James Charles Cox
Encyclopedia
James Charles Cox was an Australia
n physician
and conchologist.
Cox was born at Mulgoa
, southwest of Sydney
where he played with Aboriginal
children and leared from them about native birds and animals. He was educated at the local parish school and the King's School
, Parramatta
. He was apprenticed to be a physician for three years and learned dispensing at the Sydney Infirmary
, acted as a clinical clerk, assisted at post mortems and was present at one of the first operations using chloroform
in 1852. He became an assistant to Professor John Smith, the foundation professor of chemistry and experimental physics at the University of Sydney
at its original site near Hyde Park
, now occupied by Sydney Grammar School
and established what became the Sydney Museum
next door. He earned an M.D.
in 1857 and F.R.C.S. in 1858 at the University of Edinburgh
. He married Margaret Wharton in September 1858 and they eventually had four sons and six daughters, one of whom married Montague Bertie, 12th Earl of Lindsey
. He was registered as a medical practitioner in New South Wales in February 1859 and developed a lucrative private practice in Sydney.
Cox retained an interest in nature he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales
(then the Philosophical Society) in 1859. He was first president of the New South Wales Board of Fisheries and first secretary of the Entomological Society (later the Linnean Society of New South Wales
), both in 1862. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London
in 1868. He was a trustee of the Sydney Museum and left it his collection of land shells. His wrote extensively in the journals of these societies on the conchology of Australia and Melanesia
.
Cox's first wife died in 1876 and he married Mary Frances in 1878 who died in 1902. He married Emma soon after and they had one daughter. He died in the Sydney suburb of Mosman
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and conchologist.
Cox was born at Mulgoa
Mulgoa, New South Wales
Mulgoa is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mulgoa is located 66 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
, southwest of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
where he played with Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
children and leared from them about native birds and animals. He was educated at the local parish school and the King's School
The King's School, Sydney
The King's School is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school for boys in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831, it is Australia's oldest school and forms one of the nine "Great Public Schools" of New South Wales. Situated within a site, Gowan Brae,...
, Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
. He was apprenticed to be a physician for three years and learned dispensing at the Sydney Infirmary
Sydney Hospital
Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first received the name Sydney Hospital in 1881.Currently...
, acted as a clinical clerk, assisted at post mortems and was present at one of the first operations using chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
in 1852. He became an assistant to Professor John Smith, the foundation professor of chemistry and experimental physics at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
at its original site near Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Sydney
Hyde Park is a large park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Hyde Park is on the eastern side of the Sydney central business district. It is the southernmost of a chain of parkland that extends north to the shore of Port Jackson . It is approximately rectangular in shape, being squared at the...
, now occupied by Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and established what became the Sydney Museum
Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology, and anthropology...
next door. He earned an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1857 and F.R.C.S. in 1858 at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. He married Margaret Wharton in September 1858 and they eventually had four sons and six daughters, one of whom married Montague Bertie, 12th Earl of Lindsey
Montague Bertie, 12th Earl of Lindsey
Montague Peregrine Albemarle Bertie, 12th Earl of Lindsey, DL , styled Lord Bertie from 1877 until 1899, was an English nobleman, the only son of Montague Bertie, 11th Earl of Lindsey....
. He was registered as a medical practitioner in New South Wales in February 1859 and developed a lucrative private practice in Sydney.
Cox retained an interest in nature he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales
Royal Society of New South Wales
The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821...
(then the Philosophical Society) in 1859. He was first president of the New South Wales Board of Fisheries and first secretary of the Entomological Society (later the Linnean Society of New South Wales
Linnean Society of New South Wales
The Linnean Society of New South Wales promotes the Cultivation and Study of the Science of Natural History in all its Branches and was founded in Sydney, New South Wales in 1874 and incorporated in 1884. It succeeded the Entomological Society of New South Wales, founded in 1862 and folded in...
), both in 1862. He was elected a fellow of the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
in 1868. He was a trustee of the Sydney Museum and left it his collection of land shells. His wrote extensively in the journals of these societies on the conchology of Australia and Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
.
Cox's first wife died in 1876 and he married Mary Frances in 1878 who died in 1902. He married Emma soon after and they had one daughter. He died in the Sydney suburb of Mosman
Mosman, New South Wales
Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Mosman.-Localities:In February...
.
External links
- Works by James Charles Cox at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...