GB 0101 ICS 14 - COPE, John Patrick (b 1906)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0101 ICS 14

Title

COPE, John Patrick (b 1906)

Date(s)

  • 1929-1961 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

John Patrick Cope, the son of C F J Cope, was born on Mooi River, Natal, South Africa, on 17 Mar 1906. He was educated at St Andrews College, Grahamstown and in 1924 joined the Rand Daily Mail as a reporter. In 1930 he joined the Natal Mercury as their parliamentary and political correspondent, and became friendly with Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr, and other prominent political figures.
In 1935 he went to Abyssinia and discovered the Italian Plot to annex the country. In 1937 he went to China to cover the Sino-Japanese war for three South African papers. In 1937 he joined his former editor, R J Kingston Russell in his venture to found a political weekly Forum. On Russell's retirement through ill health he assumed the editorship, which he retained for 14 years under the chairmanship of Hofmeyr.
In 1951 Forum closed, and Cope rejoined the Rand Daily Mail as editorial assistant. He entered politics and was returned for Parktown in 1953 and 1958 as a United Party MP. In 1958 he was one of a group of UP members who broke away to form the Progressive Party, but he lost his seat after a smear campaign in the 1961 election.
Cope married Margaret Nancy Rouillard in 1939 and they have 3 children.

Archival history

Source of acquisition by ICS unknown.
GB 0101 ICS 14 1929-1961 Collection (Fonds) 1 box Cope , John Patrick , b 1906 , journalist and South African politician

John Patrick Cope, the son of C F J Cope, was born on Mooi River, Natal, South Africa, on 17 Mar 1906. He was educated at St Andrews College, Grahamstown and in 1924 joined the Rand Daily Mail as a reporter. In 1930 he joined the Natal Mercury as their parliamentary and political correspondent, and became friendly with Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr, and other prominent political figures.
In 1935 he went to Abyssinia and discovered the Italian Plot to annex the country. In 1937 he went to China to cover the Sino-Japanese war for three South African papers. In 1937 he joined his former editor, R J Kingston Russell in his venture to found a political weekly Forum. On Russell's retirement through ill health he assumed the editorship, which he retained for 14 years under the chairmanship of Hofmeyr.
In 1951 Forum closed, and Cope rejoined the Rand Daily Mail as editorial assistant. He entered politics and was returned for Parktown in 1953 and 1958 as a United Party MP. In 1958 he was one of a group of UP members who broke away to form the Progressive Party, but he lost his seat after a smear campaign in the 1961 election.
Cope married Margaret Nancy Rouillard in 1939 and they have 3 children.

Source of acquisition by ICS unknown.

Correspondence and papers of John Patrick Cope on his work as a journalist in South Africa, Abyssinia and China; comprising printed, typescript and manuscript material including articles by Jan Hendrick Hofmeyr, 1919-1914, papers on the Afrikaner Broederbond, 1941, note of discussion between J P Cope and Hofmeyer on Hofmeyr's relationship with Jan Christian Smuts, 1948, report on Mau Mau outbreak in Kenya [c 1952]; correspondence, mainly letters from Jan Hofmeyr to Cope on South African politics, 1929-1948, letters from R J Kingston Russell, editor, Natal Mercury, on journalism, 1929-1937, and correspondence on his decision to leave the United Party and to found the Progressive Party, 1959; books of press cuttings on articles by Cope in the Rand Daily Mail, Natal Mercury and Cape Times, 1924-1932; papers on his vist to Abyssinia, 1937, including copies of his articles, and photographs; papers on his visit to China 1937, including account of his experiences during the bombing of British, US and Chinese ships on the Yangtze River, Dec 1937; papers on political weekly Forum, 1948-1951.

Papers are divided into series as detailed above.

Open although advance notice should be given. Access to individual items may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or Freedom of Information legislation.

A photocopying service is available, at the discretion of the ICS Library staff. Copies are supplied solely for research or private study. Requests to publish, or quote from original material shoul dbe submitted to the Information Resources Manager.
English

Catalogued to item level (see link to repository catalogue).

Compiled by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description,ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Created 5/09/2001 AIM25, modified 6/09/2001 Afrikaner Broederbond Cape Times China Communication personnel Cope , John Patrick , b 1906 , journalist and South African politician East Africa East Asia Hofmeyr , Jan Hendrik , 1894-1948 , South African politician Journalism Journalists Kenya Natal Mercury Newspapers Periodicals Press Progressive Party, South Africa Publications Rand Daily Mail Russell , R J Kingston , fl 1929-1937 , journalist and editor Smuts , Jan Christian , 1870-1950 , General , Prime Minister of South Africa South Africa Southern Africa United Party, South Africa Communications media Information sciences Personnel People by occupation People

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Correspondence and papers of John Patrick Cope on his work as a journalist in South Africa, Abyssinia and China; comprising printed, typescript and manuscript material including articles by Jan Hendrick Hofmeyr, 1919-1914, papers on the Afrikaner Broederbond, 1941, note of discussion between J P Cope and Hofmeyer on Hofmeyr's relationship with Jan Christian Smuts, 1948, report on Mau Mau outbreak in Kenya [c 1952]; correspondence, mainly letters from Jan Hofmeyr to Cope on South African politics, 1929-1948, letters from R J Kingston Russell, editor, Natal Mercury, on journalism, 1929-1937, and correspondence on his decision to leave the United Party and to found the Progressive Party, 1959; books of press cuttings on articles by Cope in the Rand Daily Mail, Natal Mercury and Cape Times, 1924-1932; papers on his vist to Abyssinia, 1937, including copies of his articles, and photographs; papers on his visit to China 1937, including account of his experiences during the bombing of British, US and Chinese ships on the Yangtze River, Dec 1937; papers on political weekly Forum, 1948-1951.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Papers are divided into series as detailed above.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open although advance notice should be given. Access to individual items may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or Freedom of Information legislation.

Conditions governing reproduction

A photocopying service is available, at the discretion of the ICS Library staff. Copies are supplied solely for research or private study. Requests to publish, or quote from original material shoul dbe submitted to the Information Resources Manager.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Catalogued to item level (see link to repository catalogue).

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Institute of Commonwealth Studies

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description,ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area