Matthew Cox Jr (abt. 1735 - abt. 1804)

Born about 19 Jun 1735 in Essex, Colony of Virginia, British Colonial America [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy (Dickenson) Cox — married Oct 1761 in Halifax, Halifax, Virginia

Descendants

Died about Mar 1804 at about age 68 in Wilkes, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: James Choma [send private message] and Daniel Baker [send private message]

Biography

Matthew Cox Jr was part of a Southern Pioneer Family.

Matthew Cox Jr served with the Virginia Colony during the French and Indian War.

Private Matthew Cox Jr performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Matthew Cox Jr is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A027056.

In 1900 Dr. Aras B. Cox published a book he had written called “Foot Prints on the Sands of Time.”^[1] Based on the data in this book and other research by Dr. Amos D. Wood in the 1930’s,^[2] a Cox family from Halifax County, Virginia was chronicled. Dr. Cox was in fact the grandson of a Matthew Cox and Matthew’s wife, Lucy Dickerson Spencer Cox. In the book Dr. Cox relates that his grandfather “Matthew Cox, Sr. was a soldier in Col. George Washington's regiment with General Braddock at Pittsburgh in 1755 when the English were defeated.”^[3]

He marries widow Lucy Dickerson Spencer October 1761 in Halifax, Virginia. Matthew appears in Botetourt county tax records in 1784 along with his son Carter and Griffith Dickerson Sr. listed in Capt. Thomas Goodson's Co.^[4] He makes a couple of land purchases in Wilkes and Surry counties and files a land grant (see deeds). When the 1800 census is enumerated for Wilkes county Matthew is listed with four other household members. ^[5]

"Matthew Cox and family lived for some years in Halifax County, Virginia, and then moved to Floyd county, as previously stated, then moved to Wilkes County, NC now Caldwell County. Esquire Isbel in after years owned the farm where Matthew Cox Sr. lived and where he and his noble wife's bodies rest in their honored graves."^[6] Matthew Cox II is a DAR Patriot ancestor.^[7]

The Virginia Regiment

Adding to Dr. Cox's research and Matthew's Militia service, Matthew is found in a record of the Payroll of the Virginia Regiment from Enlistment to 29 May 1754. Private Matthew Cox enlisted 5 March 1754 and received 2 pounds, 16 shillings and 8 pence. Additionally he is found in; Pay of the Virginia Regiment commencing from 29 May and ending 29 July 1754, payrolls at Alexandria, Captain Peter Hog's Company, Private Matthew Cox, 2 pounds 8 pence. Returns made at Will's creek 9 July 1754 and recorded in Washington's own hand. Paybill of the Virginia Regiment, Captain Peter Hog's Company, 29 September 1754, Private Matthew Cox, 2 pounds, 8 pence. Matthew Cox also appears in the lists of soldiers in Captain Peter Hog's Virginia Company in the following four excerpts; List of soldiers who received the Country's Bounty Money, 1754. Muster roll reported to Council 6 November 1771. List of balances due from Sundrys in account of their claims to land under the Proclamation of 1754, circa 1772. Muster roll reported to Council 6 November 1772.^[8] And Capt. Jonathan Isom's Company, Montgomery County Court Records, In council, April 28, 1778, Matthew Cox Jr.^[9]

In a letter, From George Washington to the Officers and Soldiers of the Virginia Regiment of 1754, dated 23 December 1772, Matthew Cox is listed amongst the privates to receive a 400 acre land patent. ^[10] "Copies of Edmond McGuiness' title papers; 1) 22d November 1805 - David Spurlock and Hannah, of Gallia County, Ohio, to Edmund McGinness, of Cabell County, Va., 400 acres or what may be allotted to them in the military survey on the Ohio and Big Sandy for 28,627 acres granted by Virginia by Dinwiddie's proclamation, 1754, unto Mathew Cox, common soldier at battle of Great Meadows, and afterwards by Carter Cox, his attorney, was transferred to David Spurlock. Recorded in Cabell County, Va., 10th January 1817." ^[11]

Deeds, Land Grants, Surveys

Deed, Soloman Nelson to Matthew Cox, 14 August 1781,150 acres on Stewart's creek, Surry county North Carolina^[12]

Deed, Thomas Norman to Matthew Cox, 17 July 1782, 50 acres on Stewart's creek, Surry county North Carolina^[13]

Deed, Matthew Cox to William Bruce, 20 October 1786, 200 acres on Stewart's creek, Surry county North Carolina^[14]

NC state to Matthew Cox, 3 November 1784, land grant #798, 150 acres on Beach creek, Surry county ^[15][16]

Survey for Matthew Cox assignee of James King, 24 August 1782, 293 acres on Beaver creek, Botetourt county Virginia ^[17] Virginia Land Office Treasury Warrant # 11,612 granted George Reed Sr assignee of Matthew Cox who was assignee of James King, 293 acres by Survey bearing date the 24 August 1782,County of Botetourt on the gap fork of Beaver Creek.^[18]

