William Charles Cox 

A rare manuscript map
by a Plymouth optician and instrument maker 

Many highly successful people in their own field often do not receive the recognition they deserve. W C Cox, a little-known instrument maker in Devonport, is one of them. Although William Charles Cox was born in London on September 10, 1786,[i] he was certainly trading as an optician and scientific instrument maker in Plymouth from the mid-1800s, as Taylor records him in 1806 in Plymouth Dock, Devon.[ii] Although there is no entry for Cox in the 1810 - 1819 section of Taylor, “Cox & Co., opticians” are listed in Fore Street, Devonport in the Picture of Plymouth of 1812.[iii]  It is conceivable that if W C Cox was only twenty years old, he was in business with his father or other relative. On the 1st January 1824 Plymouth Dock was renamed Devonport, and William Charles Cox is an “Optical and Philosophical Instrument Maker” (fl 1820) in Fore Street, Devonport at this time.[iv]

Fig. 1. Unusual manuscript map by W C Cox.

Cox is mentioned in all of the major directories of the time from Pigot (1822) to White (1878). In 1823 Carrington also lists the company as opticians, so a partnership of some sort is imaginable. Brendon´s directory (1844) not only lists Cox at premises in Fore Street, Devonport (mentioned as “manufactory”) and also at 24, Southside Street, Plymouth (it was still a separate township until 1914) but, in addition, has a full-page advertisement. Here W C Cox, optician, is advertising himself as maker of ship and military telescopes, sextants and spectacles but also all kinds of mathematical and philosophical instruments. Cox was also agent for the supply of government chronometers and sold charts to all parts of the world. As late as 1873 (Kelly) Cox, William Charles, is listed as optician & nautical instrument warehouse.

Jason Clarke points out that being in Devonport gave Cox the chance to take advantage of the necessary requirements of a naval station and its inhabitants and William Cox was an agent to Robert Brettell Bate for admiralty charts and agent to both John Roger Arnold and Edward John Dent (EJ Dent) as a supplier of their “admiralty chronometers”.[v]

Fig. 2. Telescope produced by W C Cox; Optician to the R. W. Y. C.

The Astronomical Society of London was founded in 1820 and Cox was elected a Fellow on January 14, 1831, making him one of the founding Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society which received its royal charter from William IV in March the same year. His obituary notes that he had a considerable taste for astronomy, and he used this throughout a long career of business as a practical optician at Devonport to the advantage of those who needed assistance in connection with his business. In a bustling township such as Devonport with its dockyard and thousands of naval personnel, he would have sold large numbers of instruments to the commanders of vessels moored in Sutton Harbour.

Fig. 3. Advert for products made and sold by W C Cox.

Certainly Cox, for a very long period, was the agent at Devonport in charge of the depot of Admiralty chronometers, and in that capacity was in frequent official communication with the Chronometer Department of the Royal Observatory.[vi] The University of Cambridge has a book kept by John Pond, Astronomer Royal, with numerous letters written by, to and about Cox setting up as local agent from approx. 1825-1828.[vii]

Apparently, he was of a retiring disposition and although his reputation as a local optician was well established, he was but little known beyond his own family circle. “There were but few in his neighbourhood who were more conversant with all the work of a scientific instrument-maker than he was”.[viii]

A wide variety of instruments have been found inscribed by Cox such as theodolites, telescopes, mining compass, sextant, barometer, protractor and other instruments. In addition, one of Cox´s telescopes has been seen with an inscription suggesting that he was supplier to The Royal Western Yacht Club, founded in 1827.[ix] Another telescope executed by Cox extant has a panel that shows ships signalling flags (and is marked W. C. COX OPTICIANS DEVONPORT). The flags shown on this particular telescope appear to be Marryat's System popular until a revised system appeared in 1857.[x]

The author has a manuscript map which is obviously “home made” and has the title / Inscription: W C Cox´s Plan of Plymouth, Divided into Wards, NOVEMBER 1835. The information presented is actually a view of Plymouth prior to 1820 at the latest. It is the only known map by Cox, and no copy of a printed map has been seen. Presumably it was for his own amusement or for a friend and possibly dated much later.

