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James William Cox, M. D., son of Thomas and Sally (Bump) Cox, was born February 5, 1828, in Gilbertsville, Otsego county, N. Y., where his paternal ancestor, Joseph Cox, from England, settled in 1787. Thomas was a soldier at Sackett's Harbor in the war of 1812, while his father-in-law, Jacob Bump, of Uxbridge, Mass., served in the Colonial war, was present at the assault and capture of Quebec, and signed, with others, the "Association Test" of 1776. The Cox family were prominent farmers in Otsego county.
Dr. J. W. Cox was educated privately under Rev. James Hughes and at the Gilbertsville Academy and when eighteen began teaching school at a salary of $10 per month. His father died when he had reached the age of twenty and he was obliged to attend to the farm. When twenty-one he was elected superintendent of common schools on the Whig ticket and about the same time began the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Sumner of Gilbertsville. In the fall of 1848 he came to Albany and completed his medical studies with Dr. Henry M. Paine, the eminent homeopathist and was graduated as M. D. from the Albany Medical College in January, 1853. For two years he was associated in practice with his last preceptor. In 1854 he opened an office on the northeast corner of Maiden Lane and Chapel street, and in 1862 moved thence to No. 109 State street, where he died June 9, 1896.
He was a man of rare mental attainments, ranked high among the leading homeopathists of the State and was successful and widely respected. He was a senior member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, a member of the New York State Homeopathic Medical Society, a founder and president of the Albany County Homeopathic Medical Society, a prime mover in establishing the Homeopathic Free Dispensary in Plain street, and was one of the founders of the Albany City Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary, of which he was consulting physician at the time of his death. He was continuously in charge of the homeopathic ward at the Child's Hospital; was a thirty-second degree Mason, holding membership in Masters Lodge No. 5; was a Whig and later a Republican and in 1863 served as United States medical examiner in Albany to examine recruits, and was a charter member of the Fort Orange Club.
In 1854 he married Hannah M., daughter of Joseph Thomas and Hannah (Thorpe) Gilbert, and granddaughter of Abijah Gilbert, the founder of Gilbertsville. She was born in 1830, and died March 16, 1885, leaving four children: Caroline Gilbert, wife of Frederick Harris, an attorney; James W., Jr., born in April, 1859, now president of the Albany Felt Company; and Drs. Frederick J. and Edward G., who succeeded their father in practice.
Frederick Joseph Cox, M. D., born June 27, 1866, was graduated from Greylock Institute at South Williamstown, Mass., in 1885, from Williams College in 1889, and from the Albany Medical College in 1892, having read medicine meanwhile with his father. He is a member of the American Institute of Homeopathy, the New York State and Albany County Homeopathic Medical Societies, the sons of the American Revolution and the Fort Orange Club, and visiting physician to the Albany City Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary.
Edward Gilbert Cox, M. D., was born February 6. 1868, was graduated from Greylock Institute in 1887 and matriculated at Williams College in the class of 1891. He was graduated as M. D. from the Albany College in 1893, is a member of all the societies to which his brother. Dr. Frederick J. Cox, belongs and is attending surgeon to the Albany City Homeopathic Hospital and secretary and treasurer of the Albany County Homeopathic Medical Society; vice-president New York State Homeopathic Medical Society. In October, 1892, he married Mary L. Adams of Albany.
