Edward Chope

How is that our ancestors, as the years go by, become more and more distinguished, prestigious and even wealthy? Their escapades and accomplishments grow from tiny little stories into great big tales. Such may be the case with my Chope ancestors.

According to the handwritten diary (April 14, 1914) of his granddaughter, Ella Bowerman Southmayd:

I scarcely know how to begin this, but I should not feel right if anything happened to me and it was not done. I am still very sick and no one knows when one may be called home. A clot of blood in the veins of my left leg is the cause of the trouble.

I want to write a little history of the Chope family, from the time the entailment began. In 1066, at the time of the French kings' invasion of England, at the Battle of Hastings, one of our ancestors performed some deed of valor for the king, which he rewarded by settling a large manor for so many generations on our family. In 1837 my great-grandfather sold the entailment and removed to America. Each year a letter would come inquiring if my aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Chope Long, still lived. In 1866 she died, thus letting the estate return to the original heirs of the manor after being in our family 820 years.

Now if any of my grandchildren desire to verify this, they can. One way would be to go to the English records and trace back. So now, my dear children, when your grandmother is no more you can look back with pride to your ancestors. The genealogy of the Southmayd's preceeded [in her diary] and shows that at least we need not blush for our forebears on either side.

But this story may be just that, a story. According to a fellow researched who is tracing the family of Fanny Chope's sister, Ann: Edward Chope may have been the "occupier" of highest Guscott to Lord Clinton; "proprietor" in 1829. According to her research, it's believed that Edward and his children took rent to the Lord of the Manor, not that he was Lord of the Manor.

Regardless, here is what we do know: Edward Chope was born July 16, 1785, in Huntshaw, Devon, England, to Thomas and Mary Chope. He married Mary Young on Dec. 28, 1808, in Huntshaw. To them were born nine children:

Elizabeth "Betsy" - born March 12, 1809
Edward - born March 25, 1815
Alex - born 1820
Robert - born 1829
Thomas - born 1833
Maria - birthdate unknown
Mary Ann - birthdate unknown
Fanny - born Feb. 14, 1822
Ann - born Nov. 28, 1824

According to the historian researching Ann, the family emigrated to America in 1837.

Fanny Chope Bowerman

My great-great-geat-grandmother, Fanny Chope Bowerman, was born 189 years ago today - Valentine's Day - February 14, 1822. Isn't it incredible to think how different her life was from the life we lead today. It's interesting to imagine the things she would appreciate, and the things she would be shocked and horrified by!

Fanny was born to Edward and Mary (Young) Chope in Barnstaple Parish, England. In 1837 the family emigrated to the United States. That year the population of New York City was 270,089. Martin Van Buren was president and the country was still talking about the recent massacre at Alamo, Texas. The telegraph was introduced that year and the daguerreotype photograph came on the scene two years later when Fanny was 17.

On Jan. 13, 1848, when she was 26, Fanny married Emerson Bowerman in Oakland County, Michigan. The following October the couple welcomed daughter Orilla Agnes who was born in Detroit. Orilla died just 20 days later. Ella Augusta was born July 26, 1850, also in Detroit. She was joined by a brother, William Emerson, on Oct. 21, 1854. William and his father Emerson died the following August from unknown causes.

Sometime later Fanny married George C. Godfrey. He died Aug. 5, 1869, in Omaha, Neb. On June 30, 1878, Fanny married Greengrove Dudley. The couple lived next door to daughter Ella and Charles Southmayd in Humboldt County, Calif. at that time. Fanny died June 20, 1890, in Ferndale, Calif.

While researching the family history we uncovered an interesting story about Fanny's third husband, Greengrove Dudley. I discovered that "[Perkins] family tradition says he died about 1851 on the way to California, before marriage to Esther Perkins, apparently not knowing she was pregnant; his travel trunk supposedly washed up on shore." Greengrove's descendants contacted me after seeing my blog post about him. They shared that the family never knew if he had drowned, or simply left to seek his fortune. Greengrove had apparently been married twice before as well, once to an Indian woman with whom he had five children, and two another woman with whom he had two daughters.