Clarke notes that a later partnership of Cox & Coombes is considered to have been formed in 1845 and although some sources suggest an end to the partnership in 1865, it is clear from inscription on other pieces that the partnership (or the name) was still trading in 1884.[xi]

White´s directory of 1878 has three interesting entries: Cox, William Joseph, optician and Admiralty agent, 35 Southside street, and (h) Devonport;

Cox, William Joseph (W C); h 87 Fore street; and finally Cox, W C., optician and admiralty chronometer agent, 87 Fore street; and Plymouth. However, William Charles Cox had died four years earlier at Laira, near Plymouth, on April 19, 1874, in the eighty-eighth year of his age.[xii]

Clarke´s suspicion of the existence of a family member would appear to be substantiated: it seems that for a time, at least, Joseph Cox was following in his father´s (?) footsteps and kept the name for a short time after William´s death. Advertisements by J. Coombes in Fore Street from 1890 indicate that the partnership with Cox had by then been severed.[xiii]

 

A small selection of Cox´s stock.

1.     Rare cased Early Nineteenth Century miniature altazimuth theodolite by WC Cox of Devonport. Photo and description courtesy of Jason Clarke Antiques.[xiv]

2.     Achromatic Pocket Telescope 19th century - National Maritime Museum (Greenwich). Signed Cox, Devonport. Seen on Pininterest.

 

3.     R. W. Y. C. Telescope by Cox of Devonport, 1822-57, 1.25” Objective, 1 draw. Length 45 cm closed, 57 cm open. Brass with leather cover. The Royal Western Yacht Club is based at Plymouth Sound. Author´s collection. Photos courtesy of AMG Archive.

 

4.     Cox of Devenport [sic]; a 1.5” three-draw telescope, inscribed “Cox Devonport, Optician to the R.W.Y.C.; with part wooden and brass barrel and partial leather sleeve, length 25 cm. Photo and description courtesy of Adam Partridge, auctioneers (they have two Devon offices, at Torquay and Hele). [xv]

 

 

 

5.     One draw, brass telescope, approx. 44 cm, extending to almost 60 cm. Leather Grip AND MARKED "W. C. COX OPTICIAN & ADMIRALTY CHRONOMETER AGENT DEVONPORT & PLYMOUTH". Photo and description courtesy of Worthpoint.Com. [xvi]

6.      A 19th Century Topographical Theodolite signed W.C. Cox Devonport and W.P. Smith and in J & W.E. Archbutt labeled mahogany case. Photo and description courtesy of ArtFox Auctions and Piers Motley Auctions, The Bicton Street Auction Rooms, Exmouth, Devon.[xvii]

7.     Mahogany keystone box, containing in the lid trade labels for W.C. Cox, 93 Fore Street, Devonport, 35 South Side Street, Plymouth, and Troughton & Simms, 138 Fleet Street, London. Photo and description courtesy of National Maritime Museum. [xviii]

8.     Enameled brass strait-bar. Signed on the scale W.C. Cox, Devonport. Silvered scale from -5 to 140 by 10′. Silver vernier to 10”, zero at right. Index glass adjustment by screw, horizon glass by detachable milled knob and flange screw. … Telescope bracket in two parts, fitted for correcting collimation error, perpendicular adjustment by rising piece and milled knob. Four telescope site tubes, two filters and one adjustment tool. In mahogany keystone box. Circa 1822-1857. Photo and description courtesy of Ken Brown at FranksFisherman.com.[xix]

 

9.     Early 19th century theodolite with slide mechanism for focusing of the telescope circa 1810-1820. The instrument retains most of the original gold lacquer finish with an inverted half circle with parallel telescope signed on the silvered compass dial " W. C. Cox Devonport". Photo and description courtesy of Old Survey Instruments.[xx]

 

