Coxe, William (1)

an English author and divine, was born in Dover Street, Piccadilly, London, March 7, 1747. He was educated at Eton, and at King's College, Cambridge. In 1768 he was chosen a fellow of the latter; and during his residence at the university distinguished himself by his classical attainments, twice gaining the bachelor's prize for the best Latin dissertation.

He was ordained, and appointed curate of Denham in 1771; rector of Bemerton in 1788; canon-residentiary of Salisbury in 1803; and archdeacon of Wilts in 1805 which office he held till his death, June 8, 1828. Mr. Coxe, as tutor to the sons of several noblemen, spent, at various times, many years on the Continent, where he neglected no opportunity of collecting information about the countries which he visited. The result appeared in many volumes of travels and history, all of which are characterized by close observation, care, and research. Archdeacon Coxe published, also, several large topographical works, besides some of a religious character. A set of his historical works and travels is published in twenty-four volumes, imperial quarto. See The (Lond.) Annual Register, 1828, page 237; Hart, Manual of Eng. Literature; Allibone, Dic. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.