Born: 1655 Marblehead, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Died: May 28, 1731 Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Baptized: August 20, 1993 Portland Temple
Endowed: June 4, 1994 Portland Temple
Son of: James Cox and Mrs. Cox (Sealed to parents: October 27, 1994 Portland Temple)
Married: Agnes Okeman Kent October 5, 1703 Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts (Sealed: Mrs. Robert Cox June 1, 1996)
Some have said that our first Cox ancestors were here when the pilgrims came to Plymouth in the Mayflower in 1620. Family tradition has long been that three brothers came from Europe. We know only about our ancestor. He was either Robert Cox or Robert Cock. He lived at Marblehead. Robert Cox was a member of a military company composed of men from Marblehead and Salem. The company was engaged in the war with the noted Indian King Philip in the year 1675. Robert Cox was wounded in the Swamp Fight, which took place December 16-19, 1675. In the same company was enrolled one James Cox of Marblehead. Robert named his first child James. Robert was a fisherman. Mention is made of seven barrel of mackerel shipped to the Barbadoes by Robert Cox in an inventory of the estate of William Pease, of Salem. The date of inventory was April 29, 1678. Robert’s first wife was Mary Jinkins. They were married in 1689. Robert had five children with her: James, William, Robert, Jane and Margaret. What happened to her we do not know. After the war with King Philip, Robert moved to Scituate, on the coast southward from Boston. Robert was married in Scituate, October 5, 1703 to Mrs. Agnes Oakeman Kent, the widow of Joshua Kent of Boston. Shortly after their marriage, Robert and Agnes moved to Boston where Robert continued in the fishing business. War broke again in 1705 between England and France, which also spread to the colonies. This was called “Queen Ann’s War.” During those years, Robert and his family lived on Prince Street, which is the first little street down the hill west from Old North Church. Robert had considerable property there. His will reflects the fact that he was a religious man. When Robert’s years of vigor were gone, he turned fishing to his son James and undertook the less strenuous labor of cordwainer. Robert died May 28, 1731 in Boston.
Submitted by Ginger D. Vandenburg, 2010