Cope, Thomas P. (Thomas Pim), 1768-1854

Founder of packet ship line in 1821 that sailed from Philadelphia to Liverpool; Cope travelled from Philadelphia to Niagara Falls, Montreal, and Quebec with his son Alfred on July 12, 1820, visiting Nantucket from Sept. 9-15, 1820.

From the description of Thomas Pym Cope diary/J. Morris Evans collection, 1820 Sept. 9-15. (Nantucket Hist Association). WorldCat record id: 70953345

William Carvill was Haverford College's first landscape architect. Jonathan Richards was principal of Haverford College (then Haverford School), 1853-1857. Thomas P. Cope was one of the founders of the college and a member of its Board of Managers, 1830-1849.

From the description of ALS, 1845 March 28 : Philadelphia, Pa. to Jonathan Richards, Haverford School. (Haverford College Library). WorldCat record id: 51608534

Thomas Pym Cope, a Quaker merchant, founder of Cope family shipping business, member of Philadelphia City Council and Pa. legislature, m. 1792 Mary Drinker. Their son was Henry Cope (1793-1865) who m. 1818 Rachel Reeve. Henry and Rachel's son was Thomas Pim Cope (1823-1900) who m. 1849 Elizabeth Waln Stokes.

From the description of Cope family papers, 1795-1891. (Haverford College Library). WorldCat record id: 28815397

Thomas Pim Cope, a Philadelphia merchant and philanthropist, was born on August 26, 1768, in Lancaster and died in Philadelphia on November 22, 1854.

Cope was the descendant of Oliver Cope, a Quaker who had emigrated to New Castle County, Del., around 1687. When a boy, his father gave shelter to Maj. André nd other British prisoners of war who had been sent to Lancaster by Gen. Montgomery. Cope went to Philadelphia in the fall of 1785 and began a four-year apprenticeship to his uncle, Thomas Mendenhall, a merchant. They later did business as Mendenhall & Cope between 1790 and 1792, after which Cope carried on the business alone.

Cope had been stricken with yellow fever during the great epidemic of 1793. In 1800 he temporarily retired from the market place and was elected to the City Council, where he became active in promoting the building of the first Schuylkill Water Works. In this position he became embroiled in bitter quarrels with the engineer, Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

Cope resumed trading with a brother-in-law as Cope & Thomas in 1803, but the partnership ended when Cope discovered that his partner was diverting funds to his own use. In 1806 Cope expanded from drygoods into shipping in partnership with John K. Helmuth, attracted by the high profits to be had in suppling the European belligerents. Cope eventually quarrelled with Helmuth, a non-Quaker, and henceforth did business alone or with his sons.

After the War of 1812 Cope remained in shipping, despite its relative decline. He established the first regular line of packets between Philadelphia and Liverpool in 1921, but turned it over to his sons in 1829. During this period he was also instrumental in reviving and completing the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. He was one of the founders of the Mercantile Library Company and of the Board of Trade, of which he was president from its founding until his death.

Cope served a term in the state legislature in 1807 but declined further public office. However, he was an influential member of the state's constitutional convention of 1837. Despite his strong Quaker principles, Cope took great delight in social life and enjoyed the company of many of the leading political, literary and civic figures of his day. Much of his later life was spent in philanthropy and civic work, helping to establish Fairmont Park and the Zoological Society and assisting in the formation of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1846.

Cope began writing his diaries in August 1800, probably as a result of the controversy with B.H. Latrobe over the Schuylkill Water Works. He continued the diaries until October 1820. He resumed them in March 1843 and continued them on a somewhat restricted scale until March 1851.

From the description of Diaries, 1800-1851 [microfilm and photoprints]. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122457472

Thomas Pim Cope, a Philadelphia merchant and philanthropist, was born on August 26, 1768, in Lancaster and died in Philadelphia on November 22, 1854.

Cope was the descendant of Oliver Cope, a Quaker who had emigrated to New Castle County, Del., around 1687. When a boy, his father gave shelter to Maj. André and other British prisoners of war who had been sent to Lancaster by Gen. Montgomery. Cope went to Philadelphia in the fall of 1785 and began a four-year apprenticeship to his uncle, Thomas Mendenhall, a merchant. They later did business as Mendenhall & Cope between 1790 and 1792, after which Cope carried on the business alone.

Cope had been stricken with yellow fever during the great epidemic of 1793. In 1800 he temporarily retired from the market place and was elected to the City Council, where he became active in promoting the building of the first Schuylkill Water Works. In this position he became embroiled in bitter quarrels with the engineer, Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

Cope resumed trading with a brother-in-law as Cope & Thomas in 1803, but the partnership ended when Cope discovered that his partner was diverting funds to his own use. In 1806 Cope expanded from drygoods into shipping in partnership with John K. Helmuth, attracted by the high profits to be had in supplying the European belligerents. Cope eventually quarrelled with Helmuth, a non-Quaker, and henceforth did business alone or with his sons.

After the War of 1812 Cope remained in shipping, despite its relative decline. He established the first regular line of packets between Philadelphia and Liverpool in 1821, but turned it over to his sons in 1829. During this period he was also instrumental in reviving and completing the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. He was one of the founders of the Mercantile Library Company and of the Board of Trade, of which he was president from its founding until his death.

Cope served a term in the state legislature in 1807 but declined further public office. However, he was an influential member of the state's constitutional convention of 1837. Despite his strong Quaker principles, Cope took great delight in social life and enjoyed the company of many of the leading political, literary and civic figures of his day. Much of his later life was spent in philanthropy and civic work, helping to establish Fairmount Park and the Zoological Society, and assisting in the formation of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1846. He was the grandfather of Edward Drinker Cope, the eminent paleontologist.

From the description of Letterbooks, 1788-1853 [microform]. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 86119173

Thomas Pim Cope, a Philadelphia merchant and philanthropist, was born on August 26, 1768, in Lancaster and died in Philadelphia on November 22, 1854.

Cope was the descendant of Oliver Cope, a Quaker who had emigrated to New Castle County, Del., around 1687. Cope went to Philadelphia in the fall of 1785 and began a four-year apprenticeship to his uncle, Thomas Mendenhall, a merchant. They later did business as Mendenhall & Cope between 1790 and 1792, after which Cope carried on the business alone.

Cope had been stricken with yellow fever during the great epidemic of 1793. In 1800 he temporarily retired from the market place and was elected to the City Council, where he became active in promoting the building of the first Schuylkill Water Works. In this position he became embroiled in bitter quarrels with the engineer, Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

Cope resumed trading in 1803, but quarrelled with a succession of partners and eventually only engaged in business with his own sons. He founded the first regular packet line between Philadelphia and Liverpool in 1821. He was instrumental in reviving and completing the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, and in organizing the Philadelphia Board of Trade, the Mercantile Library and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.

From the description of Notebook describing a visit to the Soho Works, 1800 [typed transcript]. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122333727

Alfred Cope is the son of Thomas Pym Cope.

Thomas P. Cope established the first packet line between Philadelphia and Liverpool, England; member of Philadelphia City Council and the legislature.

From the description of ALS, 1839 March 9 : Philadelphia, [PA] to Alfred Cope. (Haverford College Library). WorldCat record id: 28840738