Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Burial: 8 January 1628/9.
Place of Burial: Enville, Staffordshire.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: Francis Coxe.
This relationship is given by the Staffordshire VCH (20: sub Enville). It is recorded in a 1572 fine.
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Frances.
Thomas’s names his wife in his will.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Thomas Coxe (died 1620) married Frances Banbury.
Frances Coxe married John Spitull.
Elizabeth Coxe married John Wilcoxe alias Taylor.
Evidence
from the Victoria County History of Staffordshire v. 20 (Enville):
There was a small estate in the manor of Morfe, known as COXGREEN by 1593. It took its name from the Cox family, members of which held land in the parish by the 15th century. They were then generally described as yeomen or husbandmen. A John Cox was one of the wealthier parishioners in 1539. He was perhaps the John Cox, gentleman, who in 1572 settled a house and land in Morfe on Francis Coxe and Francis’s son Thomas. Francis was alive in 1584 but had presumably died by 1593 when Thomas settled the house and land on himself and his heirs. Thomas was probably Thomas Cox the elder, who with Thomas Cox the younger, executed a further settlement of the estate in 1618. The younger Thomas died in 1621. His widow Frances held the Coxes’ estate in Morfe and Enville after his death, but c. 1625 it passed to Richard Leigh, a London haberdasher…
Final Concords:
At three weeks from the day of St. Michael. 14 Elizabeth. [1572]
Between Francis Cox, gentleman, and Thomas Cox, son and heir apparent of the said Francis, complainants, and John Cox, gentleman, deforciant of a messuage, a toft, 60 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 100 acres of pasture, 20 acres of wood, 30 acres of furze and heath, and common of pasture in Morffe in the parish of Enfeld.
John remitted all right to Francis and Thomas and to the heirs of Francis, for which Francis and Thomas gave him 200 marks of silver.
On the Quindene of Easter. 26 Elizabeth. [1584]
Between Francis Coxe, gentleman, complainant, and Rowland White and Joan his wife, deforciants of a messuage, a garden, an orchard, 60 acres of land, 10 acres of meadow, 100 acres of pasture, 6 acres of wood, and 10 acres of furze and heath in Luttley, Morfe, and Enfeld.
Rowland and Joan remitted all right to Francis and his heirs, for which Francis gave them 130 marks of silver.
On the Quindene of Easter. 35 Elizabeth. [1593]
Between William Sheldon, armiger, complainant, and Thomas Coxe, gentleman, deforciant of a messuage, a toft, 60 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 100 acres of pasture, 20 acres of wood, 30 acres of furze and heath and common of pasture in Morff in the parish of Enfeld.
Thomas remitted all right to William and his heirs, for which William gave him £120.
At three weeks from the day of Holy Trinity. 16 James I. [1618]
Between Samuel Pype, armiger, Edward Banburie, gentleman, and Thomas Tomkys, gentleman, complainants, and Thomas Coxe, the elder, gentleman, and Thomas Coxe, the younger, gentleman, deforciants of 3 messuages, 3 barns, 3 gardens, 3 orchards, 60 acres of land, 20 acres of meadow, 120 acres of pasture, 10 acres of wood, 50 acres of furze and heath, and common of pasture for all cattle in Coxe Greene, Morffe, Enfeild, and Handesworth, co. Stafford, and of tenements in Birmyngham and Saltley, co. Warwick.
The deforciants remitted all right to the plaintiffs and to the heirs of Samuel, for which the plaintiffs gave them £340.
Chancery Pleading National Archives Catalogue [C 2/Eliz/T2/40]
Plaintiff: John Toye
Defendants: Francis Smith, Thomas Coxe, and Rowse Rickethorne.
Subject: Claim in remainder. A messuage and land in Enveld [Enville], Staffordshire
between 1558 and 1603
Chancery Pleading C 2/Eliz/C21/28
Plaintiff: Thomas Coxe.
Defendant: JohnCoxe.
Subject: deeds; land in Staffordshire and land in ‘Morfe’ and ‘Nordelly’
Administration of Anne Cox of Envedd
30 October 1598, to natural brother, Thomas Cox.
from the Staffordshire Quarter Sessions Rolls
In 1601/2, Thomas Cox of Coxgreene was a juror for Seidson hundred.
from the Enville parish register:
1628
B Thomas Coxe gen: of Coxe Grene was buried the 8th of Januarie
Thomas’s will:
In the name of God Amen the eight daie of September in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand sixe hundred twenty sixe I Thomas Coxe of Coxgreene in the parish of Envield and Countie of Stafford Gent beinge in reasonable good health and of perfect memory (praise bee unto allmightie God and knowinge that death to euery man is certaine but the houre and tyme of his comeinge is most uncertaine I haue therefore determyned & by these presents doe ordaine and make this my last will and testament in manner and forme followinge And first I doe hartily commend my soule into the hands of allmighty God whoe gaue it and I doe faithfully beleeue and most humbly beseech that by the onely death and merritts of the true and messias Jesus Christ the righteous my onelie Sauiour and Redeemer I shall become an inheritor of euerlastinge life & blessednes in kingdome of heauen And I desire that my bodie maie bee intered and buried in the parish Church of Enveild aforesaid in the high Jh neere unto my seate there. And I doe desire that my funeralls maie in decent manner bee performed And my will is that my iust debts shalbe truly paid Item I give unto my welbeloved wife Frances Coxe tenne pounds in money to bee paid within one yeare next after my decease, and alsoe I give unto her one paire of flaxen sheets two paire of hempen sheetes two parie of hurden sheets one dozen of hempen napkins and one dozen of hurden napkins Item I give and bequeath unto Frances my daughter late the wife of John Spittull of Enveild aforesaid yeoman deceased the some of Twenty pounds of lawfull money of England and alsoe I give unto her twelve siluer spoones and one Couerlett or beddhealing of arras worke and I doe give unto her daughter Joise now the wife of Thomas Brooke the some of five pounds Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Wilcoxe the wife of John Wilcoxe of Lutley within the aforesaid parish of Enveild the some of twenty pounds of lawfull money of England, and alsoe I doe give unto her one siluer and gilt salt with a Couer And I doe give unto euery one of her Children forty shillings apeece Item I give and bequeath unto my loueing friend Samuell Pipe Esquier Twenty shillings Item I give and bequeath unto my loueing freind Thomas Tomkys of Wilnall fortie shillings Item I give unto every servant that shalbe dwellinge with mee at the tyme of my death twelue pence Item I giue unto euery one of my Godchildren Twelue pence apeece And for and coucerninge all other my goods debts Cattells and Chattells (my debts paid my funeralls discharged and my legacies performed) I doe giue and bequeath unto the said John Wilcoxe my sonne in lawe and to the said Frances my daughter whom I doe by theis presents make and ordaine my Executors of this my last will and Testament In witnes whereof I haue hereunto put my hand and seale euen the daie and yeare first aboue written By mee Thomas Coxe Sealed subscribed and acknowledged in the presents of Humfrey Jorden Edward Gravenor./
[Proved 10 February 1628/9]
References
“Final Concords” in Collections for a History of Staffordshire several volumes (William Salt Archaeological Society)
“The Staffordshire Quarter Session Rolls” v. 1-5 (S.A.H. Burne ed.) in Collections for a History of Staffordshire (Staffordshire Record Society (William Salt Archaeological Society), 3rd series, 1929-1940.
Will of Thomas Coxe of Enville, Staffordshire, gent. Proved 1628 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.