Cope, James Edgar

James Edgar Cope was a British amateur entomologist and dedicated coleopterist who lived and worked in the Dukinfield and Ashton-under-Lyne districts of Greater Manchester. Beginning in the 1920s and continuing for several decades, he assembled an extensive and scientifically important collection of British insects. His lifelong efforts resulted in thousands of carefully prepared and documented beetle specimens (Coleoptera). After his death, this significant collection was incorporated into British natural history records and databases, including FENSCORE, helping to preserve his contributions for contemporary researchers studying historical insect populations and long-term changes in biodiversity. He is buried in the churchyard of Dukinfield Old Chapel.