**************************************************************************************
Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox was born on Feb. 26, 1800 in present day North Carolina, possibly Ashe County which had just been formed in 1799.
The marriage document (1902) for her son, "Dipen" Burl King, shows his mother as Polly King, "Polly" being a nickname for Mary. Burl's death certificate (1917) shows his mother as "Beckey" King, Beckey being a nickname for Rebecca.. Information for Dipen's death certificate was provided by his daughter, Martha (King) West, of Pine Knot, KY.
The surname "Cox" is of English origin. It is thought that Mary's ancestors came to America (British Colony of Virginia) from England in the 1620s. The surname of her ancestors at that time, as it was for many years thereafter, was spelled Cocke. In those days the spelling of various words and names was quite fluid and was dependent upon the writer. Read, or try to read, the "original" (not the 1769 revised version) King James Authorized Bible printed in 1611 to see the difference in spelling.
Several family trees in which Mary appears show her parents as having been Elisha Cox (1767-1845) and Mary Litler (1778-1845). There is little evidence (circumstantial, at best) to support Elisha and Mary as her parents. The following paragraphs explain why this parentage is is most unlikely.
Elisha Cox's father was Samuel Cox (1723-1796), so yes, it is interesting to note that Thomas and Mary had a son named Elisha (Elishia ?) S. Cox. Was he named after Samuel Cox? Probably not. Elisha was the seventh known son of Thomas and Mary. When a son was named after a maternal grandfather he was usually the first or second born male. Also, while it is possible that Elisha's second given name was Samuel, there is currently no official document that shows this name.
Both of the proposed parents, Elisha and Mary Cox, were born in present day North Carolina and lived their entire lives there. Some believe that Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, also born in present day North Carolina, was named after her proposed mother, Mary Litler. However, the Biblical name of Mary was one of the more common given names for
English girls in those days.
There is another problem. Elisha Cox and his wife, Mary, were members of the religious order "Society of Friends" (Quakers). Yes, they did have a daughter named Rebecca, however, according to Quaker records, which are very reliable, their Mary was born in Randolph Co., NC on Nov. 14, 1811, not 1800 in/near Ashe Co., NC. Our Mary was married in 1814 and is thought to have had a child in 1816. So in summary, it is most unlikely that Elisha Cox and Mary Litler were Mary's parents.
Joan Noble, who has done extensive research on the King and Cox families, believes that Mary's father was William Cox (1762-1820s?) and that her mother is currently unknown. William, born in the British Colony of North Carolina in 1862, received land in Washington County, North Carolina's Western Territory (now Tennessee) from his father's will, as did his brother, Abraham "Abram" Cox (abt 1760- ?). William's farm on Sinking Creek would eventually be located near that of the family of Mary's future husband, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), and adjoined the farm of his maternal uncle, Morgan Murray (1764-1830).
William Cox is thought to have been the son of John (Cocke) Cox (1740-1774), born in the British Province of Virginia, who lived and died there. His wife is unknown. William's paternal grandfather, John, was the son of Abraham Cocke (1687-1760) and Mary Hannah Batte (1710-1780), both of who were also born in the British Colony of Virginia. They too, lived and died in Virginia.
About 1814, Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King, probably in/near Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee. As mentioned earlier, Thomas' family lived near the family of William Cox. Mary Cox may have been one of William's daughters. Thomas was about 24 year of age at the time of their marriage, Mary just 14. In those days it was not uncommon for girls to marry as young as 13-16. Males usually married older (18 +), when they could financially take care of their bride.
Thomas is thought to have been the son of Kirby King (abt 1752/55?-1795/96) and Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?). He was born in either NC's Western Territory or the US Territory South of the Ohio River, depending upon his date of birth (currently unknown). The ancestors of Tom's father, Kirby, were of either Scot-Irish or English descent. Information in regard to Kirby's ancestry is provided in his memorial as well as in the memorial for his second known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King.
Uroth's ancestors were from Scotland. Her great-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1704), is thought to have immigrated to America (British Colony of Maryland) about 1676 at the age of 11. He made the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean not with his parents but with a man by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. What relation Nathaniel was, if any, is unknown. James, possibly an orphan, probably came to America as Nathaniel's apprentice or bond servant. English, Scottish and Irish indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group prior to the revolution.
Uroth and Kirby are though to have married (abt 1777-78?)in present day North Carolina and later migrated from Halifax Co., NC to Washington Co., TN (then part of NC's Western Territory), probably in the mid-1780s. They either moved with Uroth's family or followed them to the area shortly thereafter.
The parents of Mary's husband, Kirby King and Uroth Murray, were married for about 18 years and had seven known(?) children before Kirby's death about 1795/96. Their known (?) children were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-bet 1841/50), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Mary "Polly" King (1795- ?).
The question mark that follows the word "known" is because we know absolutely nothing (except birth years) about three of their supposed children (John, Elizabeth & Polly). It is possible that they were indeed children of Thomas and Mary, however, there seems to be no official record for verification. Where did these names and birth dates come from? There is a lot of information on the other four siblings but nothing on these three. Maybe they died at/near birth or did not survive childhood. If they did live to adulthood, what happened to them? These questions may never be answered.
