He was one of the two children referred to by the administrator of his father's estate as being "very small" at the time of his father's death. Joseph increased in stature, however, as the years went on and when he arrived at man's estate, married Catharine, daughter of Thomas and Deborah (Grover) Shepherd.
This matrimonial alliance introduced him to one of the oldest families of the colony. Catharine Shepherd was a great grand-daughter of William Lawrence Sr., one of the founders of Middletown, who is said to have been a son of Sir Henry Lawrence, President of Cromwell's Council, and Amy Peyton, whose family afterwards became prominent in Virginia.
In 1706, Thomas Cooper, a London merchant and one of the twenty-four proprietors of East Jersey, conveyed one-half of his proprietorship, or one forty-eighth part of all the lands in the Eastern division of New Jersey, with the exception of 5000 acres, to thirteen persons, resident in the township of Middletown.
The name of Joseph Cox and that of his brother James, appears in the deed of conveyance among the grantees who thus came into possession of a very extensive and valuable tract of land. The consideration named in the deed was only £260, but even that sum, in hard cash, was no doubt, of more value to an enterprising London merchant than an untamed wilderness three thousand miles away.
But whatever his point of view it is clear that the purchasers made an entirely safe and judicious investment. A year later, he became interested in the movement to dissolve the Assembly and to bring about a new election, and contributed £12 towards the fund, that was raised to further this object, his brother, James, contributing a liberal though somewhat smaller amount. How this money was used we are not informed. John Bowne who was the custodian of the fund, doubtless gave an account of his stewardship but was not required, apparently, to make public his disposition of the so-called " Blind Tack."
Thereafter his name occurs at intervals, in public records, for a period of forty years, chiefly in connection with the transfer of land, the witnessing of wills, and the recording of the ear mark with which his cattle were branded. The last conveyance that he is known to have made bears date of February 29, ( ?) 1747-8. when in consideration of £400 he gave to Matthias Johnson, his son-in-law, and Obadiah Bowne, yeomen, both of Middletown, a deed for certain property in Middletown, Shrewsbury and Barnegat, reserving as a burying ground for his posterity, one chain square, (in Middle- town?) where his wife and children were buried. Reference is made in the same instrument, to land in Middletown which he had previously given to his son Thomas.
That his death occurred soon after the above transaction, may be inferred from a town record of November 17, 1750, to the effect that "Matthias Johnson, Jr., used the ear mark of his grandfather, Joseph Cox," at that time, apparently, deceased.
Children : i. Thomas, ii. a daughter, wife of Matthias Johnson, and others whose names are not known.
Joseph Cox 
