Henry Rob Copeland, known as Rob Copeland, was the only son of Tom Copeland, the eldest son of Henry Copeland. Born in 1902 in Beckenham, Rob joined the firm of Copeland and Son in 1920. At the time it was a building firm that also handled funerals. By 1939, the year of Tom's death, the business had become a full-time funeral director's and "Mr Rob", as the staff of Copeland's called him, was managing Director.
As well as running the business Rob was a keen local historian and wrote two books on the history of Beckenham (I have copies). He had a collection of lantern slides and photographs of Old Beckenham and gave talks on the subject. He was also interested in family history and was thus able to provide me with copies of documents relating to the Copelands, and their business, in Beckenham, some of which are shown on this website.
He and his wife Joyce had no children, but during the war years (1939 - 1945) together they took on the running of the Youth Club Fellowship which they ran for about 10 years. Both were active members of the Beckenham Methodist Church. Rob was a Rotarian and Joyce was twice President of the Inner Wheel. Rob was what we would now call a School Governor for two local schools, so both were very active in the Beckenham local community.
Rob died in 1988 aged 85. Joyce had predeceased him at the age of just 74, in 1977.
Written by JCC - November 2017