As mentioned earlier, Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King. Raised on farms near each other they married about 1814, in Washington Co., TN , probably in/near Jonesborough which would have been the nearest town. They were married for 65 years and had at least 15 children.
The known children of Thomas and Mary King were William T. (Thomas ?) King (abt 1815-1877), Enos King (abt 1816-bet 1892/1900), Jackson H. King (abt 1817-1865-69 ?), Elizabeth King (abt 1819-1896), Mary "Polly" King (1820-1893), Nancy Jane King (1820-1893), Mathew King (1824-1901), "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), Rachel King (1829-1862?), Daniel "Dan" King (1830-1899), Thomas M. King (1832-1863), Sarah Drucilla "Sally" King (1834-1892), Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King (1835-1904), Elisha S. King (1837-1892) and Thomas Braxton "Brack" King (1839-1918).
About 1815 (?), Mary and and her husband, Thomas, migrated from Washington Co. TN to the present day area of Capuchin in then NW Campbell Co., TN. The area that they settled in became part of NE Scott County in 1849. The first four of their known children (William, Enos, Jackson & Elizabeth) were born in Campbell County. Their last eleven known children were born in a part of Whitley Co., KY that became part of newly created McCreary County in 1912. Their second born son, Enos King, was my GG-grandfather. He married Nancy Ann Angel (1820-1892/1900), my GG-grandmother.
It was about 1819 (some think 1826-29) that Mary and Thomas moved their family by wagon over the mountains from Campbell Co., TN to Whitley Co., KY. The counties of Campbell and Whitley were in different states (TN & KY), however, they were adjoining counties. Consequently, the trip was not that far in miles (20-30 ?), however, it was a slow and difficult one as most mountain roads (using the term loosely) in those days were extremely rough, at best. They settled in the Marsh Creek (KY) area of lower Whitley County, an area that is now part of McCreary County (est. 1912).
In 1841, Mary and her husband Thomas, were two of the founding members of the Upper Marsh Creek United Baptist Church of Christ near Marsh Creek in Whitley Co., KY. That church is still in existence today and is now known as the Upper Marsh Creek Baptist Church. It is located on Highway 1470 next to Upper Marsh Creek Cemetery, near the site of the church's original log building.
In the mid-late 1840s, Thomas and Mary migrated once again, to the vicinity of what is now called King Valley in Whitley Co. (now part of McCreary Co.). It is thought that at one time Thomas, a farmer and part time surveyor, owned 2,000+ acres in the current day areas of Pine Knot, Strunk, Kingtown and Marsh Creek. The land was eventually divided up among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of their descendants still live on land that Thomas and Mary once owned.
Mary's husband, Thomas, died Feb. 26, 1880 at/near the age of 90. He is buried in the Duncan Cemetery off King Valley Road in McCreary County (then in Whitley Co.), KY. Due to his advanced age (90), he was probably living with his son, Elisha, and his family on/near Ross Road Hwy 1470 at the time of his death.
Elisha's farm was adjacent to that of his brother, Enos, 20 years his senior. Deeds show that Thomas' sons, Enos and Elisha, had obtained their land from their father in 1860. Each lived on/off present day Ross Road (Hwy 1470).
Jackson "Jack" King (1842-1919), Enos' first born son, had a small farm next to his father, land that he had probably obtained from his father. My grandfather, Thomas Letcher "Tom" King (1881-1973), named Thomas after his great-grandfather, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, was born on Jackson's farm about a year after his G-grandfather's death.
The 1880 census, taken about 3 1/2 months after Thomas's death, shows Mary living with her son, Elisha, and his family. She died on Sept. 28, 1881 at the age of 81. Several family trees show her dying in Marsh Creek, however, that would have been their post office. Elisha's farm was actually several miles (10 +) from the community of Marsh Creek. Mary is buried in the Duncan Cemetery, next to her husband, Thomas. Most likely, the burial arrangements for both Thomas (90) and Mary (81) were handled by their son, Elisha (44).
Elisha, died in 1892 in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.) at the age of 55, about a dozen years dozen after the death of his parents. His headstone spells his name "Elishia". He is buried in front of his parent's headstones in the Duncan Cemetery with his grave marker centered between them. His wife, Rosie (Duncan) King (1842-1880/90) is thought to be buried beside him but now has no stone to mark her grave site. Her death date is unknown (two courthouse fires), however, she is thought to have died in the 1880s.
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
Information contained in this memorial for Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, her husband, family members, ancestors & descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available. Mary's memorial has been revised numerous times since originally written over a decade ago.
***************************************************************************************
Many thanks to Theresa Stephens for the transfer of the memorials for my paternal 3G-GPs, Thomas Murray "Tom" King & Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King.........Wayne King
***************************************************************************************
Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox was born on Feb. 26, 1800 in present day North Carolina, possibly Ashe County which had just been formed in 1799.
The marriage document (1902) for her son, "Dipen" Burl King, shows his mother as Polly King, "Polly" being a nickname for Mary. Burl's death certificate (1917) shows his mother as "Beckey" King, Beckey being a nickname for Rebecca.. Information for Dipen's death certificate was provided by his daughter, Martha (King) West, of Pine Knot, KY.
