(15)  Robert Copinger

He appears to have settled in Dublin, where he married Miss Dixon.  The following are copies of two documents relating to this Robert which are now in the possession of his great-great grandson, Lieut.-Col. Henry Copinger, of Kingston-on-Thames, Co. Surrey.

Decree of Innocency before the Court of Claims.

Present.     21 April, 1666.^[1]

Sir Edward Dering, Bart.
Sir Richard Rayneford, Knt.
Sir Thomas Beverley.
Sir Edward Smith, Knt.
Sir Allin Brodrick, Knt.
Edward Cooke, Esqr.
Robert Coppinger
     and
Sir Wm Domvile, Knt.,
his Majts Attorney gen:

By his Maiesties Commissioners appointed for putting in execution the Act of Settlement and the Act of Explanation of the same. 

Whereas in pursuance of the said Act of Settlement Robert Coppinger did exhibite his clayme before his Maiesties late Commissioners for executing the said Act of Settlement upon the 6th day of Novr, in the fourntenth yeare of the raigne of our Sovraigne Lord Charles the Second, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, and France, and Ireland, defender of the faith etc., and in the yeare of our Lord God 1662, therby setting forth that John Coppinger of Corke, Alderman, deceased, the clayments grand father, was in his life tyme lawfully seised in his Demesne as of Fee of and in the Towns and Lands of Croribriany Ballinfilliterig and Clarine in the Barony of Orrery and the County of Corke by vertue of a mortgadge thereof, made to the said John Coppinger by John Barry the elder als MacRobinson of Ballyclough and John Barry the younger his sonn, in consideratione of £250 sterling as by the said deed duely perfected and executed, bearing date the 6th day of Aprill, 1621, may appear.  And the said John Coppinger by his last Will and Testament in writting, did devise and bequeath the sd lands and all his estate therin unto the clayment's father Dominick Coppinger as by the sd Will bearing date the 3rd day of Sepr 1637, may appear.^[2]  By Vertue whereof the claymant's father was in his life tyme and on the two and twentieth of October, 1641, seised and possessed of the premisses in his demesne as of fee conditionall.  And was likewise on the said two and twentieth of October, 1641, seised in his demesne as of fee of the number of 1000 acres of Mountayne land belonging to the Ploughlands, and a half of the Glaunnyhceaghan in the Barony of Barrymore  And of all the sd lands and premises the Claymant's said Father continued seised and possessed untill hee dyed  By and after whose death the premises descended as of right ought to descend unto the claymant as sonn and heire to the said Dominick.  And further setting forth that the Claymant's said father was an Innocent Protestant and a native of Corke, and that the Claymant is an Innocent Protestant, and therefore prayed to be restored to and confirmed in the premises.  To which said clayme Sir William Dumvill, Knight, His Maiesties Attorney Generall in the behalfe of his Maiestie and other the Defendants did appear and answer.  Upon wch pleadings the sd clayme proceeded to a finall hearing and was heard before the sd Commissioners up on Friday, the one and thirtieth day of July, in the fiftienth yeare of the raigne of our sd Soveraigne Lord the Kings Majestie that now is in open Court at the place commonly called the King's Inns in Dublin, in presence as well of the Claymants Counsell as of his Majesties sd Atturney Generall and others of Counsell with the Defendants.  And For as much as upon hearing of the said cause upon the proofs and evidences produced,  It appeared unto the said late Commissioners that the said Dominick Coppinger the claymants father in his life tyme and untill his death was an Innocent Protestant.  And that the said claymant was and is an Innocent Protestant.  It was therefore thereof considered, ordered, adjudged, and Decreed by the said late Commissioners that the said Dominick Coppinger the Claymants Father in his life tyme and untill his death was an Innocent Protestant.  And that the said claymant Robert Coppinger was and is an innocent Protestant within and according to the intent and true meaning of the said Act of Settlement.  But in regard the Claymant fayled to make out his title to the premisses or any part thereof.  It Was Therefore by the said former Commissioners Ordered adiuged and Decreed that the claymant aforesaid should be left to take such course for recovery of his right and title in the same either in Law or Equity as hee should thinke fitt.  Wee therefore Maiesties Commissioners appointed to execute the sd Act of Settlement and Act of Explanation of the same, doo hereby Certifye the sd Order, Judgement, and Decree of the sd former Commissions according to the purport and effect of the same unto his Grace The Lord Chancellor of Ireland and to the Lord Chiefe Baron and other the Barons of His Maisties Court of Exchequr their and to all other persons whatsr whom these presents do or may concern.

