Person:Thomas Cox (46)

Childhood

Thomas Cox was baptised on 22nd April 1832 at Barnack in Northamptonshire. He was the fourth of eleven children of a dressmaker called Catherine Cox, formerly Mason, and her husband William Cox, a blacksmith. Thomas's parents were both from Barnack. Thomas appears to have been named after his paternal grandfather, who had died just under two years earlier. Thomas's paternal grandmother, Catherine Newborn, lived with the family in Barnack until her death in 1851.

The cottage in Barnack which appears to be where the family lived - now called Ragstone Cottage, 2 Station Road.

Adulthood

As a young man, Thomas went to serve as an apprentice wheelwright in the nearby village of Ashton, where he was trained by a William Newbon - whose name suggests he may well have been a relative of Thomas's grandmother, Catherine Newborn, although the connection is not immediately obvious.

Once trained as a wheelwright, Thomas returned to Barnack. In 1856, Thomas's father William died, after which Thomas appears to have lived with his widowed mother and supported her.

On 1st July 1861, aged 29, Thomas married Elizabeth Turner Ward. She was from Great Hale in Lincolnshire, about thirty miles north of Barnack, raising the question of how they met. They were married at Great Hale, but returned to Barnack to live. Thomas and Elizabeth had seven children, all born in Barnack, although their son Arthur died at the age of four. Thomas's mother died in 1876.

In 1879 Thomas appears to have had some financial troubles. Legal notices were placed in the local newspaper and a trustee appointed under the Bankruptcy Act for the purposes of overseeing a liquidation by arrangement. Thomas was described as a wheelwright, carpenter and blacksmith in these notices.

Thomas's grave at Barnack.

On 23rd October 1883 Thomas was admitted to the Northamptonshire County Lunatic Asylum (also known as Berrywood Hospital) at Upton, just outside Northampton, over forty miles south-west of Barnack. He stayed there for nearly six months. He was released on 17th April 1884, with his condition described as relieved, but not recovered. His release proved to be short-lived. Twelve days later he was readmitted. Just over three months later, on 5th August 1884, he died at the asylum. His cause of death was given as “brain disease and melancholic exhaustion”. He was 52 years old. He was buried six days later back in his native Barnack. There is a certain poignancy in the inscription on his grave: “We cannot Lord Thy purpose see, but all is well that’s done by Thee.”

Epilogue

Thomas's grave, alongside that of his son Arthur.

1. ↑ 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 1832
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   477	April 22	Thomas son of	William & Catherine	Cox	Barnack	Blacksmith	C. Porter

   This baptism has been linked to the Thomas Cox who married Elizabeth Ward on the basis of the censuses after their marriage, which suggest that Thomas was born about 1832 in Barnack and their marriage certificate of 1861 which says that Thomas was the son of a blacksmith named William Cox.

2. ↑ 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

3. ↑ 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 524; Page 12, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Ashton, Northamptonshire
   William Newbon, head, married, male, 68 [1782/3], Wheelwright Mas[ter] E[m]pl[oying] 2 Men, b. Bainton, Northamptonshire
   Mary Newbon, wife, married, female, 56 [1794/5], Laundress, b. Orston, Huntingdonshire
   William Newbon, son, unmarried, male, 24 [1826/7], Weelwright [sic], b. Ashton, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Newbon, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1831/2], Laundress, b. Ashton, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Newbon, daughter, female, 2 [1848/9], b. Ashton, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, unmarried, male, 19 [1831/2], Weelwright Ap [sic], b. Ashton, Northamptonshire

   The enumerator's description of this district refers to "the whole of the Parishes of Ufford Ashton and Bainton". Vision of Britain indicates that the township of Ashton remained part of the parish of Ufford until 1866, when it became a separate civil parish. Ashton civil parish was relatively short-lived, with a note on the 1888 Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map saying "Amalgamated with Bainton P[aris]h 1887."

