David Cox, Sr., &
Margaret Ann McGowan

David Cox, Sr., son of Joshua COX & Mary RANKIN, was born around the 1730's in Lancaster Co., PA, and died 1819 in Grayson Co., VA. He married Margaret Ann McGowan, around 1760 in Augusta Co., VA. She was probably born in the 1740's and died Apr. 1811 in Grayson Co., VA. David Cox and his wife Mary are believed to be buried at the Lt. David Cox Cemetery in Grayson Co., VA, located just north of the North Carolina state line between State Route 629 and a loop of the New River.

Children of David Cox, Sr., & Margaret Ann McGowan:

1. Anne Cox, born c.1760's, Botetourt Co., VA; d. aft. 1850. Never married. She had a son of wedlock, Samuel COX (1794) who married Susan FENDER.  Samuel's father was possibly a STUART.
2. +Joshua McGowan Cox, b. Jan. 20, 1766, Botetourt Co., VA; d. Dec. 20, 1820, Grayson Co., VA; m. Ruth OSBORNE, daughter of Enoch OSBORNE & Jane HASH, c.1780's (b. Dec. 26, 1770; d. Nov. 13, 1851); bur. Osborne Fort Cemetery Grayson Co., VA.
3. +Catherine Cox, b. Mar. 9, 1769, Botetourt Co., VA; d. Jan. 2, 1843, Grayson Co., VA; m. John BLEVINS, abt. 1785 (b. 1760's; d. Aug. 10, 1816); bur. in a family cemetery near Delhart, Grayson Co., VA.
4. John Cox, b. Apr. 4, 1771, Botetourt Co., VA; d. Jan. 29, 1856, Grayson Co., VA: m. Lucy TERRILL, daughter of Timothy TERRILL, abt. 1798 (b. Sept. 4, 1780; d. Nov. 23, 1852). Children: Ann Cox (1799), David Cox (1801), Terrell Cox (1803), Margaret Cox (1804), Obedience "Biddy" Cox (1806), Elizabeth Cox (1811), John D. Cox (1813), Samuel C. Cox (1816), Catherine "Katie" Cox (1820), Alexander Cox (1823).
5. +Samuel Cox, Sr. ("Big Sam"), b. Mar. 6, 1773, Botetourt Co., VA; d. Nov. 8, 1864, Grayson Co., VA; m. Rebecca OSBORNE, daughter of Enoch OSBORNE & Jane HASH, Apr. 16, 1812 (b. Apr. 22, 1783; d. June 20, 1870); bur. Little Sam Cox Cemetery Peach Bottom, Grayson Co., VA.
6. Margaret Cox, b. abt. 1777, Botetourt Co., VA; d. 1850-1860, Ashe (Alleghany) Co., NC; m. John DOUGLAS (b. 1780-1790; d. 1830-1840). Child: Thomas C. Douglas (c.1816)
7. +David Cox, Jr., b. abt. 1780, Montgomery Co., VA; d. 1856-1860, Ashe (Alleghany) Co., NC; m. Lucy REEVES, daughter of George REEVES & Jane BURTON (b. 1785; d. 1850-1860).
8. Andrew Cox, born abt. 1780, Montgomery Co., VA; d. aft. 1850, Lawrence Co., IN; m. (1) Elizabeth TERRILL; (2) Mary; (3) Prudence REEVES, daughter of George REEVES & Jane Burton (b. abt. 1785; d. aft. 1850).
9. Richard Cox, b. abt. 1780, Montgomery Co., VA; d. Jan. 1853, Grayson Co., VA; never married.
10. Rankin Cox, born Nov. 30, 1783, Montgomery Co., VA; d. Sept. 7, 1831, Lawrence Co., IN; m. Mary "Polly" BURTON, daughter of John Pleasant BURTON & Susannah STAMPER, abt. 1815 (b. July 6, 1790, Ashe Co., NC; d. Apr. 26, 1864, Lawrence Co., IN). Mary m. (2) William SLOAN, Feb. 2, 1837, Lawrence Co., IN.
11. Mary Cox, born c.1780's, Montgomery Co., VA; d. 1820-1830, Ashe Co., NC; m. (1) Sam BLEVINS, (2) John PHIPPS, son of Samuel PHIPPS & Elizabeth REEVES, abt. 1809 (b. abt. 1784; d. 1845). Children: David Cox Phipps (1810), Samuel Phipps (c.1813), Margaret "Peggy" Phipps (c.1815), Elizabeth Phipps (c.1820), Gracy Phipps (c.1825).
12. Alexander Cox, b. Sept. 10, 1785, Montgomery Co., VA; d. Sept. 15, 1874, Grayson Co., VA; m. (1) Lydia OSBORNE, daughter of Enoch OSBORNE & Jane HASH (b. 1780-1790; d. 1840-1850); m. (2) Margaret BISHOP, Nov. 15, 1851, Ashe Co., NC; m. (3) Tabitha LONG, Jan. 1, 1859, Ashe Co., NC (b. Apr. 17, 1806; d. Nov. 17, 1877); bur. Osborne Fort Cemetery Grayson Co., VA.
13. Margaret Cox, b. abt. 1788, Montgomery Co., VA; m. John DOUGLAS.

Notes

avid Cox and his brothers John, Richard, and Joshua, and brother-in-law John CRAIG, left Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in about 1756 and spent the next several years on the Virginia frontier as soldiers in the French & Indian War.  David Cox settled in the upper New River Valley region of southwest Virginia by 1765, then then part of Botetourt County.  This area became Fincastle County in 1772, Montgomery County in 1777, Wythe County in 1790, and Grayson County in 1793.

