Charles Cox (brewer)
Sir Charles Cox | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1660 |
| Died | 1729 |
| Occupation(s) | Brewer, politician |
| Years active | 1695–1712 (Member of Parliament) |
| Known for | Serving as Whig MP for Southwark; accommodating German Protestant refugees; High Sheriff of Surrey (1717–18) |
Sir Charles Cox (1660–1729) was an English brewer who served as a Whig Member of Parliament representing Southwark from 1695 until 1712. His period in office initiated a legacy of brewers holding parliamentary seats for Southwark.
In 1709, Cox accommodated approximately fourteen hundred German Protestant refugees from the Palatinate ("Palatines") by offering them warehouse space, which led local inhabitants to petition Parliament for their eviction.
After the death of Queen Anne in 1714, Cox took a leading role in escorting the Duke of Marlborough's procession through London, an event noted in satirical works of the time. Soon thereafter, a fire at one of his warehouses inflicted considerable financial damage. He held the position of High Sheriff of Surrey during 1717–18 but suffered severe monetary losses due to the collapse of the South Sea Bubble in 1720.
It was disclosed after his death, in 1734, that Cox had committed bigamy.