Copas Family History

Mid 1600’s – The first record of the Copas family was Richard Copus back in the mid 1600’s.  The earliest ancestors were bargemen when Hedsor Wharf was a hub of communication for goods.  (Note: The Copus spelling changed to Copas around 1850).

1827 – The family became licensees of The Chequers Public House, Cookham Dean.

1857 –  The first property was purchased—a house called The Grotto, behind The Jolly Farmer, Cookham Dean

1890 – James Copas began farming by renting land in Cookham Rise, now the site of the Roman   Catholic Church.  He used Grazing Rights on the local Commons and these continue to be exercised today.

1901 – James Copas purchased his first land in Cookham—11 acres.

1920 – The Chequers licence was given up and full time farming started with a tenancy at Nuttings Farm (now called Cockmarsh) and Winter Hill Farm.  (The farm buildings were destroyed in an arson attack and the house destroyed by vandals.  Neither have been replaced).

1926 – Purchase of Kings Coppice Farm, Cookham Dean (now owned by Thomas Copas and his family).

1931 – On the death of James Copas, Copas Bros was formed by his three sons – William, George and Tom.  At Tom’s bequest, their memory is recorded by the construction of the lychgate at Cookham Dean Church.

1952 – The holding now stood at 500 owned acres, together with 4 rented acres.

1967 – First land purchased outside Cookham at hedsor – 100 acres

1968 – George’s son John, and Tom’s sons, Thomas and Geoffrey,  joined Copas Bros.

1971 – Geoffrey and Thelma Copas moved to Hedsor when they married.

1976+ – Remenham Farm was purchased in 1976 and extended in 1992 (now belong to Thomas Copas and his family), land at Iver Pick Your Own purchased in 1978 and in Medmenham in 1984.

1999+ – Thomas and Geoffrey divided the Copas Bros business.  Geoffrey retained the larger part of the Cookham land, farming with his two sons, James and Richard, as Copas Farms. Thomas retained Mount Farm and King’s Coppice Farm.

Copas Farms then went on to purchase land in the following areas:

  • 1999 – Chesham 
  • 2000 – Theale 
  • 2002 – Amersham 
  • 2006 and 2009 – Watlington 
  • 2011 – Curridge, near Newbury 
  • 2014 – Beenham, near Aldermarston  
  • 2015 – Little Kingshill, near Amersham  
  • 2018 – Goulds Grove near Ewelme 
  • 2021 – more land at Beenham
  • 2022 – Chequers End Equestrian Centre, Cadmore End
  • 2024 – Widmere Farm, near Marlow

TODAY – Today Copas Farms Estate is a modern diverse business farming 2,672 acres.  It is currently managed by James, who lives at Cockmarsh Farm in Cookham with his partner Tina and daughter Grace, and Richard, who lives at Innisfree Farm in Little Kingshill with his wife Charlotte and children Laura and George.