A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cox, Douglas
COX. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 24; h-p., 23.)
Douglas Cox 1789, born about the year 1789, is son of an old officer in the army, who was severely wounded during the first American war, and died some years ago at Nova Scotia, holding a Staff appointment.
This officer entered the Navy, 6 May, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Boston 32, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, and for many months of 1801 was arduously employed blockading the French 36-gun frigate Semillante on the coast of North America. Joining, in Dec. 1804, the Circe 32, Capt. Jonas Rose, he sailed for the West Indies, where, after assisting at the capture of several heavy privateers, he removed, in July, 1806, to the Northumberland 74, flag-ship of Sir Alex. Cochrane, and was appointed, 12 March, 1807, Sub-Lieutenant of the Attentive gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Carr. In command of a jolly-boat belonging to the latter vessel, Mr. Cox, with only five hands, very dashingly boarded and carried, in a small harbour near Martinique, a large guardacosta of 2 long six-pounders and 35 men, although the whole of her crew, armed with muskets, were drawn up on the deck from stem to stern, ready to receive him. He also commanded on other equally successful cutting-out occasions, and bore a part in one or two stiff actions with privateers. Towards the close of 1807 he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Port d’Espagne 16, Capt. Jas. Pattison Stewart, on accompanying whom into the Snap 16, he witnessed the reduction of Martinique, and was officially promoted by commission dated 10 March, 1809. Continuing to serve in the same vessel with Capts. Thos. Barclay, Fras. Douglas, and Robt. Lisle Coulson, until Feb. 1811, we further discover Mr. Cox, besides contributing, as First Lieutenant, to the destruction of a merchantman under the fire of some batteries at Guadeloupe, co-operating in the capture of that island, and serving on shore with Brigadier-General Geo. Harcourt at the taking of St. Martin’s. He next cruized for a short time in the North Sea, on board the Lynx 18, Capt. Thos. Percival; and, from May, 1811, until July, 1814, again served with Capt. J. E. Douglas, in the Bellona 74, and Prince of Wales 98, latterly on the Mediterranean station, where he beheld the fall of Genoa, in April, 1814. He was afterwards appointed – 8 Aug. 1814, to the Alpheus 36, Capt. Geo. Langford, in which ship he visited the East Indies and China – and, 29 Jan. 1817, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Chas. Geo. Rodney Phillott, fitting for the Jamaica station. He was there promoted, 9 July following, to the command of the Shearwater sloop, which he brought home and paid off 17 April, 1820. Capt. Cox, who subsequently held an Inspectorship in the Coast Guard from 15 June, 1832, until the close of 1835, attained Post-rank 23 Nov. 1841. He is at present on half-pay.
He has been twice married, and has three children by his first marriage. His present wife was the widow of Commander Chas. Newton Hunter, R.N. Agents – Messrs. Chard.