4. ↑ England. 1861 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 RG9; Piece 2314; Folio 53; Page 25, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, head, widow, female, 57 [1803/4], Formerly dressmaker, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, son, unmarried, male, 29 [1831/2], Wheelwright, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Matthew Cox, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1839/40], Wheelwright, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Josiah Cox, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1842/3], Farm Laborer, 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 3310; Folio 58; Page 25, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Cottage, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, head, married, male, 39 [1831/2], Wheelwright & Cottager, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 37 [1833/4], b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, male, 8 [1862/3], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth A. Cox, daughter, female, 6 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, son, male, 4 [1866/7], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, male, 9m [1870], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catharine Cox, mother, widow, female, 67 [1803/4], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

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; Piec 3194; Folio 38; Page 5, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Back Lane, Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, head, married, male, 48 [1832/3], Wheel-wright Mast Emp 1 man, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Elizabeth Cox, wife, married, female, 46 [1834/5], Wheel-wt's wife, b. Great Hale, Lincolnshire
   William Cox, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1862/3], Wheel-wt's son, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Thomas Cox, son, male, 14 [1866/7], Butcher's boy, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   John H. Cox, son, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Catherine Cox, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Martha Cox, daughter, female, 2 [1878/9], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire

7. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Northampton
   1884 DEATH in the Sub-District of Bugbrooke in the County of Northampton
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   75	Fifth August 1884 County Lunatic Asylum Upton R.S.D.	Thomas Cox	Male	52 years	Wheelwright of Barnack near Stamford	Brain disease and melancholic exhaustion certified by Richard Greene L.R.C.P.	S.A.K. Strahan Assistant medical officer of the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum	Thirteenth August 1884	J.L. Killingbeck, Registrar

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

   BURIALS in the Parish of Barnack in the County of Northampton in the Year 1884
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   451	Thomas Cox	Barnack	August 11	52	M. Argles Rector

9.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Friday 15 Aug 1884.

   DEATHS
   BARNACK.-Aug. 5, Thomas Cox, wheelwright, 52.

10.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 2, Friday 4 Jul 1879.

    Public Notices.
    Mr. THOMAS COX's AFFAIRS.
    ALL Persons having Claims or Demands upon or against THOMAS COX of Barnack, Northamptonshire, wheelwright and blacksmith, are requested to send particulars thereof to me immediately.
    F.M. CHAPMAN, Solicitor, Stamford.
    Stamford, 24th June 1879.

11.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 2, Friday 8 Aug 1879.

    The BANKRUPTCY ACT, 1869.
    In the COUNTY COURT of NORTHAMPTONSHIRE holden at PETERBOROUGH.
    IN the Matter of a Special Resolution for Liquidation by Arrangement of the affairs of THOMAS COX, of Barnack, in the county of Northampton, wheelwright, carpenter, and blacksmith, JOHN REEDMAN, of Stamford in the county of Lincoln, valuer, has been appointed Trustee under this liquidation by arrangement.
    All persons having in their possession any of the effects of the above-named Thomas Cox must deliver them to the Trustee, and all debts due to the above-named Thomas Cox must be paid to the Trustee.
    Creditors who have not proved their debts must forward their proofs of debts to the Trustee.
    Dated this 2d day of August, 1879.
    W.D. GACHES, Registrar.
    F.M. CHAPMAN, Solicitor, Stamford.

12.   UK, Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1912 (The National Archives, Kew).

    No. 5250
    Name: Cox, Tho[ma]s
    Private / Pauper: pauper male
    Date of Admission: 1883 / 23 Oct[ober]
    Asylum: Berrywood
    Date of Discharge or Death: 17 Ap[ril] 1884 - relieved
    
    No. 12789
    Name: Cox, Tho[ma]s
    Private / Pauper: pauper male
    Date of Admission: 1884 / 29 Ap[ril]
    Asylum: Berrywood
    Date of Discharge or Death: 5 Aug 1884 - Died