Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/73

 THE

��GKANITE MONTHLY.

��A MAGAZINE OF LITERATURE, HISTORY AND STATE PROGRESS.

��VOL. II.

��OCTOBER, 1878.

��NO. 3.

��WILLIAM J. COPELAND.

��In previous numbers of the Granite Monthly there have been presented sketches of representative men of New Hampshire, in business, and public and professionanal life, with accompanying portraits. Herewith we give a short biographical notice, with portrait, of a well known lawyer, who, although not an actual resident of the State, is a mem- ber of the Strafford County bar, and ex- tensively engaged in practice in this and other counties of eastern New Hamp- shire, as well as in the State of Maine.

William J. Copeland is a son of Rev. William H. Copeland, a Baptist clergyman, yet living and a resident of Lebanon, Me. He was born in Albion. Kennebec County, Me., Jan. 24, 1841, being now in his thirty-eighth year. The Copeland family trace their ancestry to Sir John Copeland, who fought at the battle of Neville's Cross, under Edward III., October 17, 1346, and with his own hand captured King David of Scotland, whom he bore from the field with a com- pany of attendants, and, proceeding to Calais, delivered him into the hands of his royal master, then in France. For this service he was created a banneret by

��the king, and given a pension of five hun- dred pounds per annum. He was also made Warden of Berwick, Sheriff of Northumberland and Keeper of Rox- burgh Castle. Lawrence Copeland, a lineal descendant of Sir John, from whom sprang all the Copelands in Amer- ica, came to this country and settled at Mount Holliston, Mass.. where he died December 30. 1699, aged 110 years. Mo- ses Copeland, a great-grandson of Law- rence, and from whom William J., the subject of our sketch, is a direct descend- ant in the fifth generation, went with his brother Joseph from Milton, Mass.. to Warren, Me., in 1763. being among the early settlers of that place. He was a man of great activity, shrewd and calcu lating, and gained wealth and distinc- tion, taking a prominent part in the en- terprises of the town. In early life he had served in the army, eutering at sev- enteen, under Capt. Boice ; was at Ticou- deroga in 1758, and at the taking of Que- bec the following year. Soon after his settlement in Warren he was appointed sheriff, and held the office eleven years. He also held the office of crier of the court several years. From constant con-

�� �