At this point in time the search for the Cox Family revolves around James Cox but is rendered more difficult by the nature of his trade as a victualler and movement from public house to public house.

1821-1851

Is it possible to trace the career of James Cox as a licensed victualler after the White Hart? At present we have no clue about the whereabouts to the family after the White Hart until James' daughter Emily marries William Carpenter in St Martin in the Fields in 1835. As far as we know the Carpenter family are in living in Southwark at this time so could the Cox family be living in St Martin in the Fields? The 1839 Pigots directory shows a James Cocks as the Cross Keys on Belton Street (now Endell Street) in St Giles. The 1841 census shows a James Cox aged 65 as a publican on Belton Street, living with a Sarah Cox aged 45. We do not know the relationship between that James and Sarah. Neither James or Sarah is born in Middlesex. The 1843 Post Office directory shows a James Cox at the Cross Keys.

Another interesting census record is that for a James Cox visiting an address in Worton Lane, Isleworth, Middlesex in 1851. He is shown as a retired victualler and was born in Richmond, Surrey. While this may seem unlikely we know that our James Cox has moved a reasonable distance between the White Lion and the White Hart in his career. Also the fact that he was born in Surrey could mean this is the James Cox on the 1841 census in St Giles, who was not born in Middlesex.

A list of pubs and publicans extracted from the 1851 London Kellys Directory on the dead pubs website (see http://www.deadpubs.co.uk/LondonPubs1851/index.shtml) shows only one James Cox in the central london area, at a pub on Store Street (off Tottenham Court Road) - however a look at the 1851 census reveals that this James was born at Teynham, Kent in 1802.

There are a number of other victuallers by the name of Cox in the Westminster/Holborn area and it may be worth looking into those individuals.