Person:William Cox (110)

William Cox was baptised on 16th December 1838 at Barnack in Northamptonshire, son of a dressmaker called Catherine Cox, formerly Mason, and her husband William Cox, a blacksmith and farmer. Young William appears in both the 1841 and 1851 censuses living with his parents, siblings and paternal grandmother in Barnack. His grandmother died later in 1851. William's father died in 1856.

By 1863, William had left Barnack and moved over 250 miles to the south-west, to St Dominick in Cornwall. His older brother John had moved to that area a few years earlier. William was married on 26th October 1863 at Perranzabuloe, another 45 miles west of St Dominick, to Johanna Hoskin. They returned to St Dominick after their marriage, where William worked as a gamekeeper for the Coryton family of Pentillie Castle. They lived at gamekeeper's cottage away from the village, close to the border with the neighbouring parish of St Mellion.

Johanna and William had one son, a boy called in John, who died as an infant, being buried just six days after his baptism in March 1866. Johanna died the following year, aged 30.

Just under two years later, on 20th February 1869, William married again. His second wife was Elizabeth Hoskin, who was the older sister of William's first wife. They married at Truro, but then returned to St Dominick after their marriage, having three children there between 1870 and 1879.

The 1871 and 1881 censuses each find the family living at a place called Larks, a cottage or hamlet in St Dominick parish but away from the main village. It appears to have been close to the border with the neighbouring parish of St Mellion. Similarly in 1891 they were at Viverdon, which was also in St Dominick parish but close to St Mellion. A newspaper article from 1894 refers to William as being the head gamekeeper on the Pentillie estate.

By 1901 the family had moved to Halton Barton (also known as Halton Farm), an old farmhouse on a hillside above the River Tamar in the parish of St Dominick, and William was working as a farmer. They remained at Halton Barton for the rest of their lives. Elizabeth died there on 18th April 1912, aged 77.

William survived her by nearly six years. He died on 18th January 1917, aged 78.

1.   Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. William COX, December Quarter 1838, Stamford Registration District, Volume 14, page 526, mother's maiden name Mason

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Barnack (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1695–1974. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire Record Office).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Barnack in the County of Northampton in the Year 1838
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   683	16th Dec[embe]r	William Son of	W[illia]m & Catherine	Cox	Barnack	Blacksmith	J. Snelgar, Off[iciatin]g Min[iste]r

3. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 815; Book 2; Folio 10; Page 15, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Barnack, Northamptonshire
   William Cox, male, 39 [1801/2], Blacksmith, born in county
   Catherine Cox, female, 38 [1802/3], born in county
   John Cox, male, 14 [1826/7], born in county
   Elizabeth Cox, female, 12 [1828/9], born in county
   Thomas Cox, male, 9 [1831/2], born in county
   Mary Cox, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Catherine Cox, female, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   William Cox, male, 2 [1838/9], born in county
   Matthew Cox, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county
   Luke Broom, male, 18 [1822/3], J. Blacksmith, born in county
   Catherine Cox, female, 68 [1772/3], Ind, born in county

4. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 2094; Folio 484; Page 3, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Barnack, Northamptonshire
   William Cox, head, married, male, 49 [1801/2], Farmer of 95 Acres, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, wife, married, female, 47 [1803/4], Farmers Wife, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John Cox, son, unmarried, male, 23 [1827/8], Farmers Son, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, daughter, unmarried, female, 22 [1828/9], Dressmaker, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Mary Cox, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1834/5], Farmers Daughter, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, daughter, female, 14 [1836/7], Farmers Daughter, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   William Cox, son, male, 12 [1838/9], Farmers Son, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Matthew Cox, son, male, 11 [1839/40], Farmers Son, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Josiah Cox, son, male, 8 [1842/3], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Sophia Cox, daughter, female, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, mother, widow, female, 77 [1773/4], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 2233; Folio 67; Page 19, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Larks, St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, head, married, male, 31 [1839/40], Game Keeper, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 37 [1833/4], b. Perran Zablow [sic], Cornwall
   Catherine Cox, daughter, female, 2 [1868/9], b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   Eliza Jane Johns, cousin, unmarried, female, 15 [1855/6], b. St Ive, Cornwall

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 2283; Folio 57; Page 16, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Larks, St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, head, married, male, 42 [1838/9], Gamekeeper, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 46 [1834/5], b. Perranzabuloe, Cornwall
   Catherine Cox, daughter, female, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   John Cox, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, son, male, 1 [1879/80], b. St Dominick, Cornwall

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1809; Folio 44; Page 5, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Viverdon, St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, head, married, male, 52 [1838/9], Gamekeeper, employed, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 54 [1836/7], b. Perranzabuloe, Cornwall
   Catherine Cox, daughter, single, female, 21 [1869/70], b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   John Cox, son, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Gamekeeper, employed, b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, son, male, 12 [1878/9], scholar, b. St Dominick, Cornwall

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 2191; Folio 50; Page 22, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Halton Barton, St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, head, married, male, 63 [1837/8], Farmer, employer, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 67 [1833/4], b. Perranzabuloe, Cornwalll
   John Cox, son, single, male, 29 [1871/2], Farmer's Son, worker, b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   William Cox, son, single, male, 21 [1879/80], Farmer's Son, worker, b. St Dominick, Cornwall
   Alice M. Paynter, servant, single, female, 17 [1883/4], General servant (Domestic), b. St Dominick, Cornwall

9. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 13618; Schedule 90, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Halton Farm, St Dominick, Cornwall
   9 rooms occupied
   William Cox, head, male, 73 [1837/8], married, Farmer, employed, b. Barnack, Lincolnshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, female, 79 [1831/2], married 43 years, 3 children born alive, 3 children still living, b. Perranzabuloe, Cornwall
   Elsie Hannaford, servant, female, 24 [1886/7], single, General Servant Domestic, worker, b. Bigbury, Devon

   Postal address on the census form given as "Halton Farm, St Mellion", although enumerator's description makes clear this household is actually in the parish of St Dominick, not St Mellion.

10. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

    d. William COX, March Quarter 1917, Liskeard Registration District, Volume 5c, page 71, aged 80 [1836/7]

11. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

    1917
    COX William of Halton Barton-street Dominick Cornwall retired farmer died 18 January 1917 Probate Bodmin 13 February to John Cox farmer. Effects £776 9s.

12.   Cornish & Devon Post, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 5, 8 Feb 1879.

    CALLINGTON
    PETTY SESSIONS, THURSDAY.-Before D Horndon and M. DeCourcy, Esqs.
    John Ball, John Harris, John Peters and John Crabb were summoned by William Cox, gamekeeper to Col. Coryton and fined £1 each and costs for trespassing in pursuit of game on lands of Col. Coryton.-Joseph Hill was also summoned by W. Cox for using a snare for taking game without licence, and was fined £1 and costs.

13.   Royal Cornwall Gazette, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 4, 4 Oct 1894.

    The News of the County.
    EARLY WOODCOCK.-While shooting on his Treworgey property on St. Mathew's-day, Mr. Connock Marshall shot a fine woodcock. The bird weight 11¼ ounces, without its feet and sinews. William Cox, head keeper at Pentillie Castle, killed a woodcock on Viverdon Common, St. Mellion, on Tuesday. Two others were seen on the same beat. These are said to be record arrivals. The birds were fat and in perfect condition.