The surname "Cox" is of English origin. It is thought that Mary's ancestors came to America (British Colony of Virginia) from England in the 1620s. The surname of her ancestors at that time, as it was for many years thereafter, was spelled Cocke. In those days the spelling of various words and names was quite fluid and was dependent upon the writer. Read, or try to read, the "original" (not the 1769 revised version) King James Authorized Bible printed in 1611 to see the difference in spelling.
Several family trees in which Mary appears show her parents as having been Elisha Cox (1767-1845) and Mary Litler (1778-1845). There is little evidence (circumstantial, at best) to support Elisha and Mary as her parents. The following paragraphs explain why this parentage is is most unlikely.
Elisha Cox's father was Samuel Cox (1723-1796), so yes, it is interesting to note that Thomas and Mary had a son named Elisha (Elishia ?) S. Cox. Was he named after Samuel Cox? Probably not. Elisha was the seventh known son of Thomas and Mary. When a son was named after a maternal grandfather he was usually the first or second born male. Also, while it is possible that Elisha's second given name was Samuel, there is currently no official document that shows this name.
Both of the proposed parents, Elisha and Mary Cox, were born in present day North Carolina and lived their entire lives there. Some believe that Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, also born in present day North Carolina, was named after her proposed mother, Mary Litler. However, the Biblical name of Mary was one of the more common given names for
English girls in those days.
There is another problem. Elisha Cox and his wife, Mary, were members of the religious order "Society of Friends" (Quakers). Yes, they did have a daughter named Rebecca, however, according to Quaker records, which are very reliable, their Mary was born in Randolph Co., NC on Nov. 14, 1811, not 1800 in/near Ashe Co., NC. Our Mary was married in 1814 and is thought to have had a child in 1816. So in summary, it is most unlikely that Elisha Cox and Mary Litler were Mary's parents.
Joan Noble, who has done extensive research on the King and Cox families, believes that Mary's father was William Cox (1762-1820s?) and that her mother is currently unknown. William, born in the British Colony of North Carolina in 1862, received land in Washington County, North Carolina's Western Territory (now Tennessee) from his father's will, as did his brother, Abraham "Abram" Cox (abt 1760- ?). William's farm on Sinking Creek would eventually be located near that of the family of Mary's future husband, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), and adjoined the farm of his maternal uncle, Morgan Murray (1764-1830).
William Cox is thought to have been the son of John (Cocke) Cox (1740-1774), born in the British Province of Virginia, who lived and died there. His wife is unknown. William's paternal grandfather, John, was the son of Abraham Cocke (1687-1760) and Mary Hannah Batte (1710-1780), both of who were also born in the British Colony of Virginia. They too, lived and died in Virginia.
About 1814, Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King, probably in/near Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee. As mentioned earlier, Thomas' family lived near the family of William Cox. Mary Cox may have been one of William's daughters. Thomas was about 24 year of age at the time of their marriage, Mary just 14. In those days it was not uncommon for girls to marry as young as 13-16. Males usually married older (18 +), when they could financially take care of their bride.
Thomas is thought to have been the son of Kirby King (abt 1752/55?-1795/96) and Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?). He was born in either NC's Western Territory or the US Territory South of the Ohio River, depending upon his date of birth (currently unknown). The ancestors of Tom's father, Kirby, were of either Scot-Irish or English descent. Information in regard to Kirby's ancestry is provided in his memorial as well as in the memorial for his second known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King.
Uroth's ancestors were from Scotland. Her great-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1704), is thought to have immigrated to America (British Colony of Maryland) about 1676 at the age of 11. He made the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean not with his parents but with a man by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. What relation Nathaniel was, if any, is unknown. James, possibly an orphan, probably came to America as Nathaniel's apprentice or bond servant. English, Scottish and Irish indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group prior to the revolution.
Uroth and Kirby are though to have married (abt 1777-78?)in present day North Carolina and later migrated from Halifax Co., NC to Washington Co., TN (then part of NC's Western Territory), probably in the mid-1780s. They either moved with Uroth's family or followed them to the area shortly thereafter.
The parents of Mary's husband, Kirby King and Uroth Murray, were married for about 18 years and had seven known(?) children before Kirby's death about 1795/96. Their known (?) children were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-bet 1841/50), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Mary "Polly" King (1795- ?).
The question mark that follows the word "known" is because we know absolutely nothing (except birth years) about three of their supposed children (John, Elizabeth & Polly). It is possible that they were indeed children of Thomas and Mary, however, there seems to be no official record for verification. Where did these names and birth dates come from? There is a lot of information on the other four siblings but nothing on these three. Maybe they died at/near birth or did not survive childhood. If they did live to adulthood, what happened to them? These questions may never be answered.
As mentioned earlier, Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King. Raised on farms near each other they married about 1814, in Washington Co., TN , probably in/near Jonesborough which would have been the nearest town. They were married for 65 years and had at least 15 children.
