Colonel Daniel Coxe IV
(1673–1739), son of
Dr. Daniel Coxe, went to his father's North American lands. He lived in the American colonies from 1702 to 1716 and from 1725 until his death in 1739. After returning to England in 1716, he published an account in 1722 of his travels and a description of the area encompassed by his father's claim, entitled ''A Description of the English Province of Carolana, by the Spaniards called Florida, And by the French La Louisiane''.
Daniel Coxe IV was appointed a member of the
New Jersey Provincial Council
The New Jersey Provincial Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under colonial rule until it was replaced by the New Jersey Legislative Council under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776.
History
The Provincial Council was estab ...
on November 29, 1705 replacing the late
Edward Hunloke. He was suspended from his duties on June 15, 1713 after having conflicts with
Gov. Robert Hunter. In 1716 he was elected to the
New Jersey General Assembly representing
Gloucester County, and was chosen as Speaker, but was expelled from the lower house that same year.
[''Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey'', date: various (pre 1950)]
He was appointed by the
Duke of Norfolk as Provincial
Grand Master of
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
of New York,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
in 1730. The following year, he was succeeded by
William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
.
In 1731, he claimed that he possessed superior title to that of the
West Jersey Society, via a superseding deed that his father had recorded years earlier; the courts upheld Coxe's claim. Hundreds of families were forced to repurchase their own property from Col. Coxe or be forcibly evicted. The ensuing scandal was one of many injustices that inflamed American anger against the British during the years leading up the Revolutionary War. There were lawsuits and riots; Col. Coxe was burned in effigy; but to no avail. As a result, many
Hopewell residents left New Jersey, either unable to pay Col. Coxe or disgusted with the colony's rampant political corruption. One group of Hopewell expatriates settled on the
Yadkin River in what was then
Rowan County, North Carolina. This community, the Jersey Settlement, continued to attract new settlers from the Hopewell area for several decades.
References
External links
* Th
Weld Coxe Collection including correspondence, pamphlets, maps and other materials documenting the Coxe family in America, is available for research use at the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coxe, Daniel
Members of the New Jersey Provincial Council
Freemasonry
English emigrants
Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly
1673 births
1739 deaths
People of colonial New Jersey