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Sarah Elizabeth <I>Sexton</I> Terrill

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Sarah Elizabeth Sexton Terrill

Birth
North Carolina, USA
Death
1 Nov 1814 (aged 61)
Virginia, USA
Burial
Grayson County, Virginia, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
*Sarah Elizabeth maybe Robertson 

Born: 24 Feb 1753 in Nc

Died: Nov 1814 in Grayson, Va

Married: ABT 1772

Married
1 Timothy Terrill

Married
2 James Cox

NOTES

Notes

James Cox, son of Capt. John Cox, was born in Fort Chiswell, Virginia, in 1763. Fort Chiswell was located in what was originally the southern part of Botetourt County, VA. This area became Montgomery County in 1777, Wythe County in 1790, and Grayson County in 1793. James Cox served his father as an "Indian spy" during the Revolutionary War. He applied for a pension in 1832 (NARA Pension File No. R2412, see below), but his application was rejected because he could not show that he had served six months in a regularly organized military corps as required by the Pension Act. The Act did not contemplate the sort of guerilla warfare that James had engaged in. In a letter dated August 22, 1833, the Pension Office explained, "The alleged service of the applicant cannot be considered a military service in the meaning of the Act of June 7, 1832."

James' widow, Sarah Cox, applied for a widow's pension in 1855. She testified that her maiden name was Sarah FIELDER, she married James Cox on January 4, 1815, and James Cox died on April 17, 1842, in Grayson County, VA. Mrs. Cox spent several fruitless years trying to convince the Pension Office to grant her application. James Cox's file in the National Archives contains over 100 pages of documents, including numerous supporting declarations and letters submitted over the years on behalf of both James Cox and Sarah Cox. A number of individuals from Grayson and Ashe counties testified that James Cox was a soldier in the Revolution, including his brother Joshua COX, Benjamin PHIPPS, Charles COLE, Jonathan THOMAS, Jesse RAY, John TOLIVER, Henry GAMBILL, and Henry HARDIN. However, the evidence the Pension Office never reversed its decision that James Cox's service was not of a "military character."

In the book Footprints in the Sands of Time (1900), the Grayson County historian Dr. A.B. Cox wrote that James Cox married "the Widow TERRELL." She was probably the widow of Timothy TERRILL of Ashe County, NC, who was killed by Indians while exploring Tennesse in 1781. (His death is described in The Annals of Tennessee (1853), p.455.) Her first name (Elizabeth) and birth date (Feb. 24, 1753) are reportedly from a Bible that at one time was in the possession of Mrs. W.H. Welch of Lansing, Michigan. According to the Terrill family, Timothy's wife remarried and lived in Grayson County, VA. Some of the family later moved to Kentucky. (Source Terrill Website by John Terrill Wayland Jr.) James Cox's Revolutionary War pension file in the National Archives contains an interesting letter from Mrs. W.H. Welch, dated July 18, 1932:





Received
July 18, 1932

W.H. WELCH, M.D.
Lansing, Mich.

Dear Sir:

A short time ago I wrote you in regard to my Rev. ancestor James Cox R.2412. You stated that he married Sally Fielder Feb. 4, 1815. This was his second marriage. The first marriage was to Elizabeth Terrill (widow of Jesse[*] Terrill who was killed by the Indians). James Cox & Elizabeth Terrill were married May 15, 1783.

My ancestor John Cox their son was born Mar. 8, 1784
Susannah Dec. 1, 1785
Joshua Apr. 1st, 1787
Mary July 10, 1789
Catherine June 1st 1791
Hardin Apr. 8, 1794
Solomon Dec. 14, 1795
James Robertson June 2, 1798

Elizabeth Terrill Cox died and when James Cox was fifty two years of age he married Sarah or Sally Fielder. James Cox died Apr. 17, 1842. Have you any record of his father Capt. John Cox. Is there any place other than your dept. to ask for records. I will greatly appreciate any assistance you may give me. I do not know the name of his wife. His children were
James b. Feb. 24, 1763
Joshua b. Mar. 3, 1772
Cynthia
Katie
Jennie
Maggie

Can you give me any other help.

Sincerely & greatly obliged
Mrs. W.H. Welch

*The name written by Mrs. Welch starts with a "J"—it appears to be Jesse Terrill, or perhaps Jim. However, other researchers believe that Elizabeth was married to Timothy Terrill who was killed by Indians in Tennessee in 1781, according to the book, The Annals of Tennessee.



Who was Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill? Some sources identify her as Elizabeth SEXTON, but there is no proof. There is a James COCK who married an Elizabeth SEXTON in Grayson County, VA, in 1800, but that is 18 years too late. Some researchers believe that James Cox actually married three times, to Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill in 1782, Elizabeth Sexton in 1800, and Sarah Fielder in 1815. Other researchers, however, believe that the James Cock who married Elizabeth Sexton in 1800 was the son of Andrew COCKE (not Cox) of Grayson County.