The known children of Thomas and Mary King were William T. (Thomas ?) King (abt 1815-1877), Enos King (abt 1816-bet 1892/1900), Jackson H. King (abt 1817-1865-69 ?), Elizabeth King (abt 1819-1896), Mary "Polly" King (1820-1893), Nancy Jane King (1820-1893), Mathew King (1824-1901), "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), Rachel King (1829-1862?), Daniel "Dan" King (1830-1899), Thomas M. King (1832-1863), Sarah Drucilla "Sally" King (1834-1892), Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King (1835-1904), Elisha S. King (1837-1892) and Thomas Braxton "Brack" King (1839-1918).
About 1815 (?), Mary and and her husband, Thomas, migrated from Washington Co. TN to the present day area of Capuchin in then NW Campbell Co., TN. The area that they settled in became part of NE Scott County in 1849. The first four of their known children (William, Enos, Jackson & Elizabeth) were born in Campbell County. Their last eleven known children were born in a part of Whitley Co., KY that became part of newly created McCreary County in 1912. Their second born son, Enos King, was my GG-grandfather. He married Nancy Ann Angel (1820-1892/1900), my GG-grandmother.
It was about 1819 (some think 1826-29) that Mary and Thomas moved their family by wagon over the mountains from Campbell Co., TN to Whitley Co., KY. The counties of Campbell and Whitley were in different states (TN & KY), however, they were adjoining counties. Consequently, the trip was not that far in miles (20-30 ?), however, it was a slow and difficult one as most mountain roads (using the term loosely) in those days were extremely rough, at best. They settled in the Marsh Creek (KY) area of lower Whitley County, an area that is now part of McCreary County (est. 1912).
In 1841, Mary and her husband Thomas, were two of the founding members of the Upper Marsh Creek United Baptist Church of Christ near Marsh Creek in Whitley Co., KY. That church is still in existence today and is now known as the Upper Marsh Creek Baptist Church. It is located on Highway 1470 next to Upper Marsh Creek Cemetery, near the site of the church's original log building.
In the mid-late 1840s, Thomas and Mary migrated once again, to the vicinity of what is now called King Valley in Whitley Co. (now part of McCreary Co.). It is thought that at one time Thomas, a farmer and part time surveyor, owned 2,000+ acres in the current day areas of Pine Knot, Strunk, Kingtown and Marsh Creek. The land was eventually divided up among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of their descendants still live on land that Thomas and Mary once owned.
Mary's husband, Thomas, died Feb. 26, 1880 at/near the age of 90. He is buried in the Duncan Cemetery off King Valley Road in McCreary County (then in Whitley Co.), KY. Due to his advanced age (90), he was probably living with his son, Elisha, and his family on/near Ross Road Hwy 1470 at the time of his death.
Elisha's farm was adjacent to that of his brother, Enos, 20 years his senior. Deeds show that Thomas' sons, Enos and Elisha, had obtained their land from their father in 1860. Each lived on/off present day Ross Road (Hwy 1470).
Jackson "Jack" King (1842-1919), Enos' first born son, had a small farm next to his father, land that he had probably obtained from his father. My grandfather, Thomas Letcher "Tom" King (1881-1973), named Thomas after his great-grandfather, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, was born on Jackson's farm about a year after his G-grandfather's death.
The 1880 census, taken about 3 1/2 months after Thomas's death, shows Mary living with her son, Elisha, and his family. She died on Sept. 28, 1881 at the age of 81. Several family trees show her dying in Marsh Creek, however, that would have been their post office. Elisha's farm was actually several miles (10 +) from the community of Marsh Creek. Mary is buried in the Duncan Cemetery, next to her husband, Thomas. Most likely, the burial arrangements for both Thomas (90) and Mary (81) were handled by their son, Elisha (44).
Elisha, died in 1892 in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.) at the age of 55, about a dozen years dozen after the death of his parents. His headstone spells his name "Elishia". He is buried in front of his parent's headstones in the Duncan Cemetery with his grave marker centered between them. His wife, Rosie (Duncan) King (1842-1880/90) is thought to be buried beside him but now has no stone to mark her grave site. Her death date is unknown (two courthouse fires), however, she is thought to have died in the 1880s.
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
Information contained in this memorial for Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, her husband, family members, ancestors & descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available. Mary's memorial has been revised numerous times since originally written over a decade ago.
***************************************************************************************
Many thanks to Theresa Stephens for the transfer of the memorials for my paternal 3G-GPs, Thomas Murray "Tom" King & Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King.........Wayne King
***************************************************************************************
**************************************************************************************
Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox was born on Feb. 26, 1800 in present day North Carolina, possibly Ashe County which had just been formed in 1799.
The marriage document (1902) for her son, "Dipen" Burl King, shows his mother as Polly King, "Polly" being a nickname for Mary. Burl's death certificate (1917) shows his mother as "Beckey" King, Beckey being a nickname for Rebecca.. Information for Dipen's death certificate was provided by his daughter, Martha (King) West, of Pine Knot, KY.
The surname "Cox" is of English origin. It is thought that Mary's ancestors came to America (British Colony of Virginia) from England in the 1620s. The surname of her ancestors at that time, as it was for many years thereafter, was spelled Cocke. In those days the spelling of various words and names was quite fluid and was dependent upon the writer. Read, or try to read, the "original" (not the 1769 revised version) King James Authorized Bible printed in 1611 to see the difference in spelling.
