Meet Jimmy, Copie Duppy’s best friend

Many people may have heard of ‘Copie Duppy’, the rambunctious ghost that allegedly occupied Isaac and Adina Brown’s house in Font Hill, St Thomas, in the early 1970s. Not many, however, would declare themselves friends

of the spirit that had people travelling near and far to get a glimpse of or to hear speak.

Legend has it that Copie was trapped in a bottle, and while Brown’s niece was cleaning their house, she accidentally broke the bottle, and Copie was let loose.

Jimmy, now in his 60s, said that back in those days, Copie was someone who he would talk to on a regular basis and who would often do anything he told him to do.

“One a the time, people seh a me set Copie deh because anything mi tell him fi do, him do, but mi meet Copie one day after mi pick breadfruit and mi uncle tell mi fi carry two go dung a Miss Brown yaad. A deh so a the first him talk to me,” he said.

Jimmy said that his friendship with the duppy grew to the point where people would call him whenever they wanted to hear Copie speak. He said that during those days, people from all over Jamaica to visit the area to hear Copie’s voice.

Jimmy was in his 20s in those days, and talking to a spirit was not something he thought he would have been doing. Nevertheless, he said, Copie was a joker and, unless provoked, was a kind spirit to be around.

“People wi deh out a the yaad and caah hear Copie, and as mi come deh, Coopie start talk. When mi go dung deh, mi just usually knock: Pum! Pum! Pum! Pum!, and him know seh a mi,” Jimmy said.

“Copie keep party, and when him a keep party, it nuh normal. Him a tell yuh all some big sound weh him go tek in. Him a the first man mi hear sing Dream of Me, enuh, before mi hear it pan radio. Nuh matter how crowd did deh Sting a Continued on page 8