Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Cox, George William
COX, GEORGE (called Sir GEORGE) WILLIAM (1827–1902), historical writer, born at Benares on 10 Jan. 1827, was eldest son of the six children of Captain George Hamilton Cox (d. 1841), of the East India Company's service, and Eliza Kearton, daughter of John Home, planter, of St. Vincent in the West Indies. A brother, Colonel Edmund Henry Cox of the royal marine artillery, fired the first shot against Sevastopol in the Crimean war. Sent to England in 1836, Cox attended a preparatory school at Bath and the grammar school, Ilminster. In August 1842 he was admitted to Rugby under A. C. Tait [q. v.]. In 1843 Cox won the senior school scholarship at Rugby, and in 1845 he was elected scholar of Trinity College, Oxford. Although he obtained only a second class in the final classical school in 1848, his scholarship was commended by the examiners. He both graduated B.A. and proceeded M.A. in 1859. The Oxford movement excited Cox's sympathy, and in 1850 he was ordained by Dr. Wilberforce, bishop of Oxford. After serving a curacy at Salcombe Regis, he resigned owing to ill - health, and in 1851 accepted the post of English chaplain at Gibraltar. But Cox's high church views, which coloured his 'Life of Boniface' in 1853, met with the disapproval of his bishop, Dr. Tomlinson, and he gladly embraced the opportunity of accompanying John William Colenso [q. v.] on his first visit to South Africa as bishop of Natal (1853-4). On his return to England he became curate of St. Paul's, Exeter, in 1854 and for a year (1859-60) he was a master at Cheltenham.
Meanwhile Cox's religious principles completely changed, largely under the influence of historical study. An article in the 'Edinburgh Review' (January 1858) on Milman's 'History of Latin Christianity' illustrates the development of his views on broad church lines, He ardently supported Bishop Colenso in his stand for liberal criticism of the scriptures and in his struggle over his episcopal status in South Africa. He defended Colenso in a long correspondence with F. D. Maurice [q. v.], and warmly supported the bishop during his sojourn in England (1863-5). Cox's association with Colenso gave him abundant material for his life of the bishop, which he published in 1888. In the same year he issued a last vindication of Colenso, in 'The Church of England and the Teaching of Bishop Colenso,' maintaining Colenso's loyalty to the church.
Throughout his life Cox was largely occupied by literary or historical work of varied kinds. His earliest volume, 'Poems Legendary and Historical' (1850), was written in collaboration with his friend E. A. Freeman [q. v. Suppl. I]. From 1861 to 1885 he was literary adviser to Messrs. Longmans & Co., and for many years he was engaged in writing historical works of popular character. These included 'The Great Persian War' (1861), 'Latin and Teutonic Christendom' (1870), 'The Crusades' (1874), 'The Greeks and the Persians' (1876), 'The Athenian Empire' (1876), 'History of the Establishment of British Rule in India' (1881), 'Lives of Greek Statesmen' (2 vols. 1886), 'A Concise History of England' (1887). His most elaborate work was a well-written 'History of Greece' (2 vols. 1874), which, largely based on Grote, has long since been superseded. He showed to best advantage in the study of mythology, where he followed Max Müller with some independence. His 'Tales from Greek Mythology' (1861), 'A Manual of Mythology' (1867), 'The Mythology of the Aryan Nations' (1870; new edit. 1882), and 'An Introduction to the Science of Comparative Mythology' (1881), all enjoyed a wide vogue, although they pressed to extravagant limits the solar and nebular theory of the origin of myths. He was a frequent contributor to the leading reviews, and joint editor with William Thomas Brande [q. v.] of the 'Dictionary of Science, Literature, and Art' (3 vols. 1865-7; new edit. 1875).
In 1877 Cox claimed to succeed to the baronetcy of Cox of Dunmanway, which had been granted to Sir Richard Cox [q. v.] in 1706. He believed himself to be the heir male of William the eighth son of the first baronet. On the death in 1873 of a distant cousin, Sir Francis Hawtrey Cox, the twelfth baronet, the title had been treated by the Ulster office of arms as extinct. Nevertheless it was then assumed by Cox's uncle, Colonel (Sir) Edmund Cox, on whose death in 1877 Cox adopted the titular prefix. His right to the dignity was disallowed after his death by a committee of the privy council on 9 Nov. 1911, when his son and heir, Mr. Edmund Charles Cox, petitioned for recognition as a baronet. The petition was opposed by one who asserted descent from the eldest son of the first baronet.
In 1880 Cox was appointed vicar of Bekesbourne by A. C. Tait, archbishop of Canterbury, and from 1881 to 1897 he was rector of the crown living of Scrayingharn, Yorkshire. In 1886 he was chosen bishop of Natal by the adherents of Colenso, but was refused consecration by Archbishop Benson owing to his election being unacceptable to the high church party (A. C. Benson, Life of Edward White Benson, 1899, p. 500). On 18 May 1896 he received a civil list pension of 120l. He died at Ivy House, Walmer, on 9 Feb. 1902, His ashes were buried after cremation at Long Cross, Chertsey. Cox married in 1850 Emily Maria, daughter of Lieutenant-colonel W. Stirling (d. 1898) of the East India Company's service. He had five sons and two daughters. His eldest surviving son, Edmund Charles Cox, at the time district superintendent of police at Poona, was the unsuccessful claimant to the baronetcy.
[The Times, 11 Feb. 1902; Sir Frederick Maurice, Life of F. D. Maurice, 1884, ii. 449; Dean Stephens, Life of Edward A. Freeman, 1895, i. 84, 128; Men of the Time, 1899; Foster's Baronetage, Chaos, 1882; Public Men at Home and Abroad; private information.]