Sir Anthony Cope, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Anthony Cope was an important English politician who lived a long time ago, from about 1548 to 1614. He was from a place called Hanwell in Oxfordshire. He was known for being a Puritan, which was a group of people who wanted to make the Church of England simpler. He also served as a Member of Parliament, which means he helped make laws for the country. Later in his life, he was given the special title of a Baronet.
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Early Life and Family
Anthony Cope was the second son of Edward Cope. His grandfather was also named Anthony Cope, who was a writer. His mother was Elizabeth Mohun. Anthony had three brothers and three sisters.
After his father passed away, his mother remarried a man named George Carleton. George Carleton was from Walton-on-Thames. Anthony's younger brother, Sir Walter Cope, also became a famous person.
Political Career
Sir Anthony Cope was a Member of Parliament for many years. He represented the town of Banbury in Parliament seven times between 1571 and 1604. After that, he represented the whole county of Oxfordshire from 1604 until 1614.
He also served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire three times, in 1581, 1590, and 1603. A Sheriff was a very important local official who helped keep law and order.
A Stand for Beliefs
In 1587, Sir Anthony Cope was sent to the Tower of London for a short time. This happened because he presented a new version of the Book of Common Prayer to the Speaker of the House of Commons. This book was used for church services. He also wanted to change some church laws. Queen Elizabeth I did not like these changes, so he was imprisoned from February 27 to March 23, 1587.
Honors and Royal Visits
Despite this, Queen Elizabeth I recognized his importance and made him a knight in 1592 or 1593. Later, King James I gave him the title of a Baronet on June 29, 1611. This was a new special title created by the King.
Sir Anthony Cope even hosted King James I at his home in Hanwell, Oxfordshire in both 1606 and 1612. This shows he was a respected and important person in his time.
Family Life
Sir Anthony Cope was married two times.
First Marriage
His first wife was Frances Lytton, who passed away in 1600. She was the daughter of Sir Rowland Lytton. Together, they had seven sons and three daughters. Four of their sons lived to be adults.
- Sir William Cope, 2nd Baronet became a Member of Parliament for Banbury, just like his father.
- Anthony Cope and Richard Cope moved to Ireland.
- John Cope.
- Anne Cope married Sir John Leigh.
- Elizabeth Cope married Sir Richard Cecil.
- Mary Cope married Henry Champernown.
Second Marriage
On April 7, 1600, Sir Anthony married Anne Paston. She had been married before. They did not have any children together. Interestingly, Anne's daughter from her first marriage, Elizabeth Chaworth, married Sir Anthony's son, Sir William Cope.
Death
Sir Anthony Cope passed away on July 6, 1614. He was buried in Hanwell.