Several family trees in which Mary appears show her parents as having been Elisha Cox (1767-1845) and Mary Litler (1778-1845). There is little evidence (circumstantial, at best) to support Elisha and Mary as her parents. The following paragraphs explain why this parentage is is most unlikely.
Elisha Cox's father was Samuel Cox (1723-1796), so yes, it is interesting to note that Thomas and Mary had a son named Elisha (Elishia ?) S. Cox. Was he named after Samuel Cox? Probably not. Elisha was the seventh known son of Thomas and Mary. When a son was named after a maternal grandfather he was usually the first or second born male. Also, while it is possible that Elisha's second given name was Samuel, there is currently no official document that shows this name.
Both of the proposed parents, Elisha and Mary Cox, were born in present day North Carolina and lived their entire lives there. Some believe that Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, also born in present day North Carolina, was named after her proposed mother, Mary Litler. However, the Biblical name of Mary was one of the more common given names for
English girls in those days.
There is another problem. Elisha Cox and his wife, Mary, were members of the religious order "Society of Friends" (Quakers). Yes, they did have a daughter named Rebecca, however, according to Quaker records, which are very reliable, their Mary was born in Randolph Co., NC on Nov. 14, 1811, not 1800 in/near Ashe Co., NC. Our Mary was married in 1814 and is thought to have had a child in 1816. So in summary, it is most unlikely that Elisha Cox and Mary Litler were Mary's parents.
Joan Noble, who has done extensive research on the King and Cox families, believes that Mary's father was William Cox (1762-1820s?) and that her mother is currently unknown. William, born in the British Colony of North Carolina in 1862, received land in Washington County, North Carolina's Western Territory (now Tennessee) from his father's will, as did his brother, Abraham "Abram" Cox (abt 1760- ?). William's farm on Sinking Creek would eventually be located near that of the family of Mary's future husband, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), and adjoined the farm of his maternal uncle, Morgan Murray (1764-1830).
William Cox is thought to have been the son of John (Cocke) Cox (1740-1774), born in the British Province of Virginia, who lived and died there. His wife is unknown. William's paternal grandfather, John, was the son of Abraham Cocke (1687-1760) and Mary Hannah Batte (1710-1780), both of who were also born in the British Colony of Virginia. They too, lived and died in Virginia.
About 1814, Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King, probably in/near Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee. As mentioned earlier, Thomas' family lived near the family of William Cox. Mary Cox may have been one of William's daughters. Thomas was about 24 year of age at the time of their marriage, Mary just 14. In those days it was not uncommon for girls to marry as young as 13-16. Males usually married older (18 +), when they could financially take care of their bride.
Thomas is thought to have been the son of Kirby King (abt 1752/55?-1795/96) and Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?). He was born in either NC's Western Territory or the US Territory South of the Ohio River, depending upon his date of birth (currently unknown). The ancestors of Tom's father, Kirby, were of either Scot-Irish or English descent. Information in regard to Kirby's ancestry is provided in his memorial as well as in the memorial for his second known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King.
Uroth's ancestors were from Scotland. Her great-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1704), is thought to have immigrated to America (British Colony of Maryland) about 1676 at the age of 11. He made the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean not with his parents but with a man by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. What relation Nathaniel was, if any, is unknown. James, possibly an orphan, probably came to America as Nathaniel's apprentice or bond servant. English, Scottish and Irish indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group prior to the revolution.
Uroth and Kirby are though to have married (abt 1777-78?)in present day North Carolina and later migrated from Halifax Co., NC to Washington Co., TN (then part of NC's Western Territory), probably in the mid-1780s. They either moved with Uroth's family or followed them to the area shortly thereafter.
The parents of Mary's husband, Kirby King and Uroth Murray, were married for about 18 years and had seven known(?) children before Kirby's death about 1795/96. Their known (?) children were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-bet 1841/50), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Mary "Polly" King (1795- ?).
The question mark that follows the word "known" is because we know absolutely nothing (except birth years) about three of their supposed children (John, Elizabeth & Polly). It is possible that they were indeed children of Thomas and Mary, however, there seems to be no official record for verification. Where did these names and birth dates come from? There is a lot of information on the other four siblings but nothing on these three. Maybe they died at/near birth or did not survive childhood. If they did live to adulthood, what happened to them? These questions may never be answered.
As mentioned earlier, Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King. Raised on farms near each other they married about 1814, in Washington Co., TN , probably in/near Jonesborough which would have been the nearest town. They were married for 65 years and had at least 15 children.
The known children of Thomas and Mary King were William T. (Thomas ?) King (abt 1815-1877), Enos King (abt 1816-bet 1892/1900), Jackson H. King (abt 1817-1865-69 ?), Elizabeth King (abt 1819-1896), Mary "Polly" King (1820-1893), Nancy Jane King (1820-1893), Mathew King (1824-1901), "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), Rachel King (1829-1862?), Daniel "Dan" King (1830-1899), Thomas M. King (1832-1863), Sarah Drucilla "Sally" King (1834-1892), Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King (1835-1904), Elisha S. King (1837-1892) and Thomas Braxton "Brack" King (1839-1918).