10.Antique W C COX Davenport [sic] Boxwood Marquois Set Engine Divided Drawing Scales. Photo and description courtesy of Worthpoint.Com. [xxi]

 

 

11.Semicircular brass protractor, graduated to half-degrees, marked by tens from 10° to 170° in both directions. A brass rectangle with a curved notch has been soldered on at the origin point. The rectangle contains a small hole for locating the vertex of the angle being measured. The base of the protractor bears the maker's mark: W. C. Cox, Devonport. The letters DB are scratched near the maker's mark. Photo and description courtesy of National Museum of American History, Washington.[xxii]

 

 

12.A Top Quality Late Victorian brass cased RNLI 'Life Buoy' marine barometer.c.1880. Porcelain dial with maker's name. Brass bezel surround and bevelled edge glass. Made by Cox of Plymouth & Devonport (w.1865-85). Full working order. Measures 7.5"diameter x 3"deep. Photo and description courtesy of Sturman´s Antiques Ltd, Hawes, Yorks (and Antiques Atlas).[xxiii]

 

 

13. William IV period three draw telescope by Cox of Devonport from the collection of Reginald J Cheetham. Comprised of brass with figured mahogany barrel, the telescope measures 25cms retracted, 76cms at its full extent with a one and three quarter inch objective lens retained under its original brass end cap. The telescope also includes a sliding sunshade, dust shield to the flat ended eyepiece and is engraved on the first draw with the maker “Cox of Devonport” and “Optician to the RWYC”. Photo and description courtesy of Jason Clarke Antiques, Newbury, Berks (and Antiques Atlas).[xxiv]

14. Vernier Sextant, 8½” radius by William Charles Cox, Plymouth, c. 1825. With lattice frame, signed above the vernier COX Plym Dock, inset silver scale divided to 130°, braced index arm with swivelling magnifier, mirrors, seven shades, wooden handle and three pin feet, contained within fitted keystone box of issue with near complete set of accessories, securing hooks and lock – 14” (35.5cm.) wide. Photo and description courtesy of Charles Miller Ltd. [xxv]

 

15.Antique 19th Century Marryat Flag Ships Telescope by William Charles Cox Devonport England Nautical

Antique 2" Single Draw Naval Telescope by William Charles Cox, Circa 1824-57. The tapering barrel is covered in leather with carrying straps and a panel showing the Early Marryat Signalling Flag System as used at the time. The draw tube is signed with the maker's name as 'Cox Devonport'

The … flag system shown was introduced after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe as merchant ships were allowed to move around freely again, a Captain Marryat of the Royal Navy devised a simple signal flag system. His book titled A Code of Signals For ... the Merchant Service was first published in 1817. The flags shown on this particular telescope appear to be Marryat's System (backed up by the Curator of Navigation at the National Maritime Museum). Several other flag systems were devised by other nations which made signalling a little confusing so that in April 1855 a committee was appointed to the British Board of Trade to devise an international signal flag system, which was largely based on Marryat's system and published in 1857. So...as the telescope is marked in two places with the makers details pre 'Plymouth Dock' name change and has the older Marryat system we can conclude that this telescope was produced between 1824-57.

Photo and description courtesy of Ret on the Net.co.uk.[xxvi]

 

 

Directory Entries

 

1812 Woollcombe: Cox & Co., opticians” Fore Street, Devonport.

1823 Carrington:  Cox, W C opticians, &c. Fore street (Dock)

1830 Pigot: Cox, William Charles (& mathematical& philosophical instrument maker and agent for the sale of chronometers) 86b Fore St.

