Researching William Cox in NC

Note: This page needs to be updated based on new information. Please first read this page about all the William Coxes

Before 1993, my father, sister and I could only trace our Cox line back to Isaac Cox (the one born around 1805 and who moved to Cherokee County, Georgia). In 1993, we talked to Walter Cox, who was descended from the first William and his son William Jr. He was older in 1993 and had been working on the expanded Cox family tree for more than 25 years by that time. He had a dead end at Isaac -- the big family chart literally stopped with nothing at Isaac. So we both were able to benefit from sharing info. In one swoop, we had several generations back, and he could fill in 150+ years of that Isaac Cox's descendants. 

So how did Walter know that the William Cox who is our first known ancestor is connected to all of us and started in North Carolina?

It's based on research done in 1973 by William Perry Johnson, a genealogist in Raleigh, North Carolina, who had researched Coxes in the area for years. He was also the editor of the Journal of North Carolina Genealogy. I have a copy of his 1973 report to Walter. 

~~~~This is a transcript of the pertinent parts:

Dear Mr. Cox:

Enclosed are three pages of data on your William Cox. I feel certain that YOUR William Cox DID come from Orange Co., N.C. But I know of no connection between your Wm Cox and the Quaker Coxes. Wm Cox, the Quaker, never lived in present-day Orange Co. He lived in what is now southeast Randolph Co., N.C., but when he died in 1767 that part of Randolph Co. was part of Orange Co., hence his will is on record in Orange County. 

Wm Cox the Quaker had a son William (the latter married 1755), and these two probably account for two of the three Wm Coxes on 1755 Tax List of Orange Co.; your Wm making the third Wm on the list. 

Further confirmation that your Wm Cox IS from Orange Co., N.C., is the fact that the following names appear on the 1790 Census of Greenville Co., S.C.: THOMAS LONG, FRANCES LEE, Wm Brasheres, Thos. Brassure, WILLIAM BRASSURE, Aquilla Brasure, JAMES BRASURE, John Brasure, John Brasure, Saml. Brasure, Sarah Brasure, and Thomas Brasure. FIVE of Wm Coxes' sons-in-law are listed, surely, and the Bras(s)ure given names prove that the Bras(s)ures were from Orange Co. -- sons and grandsons, surely, of the Thomas Breazier who left will in Orange Co. 1770-1784.

There is no telling WHERE your Wm Cox lived prior to settling in N.C. The enclosed tabulation shows that there were around 3,000 (probably many more, since not all 1790 Census records have been preserved) men, women and children in the U.S. named COX (various spellings). 

I could not possibly have pinpointed so many references to YOUR Wm Cox if I had not done so much work on the name Cox (especially the QUAKER Coxes) in years past. 

...

[Below is a transcript of what Johnson wrote but not all of these Coxes are connected to us]

COX of Orange Co., N.C.

1755 Tax List of Orange Co., N.C.

William Cox - 3 white - no black

William Cox - 1 white - no black

Zachariah Cox - 1 white - no black

William Cox, Haw River - 3 white - no black

John Cox - 3 white - no black

Herman Cox - 1 white - no black

1779 Tax List of Orange Co., N.C. 

William Cox - assessment: 624 pounds

Isaac Cox - 400 pounds

1781 Tax List of Orange Co. (not 100% complete) - p. 61, folio 3 - William Cox - 110 a. (etc)

Orange Co. marriage bonds (1752- 1800)

1788 - Moses Cox and Margaret Morrow

1789 - Thomas Thompson and Eliza Cox

(1808 next one)

