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I think I have discovered my Gt Grandfather (Arthur William Franklin COX) in the 1881 Census. He was then aged 14 and living in Islington with his parents and siblings.

Some family records suggest that Arthur's father was called Willam J Franklin COX and could have been born before 1837 although in the 1881 census his forename was given only as William.

Based on the information given in the1881 census I am now trying to find more about the birth of William COX. At the time of census he was given as aged 39 and said to have been born in the West Indies (St Kitts). Where can I go to get information about William's birth?

I'm hoping someone can help.

Thanks

John Crowder

Just to start, Have you got Arthur's wedding certificate for his Father's name and further information on it? Also Arthir's birth certificate?
Thanks

Just for ref:
1881 England Census
William Cox
Age: 39 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
Relation: Head Spouse's Name: Mary A. Cox
Gender: Male Where born: St Kitts, West Indies
Civil parish: Islinston County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address: 9 Lennox Rd Condition as to marriage: Married
Occupation: Railway Shunter (Points Man)
Registration district: Islington Sub-registration district: Islington East ED, institution, or vessel: 79 Piece: 274 Folio: 82 Page Number: 57

William Cox 39
Mary A. Cox 40 Ilford Essex
Arthur U. T. Cox 14 Ely Cambridgeshire
George F. F. Cox 11 Bow, Middlesex (?)
Robt. A. Cox 6
Louisa J. M. Cox 1
Mary Herrington 78
Thomas B. Cox

Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 274; Folio: 82; Page: 57; GSU roll: 1341059.

Is this your William in 1851??

1851 England Census about William Cox
Name: William Cox
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William Cox
Mother's name: Matilda Cox
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: West Indies, St Kitts

Civil parish: Portsea
Ecclesiastical parish: St Paul
County/Island: Hampshire
Country: England
Registration district: Portsea Island
Sub-registration district: Landport
ED, institution, or vessel: 1p
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 63
Piece: 1659
Folio: 282
Page Number: 13
Household Members:
Name Age
William Cox 35 Avering Gloucestershire (Police Officer. Rail)
Matilda Cox 37 West Indies...St Kitts
Mary Cox 3 West Indies...St Kitts
William Cox 9
(Res: 5 Fleet Street)

Posting this for ref.

1881

Name: Arthur U. T. Cox
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Relation: Son
Father's Name: William Cox
Mother's name: Mary A. Cox
Gender: Male
Where born: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England

Civil parish: Islinston
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address: 9 Lennox Rd
Education:

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Railway Clerk

Registration district: Islington
Sub-registration district: Islington East
ED, institution, or vessel: 79
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 274
Folio: 82
Page Number: 57
Household Members: Name Age
William Cox 39 Railway Shunter (Points Man), b. St Kitts, West Indies
Mary A. Cox 40 b. Ilford, Essex, England
Arthur U. T. Cox 14
George F. F. Cox 11
Robt. A. Cox 6
Louisa J. M. Cox 1
Mary Herrington 78 Widow, Aunt In Law,b. Romford, Essex
Thomas B. Cox 4



????

Marriages Sep 1866
Cox William J F Ely 3b 878
SANGSTER Mary A Ely 3b 878

St Kitts and Nevis
National Archives, Government Headquarters,
Church St, Box 186,
Basseterre,
St Kitts,
West Indies, tel: (869) 465-2521

Nevis Archives and Library, Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, Nelson Museum, Bellevue, Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, tel: (869) 469-0408,
e-mail: [email protected]

Registrar General, PO Box 236, Basseterre, St Kitts, West Indies, tel: (869) 465-5251

Regards Vera

This should give Arthur's Mother's name, if you do not already have it:
Births Jun 1879
Cox Louisa Jane M Islington 1b 428

Arthur in 1871?
1871 England Census
Arthur Cox
Age: 4 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Relation: Grandson
Gender: Male Where born: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England Civil parish: St George the Martyr Southwark
Ecclesiastical parish: St George County/Island: London Country: England Registration district: St Saviour Southwark Sub-registration district: Borough Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Household schedule number: 193 Piece: 602 Folio: 31 Page Number: 56
Thomas R Chandler 65 Beer Retailer Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
Matilda Chandler 48 St Kitts West Indies
Arthur Cox 4
John Clinton 77
William Parsons 41
Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 602; Folio: 31; Page: 56; GSU roll: 818908.

