Godfrey Copley
Sir Godfrey Copley, 2nd Baronet (* around 1653; † April 9, 1709 in Westminster ) was a British nobleman and politician who is known as the donor of the Copley Medal of the Royal Society .
Life
Copley was the eldest son of Sir Godfrey Copley, 1st Baronet, and his first wife, Eleanor Walmsley. After the death of his father in 1677 he inherited his possessions, including an estate at Sprotbrough in Yorkshire , and the title of Baronet , of Sprotborough in the County of York. As a wealthy landowner, he had several interests: he worked as an art collector and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in London in 1691 . From 1679 to 1681 he was MP for Aldborough and from 1695 until his death MP for Thirsk in the House of Commons . In addition, he took on various other offices, including in 1678 he was sheriff of Yorkshire and from 1704 Comptroller of the accounts of the British Army.
Copley's first marriage in 1681 was Catherine Purcell, a daughter of John Purcell. With her he had a daughter:
- Catherine Copley ⚭ Joseph Moyle
In his second marriage he married Gertrude Carew, a daughter of Sir John Carew, 3rd Baronet from Antony . The marriage remained childless. Since he died without male offspring, his title of nobility expired with his death. He bequeathed to the Royal Society a considerable sum, which provided the funds for a year to be allocated Price: named after him Copley Medal (English Copley Medal ). This became the most prestigious award of the Royal Society for scientific excellence and became the model for a number of similar awards from other institutions.
Web links
- Eveline Cruickshanks, Ivar McGrath: COPLEY, Sir Godfrey, 2nd Bt. (C.1653-1709), of Sprotborough, Yorks. and Red Lion Square, London (History of Parliament Online, Ref Volumes: 1690–1715)
- Entry to Copley; Sir; Godfrey (? 1653-1709) in the Archives of the Royal Society , London
- Sir Godfrey Copley, 2nd Bt. On thepeerage.com , accessed May 16, 2017.
Individual evidence
- ↑ George Edward Cokayne: The Complete Baronetage. Alan Sutton Publishing, Gloucester 1983, Vol. 2, pp. 211 f.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Copley, Godfrey |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Copley, Sir Godfrey, 2nd Baronet |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British nobleman and politician, founder of the Copley Medal of the Royal Society |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1653 |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 9, 1709 |
| Place of death | Westminster (London) |