• Joshua Cox
  • Nancy Richardson
  • Parents:
  • Jonathan Richardson &
    Elizabeth Taylor

Joshua Cox of
Ashe County, NC

Joshua Cox, son of Capt. John COX & Margaret DAVIS, was born Mar. 30, 1773, in Montgomery Co., VA, and died Jan. 1, 1860, in Ashe Co., NC. He married Nancy Richardson, daughter of Jonathan RICHARDSON & Elizabeth TAYLOR, abt. 1793. She was born Mar. 17, 1776, in North Carolina and died Feb. 18, 1853, in Ashe Co., NC.

Children of Joshua Cox & Nancy Richardson:

  1. William Cox, b. Dec. 9, 1794, Wilkes (Ashe) Co., NC; d. 1878, Ashe Co., NC; m. Elizabeth REEVES, daughter of Jesse REEVES & Elizabeth TERRILL (b. Aug. 13, 1798; d. ?).
  2. John Cox, b. abt. 1796, Wilkes (Ashe) Co., NC; m. Susannah MULKEY.
  3. Margaret "Margery" Cox, b. abt. 1805, Ashe Co., NC; d. Sept. 15, 1869, Ashe Co., NC; m. William H. "Buck" LANDRETH (b. Dec. 13, 1786; d. June 21, 1861).
  4. David Cox, b. abt. 1809, Ashe Co., NC; m. Phoebe JONES, Sept. 1827, Ashe Co., NC; moved to Indiana.
  5. Catherine "Katie" Cox, b. Apr. 11, 1809, Ashe Co., NC; d. Feb. 5, 1873, Ashe Co., NC; m. Burgess WADDELL (b. Apr. 7, 1802; d. Aug. 15, 1884).
  6. Samuel Cox, b. Jan. 22, 1811, Ashe Co., NC; d. Jan. 31, 1868, Ashe Co., NC; m. Mary "Polly" LONG, daughter of John LONG & Susan STAMPER (b. Aug. 9, 1812; d. June 12, 1892).
  7. Joshua Cox, b. abt. 1818, Ashe Co., NC; d. aft. 1880, Ashe Co., NC; m. (1) Rhoda BROWN, Dec. 29, 1838, Ashe Co., NC (b. abt. 1820; d. bef. 1850); (2) Isabell TURNER (b. 1841; d. aft. 1880).
  8. Sallie Cox, b. abt. 1821, Ashe Co., NC; m. William MULKEY; moved to Indiana.
  9. Cynthia Cox, b. abt. 1823, Ashe Co., NC; m. Thomas PRICE.

Notes

Joshua Cox, son of Capt. John Cox, was born in Montgomery County, VA, in the area that became Wythe County in 1790 and Grayson County in 1793.  He married his wife, Nancy RICHARDSON, about 1793 based on the ages of their children.  The young couple initially lived in Grayson County but by 1800 they had moved across the state line into Ashe County, NC, settling in the Cranberry Township near the present-day town of Scottville.

Joshua Cox is mentioned in Dr. Elisha Mitchell's Diary of a Geological Tour (1827-1828), published by the Univ. of North Carolina in 1905.

"Friday morning [in July 1828]:—Was engaged till half past 10 in preparing to leave Ashe County … started for the lower end of the county and the Elkspur gap … Broke one of the (??) of my wagon in passing the south fork of N. River and was obliged to draw up at Joshua COXES 11 miles from town where I met with a very kind reception and ate the first fresh venison I have seen in the county.  COXE is a man of more sense than I believe than he is generally taken for, a pious Baptist and a genuine enemy to General Jackson, whom he terms without scruple a murderer.  COXE undertook to tinker my waggon and having told me of good specimens of rock crystals at James MULKEYS I went down thither accompanied by COXES son—the distance a mile and the river to cross.  This is below the mouth of Cranberry.  Found magnificent specimens of mineral that never possesses any beauty—the Staurotide.—MULKEY's crystalis ploughed up in the side of a hill.  There is probably a vein under the spot.  The largest fragment on hand weighs 4 lb. and was employed by his wife as a weight.  I was obliged to give him the price of 4 lb lead, 50 cents for it.  Returned and went out to Caneda RICHARDSONS … Found Madam and one man and two daughters, one with a child in her arms.  The old woman [i.e., Mrs. Richardson] is COXES sister."  [In a footnote, the editor remarks that Joshua Cox "Was Register of deeds, afterwards Sheriff, a very influential man."

Dr. A.B. Cox provides notes on several of Joshua Cox's children in his genealogical work, Footprints in the Sands of Time (1900).  "Joshua COX came with parents to Cranberry [Ashe County] and married a Miss RICHARDSON, was a farmer and raised a worthy family.  Esq. William Cox married Miss Elizabeth REEVES … Joshua Cox's (Sr.) daughter married William MULKY, an enterprising and well to-do citizen of Indiana … Samuel Cox, was industrious, persevering, and quiet citizen.  He married Miss Mary LONG, daughter of John and Susan Long … David Cox, brother of William and Samuel Cox, married a Miss JONES and moved to Indiana."

For additional information about this family, see The Nancy Richardson and Joshua Cox Family by Jeff Weaver.

Records

1793 Tax List, Wythe Co., VA: JOSHUA COX, 1 tithe, 2 horses

June 24, 1794. Wythe Co., VA. Ordered that Joshua COX be allowed in the next County Levy for the killing of five Young Wolves.

1800 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.74: JOSHUA COX
2 w/m under 10 1 w/f under 10
1 w/m 26-45 1 w/f 16-25
no slaves  

Sept. 30, 1805. State of NC to Joshua COX, 150 acres in Ashe County on Kings Creek below James RICHARDSON's tract. Entered Feb. 11, 1805. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 547, Folder No. 12.14.28.547, Grant No. 541, Book 119:137.)

