Joseph Bird Cox

13. Joseph Bird³ Cox (Joseph², John¹) was born on 2 December 1813 in Wayne County, Indiana. He was injured on his son's farm when a flywheel on a wood saw broke and died three days later, on 17 April 1888, at Hampton, Rock Island County, Illinois. Joseph, who was then of Tippecanoe County, married Ann Williamson on 20 March 1836 in Clinton County, Indiana. Ann was born on 12 January 1815 in Jefferson County, Kentucky, a daughter of Moses and Delila (Hodgin) Williamson, and died on 11 May 1887 in Hampton of "softening of the brain" of a duration of two years. Joseph and Ann are buried at Hampton cemetery.

Joseph B. Cox was in District 37 in Rock Island County at the time of the 1850 census, and had land worth $1500 (p. 255A). His children Mary through Washington, ages 13 to 7, were then attending school. He entered 40 acres of government land there on 27 May 1850, the NE quarter of the NE quarter of section 27, T18N, R1E. He entered another 40 acres on 13 November 1851, the SW quarter of the SW quarter of section 9, T18N, R2E. (S32).

Joseph lived in Hampton township in 1860 and was a farmer with $5700 in real estate and personal property worth $1172 (p. 393, #3183). Osborn through Jason, ages 14 to 5, were then attending school. A family history prepared by Charles E. Cox for a 1904 family reunion says that Uncle Byrd Cox served in the Civil War (S118, 12 Sep 1904). If that is correct, it must have been brief militia service as we have been unable to find any evidence of such service in the military and pension records available at the National Archives. A notice of Joseph B. Cox's stray cow, 24 December 1864, appeared in the paper (S119, 2 Jan 1866).

J. B. Cox of Hampton was a delegate to the 1870 Republican County Convention (S120, 11 Oct 1870). Joseph was in a serious accident at Port Byron on 4 October 1871 (S119, 5 Oct 1871). Joseph sold land to John Devinney according to the Rock Island Daily Union of 26 May 1876.

An 1877 biographical sketch of J. B. Cox (S17, p. 441), describes him as a farmer and stock raiser in section 15 of Hampton township (P.O. Hampton), and says that he came to Rock Island County in October 1836 and has 360 acres of land, worth $18,000. A longer sketch from 1885 (S18, pp. 432-33), similarly indicates that he came in 1836 and located on section 15, "where he took up 160 acres of Government land and on which he has resided for a period of 48 years." It continues:

Joseph B. Cox . . . remained at home until he attained the age of 22 years. His years prior to the age of majority were spent on the farm and in the acquisition of a good common-school education. . . .

Politically, Mr. Cox is a believer in and a supporter of the principles advocated by the Republican party. He has held the offices of Road Commissioner and School Director, and also other minor township offices. Religiously, he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the present time Mr. Cox is the proprietor of 560 acres of land. His word is as good as his bond, and his accumulation of this world's goods is attributed not only to his early coming to the county, but to his good judgment and determination in "sticking to it" and overcoming all obstacles. He is one of the reliable men of Hampton Township, and is respected for his honest, straightforward, manly dealings with his fellow-man.

In 1880, Joseph and Ann were enumerated in the census in Hampton township. Their household included their daughter Mary Ellen, son Cassius and a granddaughter Nanie Cox, age 9, probably Osborn's daughter Nina. Their sons Augustus and Hill were in adjacent households.

At the time of his death in 1888, Joseph lived on a farm 3 miles southeast of Hampton (S117, 20 Apr 1888). Williamson Cox initially served as Joseph's administrator. The probate petition gives the heirs as: "no widow, but Mary E. Cox, Williamson M. Cox, Augustus D. Cox, Osborn M. Cox, Hill K. Cox, Emiline E. Morton, Cassius C. Cox [and] Jason J. Cox." Joseph's estate included almost 360 acres in Hampton township, comprised of the following land:

est. value

S2 SW4 §10 T18 R1E (80 acres) 2400

NW4 §15 T18 R1E, exc 1 acre (159 acres) 4770

N2 NE4 §27 T18 R1E, exc 22 acres (__ acres) 2000

There were mortgages totalling $4800 on these tracts. Joseph also owned 200 acres in Jasper County, Iowa worth $4000.