About 1815 (?), Mary and and her husband, Thomas, migrated from Washington Co. TN to the present day area of Capuchin in then NW Campbell Co., TN. The area that they settled in became part of NE Scott County in 1849. The first four of their known children (William, Enos, Jackson & Elizabeth) were born in Campbell County. Their last eleven known children were born in a part of Whitley Co., KY that became part of newly created McCreary County in 1912. Their second born son, Enos King, was my GG-grandfather. He married Nancy Ann Angel (1820-1892/1900), my GG-grandmother.
It was about 1819 (some think 1826-29) that Mary and Thomas moved their family by wagon over the mountains from Campbell Co., TN to Whitley Co., KY. The counties of Campbell and Whitley were in different states (TN & KY), however, they were adjoining counties. Consequently, the trip was not that far in miles (20-30 ?), however, it was a slow and difficult one as most mountain roads (using the term loosely) in those days were extremely rough, at best. They settled in the Marsh Creek (KY) area of lower Whitley County, an area that is now part of McCreary County (est. 1912).
In 1841, Mary and her husband Thomas, were two of the founding members of the Upper Marsh Creek United Baptist Church of Christ near Marsh Creek in Whitley Co., KY. That church is still in existence today and is now known as the Upper Marsh Creek Baptist Church. It is located on Highway 1470 next to Upper Marsh Creek Cemetery, near the site of the church's original log building.
In the mid-late 1840s, Thomas and Mary migrated once again, to the vicinity of what is now called King Valley in Whitley Co. (now part of McCreary Co.). It is thought that at one time Thomas, a farmer and part time surveyor, owned 2,000+ acres in the current day areas of Pine Knot, Strunk, Kingtown and Marsh Creek. The land was eventually divided up among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of their descendants still live on land that Thomas and Mary once owned.
Mary's husband, Thomas, died Feb. 26, 1880 at/near the age of 90. He is buried in the Duncan Cemetery off King Valley Road in McCreary County (then in Whitley Co.), KY. Due to his advanced age (90), he was probably living with his son, Elisha, and his family on/near Ross Road Hwy 1470 at the time of his death.
Elisha's farm was adjacent to that of his brother, Enos, 20 years his senior. Deeds show that Thomas' sons, Enos and Elisha, had obtained their land from their father in 1860. Each lived on/off present day Ross Road (Hwy 1470).
Jackson "Jack" King (1842-1919), Enos' first born son, had a small farm next to his father, land that he had probably obtained from his father. My grandfather, Thomas Letcher "Tom" King (1881-1973), named Thomas after his great-grandfather, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, was born on Jackson's farm about a year after his G-grandfather's death.
The 1880 census, taken about 3 1/2 months after Thomas's death, shows Mary living with her son, Elisha, and his family. She died on Sept. 28, 1881 at the age of 81. Several family trees show her dying in Marsh Creek, however, that would have been their post office. Elisha's farm was actually several miles (10 +) from the community of Marsh Creek. Mary is buried in the Duncan Cemetery, next to her husband, Thomas. Most likely, the burial arrangements for both Thomas (90) and Mary (81) were handled by their son, Elisha (44).
Elisha, died in 1892 in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.) at the age of 55, about a dozen years dozen after the death of his parents. His headstone spells his name "Elishia". He is buried in front of his parent's headstones in the Duncan Cemetery with his grave marker centered between them. His wife, Rosie (Duncan) King (1842-1880/90) is thought to be buried beside him but now has no stone to mark her grave site. Her death date is unknown (two courthouse fires), however, she is thought to have died in the 1880s.
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
Information contained in this memorial for Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, her husband, family members, ancestors & descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available. Mary's memorial has been revised numerous times since originally written over a decade ago.
***************************************************************************************
Many thanks to Theresa Stephens for the transfer of the memorials for my paternal 3G-GPs, Thomas Murray "Tom" King & Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King.........Wayne King
***************************************************************************************
Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox was born on Feb. 26, 1800 in present day North Carolina, possibly Ashe County which had just been formed in 1799.
The marriage document (1902) for her son, "Dipen" Burl King, shows his mother as Polly King, "Polly" being a nickname for Mary. Burl's death certificate (1917) shows his mother as "Beckey" King, Beckey being a nickname for Rebecca.. Information for Dipen's death certificate was provided by his daughter, Martha (King) West, of Pine Knot, KY.
The surname "Cox" is of English origin. It is thought that Mary's ancestors came to America (British Colony of Virginia) from England in the 1620s. The surname of her ancestors at that time, as it was for many years thereafter, was spelled Cocke. In those days the spelling of various words and names was quite fluid and was dependent upon the writer. Read, or try to read, the "original" (not the 1769 revised version) King James Authorized Bible printed in 1611 to see the difference in spelling.
Several family trees in which Mary appears show her parents as having been Elisha Cox (1767-1845) and Mary Litler (1778-1845). There is little evidence (circumstantial, at best) to support Elisha and Mary as her parents. The following paragraphs explain why this parentage is is most unlikely.
