Display Patriot - P-138720 - William COPELAND

William COPELAND

SAR Patriot #: P-138720

The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.

State of Service: MA Qualifying Service: Lieutenant

DAR #: A025876

Birth: 20 Mar 1747/1748 Norton / Bristol / MA
Death: 24 Mar 1840 bur Mansfield / Bristol / MA

Qualifying Service Description:

Second Lieutenant, in June 1776, he was engaged as a recruiting Officer under the command of Colonel Ephraim Lane
Also Private in Lieutenant Seth Gilbert's, Captains Israel Trow's, Samuel White's Companies, Colonels John Daggett's, French's,, Simon Cary's Regiments, MA Militia, Lexington Alarm

Additional References:

Rev War Pension File # S5027
DAR cites - MA. Secretary of the Commonwealth, MA Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev War: a Compilation from the Archives; Volume 3, Boston, MA: Wright & Potter Printing Co, 1905, pg 989

Spouse: Martha White
Children: William; Hannah;

Members Who Share This Ancestor

Date Approved	Society	ACN	SAR Member Info	Lineage via Child	View Application Detail
2021-07-02	AZ	97736	Thomas Russell Drummond (219621)	William

Burial:

Old Town Cemetery_(C-0096197)

Location:

Mansfield / Bristol / MA / USA

Find A Grave Cemetery #:

2232399

Grave Plot #:

Grave GPS Coordinates:

n/a

Find A Grave Memorial #:

21988719

Marker Type:

Headstone

SAR Grave Dedication Date:

Comments:

Patriot contemporary stone, upright, partially legible
Image 1, provided with permission from, Deborah A Smith, Find-A-Grave contributor # 46582517

Directions to Cemetery / Gravesite:

Photo: 1 of 1

Author: Mark Andrew Davis

William Copeland was born on 20 March 1747 in Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, the son of Benjamin and Sarah Copeland. Norton records record his birth as 1747, but the Patriot recalled it was 1748.

He volunteered as a Private on 19 April 1775 upon learning of the battle at Lexington. He was in a Company commanded by Lieutenant Seth Gilbert and marched from Norton to Roxbury near Boston. This service lasted about two weeks. He enlisted a second time in February of 1776 for two months in the Company of Israel Trow under the command of Colonel French. He was present when the British withdrew their forces from Boston and remained there until his term expired on 17 March 1776.

In June 1776, William was, engaged as a Recruiting Officer under the command of Colonel Ephraim Lane. He was successful in this position and was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant and began a march that led them through Connecticut and into New York in the Company of Captain Samuel White commanded by Colonel Cary. They marched along the Hudson River and were at White Plains. During that time, he met a number of Colonels and Generals and well recalled George Washington. His term expired after five months and he returned home. Sometime in 1777, he turned out on Alarm as a Private and marched to Tiverton, Rhode Island, and served guard duty for approximately fifteen days.

William was married on 28 November 1775 at Norton, Massachusetts to Martha White.

William was born on 18 October 1778
Hannah was born on 5 September 1780 and married Elkanah Bates.
Luen [son] was born on 18 February 1783
Elijah was born on 22 March 1785.
Betsy was born on 30 July 1789 and died young.
Belinda was born on 6 April 1791 and married to Cromwell Leonard.
Alvin was born on 13 April 1793.
Eunice was born on 8 May 1795 (never married).
Susanna was born on 26 April 1798 and died young.

The Patriot died on 24 March 1840 and was buried at Mansfield, Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Sources:

Revolutionary War Pension File # S5027
56th-77th Annual Reports DAR. Senate documents (United States Congress, Senate). Government Printing Office: Washington, DC
DAR Cite: Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War: a Compilation from the Archives; Vol. 3, Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1905. page 989.
Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
Massachusetts, Bristol County, Probate Records.

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