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Marty and Karla Grant

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Cox Documentation - This Old Monmouth of Ours

This book is the primary source for the early generations of my Cox family. I don’t know how accurate all of it is, but I have been able to confirm some of it, enough to make me trust the rest to a great extent.

Extracted from “This Old Monmouth of Ours” by William Hornor, 1932, pp. 93-96. Used OCR, so there may be some badly translated words that I failed to correct already.

The full book is available on FamilySearch.org

THOMAS COX, NATIVE OF HERTFORDSHIRE,

ENGLAND; FIRST SETTLED ON LONG

ISLAND, LATER CAME TO

MIDDLETOWN, 1667.

Thomas Cox and His Descendants

This Is an old. old name, and an old, old family, going back for its origin to a period so remote that the great Celtic race had not yet divided itself into its two distinct branches, of Erse and Cymry. So it Is that we find Cox used as a name among both the British and the Irish, and, as well, among the people of Brittany. in France; for it descends to all from the old Celtic root-word, "coch", meaning red. It thus carries with it no implication of blood relationship nor of national origin, although it does show the primitive—or root-stock of all its bearers to have been Celtic.

As red hair was too frequent among the early Celts to have served as a distinguishing and name-giving characteristic, and as red noses had not yet become fashionable, it Is probable that it was first applied, as in the case of King William Rufus, of England, to individuals notable for floridness of complexion,

The use of distinguishing family names (or surnames) among the British, although In occasional use among the Tribes from a time when the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, did not begin to become at all customary until the time of Edward the Confessor, and was in infrequent use even at the time of the compiling of Domesday Book, some half a century later.

Yet, in that venerable tome is found the name we are now considering, in the person of Aluun Coc, bedellus; and, again, as "Cocus", in Rot. Obl. et Fin, of the time of King John. The word "bedellus", used above as an official designation is not a Latin word, but the Latinized form of the British "beadle", or bedle, and Indicates an inferior officer of one of the courts, or an officer of the Parish.

Cornwall seems to have been the chief seat of the Coxes in England.

There were several contemporary families of Coxes early settled in the Jersies, but we are here concerned with but one of these, that of Thomas Cox, one of the first settlers at Middletown, who was the founder of the fine old family that later became centered in Upper Freehold.

THOMAS COX (1), concerning whose antecedents the present writer has no information beyond the fact that he was born in Hertfordshire, one of the western counties of England, and, after coming to this country, settled first on Newton Creek, Long Island. From that place he removed to Middletown, New Jersey, where he was among the earliest settlers and where he died in 1681. Before coming to Monmouth County he had married, on the 24th of April (or of June), 1665, Elizabeth Blashford, of whom we have no information except her name. On the death of Thomas Cox, she married secondly, Sept. 9, 1591, Thomas Ingham, or Ingram, who died in 1690.

To Thomas Cox was assigned, in 1687, Lot No. 8, in Middletown village. He subsequently acquired other properties. From early records he would seem to have taken an active part in all the movements of his day and to have stood well In the estimation of the people with whom he had cast his lot. He was a Baptist.

Some have thought that Thomas Cox had a brother who settled in the lower portion of the State, but the writer has met with no confirmation of this assumption.

Thomas and Elizabeth (Blashford) Cox had six children living at the time of his death in 1881, two of whom were of very tender years. They were: an unnamed eon (2); Thomas (3); John (4); James (5); Joseph (6), and an unnamed daughter (7), who married Nathaniel Robins (son of Daniel, of Cross-wicks), and died before 1714, leaving two daughters, Sarah and Meribah Robins.

UNKNOWN SON (2), son of Thomas (1), An old paper, coming from an unknown source, states that the oldest son of the first Thomas removed to South Jersey, where be died, leaving a widow and several children, among- whom were William (8) and Hannah (9). The widow is said to have married, as second husband, Hugh Caldwell, who died in 1745, The present writer has met with no single fact of record that tends to support this claim, and so must regard it as very doubtful indeed. Because, however, it is not in itself improbable, he Includes the Iine-with this word of caution.

THOMAS COX (3), son of Thomas (1), was born in 1668 and died in 1723. He married Mary (possibly daughter of Walter Wright, of Middletown), born in 1671, and died in 1760. Their children were; Thomas (10); Lydia (11); Mary (12); Catherine (13); Elizabeth (14); Alice (15), and John (16). This Thomas lived both at Middletown and Upper Freehold.

JOHN COX (4), son of Thomas (1). died circa 1728. His wife may have been named Rachel. He lived in Freehold. His children were, John (17), and James (18).