Added:
Marriages Dec 1866
xxx Chandler Thomas R Kensington 1a 43
xxxx COX Matilda A C Kensington 1a 43
Neal Benjamin Kensington 1a 43
OLDEN Mary A Kensington 1a 43

1871

Name: Mary A Sangster <<< Surname Cox on image
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: George Sangster
Mother's name: Ann Sangster
Gender: Female
Where born: Barking, Essex, England
Civil parish: St Mary Stratford le Bow
Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephen
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Poplar
Sub-registration district: Bow
ED, institution, or vessel: 43
Household schedule number: 165
Piece: 576
Folio: 71
Page Number: 30
Household Members: Name Age
George Sangster 62
Ann Sangster 61
Mary A Sangster 35 Married
Alfred Langster 25
Emily Langster 25
Albert Langster 15
George Cox 1 Grandson
John Whittaker 28
Anne Dungstield 24

Many thanks for the several responses

First to Vera for providing the contact information for St Kitts. Hopefully I'll be able to find the required birth record although having looked at the St Kiits web-site it would appear that:

"The archives of both of these islands have suffered the ravages of time. The public records of Nevis for the period prior to 1706 were destroyed in the French invasion of that year. The court house on St. Kitts was destroyed by fire in the early 1980s resulting in the loss of many of the deeds, wills, court transcripts and land transfer records. Some partial indexes to the lost records survived but they themselves are in poor condition. This web-site also suggests that birth and death records can be found in the Register General's Office in Charlestown, Nevis."

Now let me try to answer some of the queries posed and my interpretation of the information so far provided:

Yes I do have Arthur's marriage certificate (he was married in 1886 in Peterborough to Clarissa Johnson. This, and a family bible, give the name of Arthur's father as William J Franklin COX. Arthur's death, in 1938, gives his age as 71 which suggests that he was born in 1866/7.

The only reference I could find to a possible birth of an Arthur WF COX was in Ely in Q4 1886 and this would tie in with the 1881 census entry.

There was a marriage in Ely in Q3 1886 between a William JF COX and Mary A Sangster - this suggests that Mary was already expecting Arthur at the time of the marriage. Again this ties in with the 1881 census - the family group includes the mother (Mary A COX) and her son Arthur W F (not U F) who was born in Ely.

My paternal Grandmother (Lily Adelaide COX) was bom in Peterborough in 1887 to Arthur and Clarissa. In the 1891 Census Arthur, Clarissa and Lily, together with Arthur's sister Louisa, where living in Biggleswade. Arthur's place of birth at that time is given as Newark, Nottinghamshire (not Ely). The name Louisa seems to tie in with the 1881 census so I think I have the correct Arthur. Whilst GRO references suggest that an Arthur JF COX was born in Ely this is at odds with 1891 census information and I can find no related birth in Newark so have not yet invested in a birth certificate for Arthur.

The reference to the 1871 census looks to be a possible match. The fact that Matilda Chandler was born in St Kitts suggest that she might be related to Arthur's father.

William's age of 9 in the 1851 census ties in with his age in the 1881 census and this suggest thats William's parents might have been a William and Mary COX and that he had a sister called Mary also have born in St Kitts.

The reference to a Matilda COX in the 1871 census and teh related marriage record suggest that there was and extended COX family living in
St Kitts.

I think to research this further I need t:o establish:
a. when they arrived in the UK
b. what they were doing in St Kitts (the dates suggest that they may have come / returned to the UK in the early 1800's after the abolition of the slave trade and were possibly involved with sugar or cotton)..

Births Dec 1866 Cox Arthur W F Ely 3b 541

The Matilda Chandler on the 1871 census seems to be the Grandmother of Arthur Cox and therefore the mother of William Cox?

It looks like she was the widow of William Cox 35 Avering Gloucestershire (Police Officer. Rail) on the 1851 census when she married Mr. Chandler.