1844 Pigot:  Cox, William Charles 89 Fore St.
1844 Flintoff[1]: Cox, William Charles at 89 fore st (Devonport)

1852 Pigot: Cox, Wm Charles, optician, 24 South Side st. Plymouth and 89 Fore St., Devonport

1850 White: Cox, Wm Chas, Southside st. (Plymouth) and also under 89 Fore St., (Devonport)

1857 Billing: Cox, William C 89 Fore st.; and 35 Southside street, Plymouth

1866 Kelly: Cox, W C 89 Fore street; & 35 Southside street, Plymouth

1873 Kelly: Cox, William Charles, optician & nautical instrument warehouse, 35 South Side st; & 87 Fore street, Devonport

1878 White: Cox, William Joseph, optician and Admiralty agent, 35 Southside street, and (h) Devonport  AND

1878 White: Cox, William Joseph (W C); h 87 Fore street

with Cox, W C., optician and admiralty chronometer agent, 87 Fore street; and Plymouth

 

NOTES:

---

[i] An obituary to Cox can be found in Report of the Council to the Fifty-fifth Annual General Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 35. Pages 167-168, February 1875.

[ii] E G R Taylor: Mathematical Practitioners of Hanoverian England 1714 – 1840; Entry 1108 in the 1800-1809 Section - Cox, William, Mathematical instrument maker (fl 1806). Quoted on web site Old Survey Instruments: https://oldsurveyinstruments.com/theo-cox.

[iii] The Picture of Plymouth; Rees & Curtis; Plymouth; 1812. One of the first two guides on Plymouth usually attributed to Henry Woollcombe.

[iv] Entry 1517 in the 1820-1829 Section of Taylor above. William Charles Cox, a British instrument maker who worked in Plymouth and Devonport, had his shop in Devonport from 1830 to 1851.

Reference: Gloria Clifton, Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 (London: National Maritime Museum, 1995), 69–70.

[v] Jason Clarke of Jason Clarke Antiques who kindly responded to my enquiry and permitted me to use his notes. https://jasonclarkeantiques.co.uk/

[vi] Royal Astronomical Society Volume 35 obituary.

[vii] https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-RGO-00005-00233/1

[viii] Royal Astronomical Society Volume 35 obituary.

[ix] Alan Partridge auction house: https://live.adampartridge.co.uk/m/view-auctions/catalog/id/17?cat=87&page=2

[x] Seen on Ret-on-the-Net: https://www.retonthenet.co.uk/.

[xi] Jason Clarke Antiques

[xii] Royal Astronomical Society Volume 35 obituary.

[xiii] JCA who points out that Coombes was advertising his business as having been established since 1806 but he was obviously using the Cox family’s earlier trading dates prior to the partnership to promote the longevity of his business. Records for the succeeding Coombes business prove that the business was still active in the 1930’s and was at some point between 1930 and 1950 formed into the partnership of Coombes and Jarvis. It is suggested that this firm was finally bought out by Dollond & Aitchison in the 1970’s which itself was finally amalgamated into the Boots Optician brand.

[xiv] https://jasonclarkeantiques.co.uk/ and antiques-atlas.com antique/cased_miniature_theodolite_by_cox_of_devonport/as542a640

[xv] https://live.adampartridge.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/17/lot/29625?url=%2Fm%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F17%3Fcat%3D87%26page%3D2. Sold in 2018 as part of the Reg Cheetham collection.

[xvi] https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/19th-century-telescope-c-cox-1775033650

[xvii] https://www.artfoxlive.com/product/5079111.html

[xviii] https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-382045

[xix] https://franksfisherman.com/product/w-c-cox-double-frame-sextant

[xx] https://oldsurveyinstruments.com/theo-cox

[xxi] https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-c-cox-davenport-boxwood-1991473419

[xxii] https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_904337

[xxiii] https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/victorian_rnli_life_buoy_marine_barometer/as521a1708

[xxiv] Jason Clarke Antiques (https://jasonclarkeantiques.co.uk/) and www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/three_draw_telescope_by_cox_of_devonport/as542a368

[xxv] https://www.charlesmillerltd.com/auction/lot/198-A-FINE-8IN-RADIUS-VERNIER-SEXTANT-BY-WILLIAM-CHARLES-COX-PLYMOUTH-CIRCA-1825/?lot=12901&sd=1

[xxvi] https://www.retonthenet.co.uk/antique-19th-century-marryat-flag-ships-telescope-by-william-charles-cox-devonport-england-nautical-5844-p.asp