on matters of business (25 letters)
Letters from Anna Cope Evans (35 letters, 2 letters in her mother's hand)
Letters from Edward Wyatt Evans (15 letters, 2 poems, 3 letters in hand of his mother)
A letters from Eleanor S. Evans (1 letter)
Letters from Ernest Mervyn Evans (7 letters)
Letters from Francis Algernon Evans ["Algie"] (16 letters, 2 in the hand of his mother)
Letters from Hannah Bacon Evans (14 letters)
Letters from Harold Evans (4 letters, 1 report card)
A letter from Jonathan Evans (1 letter)
Two letters from Rebecca Evans
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health (16 letters)
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Jonathan Evans, primarily to family members (especially his wife Rachel Cope Evans), with an emphasis on health
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (33 letters)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (39 letters)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (28 letters)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (28 letters, one clipping)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (17 letters)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (9 letters, one poem)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (26 letters, one poem)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (24 letters, one poem)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (21 letters)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (13 letters, one trip itinerary)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (22 letters, a trip itinerary, a clipping and memorandum)
Letters from Rachel C. Evans, primarily to her husband and other family, regarding family occurences (25 letters)
This is an index completed by J. Morris Evans. It is a "Complete Index by Authors [Alphabetic Order by Date]"
Photographs of Members of Hartshorne, Yarnall, Stokes, Garrett, Wistar, Haines, Drinker, and Bright families.
Notable items: covenant of Thomas Evans, covenant of exoneration, and "Trust estate of Annabella C. Wistar and of Bartholomew Wistar"
Notable items: "Rules and regulations for the government of Friends' South-western Burial Ground" and Deed of Burial Lot, 1862
Notable items: Instructions to Thomas Evans' executors (dated 1866) and various inventories of the estate
US Internal Revenue Succession Tax returns 1869
"First account of the executors of the will of Thomas Evans," estate apportionament to heirs, and letter of Charles Rhoads to J. Wistar Evans
"Estate of Thos. Evans - Allotment to trustees of Katharine W. Stokes"
Bills and checks of the trustees of Evans' estate