Sept. 30, 1805. State of NC to Joshua COX, 100 acres in Ashe County on the sugar tree branch of South Fork beg. on Martin GAMBILL's line above the upper end of William CLIFT. Entered Mar. 4, 1802. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 548, Folder No. 12.14.28.548, Grant No. 542, Book 119:137.)

Sept. 30, 1805. State of NC to Joshua COX, 50 acres in Ashe County on Cranberry Creek beg. near Bigg Falls. Entered Oct. 27, 1802. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 549, Folder No. 12.14.28.549, Grant No. 543, Book 119:138.)

Sept. 30, 1805. State of NC to Joshua COX, 100 acres in Ashe County on Scott Branch of Cranberry adj. John COX. Entered Oct. 7, 1802. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 550, Folder No. 12.14.28.550, Grant No. 544, Book 119:138.)

Nov. 27, 1806. State of NC to Joshua COX, 50 acres in Ashe County on Cranberry Creek adj. Alexander SMITH & James BAKER. Entered Oct. 9, 1805. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 622, Folder No. 12.14.28.622, Grant No. 621, Book 121:341.)

May 1806. A deed from Joshua COX, Sheriff, to John COX for 50 acres proven by Thomas MCGIMSEY. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Aug. 1806. A deed from Joshua COX & Joseph CALLWAY to Edward KING for 38 acres was proved by Thos. CALLWAY. Same date, a deed from Joshua COX, Sheriff, to David EARNEST for 77 acres was proved by Thomas CALLAWAY. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Feb. 1807. A deed from Joshua Cox, Sheriff, to John COX for 40 acres was proved by Thomas MCGIMSEY. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Nov. 1807. Order of sale to issue against the lands of Enoch FLETCHER in favor of Joshua COX for £3/19 and costs. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Dec. 5, 1807. State of NC to Joshua COX, 50 acres in Ashe County on Prators [Prathers] Creek adj. George MORRIS. Entered Dec. 4, 1793. (NC Archives Land Warrants & Plats, File No. 755, Folder No. 12.14.28.755, Grant No. 608, Book 124:43.)

May 1808. Joshua COX was elected register of deeds for Ashe County and entered £2,000 bond with John MICKEL and John HASH as securities.  Same date, Samuel COX was elected Sheriff of Ashe County and entered bond of £1,000 bond with Joshua COX, Jesse REEVES, John MCMILLAN, and William REEVES as securities. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Aug. 1808. Two deeds from Joshua COX to Canada RICHARDSON for 100 acres and 50 acres acknowledged by Joshua COX. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

Nov. 1808. A deed from Joshua COX to John COX for 150 acres was proved by Samuel COX. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

1810 Tax List, Grayson Co., VA: JOSHUA COX ("of John"), 1 white tithe, 2 horses.

Feb. 6, 1809. A deed from Joshua COX to Ambrose COLLINS for 30 acres acknowledged by Joshua COX. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

1810 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.66: J. COX
1 w/m under 10 2 w/f under 10
2 w/m 10-15 1 w/f 10-15
1 w/m 16-25 1 w/f 26-45
2 w/m 26-45  
no slaves  

Aug. 8, 1810. Ashe Co., NC. A deed from Joshua COX to Alex SMITH was proved by David EARNEST. (Ashe Court Minutes.)

1820 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.22: JOSHUA COX
2 w/m under 10 1 w/f under 10
2 w/m 10-15 1 w/f 10-15
1 w/m 16-18 2 w/f 16-25
2 w/m 16-25 1 w/f 26-45
1 w/m over 45 1 w/f over 45
3 slaves  

1830 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.5: JOSHUA COX
1 w/m 10-14 1 w/f 5-9
1 w/m 15-19 1 w/f 10-14
1 w/m 20-29 1 w/f 40-49
1 w/m 50-59  
2 slaves  

1840 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.32: JOSHUA COX, SR.
1 w/m under 5 1 w/f 5-9
2 w/m 5-9 1 w/f 15-19
1 w/m 10-14 1 w/f 30-39
1 w/m 60-69 1 w/f 60-69
no slaves  

1850 Census, Ashe Co., NC, p.264 (HH#392):
JOSHUA COX, 75, county register, NC
-- Nancy, 70, NC

The following deed appears to involve some of Joshua Cox's heirs who were probably selling a tract of land in Alleghany County that they had inherited from Joshua Cox.

May 8, 1873. Alleghany Co., NC. Wm. COX & Joshua COX of Ashe Co., NC, to Zachariah DIXON of Alleghany Co., NC, 50 acres in Alleghany Co. beg. on MAZAS [MAZE's?] south east corner at the head of the Lick [mill tract??], adj. Mr. PERRIES line, Benjamin LANDRETH, James & John MCMILLAN, Cynthia GAMBILL, & his own line on the Red Oak Ridge, for $50. Signed: Wm. COX, Joshua (X) COX, Thomas (X) PRICE, Sinthia (X) PRICE, Joel STURGILL, Poly (X) STURGILL, Margery LANDRETH, Samuel LANDRETH, Mary (X) PARSONS. Wits: Jesse B. MCMILLAN, Hugh (X) PHIPPS, J.S. (X) COOK, Thomas (X) MCLAUGHLIN, John PARSONS. Proved May 3, 1878 (ack'd); J.S. PARSONS, J.P. Also signed on May 3, 1878, by Huston WADDELL & Alson WADDELL. (Alleghany DB 4, p.252)

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