Richard Henry Cox

Grandson of Richard Cox (1718-1803) the Army agent and founder of the firm now known as Cox & Kings, and son of Richard Bethel[l] Cox, awarded the compensation for Nutt's River in St Thomas-in-the-East Jamaica as owner-in-fee, which was contested by Sir Thomas Swymmer Champneys, Richard Henry Cox's cousin.

1. Chancery case over Nutt's River in 1822 (i.e., immediatey after the death of Richard Henry Cox's uncle by marriage Sir Thomas Champneys in 1821) with Richard Henry Cox as plaintiff and Sir Thomas Swymmer Champneys as defendant. Plaintiff's first claim on the estate dated from 1/12/1806.

2.  22/7/1865 will of Richard Henry Cox late of Hillingdon House and of Craig's Court Charing Cross Esquire and Army agent died 7/6/1865 at Hillingdon House, proved by the oath of Henry Richard Cox of Hillingdon House and Craig's Court, the son and sole executor.

3. Married Charlotte Fitzhugh. His eldest daughter Emily married Charles Mills in 1825.

4. Baptised 20/10/1779 St Martin-in-the-Fields, son of Richard Bethel Cox (d. 1832), a partner in Cox & Mair army agents, forced to resign because of 'dissipation' and Jane Drummond, daughter of John Drummond MP. Married 1801 Charlotte (d. 1854) daughter of Thomas Fitzhugh of Plas Power Denbighshire (4 sons, 2 daughters). JP, DL Middlesex. Army agent of Cox & Co., amalgamated with Lloyds Bank 1913. The founder of the firm, Richard Henry Cox's grandfather Richard Cox (1718-1803) allegedly left £100,000. Richard [Henry] Cox himself left £100,000 in 1865.

5. Caroline Anne, the elder daughter of Richard Cox (1718-1803) married Sir Thomas Champneys of Orchardleigh, near Frome, in 1768. Sir Thomas had succeeded to estates in England, several of which he later lost. He also inherited from his uncle Anthony Swymmer a plantation in Jamaica (Nutt's River) and the Mold estate in Flintshire. Richard Cox stepped in as Sir Thomas Champneys' affairs deteriorated, mortgaging his remaining manors of Orchardleigh and Frome Selwood, along with Nutt's River. Richard Cox foreclosed on Champneys' eventual bankruptcy, and Cox & Co. held the lands until 1854.

T71/867 St Thomas-in-the-East no. 417.

1. London Gazette, Issue 18025, 08/05/1824, p. 750.

2. National Probate Calendar 1865.

3. The Examiner 1825; Children's names, showing 5 sons and 4 daughters, are sourced from http://www.royalblood.co.uk/D495/I495890.html [accessed 08/11/2010] and require checking: the information conflicts with Rubinstein below.

4. John Booker, ‘Cox, Richard (1718–1803)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2004), online edn, May 2008, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/45706?docPos=4 [accessed 22/01/2013].William D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? 1860- (Volumes 3 and 4, manuscripts in preparation), reference 1865/27.

5. Nicholas Courtney, Cox & Kings: the history (2015) p. 41. We are grateful to Nicholas Courtney for allowing us access to proofs of his book.