Elisha Cox's father was Samuel Cox (1723-1796), so yes, it is interesting to note that Thomas and Mary had a son named Elisha (Elishia ?) S. Cox. Was he named after Samuel Cox? Probably not. Elisha was the seventh known son of Thomas and Mary. When a son was named after a maternal grandfather he was usually the first or second born male. Also, while it is possible that Elisha's second given name was Samuel, there is currently no official document that shows this name.
Both of the proposed parents, Elisha and Mary Cox, were born in present day North Carolina and lived their entire lives there. Some believe that Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, also born in present day North Carolina, was named after her proposed mother, Mary Litler. However, the Biblical name of Mary was one of the more common given names for
English girls in those days.
There is another problem. Elisha Cox and his wife, Mary, were members of the religious order "Society of Friends" (Quakers). Yes, they did have a daughter named Rebecca, however, according to Quaker records, which are very reliable, their Mary was born in Randolph Co., NC on Nov. 14, 1811, not 1800 in/near Ashe Co., NC. Our Mary was married in 1814 and is thought to have had a child in 1816. So in summary, it is most unlikely that Elisha Cox and Mary Litler were Mary's parents.
Joan Noble, who has done extensive research on the King and Cox families, believes that Mary's father was William Cox (1762-1820s?) and that her mother is currently unknown. William, born in the British Colony of North Carolina in 1862, received land in Washington County, North Carolina's Western Territory (now Tennessee) from his father's will, as did his brother, Abraham "Abram" Cox (abt 1760- ?). William's farm on Sinking Creek would eventually be located near that of the family of Mary's future husband, Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), and adjoined the farm of his maternal uncle, Morgan Murray (1764-1830).
William Cox is thought to have been the son of John (Cocke) Cox (1740-1774), born in the British Province of Virginia, who lived and died there. His wife is unknown. William's paternal grandfather, John, was the son of Abraham Cocke (1687-1760) and Mary Hannah Batte (1710-1780), both of who were also born in the British Colony of Virginia. They too, lived and died in Virginia.
About 1814, Mary Rebecca "Polly/Becky" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King, probably in/near Jonesborough, Washington Co., Tennessee. As mentioned earlier, Thomas' family lived near the family of William Cox. Mary Cox may have been one of William's daughters. Thomas was about 24 year of age at the time of their marriage, Mary just 14. In those days it was not uncommon for girls to marry as young as 13-16. Males usually married older (18 +), when they could financially take care of their bride.
Thomas is thought to have been the son of Kirby King (abt 1752/55?-1795/96) and Uroth Murray (abt 1752/55?-abt 1806?). He was born in either NC's Western Territory or the US Territory South of the Ohio River, depending upon his date of birth (currently unknown). The ancestors of Tom's father, Kirby, were of either Scot-Irish or English descent. Information in regard to Kirby's ancestry is provided in his memorial as well as in the memorial for his second known son, Thomas Murray "Tom" King.
Uroth's ancestors were from Scotland. Her great-grandfather, James Murray (1665-1704), is thought to have immigrated to America (British Colony of Maryland) about 1676 at the age of 11. He made the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean not with his parents but with a man by the name of Nathaniel Heathcote. What relation Nathaniel was, if any, is unknown. James, possibly an orphan, probably came to America as Nathaniel's apprentice or bond servant. English, Scottish and Irish indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group prior to the revolution.
Uroth and Kirby are though to have married (abt 1777-78?)in present day North Carolina and later migrated from Halifax Co., NC to Washington Co., TN (then part of NC's Western Territory), probably in the mid-1780s. They either moved with Uroth's family or followed them to the area shortly thereafter.
The parents of Mary's husband, Kirby King and Uroth Murray, were married for about 18 years and had seven known(?) children before Kirby's death about 1795/96. Their known (?) children were Burwell King (1780-bet 1850/60), William King (1785-bet 1841/50), Thomas Murray "Tom" King (1790-1880), John T. King (1791- ?), Nancy Ann King (1792-1861), Elizabeth King (1794- ?) and Mary "Polly" King (1795- ?).
The question mark that follows the word "known" is because we know absolutely nothing (except birth years) about three of their supposed children (John, Elizabeth & Polly). It is possible that they were indeed children of Thomas and Mary, however, there seems to be no official record for verification. Where did these names and birth dates come from? There is a lot of information on the other four siblings but nothing on these three. Maybe they died at/near birth or did not survive childhood. If they did live to adulthood, what happened to them? These questions may never be answered.
As mentioned earlier, Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox married Thomas Murray "Tom" King. Raised on farms near each other they married about 1814, in Washington Co., TN , probably in/near Jonesborough which would have been the nearest town. They were married for 65 years and had at least 15 children.
The known children of Thomas and Mary King were William T. (Thomas ?) King (abt 1815-1877), Enos King (abt 1816-bet 1892/1900), Jackson H. King (abt 1817-1865-69 ?), Elizabeth King (abt 1819-1896), Mary "Polly" King (1820-1893), Nancy Jane King (1820-1893), Mathew King (1824-1901), "Dipen" Burl King (1825-1917), Rachel King (1829-1862?), Daniel "Dan" King (1830-1899), Thomas M. King (1832-1863), Sarah Drucilla "Sally" King (1834-1892), Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King (1835-1904), Elisha S. King (1837-1892) and Thomas Braxton "Brack" King (1839-1918).