John Cox, Sr., John Cox, Jr., David Cox, and John Craig appear on a list of men from Fincastle County, VA, who were compensated for their service in Lord Dunmore's War in 1774.  Lord Dunmore's war was a period of hostility between European settlers and the Shawnee Indian tribe in the upper New River Valley.  A few years later, during the Revolutionary War, David Cox served in his brother Capt. John Cox's Company.  His name appears on the Oath of Allegience signed by the members of Capt. John Cox's company on Sept. 30, 1777, and filed with the court in Montgomery County, VA.  See Virginia Military Records (Gen. Pub. Co., 1983), p.215.

According to B.F. Nuckulls, Pioneer Settlers of Grayson County, Virginia (1914), Ch. IX: "About the year, 1740, David COX and John COX, two brothers, came from Scotland to Virginia.  They both located in what is now Grayson county, on New River, about ten miles west of Grayson Old Court House … David COX, brother of Captain John COX, moved his family and located on the river near where his brother first settled, near what is now COX's Ford, ten miles west of Grayson Old C.H. [Court House].  David COX's wife was a Miss MCGOWAN; they had eleven sons and three daughters."

The local historian Dr. Aras B. Cox wrote in Footprints in the Sands of Time (1900), Ch. V., "David COX, brother of Captain John COX, moved his family to Grayson County and located their home in the same neighborhood where his brother, Captain John COX stopped for several years—on New River, ten or twelve miles west of Grayson Old Court House.  David COX's wife was a Miss MCGOWAN. They had seven sons and three daughters, whose lives were directly connected with other good citizens in laboring for the interest of the county in all the pertained to success, prosperity and future happiness."

Finally, Henry M. Cox, The Cox Family in America (1912), pp.52-53, states that "David COX and his brother, John COX, are said to have come to this country from Scotland in 1740, another tradition says, from Wales; and still another, that they were of Scotch-Irish descent … They settled on New River, in Grayson County, four miles west of Little River.  John COX was Captain of the Home Guard, during the Revolutionary war. After the close of the war he removed to Ashe County, North Carolina where he lived, on the South fork of New River, until his death.  His brother, David, remained with his family, in Virginia, where many of his descendants now live."

Additional Records:

April 5, 1780. Montgomery Co., VA. The court certifies a list of soldiers who served on the frontiers of Augusta Co., VA, in 1755 and 1756, including John COX, David COX, and Joshua COX. (Kegley's Virginia Frontier, "Service Records from Montgomery County", p.276.)

Aug. 20, 1793. Grayson Co., VA, Land Plat Book. "Surveyed David COX, assignee of John COX assignee of Robert POLLARD by virtue of a Land Treasury Warrant for 1200 acres No. 529 and dated the 25th day of June 1793 enters 200 acres of Land on the South side of New River. Beginning at a white oak at the Mouth of a branch & running down sd. River to include the improvement of Said COX lives for quantity."

1793 Tax List, Wythe Co., VA:
John & David COX, 2 tithes, 3 blacks over age 16, 7 horses

1794, Grayson Co., VA. David COX reportedly signed a power of attorney for his nephew to represent him in matters concerning the land of Joshua COX, dec'd, who he refers to as "my father."

1794 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA:
David COX, 2 white males over 16, 1 black over 12, 1 black under 12, 5 horses.

1799 List, Grayson Co., VA:
David COX, 200 acres, value $200, tax $0.96

1800 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA:
David COX, 3 males over 21, 3 horses, 3 slaves over 16

Dec. 14, 1803. State of NC to David COX, 640 acres in Ashe County on the Virginia line. Entered Aug. 10, 1801, & Oct. 8, 1802. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 440, Folder No. 12.14.28.440, Grant No. 434, Book 118:21.)

Nov. 14, 1804. State of NC to David COX, 50 acres in Ashe County on the Virginia line. Entered May 2, 1801. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 467, Folder No. 12.14.28.467, Grant No. 461, Book 118:403.)

1805 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA: there are 3 David COX's listed

1805 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA:
David COX, Sr., 2 w/m over 16, 3 blacks over 16, 1 horse.

Sept. 1809. David COX served on a jury. (Grayson Co., VA, Court Minutes.)

1810 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA:
David COX, 1 white titheable, 3 slaves over 12, 3 horses.

July 1811. David COX, John BLEVINS & James ANDERSON appointed to appraise the personal estate and slaves of Jacob RECTOR dec'd and make report thereof to court. (Grayson Co., VA, Court Order Book.)

Aug. 1811. Matthew DICKEY, David COX, Joseph FIELDER & William BOURN ordered to appraise the personal estate and slaves of George REEVES, Sr., dec'd, and make report thereof. (Grayson Co., VA, Court Order Book.)

Oct. 1811. David COX was a lieutenant of the Grayson County militia. (Grayson Co., VA, Court Order Book).

Jan. 1812. David COX, William TERRELL, John ROBINSON and Isaiah AUSTIN ordered to view the grounds proposed for a public road from the North Carolina line near Alexander COX's to the ford of Crab Creek and make report thereof to court. (Grayson Co., VA, Court Order Book).

1815 Tax List, Ashe Co., NC:
David COX, Sr., 50 acres, $15, no polls

Jan. 8, 1818. The will of David COX, dated Jan. 8, 1818, was proved April 1819 in the court of Grayson County, VA.  It names his sons Samuel, Joshua, Andrew, Alexander, and Richard, and daughters Ann, Catherine BLEVINS, Mary PHILLIPS, Margaret DOUGLAS.  The will also refers to 9 slaves.  (Source: "Grayson County, VA, Wills," on New River Notes)