Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Cox, Charles A. April 23, 1846 - 
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Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

  CHARLES A. COX. The Cox family have been for several 
generations prominently identified with the commercial and 
civil affairs of Whitemarsh township, Montgomery county, 
Pennsylvania. They are of English origin, and their 
ancestors were members of the Society of Friends.

  Charles Cox, father of Charles A. Cox, was a native of 
Whitemarsh township. He spent his boyhood days under the 
parental roof, attending the schools of the neighborhood 
during the winter months until he reached the age of 
eighteen years, when he took in the practical duties of life 
on his own account. Having engaged in farming during his 
boyhood days he pursued this occupation for some length of 
time with varying success, and finally engaged in the 
limestone quarrying and lime burning business, in which 
undertaking he met with a well-merited degree of success. He 
was a progressive and enterprising business man, and during 
his day aided materially in the development and improvement 
of the means and methods of the lime burning industry in 
Montgomery county. He was the first man to ship lime by 
railway cars from this section of the country, and it is 
authentically stated that he consigned the first carload of 
lime that was shipped into the city of Philadelphia.  He was 
one of the leading lime manufacturers of his day and by 
energy and perseverance, coupled with straightforward 
business transactions, he established a successful business, 
which has ever since been held in the possession of the 
family. In his political affiliations he was a Whig and 
Republican, and was ever a zealous worker in the interests 
of the parties. 

  Mr. Cox married Elizabeth Detterer, a member of an old 
Montgomery county family, of German descent, and the issue 
of this union was three children: Charles A., born April 23, 
1846, mentioned at length hereinafter; Clarence died in 
infancy; and Elizabeth B., who became the wife of Robert 
Argue. Charles Cox, the father of these children, and his 
wife, Elizabeth (Detterer) Cox, are both deceased.

  Charles A. Cox was born in Whitemarsh township, Montgomery 
county, on the old homestead, April 23, 1846. He acquired 
the rudiments of education in the common schools of the 
township, and pursued a course of advanced studies at 
Treemount Seminary, Norristown, Pennsylvania. His first 
occupation after completing his studies was that of farming, 
to which he devoted his attention for several years. He then 
engaged in the butchering business, which he conducted 
successfully for a number of years, after which he turned 
his attention to the occupation of drover, buying and 
selling cattle. His next business venture was the quarrying 
and burning of lime, which line of trade had been pursued by 
his family for three generations, and his efforts were 
attended with a fair degree of prosperity. He supplied this 
commodity to builders both in the city and country, and the 
agriculturists also used a large quantity in the cultivation 
of their farms. He is an active and public spirited citizen, 
and during his entire business career he has at all times 
been scrupulously just, and his reputation has always been 
regarded as synonymous with honor and integrity. 

  He has served in the capacity of school director, was at 
one time a member of the health board, and his name has been 
frequently mentioned as a candidate for office in the town 
council and for various other positions since his residence 
in Norristown. He is a Republican in politics, a member of 
the Baptist church of Norristown, and a prominent member of 
the Masonic order, being affiliated with the Commandery. 

  He was a victim of the Exeter wreck on May 12, 1899, in 
which so many citizens of Norristown and vicinity lost their 
lives. He suffered severe injuries, and after several trials 
of his suit for damages in the Montgomery county courts he 
received a favorable verdict.

  On February 1, 1866, Mr. Cox married Maggie H. Davis, born 
April 29, 1847, daughter of Francis and Catherine (Hellings) 
Davis, the former named leaving been one of the prosperous 
farmers of Plymouth township. Their children are: 1. Charles 
C., born November 4, 1866; he married, February 6, 1894, 
Katherine S. Schofield, born September 16, 1872, daughter of 
Seville and Catherine (Sommerset) Seville, and the children 
of this union are: Charles A., born June 8, 1895: and 
Catherine S., born in June, 1902. 2. Frank D., born August 
8, 1868; married, April 23, 1888, Anna M. Danehower, born 
February 23, 1870, daughter of John and Sarah (Leister) 
Danehower, and their children are Vernon D., born March 16, 
1889; and Marion, born January 16, 1892. 3. B. Wilson, 
hereinafter further mentioned. 4. Mertlia E. 5. Mary A. M.

  The first representative of the Argue family in this 
country was the grandfather of Robert Argue, who married 
Elizabeth Cox. He came to this state from England, where he 
lead been engaged in business as a weaver of cotton cloth. 
He married and had several children, among them David, who 
married Willamina Coulston. The children of David and 
Willamina Argue were William Frederick, Jemima, Hannah and 
Robert, the husband of Mrs. Argue. He was born in 
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 27, 1847.

  He was educated in the public schools of that city, and 
also studied under private tutors. On finishing his school 
pursuits, he became an apprentice to the trade of pattern 
making, and followed that occupation, but of late years 11e 
has been occupied in the promotion of various important 
enterprises. He and his family have a beautiful summer home 
in Whitemarsh township, where they are residing most of the 
year, and they also have a very desirable home on Broad 
street, in Philadelphia. In politics Mr. Argue is a 
Republican, although he has never been a candidate for 
public office. He is a member of the Masonic order, of the 
Knights of Sparta, and of several clubs in Philadelphia. He 
and his family attend the Baptist church. He married, in 
1870, Miss Bertha Cox, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth 
Cox. The couple have one child, Elizabeth B., born in 1871, 
who married Robert Judge, of Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. 
Robert Judge have three children- Amy E., James R., and 
Gladys B.

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