Survey for Matthew Cox, 11 April 1787, 544 acres on Indian creek, Montgomery county Virginia, delivered to Carter Cox for Matthew Cox, 7 April 1788. ^[19] Granted by the Commonwealth to Peter Reed assignee of Matthew Cox a certain tract or parcel of land containing 544 acres, 25 Febuary 1793. By virtue of Land Office Treasury Warrants, #13005 issued 27 July 1782 and #16950 issued 12 July 1783^[20]

Deed, Carter Cox and Matthew Cox executors of the estate of Matthew Cox dec'd. to William Roberts, 10 October 1833, containing 450 acres, part of a 640 acre tract granted Samuel Allen 22 September 1785. "Beginning on a Hickory below Brown's Knob of the Brushy Mountains ..." Registered 24 October 1852^[21]

Deeds, research notes

Would be nice to find these deeds;
1) "Matthew Cox bought 300 acres of land from Samuel Allen on Warrior creek and Brushy mountain (has been called Cox Knob)."

2) "In 1796 William Roberts of Burke county, North Carolina made deed to Matthew Cox of Wilkes county for 140 acres under Brown knob, Witness by Braxton Cox, Aris Cox and Samuel Allen." Note for this deed; 2 August 1796,"A deed from William Roberts to Mathew Cox for one hundred Acres of Land was duly proven in open court by the oath of Aris Cox & ordered to be Registered."^[22]

Referenced from, "Ambrose N. Cox Sr. Descendants 1772-1972", by Elza B. Cox, pages 2-3. Have been searching Deed Books. dw

Court Entries

Halifax county, 18 October 1764, Griffith Dickerson vs. Matthew Cox and Lucy his wife. A dispute over possession of a slave once owned by Griffith Dickerson dec'd (father of orator) and lent to Abraham Spencer dec'd. Settled in favor of Griffith Dickerson. ^[23]

Halifax county, 19 September 1765, "I Matthew Cox do Bargain, Sell and make over unto Griffith Dickerson Senr. all my crop of corn and fodder, also one mans saddle and a flax wheell for and in consideration of the sum of twelve pounds current money of Virginia."^[24]

Halifax county, 18 September 1777, Matthew Cox guardian to Griffith and Lucy Spencer failed to render account of the profits of his said wards estates.^[25]

Halifax county, 24 January 1778, Memorandum of bargain, Griffith Spencer sells his share of his father Abraham Spencer's estate to Matthew Cox. ^[26]

Botetourt county, June Court 1784, Bond, Cox to Spencer and all. Matthew Cox held firmly bound to Abraham Spencer, John Spencer and Peter Reed, "do stand and abide by a certain division of certain negroes belonging to Abraham Spencer, John Spencer, Peter Reed and Matthew Cox." Witness by Carter Cox and Mastin Cox. ^[27]

Botetourt county, July Court 1784, Bond, Spencer and all to Cox. Abraham Spencer, John Spencer and Peter Reed are held firmly bound unto Mathew Cox, "do stand and abide by a certain division of certain negroes belonging to the said Abraham Spencer, John Spencer, Peter Reed and Matthew Cox." Witness by Carter Cox and Mastin Cox. ^[27]

Will

Matthew Cox will,^[28] excerpt; "In the name of God Amen I Matthew Cox of the State of North Carolina Wilkes County Being sick and weak in Body But of perfect mind and memory Calling to mind that it is appointed for all men once to die, do this Eighth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and four, make and publish this my last will and testament in the manner following that is to say ___ First I Recommend my soul to God that gave it and my body be desently Burryed By the Discretion of my friends or Executors and after all my just debts Being paid and funeral expences___I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Lucy Cox all and singular my possessions" (continued...) "I hereby make and ordain my beloved sons Carter Cox and Matthew Cox Executors of this my last will and Testament in witness whereof I the said Matthew Cox have set my hand and seal the day and year above written____"

Tuesday 31 July 1804 court met, "Matthew Cox will was proven by Wm Brown & Aaron Parker & Matthew Cox one of the exrs (executors) therein __ names qualified." "Ordered that said exr sell the perishable property of said dec'd according to law and the will and return an acct thereof to next court" ^[29] 29 October 1804 Inventory of Matthew Coxes Estate (that included 440 acres of land) and an account of the sale of the estate.^[30]

Notes; There is an "original" will held at the LVA archives that the clerk must've used to copy from and entered this one into the Will Book. The difference between the two are very minor. Matthew names his wife and seven children. He also leaves ten slaves to his heirs.

