William Marshall Cox (7), known by his friends and family as "Marsh" Cox, was the fifth son of Hugh Cox (6) and Mary "Polly" Jones. He was born on February 28, 1862 in the Coal Creek community of Carroll County, Virginia. Shortly after his birth, his father went to war and did not return home until April 1865. He grew up working on his father's farm until he reached manhood. On September 29, 1887, he married Susan Vienna Davis, daughter of Elias Davis and Nancy Caroline Jennings of the Meadow Creek community of Grayson County, Virginia. They made their home in the Meadow Creek community, near where his wife was raised.

As a young man, he was a school teacher, he taught in both public school and in private writing school. He also inherited a love for gadgets and tinkering with things like pistols, cameras, radios, batteries and working on automobiles.

Marsh was close in his dealings and very thrifty, and by possessing these two characteristics, he accumulated considerable property, both real estate and money. In his later years, his main business was lending money, and for any individual who loans money, you cannot help but make a few enemies. Marsh was very exacting in his dealings and expected payments to be made at maturity, and this sometimes lead to hardships on the borrowers.

Marsh Cox was a medium built man with the usual family traits of blue gray eyes and dark hair, and possessed a quick temper. He married twice and fathered six children. With his first wife Susan Davis, they had the following children, Stella Mae, Bruce Alexander, Twin daughters Minnie and Linnie, and Mattie Nancy. With his second wife, Nettie Benge, the couple had one son, Clellen Lionel, who inherited the Meadow Creek home place and lived there until his death.

William Marshall Cox died on April 27, 1953 and was buried in the Coal Creek Community Church Cemetery with his parents. His first wife, Susan Vienna Davis Cox died on April 30, 1940 and was buried in the Meadow Creek Union Baptist Church Cemetery with her parents. His second wife, Nettie Benge Cox died on February 20, 1986 and was buried in the Edmonds Cemetery in Alleghany County, NC.

The above (7) denotes that William Marshall Cox was the seventh generation of the Cox family in the United States. William (1), William (2), Solomon (3), Enoch Sr. (4), Enoch Jr (5), Hugh (6), William Marshall (7) and his Children (8).

Most of the above information is from the 1950s research records of William Edwin Cox, Sr., commonly known as W.E. or Edd Cox. He wrote the book "The Descendants of Solomon Cox of Cole Creek, VA", and was continuing to update his records after the book was published in 1955 by the Cox Reunion Committee.

Fred Cox
Grand nephew of W.E. Cox, Sr.