But he took his place amongst the defenders of his country, and in the same month displayed his gallantry in action at the forcing of the River Tyne at Newburn.
He married at Zakynthos, Greece, on 13 July 1841, Mary Elizabeth Parsons (Newburn, Fife, 21 June 1823 – Cramond House, Midlothian, 11 August 1902), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel C. M. G. Parsons, who was British Resident on the island of Zante, at a time when the Ionian Islands were a British Protectorate.
Two days later, the Germans stopped the British steamer Newburn and transferred the remaining Frenchmen so that they could be conveyed to Sabang, Sumatra, then part of the neutral Dutch East Indies.
The earliest settlers in Beemer Township included M. Brayrerton, George Graham, Joseph S. Emley, Robert Fehlmann, Dr. H.H. Howe, Howard Howe, James and Michael McNamara, Judge Newburn, the Rabe family, W.S. Schneald, William Sharp and two sons Martin and Silas, Casper Schifferns, David Simons, Wm.
Copsi's rule lasted a mere five weeks, at which time he was murdered by Osulf, son of Eadulf III of the ancient Bernician family —which had historically governed the area from Bamburgh, at Newburn-upon-Tyne.
Another two stations were built by the company at Lemington, in 1903, and at Newburn, in 1908.