Research Notes

Matthew's grandfather William Cox wrote his will 21 April 1753 in South Farnham, Essex county. At that time Matthew's father had already died. "furthermore the negro Girl Margery which I have lent to my son Mathew Cox deceased and now is in the possession of Richard Hodges and Mary the wife of said Mathew Cox dec'd. the said Negro Girl Margery and all her Increase and three head of Cattle I Lent my son Mathew Cox deceased...I give and bequeath unto my five Grand Children..." (children of Henry Cox). Later in the will with a transcription error by the clerk, "Item I give to my Grand son Martha [sic] son of Mathew Cox dec'd five Shillings Cash"^[31] It's obvious Matthew's grandfather William Cox had no intention of leaving him much of anything. The five shillings has been compared to Matthew being essentially written out of the will. When his father Matthew Cox died and his will was presented in Caroline County Court 12 March 1752, there seems to have been some family turmoil. His mother Mary would not stand to the will and there was controversy with what was in his father Matthew's possession as William Cox wrote his will.

Support for a transcription error, also when William's will is proved, "... Henry Cox the Executor therein named who made oath thereto & the same also being proved by the oaths of Samuel Allen, Marthew Allen [sic] and Wm. Allen three of the witnesses hereto ..." Martha Allen was the wife of Samuel Allen, so a second name "misspelled" besides "my Grand son Martha son of Mathew Cox dec'd".

There is a Chancery Court cause that was filed in Essex County about 1760. It needs research and seems to involve this Matthew Cox. It was concerning what was in his father, Matthew Cox dec'd, possession at the time of his death and grandfather William Cox's will.

Sources

1. ↑ Foot Prints on the Sands of Time Author: Dr. Aras Bishop Cox. Publisher: Sparta, N.C. : Star Pub. Co 1900. Page: 45+.
2. ↑ "Floyd County - A History of Its People and Places" by Dr. Amos D. Wood (written in 1932; pub. 1981)
3. ↑ Roster of the Virginia Regiment serving under George Washington during the Fort Necessity Campaign; https://www.nps.gov/fone/learn/historyculture/roster.htm
4. ↑ Botetourt County personal property tax records 1783-1807, page 9
5. ↑ Second Census of the United States, 1800. NARA microfilm publication M32. Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Wilkes North Carolina
6. ↑ Foot Prints on the Sands of Time Author: Dr. Aras Bishop Cox. Publisher: Sparta, N.C. : Star Pub. Co 1900. Page: 45+.
7. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 16 Jun 2021), "Record of Matthew Cox", Ancestor # A027056.
8. ↑ Virginia's Colonial Soldiers, by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, MD, 1988, pages 48, 50,133, 237, 238, 295, 598
9. ↑ Montgomery County's Revolutionary Heritage, by Ruby Altizer Roberts, "The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography", Vol. 46, No. 4, (October 1938), page 339-343
10. ↑ Washington's letter; http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-09-02-0107
11. ↑ "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia" Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County 1745-1800, volume II, by Lyman Chalkley, Circuit Court Records Section I. Circuit Court Judgements and Causes Ended, Page 49.
12. ↑ Surry county North Carolina Register of Deeds, 1773-1781, Book B, page 146
13. ↑ Surry county North Carolina Register of Deeds, 1773-1781, Book B, page 184
14. ↑ Surry county North Carolina Record of Deeds, 1787-1790, Book D, page 240
15. ↑ Surry county North Carolina Register of Deeds, Book C, page 171
16. ↑ North Carolina Patent Book 55, page 34
17. ↑ Botetourt county Virginia Surveyors Record, 1774-1808, page 125
18. ↑ Virginia Land Office, Patents and Grants,1787-1788, Grants No. 16, page 575
19. ↑ Montgomery county Virginia Record of Plotts,1789-1791, Book D, page 254
20. ↑ Virginia Land Office, Patents and Grants, 1792-1793, Grants No. 27, page 545. LVA archives
21. ↑ Wilkes County, North Carolina, Record Deeds No. R, 1851-1854, page 344
22. ↑ Wilkes County North Carolina Court Minutes, 1796-1797, page 25
23. ↑ Halifax County Virginia Pleas no. 5 Part 1, Court Orders, 1764-1767, page 13
24. ↑ Halifax County Virginia Deed Book no. 5, 1764-1765, page 521
25. ↑ Halifax County Virginia Pleas no.9 Part 1, Court Orders, 1774-1779, page 250
26. ↑ Halifax County Virginia Deed Book no. 10, 1775-1778, page 399
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1} Botetourt County Virginia Deed Book no. 3, 1780-1788, pages 254-256
28. ↑ Wilkes County North Carolina Will Book 2, 1800-1812, pages 131-132
29. ↑ Wilkes County Clerk of Superior Court County Court Minutes, 1798-1804, page 318
30. ↑ Wilkes County North Carolina Will Book 2, 1800-1812, pages 134-137
31. ↑ Essex County Virginia Will Book 9, 1750-1754, pages 291-296

• Personal research and notes by Dave Weppner

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Daniel Baker for creating WikiTree profile Cox-6132 through the import of BakerTree.ged on Dec 29, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Daniel and others.