Dated at the King's Inns, Dublin, the 26th day of Aprill, 1666.

Edw: Smyth, Edward Dereng, J. Brodrick, W. Churchill, Ed. Cooke.

Robert Copinger, though he resided mostly in Dublin, continued in possession of the property at Glenville.  The way in which these lands of Glenville or Glannephrieghane came into the family was shortly thus.  By deed dated 8th April, 1622 they were mortgaged by Daniel O'Keeffe to John Copinger.  The said Daniel O'Keeffe having taken part in the Rebellion was attainted of high treason, and the equity of redemption and other estates became vested in the Crown when King Charles II., by Letters Patent bearing date the 16th May, 1669, granted same to Sir George Hamilton in fee.  Sir George subsequently conveyed all his interest to Peter Dalton, but being at the time indebted to one Matthew Forde by Indenture dated 29th January, 1675, the two conveyed the equity of redemption to the said Mathew Forde in discharge of such debt.

In 1677, by Indenture dated 9th May, the said Sir George Hamilton, Peter Dalton, and Mathew Forde, in consideration of the money due under O'Keeffe's mortgage, and of a further payment of £250, conveyed the said lands of Glenville or Glannephrieghane to Robert Copinger in fee.

The following year Robert made a settlement of this property, of which the following is an abstract:- 

Indenture dated 30th Apl., 1678, and made between Robert Coppenger of the City of Dublin, Esqr, of the one part, and Richard Dixon of Calvostown, in the County of Killdare, Esqre, Maurice Keatinge, Esq., and Rowland Twynnd of the City of Dublin, Esq., of the other pt.

Reciting that sd Robt. had by deed Indented bearg date the day next before the date of these presents, and made betwixt himself of the one pt, the sd Richard Dixon, Maurice Keatinge, and Rowland Twynne of the other pt. in consideration of 5/- bargained and sold unto them their exrs ads and ass the two plowlands of Glanopahane with the mountains, commons, and mills thereunto belongg as also his the sd Roberts half plowland of Templebodan with their and every of their rights, members, and appnces all situated lyg and being in the County of Cork and the Barrony of Barrymore,  To hold same for the term of one year from the day next preceding the date thereof.

Witness that same shall be held by sd Rich. Dixon, Maurice Keatinge, and Rowland Twynne to the use of the sd Robt. Coppinger during life and after his decease to the use of Margaret durg her life in case she survived him in satisfaction of dower and after the decease of the said Margaret to the use of the heirs of the body of the sd Robt. Coppinger and Margaret in taile male with an ultimate remainder to the use of the sd Robert Coppinger for ever.

Some years later Robert Copinger appears to have dealt with certain other property in the County of Cork. 

By Indre dated 20 May, 1697, between Robert Coppinger of Dublin, Esqr, of the one part, and James Sarsfield son and heir of Dominick Sarsfield of Glaniplirehane in Co. of Cork, gent. of the other part.  Witness that said Robt. Copinger for 20 ginges fine paid hath lett to sd James Sarsfield all the towns, &c., of Crosshaven, Kilcoli, and Balleloskie containing two plowlands and halfe in the Bar. of Kierycurrikie, Co. Cork,  To have to said James Sarsfield for fifteene years, yielding for the first year seventy pounds, for every other year during fifteene years the sum of eighty pounds.