The William Cox who left a will, 1767, Orange Co., N.C., was a Quaker, the subject of my first Cox book. He did not reside in present day Orange County, but in southeast Randolph Co. (From 1752 to 1771, eastern third of present-day Randolph Co. was part of Orange County.) Randloph Co. was part of Guilford Co., 1771-1779. It appears that all Coxes on 1755 Tax List of Orange Co. fell into Guilford (now Randolph) Co., 1771, except one William Cox -- and he, I believe is yours, and he may have lived in that part of Orange Co. which became Alamance Co. in 1849. Your William Cox owned 100 acres on Haw River & Cane Creek, and these two come together near the Orange-Alamance Co. line -- southwest corner of present-day Orange Co., and southeast corner of present-day Alamance Co. 

1790 Census, Orange Co., N.C. (census lost, replaced with tax lists): Caswell Distrcit, Orange Co. -- Moses Cox - 120 acres - 1 white poll

1800 Tax List, Orange Co., N.C. - Caswell Dist. [can't read] Cox - 88 & 1/3 acres; 1 white poll

1800 Census, Orange Co., N.C. - p. 157 - Moses Cox - 4 females aged under 10; 1 male & 1 female 10 to 16; 1 female 26 to 45; 1 male over 45. 

These Orange Co. land grants and deeds do NOT appear to be for my William Cox, Quaker, so may be for your William Cox:

Orange Co. Deed Book 1, p. 86 - 10 Sept. 1755 - James Danny of Orange Co. to William Cox of same - consideration: 4 Pounds - 70 acres on west side of Eno River. Signed by mark. Witnesses: Wm read, John McGee. Proven Sept. 1755.

Many Orange Co. early deed books lost. In the Archives is what is called ORANGE Co. REGISTRATION OF DEEDS, which lists all deeds 1752-1768 (and a few later). Nov. 1761 - Wm Cox sold 70 acres to John Wood (p. 52, folio 1). 

Orange Deed Book 3, p. 599 - 22 April 1772 - John Howlet of Guilford Co., planter to Wm Cox of Orange Co. - consid.: 60 Pounds - 110 acres on ---Haw?-- River and Caine Creek. Signed John his mark Howlet. Witn: Wm White, John his mark Breser, John McElroy. Proven April 1772. 

Orange Deed Book 4, p. 310 -13 Oct 1787 - Wm Cox, Sr., of Orange Co., to John Millison of Chatham Co. - consid.: 250 Pounds - 110 acres on Cain Creek and Haw River. Signed by name and by Alce Cox. Wits: James Newlin, Kathrin Whitte, Benja. Pollard. Proven Nov. 1787.

Land Grant Office,  Raleigh, N.C., File --faded-- Orange Co., N.C. William Cox 350 acres, ---several faded words from report copy ---- Aug. 176-. Beginning at three sweet gums by New Hope. (Record Book 14, p. 380)

Orange Co. Registration of Deeds. May 1764 - Page 6, Folio 1 - Wm Cox to Charles Johnson - 350 acres, proven by Benja. Saxon. 

There MAY be more than one Wm Cox involved above. Note that there were THREE Williams on 1755 Tax List of Orange Co. One was Wm the Quaker; another was your Wm; and there my have been a third Wm buying and selling land. 

I feel fairly certain that YOUR Wm is the one who purchased the 110 acres in 1772 and sold the 110 in 1787. He may or may not have owned land earlier in Orange. He sold out in Orange in 1787 and a couple of months later buys land in S.C. Note that in 1787 his wife's name was "Alce" (Alice, Elsie, etc.)

1790 Census of Greenville Co., S.C., also lists an Isaac COCKS. He is probably son of your Wm? [[Per Walter, yes]. Also in Greenville 1790, John and Benja. Cox [[per Walter, not ours]]

Only one item in Orange Co. wills, and I feel certain it is YOUR William Cox, since two of his sons married into that family:

Orange Co. Will Book A, p. 286 - Will of Thomas Breazier - dated 1778 [1770?] - probated 1784. Wife Hannah. 1 shilling each to sons Thomas, John and Aquilla. Two youngest sons: James and Samuel - to them, the land and plantation. Daughters: Elizabeth Jones, Sarah Pyle, Hanah Teague. Youngest daughters: Mary, Cassa, Jean, and Rachel. Executors: John Pyle Sr., WILLIAM COX. Witnesses: Wm Paine, Mary Paine, H. Black, William Cox. 