JAMES COX (5), son of Thomas (1). was born Aug, 18. 1672, and died Oct. 24, 1750. He was a man of considerable importance in his day. He lived on Doctor's Creek, and is said to have been buried in the yard of the Yellow Meeting House, near Imlaystown. He married first, Ann ____, whose surname has net been preserved. She was born Jan. 16, 1672, and died November 25, 1747. He is said to have married, secondly, Mrs. Rebecca (Stillwell) Salter. His children, all by the first wife, were: Ann (19); Rebecca (20); Thomas (21); James Jr,, (22); John (23); Joseph (24); Elizabeth (25); Alice (26); Rachel (27), and Dorothy (28).

JOSEPH COX (6), son of Thomas (1), was born 9-16-1679. He married Catherine, daughter of Thomas and Deborah (Grover) Shepherd. The writer has record of but one child, Thomas (29).

WILLIAM COX (8), supposed grandson of Thomas (1), died at Shrewsbury in 1752. He married, circa 1704, Catherine Longfield. daughter of Captain Cornelius Langfield (sic) by his wife, Mary, daughter of Dr. Henry Greenland. Her sister, Elizabeth, married as second wife, Captain Obadiah Bowne the first, and was one of the writer's ancestors. In his will William Cox refers to Walter Cox, of Gloucester, as one of his kinsmen. His children were: John (30); William (31); Thomas (32), who may have married Elizabeth Bills, widow of Samuel Corlies; Longfield (33), who married Anna Sears; Cornelius (34); Samuel (35); Mary (36), probably married John Wiley, of New York, and had son William; and Sarah (37), who married Christopher Beekman, and had son William.

THOMAS COX (10), son of Thomas (3), was born 6-7-1700, and died 6-5-1783, He lived at Upper Freehold and is buried in the yard of the Yellow Meeting House. The name of his wife is supposed to have been Rebecca, who vies, possibly, Mrs. Rebecca (Winter) Applegate. The children were: Richard (38); Thomas (39) Rebecca (40), and Elizabeth (41).

LYDIA COX (11), daughter of Thomas (3), was born 10-2-1709. She married Joseph Cheeseman, son of William and Charity, who died before 1749. There was a son William Cheeseman.

MARY COX (12), daughter of Thomas (3), married a Lawrence, and had children, Joseph and Mary Lawrence,

CATHERINE COX (13), daughter of Thomas (3), married, as first wife, Captain Cornelius Van Horne (1695-1744), who is buried at White House, N. J. She bore him one son, Thomas VanHorne.

ELIZABETH COX (14). daughter of Thomas (3), is sald to have married a Hutchinson.

JOHN COX (17). son of John (4), is said to have married Mary _____. Their children were: John (42), Joseph (43), Samuel (44), Elizabeth (45), Rachel (461. Mary (47), Alice (48), and Nancy (49).

JAMES COX (18), son of John (4), is supposed to have married Rachel ______ who died 10-16-1750). But one child has been assigned to this couple. Thomas (49 ½), who is supposed to have been horn in 1744, and to have died 6-17-1782, His wife's name was Deborah, her last name being unknown, She was born In 1748, and died 5-20-1782.

ANN COX, (19) , daughter of James (5), died before 1747. She married a Mr. Jewell, and had children, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Elsie or Alice, and Rachel.

REBECCA. COX (20), daughter of James (5), married and had two children. The name of her husband has not been ascertained.

THOMAS COX (21), son of James (5), died before 1747. The name of his wife has not been found. His children were: John (56), probably born in 1726; Mary (57), married before 1747, but the name of whose husband is not known, and Anne (58).

JAMES COX, JR., (22), son of James (5), was of Upper Freehold, where he died, in 1753. He was twice married.. The name of hie first wife is not known to the writer, His second wife was Elizabeth (who may have been a Fenton). By his first wife he had, Nathaniel (59), and

John (60). To the second union there was issue, Thomas (61); Isaac (62); Elish (63), and more than one daughter.

JOHN COX (23), son of James (5), was born in 1700, and died, 5-14-1778. His wife's given-name was Mary. She died 2-15-1798. The following children have been assigned to them (but there is some confusion here): Joshua (64), born 4-24-1747, died 11-26-1759; General James (87), born 10-17-1748, died 4-19-1805, grandfather of Samuel S, (sunset) Cox; and William (66), born 5-12-1749, died 2-15-1828, who married Elizabeth ____ born 7-8-1756, died 7-5-1811. The closeness of the birth-dates assigned to James and William here will be noticed. Another record gives General James Cox as being the son of Joseph (43), son of John (17), in which place he will be again considered.

