John Wilcox was the half brother of the famous Rev. Peter Cartwright. They shared the same mother, Christiaan/Christiana Garvin. Christiaan had two sons out of wedlock with Dr. Edmund Wilcox, a wealthy plantation owner in Virginia. Dr. Wilcox did not marry her and eventually married someone else. When Dr. Wilcox died he left funds to Christiaan Garvin for the care of his two sons, however a large court battle ensued and she lost to the wealthy wife of Dr. Wilcox. John was charged with murdering a neighbor's son, James Rogers. Neither John nor the Rogers family were well regarded in the area. John had a drinking problem which had ruined his reputation in the area. Many witnesses said he was so drunk the day James Rogers was shot there was no way he could have walked, let alone held a rifle and shot a man way out in a cornfield. He was found guilty of murder. Most believed he was framed because of his reputation for drinking. He wrote his last Will the day he was hung leaving everything to his wife, Sophia White Wilcox and two children, John Jr., and Nancy.
John Wilcox was the half brother of the famous Rev. Peter Cartwright. They shared the same mother, Christiaan/Christiana Garvin. Christiaan had two sons out of wedlock with Dr. Edmund Wilcox, a wealthy plantation owner in Virginia. Dr. Wilcox did not marry her and eventually married someone else. When Dr. Wilcox died he left funds to Christiaan Garvin for the care of his two sons, however a large court battle ensued and she lost to the wealthy wife of Dr. Wilcox. John was charged with murdering a neighbor's son, James Rogers. Neither John nor the Rogers family were well regarded in the area. John had a drinking problem which had ruined his reputation in the area. Many witnesses said he was so drunk the day James Rogers was shot there was no way he could have walked, let alone held a rifle and shot a man way out in a cornfield. He was found guilty of murder. Most believed he was framed because of his reputation for drinking. He wrote his last Will the day he was hung leaving everything to his wife, Sophia White Wilcox and two children, John Jr., and Nancy.
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