~~~~END OF TRANSCRIPT

110 acres on Haw River (bought 1772, sold 1787)

So far, the only land we can confirm then is the 1772 110 acres on Haw River. Here is the origin and history of that land transactions and approximate location, via all the work done by Mark Chilton

Martin, Benjamin - Gv82 Granville to Benjamin Martin, 13 Mar 1755, 600 acres on W side of Haw River, on both sides of Cane Creek, SCC: George Martin & John Lawford - surveyed on 29 Jul 1754 by William Churton. Patent Book 12:11. ODB 1/9 Granville to Benjamin Martin, 13 Mar 1755, tract on W side of Haw River. ODB 2/209 Granville to Benjamin Martin, 13 Mar 1755, 600 acres on W side of Haw River, on both sides of Cane Creek. RegLn 117 Earl Granville to Benjamin Martin, 600 acres. ODB 1/13 Benjamin Martin to George Martin, 25 May 1755, 110 acres on Haw River, on both sides of Cane Creek - Granville to Benjamin Martin 13 Mar 1755. ODB 2/214 Benjamin Martin to George Martin, 25 May 1755, 110 acres on both sides of Cane Creek - Granville to Benjamin Martin 13 Mar 1755. RegLn 119 Benjamin Martin to George Martin, 100 acres. ODB 1/48 George Martin to William Howlett, 19 Jun 1755, 110 acres on Cane Creek - Benjamin Martin to George Martin 25 Mar last. RegLn 136 George Martin to William Howlet, 110 acres. ODB 3/599 John Howlet to William Cox, 22 Apr 1772, 110 acres on Cane Creek - George Martin to Howlett 19 Jun 1755.ODB 2/214 Benjamin Martin to George Martin, 25 May 1755, 110 acres on both sides of Cane Creek - Granville to Benjamin Martin 13 Mar 1755. ODB 1/48 George Martin to William Howlett, 19 Jun 1755, 110 acres on Cane Creek - Benjamin Martin to George Martin 25 Mar last. ODB 1/13 Benjamin Martin to George Martin, 25 May 1755, 110 acres on Haw River, on both sides of Cane Creek - Granville to Benjamin Martin 13 Mar 1755. ODB 3/599 John Howlet to William Cox, 22 Apr 1772, 110 acres on Cane Creek – George Martin to Howlett 19 Jun 1755. ODB 1/11 Benjamin Martin to William Johnson, 26 May 1755, assignment of within deed [see next item]. ODB 1/12 Benjamin Martin to William Johnson, 26 May 1755, tract on S side of Haw River, adj George Martin, mouth of Cane Creek - Granville to Benjamin Martin 13 Nov 1754. ODB 2/212 Benjamin Martin to William Johnston, 26 May 1755, 490 acres on S side of Haw River on Cane Creek, adj George Martin - Granville to Benjamin Martin 10 Mar 1755. RegLn 118 Benjamin Martin to William Johnson, 490 acres. ODB 1/156 William Johnston & Mary Johnston to James Nethery, 13 Apr 1756, 490 acres on S side of Haw River, on Cane Creek, adj George Martin – Benjamin Martin & wife Martha Martin to Johnston 6 May 1755. RegLn 190 William Johnson to James Netherley, 490 acres. RegLn 421 James Netherly to Michael Murrah, 490 acres. RegLn 776 Michael Murrah to Richard Woods, 490 acres. RegLn 2512 Richard Woods to George Allen, 490 acres. CDB B/182 George Allen & wife Mary to Thomas Beaker, 18 Mar 1779, 490 acres in Chatham County & Orange County, adj William Cox - Richard Woods to George Allen 5 Aug 1767.    Granville to Benjamin Martin, Gv82, SSLG 96-A-7, ODB 1/9, RegLn 117         Now in Chatham County.

survey: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gHMmLWi1rQAnM2rNQPOxSxVVlBnBB-GS/view?usp=sharing

• Approximate location I made on Google Maps

For reference (but no relation)

For reference because I keep having to look it up and to try to differentiate: The Quaker Coxes in the North Carolina area (not related to us that we know of but just for reference) are:

Father: William Cox (1692-1767) m. Catherine (or Katherine) Kinkey in 1716 

His 5 sons: Harmon, William, John, Solomon, & Thomas. Daughter Mary (m. James Lindley)

William's brothers: John, Thomas and Richard. Sister Amy (husband John Allen)
Quaker neighbors in Delaware and later North Carolina: Dixon, Lindley, Scarlett, Mofffit, Hussey, Crawford, Garretson, Comer and Allen.

Many details from Quaker William Cox Sr.'s will 

The Quaker Coxes - They are all over similar geography in North Carolina as OUR Coxes, so it helps to know about them to rule them out of our line's activities