# Ted Copperdock — The Murders in Praed Street character guide

> Ted Copperdock in The Murders in Praed Street by John Rhode.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** young Ted Copperdock, young Ted, Edward, Ted Copperdock, young Copperdock

**First appearance:** 0001-i-the-street

## Snapshot

The shopkeeper's son, newly smartened in dress and speech, whose courtship of Ivy Tovey is shadowed by her dead father's ambitions for her.

## Who they are

Ted works in the family business and has lately acquired a new smartness of appearance and carefulness of speech, evidently the effect of his frequent time with Ivy. He presses her to walk out with him, but she holds back, bound by her father's wish that she rise above her station. Their tentative romance gives the murder investigation a human stake in the younger generation of Praed Street.

## Relationships

### [Ivy Tovey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/characters/ivy_tovey)

_romantic_

Ivy and Ted share a romantic relationship, likely a secret or troubled courtship.

### [Ivy Tovey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/characters/ivy_tovey)

_romantic_

Ivy and Ted share a romantic relationship, likely a secret or troubled courtship.

### [Ivy Tovey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/characters/ivy_tovey)

_romantic_

Ivy and Ted share a romantic relationship, likely a secret or troubled courtship.

## In the story

### [The Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/i-the-street)

Son of old Sam Copperdock, Ivy's companion for the day, whose prospects are limited to his father's shop.

### [III: The Inquest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/iii-the-inquest)

Listens to his father's account of the inquest and hopes Mr. Ludgrove might offer a clue. Later, he privately presses Ivy Tovey about their relationship.

### [IV: The Poisoned Pipe-Stem](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/iv-the-poisoned-pipe-stem)

Copperdock fears that Ted's friendship with Dick Colburn and his interest in Ivy Tovey may lead to suspicion.

### [V: Inspector Whyland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/v-inspector-whyland)

Mentioned as developing new smartness and carefulness due to his time with Ivy Tovey.

### [XI: The Sixth Counter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/xi-the-sixth-counter)

Returns from visiting the Toveys and tries to reassure his father, suggesting the counter was a prank. He accompanies his father to the Cambridge Arms and back.

### [XII: A Hypodermic Needle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/xii-a-hypodermic-needle)

Returns home at a quarter past twelve, discovers his father's body, and provides an alibi involving Miss Tovey.

### [XV: The Bone Counters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/xv-the-bone-counters)

Visits Mr. Ludgrove with Ivy Tovey, provides an envelope from his office, and is shocked to learn it matches those used for the counters.

### [XXIII: The Will](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/chapters/xxiii-the-will)

Visits Dr. Priestley with Ivy to ask for help combining their inheritance shares.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/characters/ted_copperdock
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_murders_in_praed_street_se/characters