& Dock Street
P.O. Box 496
Yonkers, NY 10702
(914) 965-4027
JOHN COPCUTT, one of the oldest residents of Yonkers, was born at Oxfordshire, England, in 1805. When twelve years of age his parents removed to New York City, where he was educated in the schools of that place. He followed the vocation of his father, and soon became the largest dealer in and importer of mahogany. He was noted for his extraordinary gift in judging mahogany, and often was laughingly told that “he could see right through a log.” In 1824, he made his first visit to this city, accompanied by his father, to make arrangements to have mahogany sawed at the Yonkers mills, coming by sloop from New York. In 1845, Mr. Copcutt purchased a tract of land which included the lower, or first, water power where the Nepperhan River empties into the Hudson, and built upon it a number of mills and stores. In 1854, he made another extensive purchase of woodland and also built his fine stone residence on Nepperhan Avenue. Soon after this he acquired more property and water–power, erecting in the vicinity of his home several substantial factories, besides many small cottages which were rented to the hands employed in the various mills. Having now made Yonkers his permanent home, he watched the growth of the town, taking a great interest in its welfare. Mr. Copcutt delighted in travel and was a great reader. His memory was most remarkable and his reminiscences, extending from his earliest childhood, were most interesting. Mr. Copcutt ascribed his health and activity to the fact that he had always been in active employment. He was a strong free trader and, although at one time largely engaged in silk manufacturing himself, always advocated his views with vigor. In politics he took little active part, but at one time served as village trustee but disliked and declined further office holding. In commercial circles Mr. Copcutt’s integrity and financial standing were of the highest; he passed through several financial crises, but always paid his obligations in full. In religion he was a strong Calvinist, and never severed his relations from them in England, and until the time of his death contributed largely to their support. A Church of England magazine said at the time of Mr. Copcutt’s demise: “We deeply regret to record the death of the oldest and one of the most appreciative,of our transatlantic subscribers. Another of the fathers of the old school has been taken, and the Church of God on earth is the poorer.” An English Baptist magazine said “He was a remarkable man in committing his temporal concerns to God. He' was kind to the Lord’s poor, who, we fear, will greatly miss him.” Mr. Copcutt’s death occurred on February 15, 1895, when he succumbed to an attack of acute pneumonia. He was well and strong for his age, being exceedingly active and attending to his business affairs both in this city and New York. In 1833, he was married to Miss Rebecca Medwin Boddington, daughter of Richard Boddington, of Manchester, England. Of the twelve children born to Mr. and Mrs. Copcutt, six survive him—Mrs. A. E. C. Hyde, of this city; Mrs. C. A. Leale and W. H. Copcutt, of New York City; Mrs. James A. Wilcox, of Bloomington, Ills.; John B. Copcutt and Miss Anna C. Copcutt, of this city.
[The above biographical sketch is from Charles E. Allison, A History of Yonkers (New York: Wilbur B. Ketchum, 1896), p. 413.]
