George and Friend Cox came to this place (Wellsburg Brooke county WV) in 1771. They settled a large tract of land, and what is now Wellsburg, was sold by the heirs of Friend Cox to Charles Prather in the year 1788.
Charles Prather bought a tract of land, containing 481 acres on the 6th of March 1788 From John Cox, heir at law of Friend Cox, and William McMachon, attorney for Joseph and Jonathan Cox of Ohio county, VA for the sum of six hundred pounds Pennsylvania currency, in hand paid.
[From the Frederick County Genealogy Society Newsletter April 2002]
In 1773 Capt. George Cox emigrated from Maryland to the vicinity of Wellsburg, in Brooke county, Virginia; and in February, 1776, he was married to Susan Decker. During the Indian wart Captain Cox was frequently of most efficient service to the pioneers in the capacity of spy. He had a large family, one of his sons being Friend Cox, who was born near Wellsburg, March 21st 1794. Of Captain Cox it was said at his death, at the age of ninety, that "as a citizen as a magistrate, as a neighbor, as a father, and in all the relations of life, he discharged his duties faithfully and worthily, and died at a good old age, lamented by his friends and relations, and respected by all who knew him."
Friend Cox was married by Bishop Alexander Campbell to Eliza J. Wood, near Wheeling, May 4th 1819, and soon thereafter became a resident of what is now the county of Wetzel, living on the farm south of New Martinsville, owned in more recent years by his son, Robert Cox, and now comprising some of the most valuable land in that section of the State. [History of Wetzel County, as appeared in Vol. 22 #3 Feb 2002. issue of the WVCGS Newsletter, pg 8]
Source History of the Pan-Handle West Virginia 1879 Page 332
George and Friend Cox came to this place in 1771. They settled a large tract of land, and what is now Wellsburg, as sold by the heirs of Friend Cox, to Charles Prather, in the year 1788.
Thanks for contacting me, Gwen. I just visited your Brookes county website and will go back and study it more, I will have to take a look at more of the early Brooke county records than I have for there just might be that missing document that would show the link to the older Cox family. I would be delighted for you to make a link to my site. And you may include my email. I would like to make a link to your site also, if that is fine with you.
I am not sure if you would rather link to the main page http://home.comcast.net/~barbaracox/ or to this page which is one click away from the main page: http://home.comcast.net/~barbaracox/coxcreek.html but you can make that decision.
Browsing through your early Brooke families a few of those names sounded so familiar that I am hopeful that you may have got me on the right, so-far-unexplored-county trail to find some missing documentation. Thanks again. Barbara Cox http://home.comcast.net/~barbaracox/ 9/26/2005