Joseph's personal property was sold in June 1888 and brought $1023. His possessions included a cider mill, fire extinguisher, old iron, grind stone, scythe, heating stove, clothes line, bedstead & bedding (2 ticks feathers, 3 pillows, 4 quilts, sheets and 2 spreads), 8 bed quilts, coffee mill, steel yards, cutlery, 3 qts canned tomatoes, butter ladle, lantern, pitcher and platter, pictures (bought by Hill K. Cox), dining table, hot rack, thermometer, two water pitchers, cupboard, crockery, clock, looking glass, wringer, churn, 2 platters, 14 plates, sugar box, tea pot, strainer, stew pan, creamer, 6 sauce dishes, 5 glass tumblers, molasses pitcher, sugar bowl, cups, 28 one quart fruit jars, 2 two quart fruit jars, 2 cakes tallow, scrubbing set, dust pan, wash board, sausage machine, clothes rack, cook stove and furniture (1 iron kettle, 3 dripping pans, 6 pie plates & 4 flat irons), sewing machine, butter bowl, bureau, 6 cane chairs, 6 stool chairs, washing machine, 2 easy chairs, bedstead, stove, clock, organ, lamps, Ladies rocker, rocking chair, center table, map, parlor set, step ladder, vinegar, salt, barrels and a keg, water pail, 3 carpets, chickens, turkeys, scraper, harrow, sled, a half interest in a rake and mower (bought by A.D. Cox), spring wagon, wagon, 159 bushels of corn, board saw, 5 yearling steers, 2 two-year-old steers, bull, a two-year-old heifer, 5 cows and 3 calves, gray mare, 2 brood mares and a colt, 2 two-year-old colts, 2 yearling colts, crockery, an old plow, a half bushel of timothy seed, 50 pounds of meat, and 25 pounds of lard.

i. Mary Ellen⁴ Cox, b. 8 Jan 1837 Illinois (S18, fgs); d. 23 May 1892 or 93 (fgs); bu: Hampton cem. [never married; in father's household 1860 & 1880; of Jasper Co, Iowa Apr 1888; on petition of bro A.D. Cox, conservator apptd in RI Co 7 Oct 1889 for Mary as feeble-minded & mentally disturbed; she had money left her from father's estate; A.D. Cox $45.25 for board 26 Jul to 29 Nov 1889, J.J. Cox allowed $145.53 for 63 wks board, C.C. Cox $115.50 for 50 wks, Hill K. Cox $20 for board, Mrs. E.M. Arcularius, board & nursing; L.R. Edwards, conservator, stated relatives refused to take her last 15 mos of her life]

72 ii. Williamson M. Cox, b. 14 May 1839, Hampton twp, RI Co, Illinois; m. Mabel M. Cook

73 iii. Augustus D. Cox, b. 18 Apr 1842, Illinois; m1 Anna E. Scott; m2 Dora E. Wilson; m3 Mrs. Mary M. Coe

iv. Washington R. Cox, b. abt 1844, Hampton, Rock Island Co, Illinois; d. 6 Mar 1863, Annapolis, Anne Arundel, MD [age 7, 1850 cen (25 Nov); age 16, 1860 cen, "assists on farm"; pvt, Co F, 89 Ill Inf, enl 11 Aug 1862, at which time he was 5', 7½", fair complexion, blue eyes, light hair, a farmer; captured at Stone River or Murfreesboro, Tenn, 31 Dec 1862; confined at Richmond, Va 16 Jan 1863; paroled at City Point, Va 3 Feb 1863; d. in hospital of febris typhoid, age given as 18 at both enlistment and death (sources: service record, S18 (p. 252)]

74 v. Osborn Milton Cox, b. 16 Jun 1847, Illinois; m1 Helen M. Owens, m2 Emma Elizabeth Pardee

75 vi. Hill Kirby Cox, b. 14 Apr 1849, Hampton twp, RI Co, Ill; m. Sarah Jackson

76 vii. Emeline Elizabeth (Emma) Cox, b. 15 Apr 1852, Hampton twp, RI Co, Ill; m. Alexander Morton

77 viii. Cassius Clay Cox, b. 19 Jun 1854, Illinois; m. Margaret Irene Arcularius

78 ix. Jason Joseph Cox, b. 15 Jun 1857, Hampton twp, RI Co, Ill; m. Hettie Augusta Arcularius