Daniel Coxe facts for kids

Daniel Coxe III (born around 1640 – died January 19, 1730) was an English doctor. He was also a governor of West Jersey, a colony in America. He served as governor from 1687 to 1688 and again from 1689 to 1692.

About Daniel Coxe III

Daniel Coxe came from a family with a long history in England. His family had doctors in it for many generations. His father was also named Daniel Coxe.

Daniel Coxe the son was born in London, England. He was the oldest of thirteen children! He went to Jesus College, Cambridge University. He became a doctor in 1669. He was a member of The Royal Society, a famous group of scientists. He was also part of the Royal College of Physicians. He even worked as a doctor for King Charles II of England and later for Queen Anne.

Landowner in the Colonies

Even though Daniel Coxe was a governor, he never actually left England. He bought large areas of land in America. This made him the owner and governor from afar.

He first bought land in West Jersey in the mid-1680s. He bought it from the family of Edward Byllynge. Coxe even started one of the first large pottery businesses in New Jersey. In 1692, he sold most of his land there to a group called the West New Jersey Society of London.

Later, in the 1690s, Coxe got a huge land grant. This land was known as "Carolana". It was a very large area, including parts of what is now the Mississippi Valley. The Carolana land stayed with the Coxe family for a long time. In 1769, they traded it for land in the Mohawk Valley in New York state.

Later Years and Family

Daniel Coxe III died in 1730. He was buried in London, England. There is a painting of him at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

His Family Life

Daniel Coxe married Rebecca Coldham in 1671. She was the only child of a wealthy London alderman. They had a son named Daniel and a daughter named Mary.

Daniel Coxe IV

Their son, Daniel Coxe IV (1673–1739), traveled to his father's lands in North America. He lived in the American colonies from 1702 to 1716. After returning to England, he wrote a book in 1722. It was called A Description of the English Province of Carolana. The book described his travels and the land his father claimed.

Daniel Coxe IV also became a leader for Freemasons in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In 1731, he claimed he owned land that many families had already settled on. He said his father had recorded a special deed years earlier. The courts agreed with him. This meant hundreds of families had to buy their own property again from Colonel Coxe. If they didn't, they could be forced to leave their homes.

This situation caused a lot of anger and lawsuits. People were very upset with the British rule. Many residents left New Jersey because they couldn't pay Coxe or were disgusted with the government. Some of these families moved to North Carolina. They started a new community there called the Jersey Settlement.

Mary Coxe

Daniel Coxe III's daughter, Mary, became a Maid of Honour to Queen Caroline. Queen Caroline was the wife of King George II. Mary later married John Montgomery in 1732. They had a son named Alexander. Both John and Alexander became members of Parliament in Ireland. After John Montgomery died, Mary married William Clement. He was also an important person at Trinity College, Dublin. Mary lived a very long life, dying in 1790 at 97 years old.