I am often asked to recommend a suitable book to research a particular pioneer and sadly, often there isn't one. Any books offering information will be mentioned in my journal. There are two photos of William, known locally as Harry, in Colin McLear's A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA but though he is mentioned six times, five of these only provide the information that he was a fisherman. In 1880, he tried butchering in partnership with James Singleton. Harry's sister, Maria, is not mentioned at all.

This journal resulted from finding Harry's death notice during the research for my journal CHRONOLOGY OF BURIALS AT DROMANA CEMETERY (from Trove and including a biog. for each burial.) It is being continued on a word document because its size makes it impossible to submit additions on Family Tree Circles. Here are the burial entries for Harry and Maria. Links can be copied into the search bar to find articles but if that doesn't work, send me a message on F.T.C. including your email address and I'll email the entries to you.

WHO WAS MAR COPP?
3+-4-1926. WILLIAM HANCOCK (Harry) COPP.
COPP. -On the 3rd April at his residence, Pier street Dromana William H. (Harry) beloved
brother of Lizzie and Fan (England), Mar (Dromana) aged 76 years. (P.1, Argus, 4-4-1926.)

William’s horizontal gravestone at the cemetery gives his date of death as the 2nd of April, and his age as 77. It reads “In loving memory of our brother William H. (Harry) Copp. (http://www.ozgenonline.com/…/droma…/dromanahs_images/129.jpg)

Harry’s death record indicates that the death notice is more reliable than the inscription.
EventDeath, Event registration number5094, Registration year1926
Personal information Family nameCOPP
Given namesWilliam Hancock
Father's nameCOPP John, Mother's nameFrances (Hancock)
Place of birth-, Place of deathDROMANA, Age76

There are two photos of Harry Copp on page 103 of A DREAMTIME OF DROMANA. Despite Harry being mentioned six times in the book, all we learn about Harry and his sister is that Harry was, with John McLear and Jonah Griffith, a professional fisherman at Dromana, except that he tried a butchering business with James Singleton in 1880 (page 80.)

Walter Hancock may have been a brother of Frances nee Hancock, Harry’s mother and therefore Harry’s uncle or the son of a brother of Frances and thus Harry’s cousin.

HANCOCK. — Information concerning Walter Hancock, brickmaker, late Parramatta Junction, Sydney, but now supposed to be in Victoria, thankfully received by WILLIAM COPP, Dromana. (P.1, Weekly Times, 13-3-1886.)


On Monday, 27 February, 1899, Harry’s yacht, The Seud, was moored at the Dromana pier but, parting from its moorings, the old yacht was smashed to pieces against the pier with debris scattered over a mile of shoreline. A concert was organised to help Harry. The result of the concert and dance was £12 15s6d and the affair was so well managed that the expenses (were) nil. (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65814868)

Harry expressed his gratitude to the organisers and residents from far around who attended the concert and dance. (http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/65814857)
Harry was able to buy a replacement for The Seud and Melbourne Brindle’s map of Dromana (pre 1919) shows that it was moored quite a safe distance east of the pier.

Miss M.Copp of Dromana contributed to an appeal in 1928. I thought her name might be Margaret but the name of Harry’s sister turned out to be Maria.
EventDeath, Event registration number17149, Registration year1941
Personal information Family nameCOPP, Given namesMaria
Father's nameCOPP John, Mother's nameUnknown (Hancock)
Place of birthPILTON DEVON ENGLAND
Place of deathDROMANA Age84

19+-6-1941. MISS MARIA COPP, DROMANA.
COPP. — On June 19 (suddenly), at her residence "Ilfracombe," Pier-street, Dromana, Maria,
beloved sister of the late Harry Copp, and loved friend of E. Fox and family, aged 84 years.
Peacefully sleeping. (P.1, The Age, 21-6-1941.)

As there is no funeral notice, it is almost certain that Maria would have been buried with Harry. (See 3+-4-1926. The death records of Harry and Maria provide the names of their parents and their place of origin.)

In October 1941 a trustee company applied for probate of the will with the authorisation of Charles Henry Yeo, of 23 St Leonards road. Exeter. England, estate agent's accountant, a nephew and one of the next of kin of the said deceased (Maria.) http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8209177
So one of Maria’s sisters, Elizabeth and Fanny, as named in Harry’s death notice, must have become Mrs Yeo.