ALICE COX (26), daughter of James (5), was born May 30, 1696, and married Joseph Throckmorton, born Aug. 4, 1693. One of their daughters, Elizabeth, married Joshua, son of Col. Thomas Warne, The present writer descends through this line.

THOMAS COX (29), son of Joseph (6), was born 1713, and died alter 1768. He was of Upper Freehold. His wife was Deborah Shepherd. Their children were: Joseph (67); Deborah (68), born 1-12-1747, who married Thomas McCurtain, of Mt. Holly (subsequently removing to Philadelphia); and Catherine (69).

COL. JOHN COX (30), son of William (8), married Esther Bowes, and lived in the Trenton neighborhood. Their daughter, Rachel (70), married Col. John Stevens.

RICHARD COX (38), son of Thomas (10), was born 3-14-1721, and died 4-1-1800. He is said to be buried at Yellow Meeting Rouse. His wife's given name was Sarah, but her surname has not been recovered. She was born in 1743, and died 12-18-1815. Their children have been given, the writer does not know on what authority, as: Thomas (71) ; Joshua (72), born 3-4-1774, died 4-3-1858, who married Lucretia _____ born 10-20-1780, died 8-4-1842; Nancy (73), born 1-21-1772, died 1-30-1855; Acsah (74), born 10-21-1778, died 5-6-1855;- Ruth (75), born in 1776 and died 3-9-1833; and William (76), born 10-25-1773, who died 4-25-1809.

JOHN COX (42), son of John. (17), died about 1767. The first name of his wife may have been Mary. His children have been given as: Jacob (77); Samuel (78); Mary (79); Dorcas (80) Phineas (81); Elizabeth (82); John (83); Mercy (84); Benjamin (85), and William (86).

JOSEPH COX (43), son of John (17), was born in 1713, and died 4-17-1801. His wife is supposed to have been named Mary, born in 1714, and died 11-24-1800, He is said by one authority, who mentions the names of no other children, to have been the father of General James Cox (87), who is made, by another record, to have been the son of John Cox (23). The writer has no present means of determining the merits of these conflicting claims, although the dates, as given, would seem to favor Joseph (43) as his father.

JOSEPH COX (67), son of Thomas (29). was a mill-wright, and lived at Wellingboro. He died in 1768, leaving a wife, Sarah, and. a son, Thomas (88).

THOMAS COX (71), supposed son of Thomas (39), was born 9-20-1761, and died 1-16-1825. His wife was named Elizabeth. She was born 2-14-1776 and died 9-14-1840- Their children are given as; Thomas H. (89), born 3-3-1791, died 1-16-1834. He married 3-5-1791, Leah, born 4-29-1794, died 1-27-1874; Anna Maria (90), born 12-28-1800, died 9-28-1816; Sarah (91), born 4-26-1790, died 7-3-1811; Jamima. (92), born 10-9-1798, died 9-15-1816; Ann (93), born 11-4-1795, died, 7-7-1812.

GENERAL JAMES COX, son of Joseph (43), or John (23), was born 10-16-1743, and died 9-12-1810. Ho married Ann whose last name has not been ascertained. He served in the Revolution. At a later period he removed to Kentucky, from which State he was a Representative in Congress. His children are said to have been: James (94), born 1-26-1782; William (95), born in 1776 and died 7-28-1803; Lewis (96), born in 1769 and died 6-24-1774: Aaron (97), born 5-4-1771 and died 4-4-18-4 (sic). There were three other children, but their names do not appear.

One of the above sons was the father of Samuel S. (Sunset) Cox, so long famous in Congress, and throughout the country. There is a statue of him in Astor Place, New York City. He was present at the laying of the corner-stone of the Monmouth Battle-Monument at. Freehold, where he was seen by this writer (then a small boy), whose mother was, a few years later, a fellow-passenger with Representative Cox on a European trip. The impression he made was very- favorable. He was the author of several books.

THOMAS COX (88), son of Joseph (67), was born in 1765, and died In 1805. He married Susannah Bray, 1763-1850. His children were: Susannah, (101), who married a Mr. Everett; Joseph (102), 1791-1897; John B. (103), 1794-1855; James B(104). who was born 1-30-1798, and died in 1882, having married, first, Frances N. Swan, and secondly, Emily E, Miller; Rev. Henry Miller Cox (105), and, finally, Elizabeth Cox (106).

Revised: January 13, 2023

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