It is possible that the "widow Terrell" was Elizabeth ROBERTSON of Fort Chiswell, VA, daughter of William Robertson and Elizabeth Crockett. This is an assumption based on the geographic proximity of the Robertson and Cox families, as well as the fact that James and Elizabeth Cox named their youngest son James Robertson Cox. (Thanks to Jerry Cox for this information). On the other hand, it is also possible that the Coxes were simply admirers of James Robertson, a famed explorer of western North Carolina and Tennessee. Boys were often named after local heroes and other famous people. So, the identity of Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill remains an intriguing mystery
*Sarah Elizabeth maybe Robertson 

Born: 24 Feb 1753 in Nc

Died: Nov 1814 in Grayson, Va

Married: ABT 1772

Married
1 Timothy Terrill

Married
2 James Cox

NOTES

Notes

James Cox, son of Capt. John Cox, was born in Fort Chiswell, Virginia, in 1763. Fort Chiswell was located in what was originally the southern part of Botetourt County, VA. This area became Montgomery County in 1777, Wythe County in 1790, and Grayson County in 1793. James Cox served his father as an "Indian spy" during the Revolutionary War. He applied for a pension in 1832 (NARA Pension File No. R2412, see below), but his application was rejected because he could not show that he had served six months in a regularly organized military corps as required by the Pension Act. The Act did not contemplate the sort of guerilla warfare that James had engaged in. In a letter dated August 22, 1833, the Pension Office explained, "The alleged service of the applicant cannot be considered a military service in the meaning of the Act of June 7, 1832."

James' widow, Sarah Cox, applied for a widow's pension in 1855. She testified that her maiden name was Sarah FIELDER, she married James Cox on January 4, 1815, and James Cox died on April 17, 1842, in Grayson County, VA. Mrs. Cox spent several fruitless years trying to convince the Pension Office to grant her application. James Cox's file in the National Archives contains over 100 pages of documents, including numerous supporting declarations and letters submitted over the years on behalf of both James Cox and Sarah Cox. A number of individuals from Grayson and Ashe counties testified that James Cox was a soldier in the Revolution, including his brother Joshua COX, Benjamin PHIPPS, Charles COLE, Jonathan THOMAS, Jesse RAY, John TOLIVER, Henry GAMBILL, and Henry HARDIN. However, the evidence the Pension Office never reversed its decision that James Cox's service was not of a "military character."

In the book Footprints in the Sands of Time (1900), the Grayson County historian Dr. A.B. Cox wrote that James Cox married "the Widow TERRELL." She was probably the widow of Timothy TERRILL of Ashe County, NC, who was killed by Indians while exploring Tennesse in 1781. (His death is described in The Annals of Tennessee (1853), p.455.) Her first name (Elizabeth) and birth date (Feb. 24, 1753) are reportedly from a Bible that at one time was in the possession of Mrs. W.H. Welch of Lansing, Michigan. According to the Terrill family, Timothy's wife remarried and lived in Grayson County, VA. Some of the family later moved to Kentucky. (Source Terrill Website by John Terrill Wayland Jr.) James Cox's Revolutionary War pension file in the National Archives contains an interesting letter from Mrs. W.H. Welch, dated July 18, 1932:





Received
July 18, 1932

W.H. WELCH, M.D.
Lansing, Mich.

Dear Sir:

A short time ago I wrote you in regard to my Rev. ancestor James Cox R.2412. You stated that he married Sally Fielder Feb. 4, 1815. This was his second marriage. The first marriage was to Elizabeth Terrill (widow of Jesse[*] Terrill who was killed by the Indians). James Cox & Elizabeth Terrill were married May 15, 1783.

My ancestor John Cox their son was born Mar. 8, 1784
Susannah Dec. 1, 1785
Joshua Apr. 1st, 1787
Mary July 10, 1789
Catherine June 1st 1791
Hardin Apr. 8, 1794
Solomon Dec. 14, 1795
James Robertson June 2, 1798

Elizabeth Terrill Cox died and when James Cox was fifty two years of age he married Sarah or Sally Fielder. James Cox died Apr. 17, 1842. Have you any record of his father Capt. John Cox. Is there any place other than your dept. to ask for records. I will greatly appreciate any assistance you may give me. I do not know the name of his wife. His children were
James b. Feb. 24, 1763
Joshua b. Mar. 3, 1772
Cynthia
Katie
Jennie
Maggie

Can you give me any other help.

Sincerely & greatly obliged
Mrs. W.H. Welch

*The name written by Mrs. Welch starts with a "J"—it appears to be Jesse Terrill, or perhaps Jim. However, other researchers believe that Elizabeth was married to Timothy Terrill who was killed by Indians in Tennessee in 1781, according to the book, The Annals of Tennessee.



Who was Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill? Some sources identify her as Elizabeth SEXTON, but there is no proof. There is a James COCK who married an Elizabeth SEXTON in Grayson County, VA, in 1800, but that is 18 years too late. Some researchers believe that James Cox actually married three times, to Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill in 1782, Elizabeth Sexton in 1800, and Sarah Fielder in 1815. Other researchers, however, believe that the James Cock who married Elizabeth Sexton in 1800 was the son of Andrew COCKE (not Cox) of Grayson County.

It is possible that the "widow Terrell" was Elizabeth ROBERTSON of Fort Chiswell, VA, daughter of William Robertson and Elizabeth Crockett. This is an assumption based on the geographic proximity of the Robertson and Cox families, as well as the fact that James and Elizabeth Cox named their youngest son James Robertson Cox. (Thanks to Jerry Cox for this information). On the other hand, it is also possible that the Coxes were simply admirers of James Robertson, a famed explorer of western North Carolina and Tennessee. Boys were often named after local heroes and other famous people. So, the identity of Mrs. Elizabeth Terrill remains an intriguing mystery


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