James Joseph Cope
One of hundreds of childhood deaths recording on graves in Barrow Cemetery (e.g. see Benjamin Fish’s family memorial near the crematorium). Most of them were through illness. James Cope’s accidental death is recorded on the family stone.
12 October 2012
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
LOUISA
WIFE OF JOHN COPE
BORN JAN 29 1822
DIED JAN 10 1890
ALSO OF THE ABOVE JOHN COPE DIED AUG 18 1898
AGED 76 YEARS
ALSO OF WILLIAM THEIR SON BORN JUNE 19 1858
DIED APRIL 23 1874
ALSO OF JAMES JOSEPH THEIR SON BORN SEPT 18 1865
AND WAS DROWNED IN RAMSDEN DOCK APRIL 9 1879
Both the Barrow Herald and the Barrow Times reported the death in their editions of Saturday April 12th. In contrast to the James Joseph of the memorial stone, the Times called him John James, while the Herald called him John Joseph.
The Cumbria BMD website calls him James Joseph, so this is a media error. Little is new!
The Barrow Herald reported thus:
Barrow Herald, Saturday April 12th 1879BOY DROWNED AT BARROW
John Joseph Cope, son of Mr. Cope, beerhouse keeper, 13 Duncan-street, was found drowned in the Ramsden Dock Basin, on Wednesday afternoon. He had been sent to school, but he went along with other lads to the docks, and was last seen playing on the jetties of the Ramsden Dock. When the body was found it was not quite cold. No one saw him fall into the dock. An inquest was held on Thursday, at the Magistrates Court, before Mr. J. Poole, when a verdict of ‘Found drowned’ was returned.
The Barrow Times similarly reported:
Barrow Times, Saturday April 12th 1879A BOY DROWNED
On Wednesday morning a boy, John James Cope, aged 13, living with his parents in Duncan-street, left home for school, but meeting with school companions, went instead to the docks, where he was last seen alive, standing on a jetty. About four o’clock his body, still warm, was found in the dock, and it is supposed that he slipped from the jetty into the water. At the inquest held in the Barrow Magistrates Court on Thursday afternoon, before the coroner Mr. J. Poole, the jury returned a verdict of ‘Found drowned’.
The fact that the body was still warm is an odd condition to emphasise, when no mention of attempted resuscitation is made.
Cumbria BMD records James Joseph Cope’s birth in the Dalton District (D/17/448); William’s death, also in the Dalton district (D/20/85); father John’s death in the Barrow District (B/36/167) and mother Louisa’s death in the Barrow District (B/22/316). No other births for Family Cope are recorded in Cumbria BMD from 1837-1865, so it is likely that the family moved into the area.
Mother’s maiden name may be DAVIS (Cumbria BMD).
