The Friends of Key Hill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries
The Cox Family Memorial
The lovely octagonal Cox family memorial, situated in Section E alongside the drive
towards the Key Hill entrance, is in a style unique to this cemetery and rarely seen
elsewhere. It is one of Key Hill’s most important memorials and consequently a primary
target for FOKH’s programme to preserve and restore.
George Skinner Cox was born in
1786 in Wolverhampton; he married Rhoda Smith on 30th December 1810 at St Phillips
Church Birmingham. The couple had eight children: Rosetta, George, Edwin, Charles,
Lanaetta, Julia, Theodore and Emma.
In 1841 the family were living at Nursery Terrace,
Aston where George is listed as a brewer. He died in 1846 and was buried in the family
grave at Key Hill Cemetery. The memorial states “George S Cox late of the Hockley
Brewery near this place”. In 1851 Charles, his son and his daughter Julia were living
at Manor Place, Hunters Lane, Aston where Charles’s occupation was given as Agent
& Hop Dealer.
Charles Cox married Lydia Hall on the 24th June 1852 at Aston Juxsta.
They had four children: Ann Haywood, b 1853, Kate Lydia, b 1855, Charles Haywood
Cox, b 1860 and Herbert, b 1863. By 1861 Charles and his family were living at Barker
Street, Aston by which time he was a Maltster employing four men. They ran a public
house in Ashted Row called Parliament House.
By 1871 the family are living at Bromford House on the Lozells Road (occupation Maltster
and Hop merchant) and still there in 1881. In an 1883 trade directory, Charles is
listed at 3621/2 Summer Lane and 11-
1891 sees Lydia is living in Trinity Road, Handsworth ‘on her own means’ together
with Ann who is now an ‘artist’, Kate ‘a teacher of painting’ and Charles a ‘Jewellers
Clerk’. By 1901 Lydia has moved to Nelson Road Handsworth but the three siblings,
now in their 40’s remain single and are living with their mother. Herbert however
seems to be the son who carried on the family business and is listed as brewer.
Research
by Wendy Partridge
ARTICLE 3