author
William Henry Cope
1811–1892
A 19th-century clergyman, soldier, and local historian, he wrote with a strong sense of place and a deep interest in military and family history. His books range from church materials to detailed studies of the Rifle Brigade and Bramshill House.
1 Audiobook
The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95th
by William Henry Cope
About the author
Born in 1811, William Henry Cope was educated at Trinity College Dublin and first served in the Rifle Brigade before taking holy orders in 1839. He later became chaplain of several institutions, including work connected with Parkhurst Prison, and eventually inherited the Cope baronetcy of Hanwell.
His writing reflects the range of his life. He is known for The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own), formerly the 95th, as well as Bramshill: its history and architecture. He also compiled religious works, including Visitatio infirmorum, showing both his military background and his long career in the church.
Cope died in 1892. Today he is remembered less as a public celebrity than as a careful Victorian writer whose books preserve military tradition, local history, and ecclesiastical practice in rich detail.