About 1815 (?), Mary and and her husband, Thomas, migrated from Washington Co. TN to the present day area of Capuchin in then NW Campbell Co., TN. The area that they settled in became part of NE Scott County in 1849. The first four of their known children (William, Enos, Jackson & Elizabeth) were born in Campbell County. Their last eleven known children were born in a part of Whitley Co., KY that became part of newly created McCreary County in 1912. Their second born son, Enos King, was my GG-grandfather. He married Nancy Ann Angel (1820-1892/1900), my GG-grandmother.
It was about 1819 (some think 1826-29) that Mary and Thomas moved their family by wagon over the mountains from Campbell Co., TN to Whitley Co., KY. The counties of Campbell and Whitley were in different states (TN & KY), however, they were adjoining counties. Consequently, the trip was not that far in miles (20-30 ?), however, it was a slow and difficult one as most mountain roads (using the term loosely) in those days were extremely rough, at best. They settled in the Marsh Creek (KY) area of lower Whitley County, an area that is now part of McCreary County (est. 1912).
In 1841, Mary and her husband Thomas, were two of the founding members of the Upper Marsh Creek United Baptist Church of Christ near Marsh Creek in Whitley Co., KY. That church is still in existence today and is now known as the Upper Marsh Creek Baptist Church. It is located on Highway 1470 next to Upper Marsh Creek Cemetery, near the site of the church's original log building.
In the mid-late 1840s, Thomas and Mary migrated once again, to the vicinity of what is now called King Valley in Whitley Co. (now part of McCreary Co.). It is thought that at one time Thomas, a farmer and part time surveyor, owned 2,000+ acres in the current day areas of Pine Knot, Strunk, Kingtown and Marsh Creek. The land was eventually divided up among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of their descendants still live on land that Thomas and Mary once owned.
Mary's husband, Thomas, died Feb. 26, 1880 at/near the age of 90. He is buried in the Duncan Cemetery off King Valley Road in McCreary County (then in Whitley Co.), KY. Due to his advanced age (90), he was probably living with his son, Elisha, and his family on/near Ross Road Hwy 1470 at the time of his death.
Elisha's farm was adjacent to that of his brother, Enos, 20 years his senior. Deeds show that Thomas' sons, Enos and Elisha, had obtained their land from their father in 1860. Each lived on/off present day Ross Road (Hwy 1470).
Jackson "Jack" King (1842-1919), Enos' first born son, had a small farm next to his father, land that he had probably obtained from his father. My grandfather, Thomas Letcher "Tom" King (1881-1973), named Thomas after his great-grandfather, Thomas Murray "Tom" King, was born on Jackson's farm about a year after his G-grandfather's death.
The 1880 census, taken about 3 1/2 months after Thomas's death, shows Mary living with her son, Elisha, and his family. She died on Sept. 28, 1881 at the age of 81. Several family trees show her dying in Marsh Creek, however, that would have been their post office. Elisha's farm was actually several miles (10 +) from the community of Marsh Creek. Mary is buried in the Duncan Cemetery, next to her husband, Thomas. Most likely, the burial arrangements for both Thomas (90) and Mary (81) were handled by their son, Elisha (44).
Elisha, died in 1892 in Whitley Co. (now McCreary Co.) at the age of 55, about a dozen years dozen after the death of his parents. His headstone spells his name "Elishia". He is buried in front of his parent's headstones in the Duncan Cemetery with his grave marker centered between them. His wife, Rosie (Duncan) King (1842-1880/90) is thought to be buried beside him but now has no stone to mark her grave site. Her death date is unknown (two courthouse fires), however, she is thought to have died in the 1880s.
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************
Information contained in this memorial for Mary Rebecca "Polly" Cox, her husband, family members, ancestors & descendants, is thought to be correct. This memorial is revised/corrected, however, as new information becomes available. Mary's memorial has been revised numerous times since originally written over a decade ago.
***************************************************************************************
Many thanks to Theresa Stephens for the transfer of the memorials for my paternal 3G-GPs, Thomas Murray "Tom" King & Mary Rebecca "Polly" (Cox) King.........Wayne King
***************************************************************************************
Family Members
Children
-
![]()
William T. King
1814–1877
-
![]()
Enos King
1816–1892
-
![]()
Jackson H. King
1817–1857
-
![]()
Elizabeth King Strunk
1819–1896
-
![]()
Mary "Polly" King Strunk
1820–1896
-
![]()
Nancy Jane King Ross
1821–1878
-
![]()
Mathew King Sr
1824–1901
-
![]()
Burl "Dipen" King
1826–1917
-
![]()
Daniel "Dan" King
1830–1899
-
![]()
Lucinda Narcissus "Lucy" King Strunk
1835–1909
-
![]()
Elisha S King
1837–1892
-
![]()
Thomas Braxton "Brack" King
1839–1918
