James Cox (11 October 1846, in Snodshill in Chiseldon, Wiltshire, England – 19 July 1925, in Greytown, New Zealand) was an English office worker and later a New Zealand flax worker, swagman (itinerant labourer), and agricultural worker. He is remembered because of his extensive diary.
Cox in 1921
Cox was the son of a prosperous small farmer. He became a clerical assistant for the Great Western Railway Company. When in 1880 his mother sold the family farm (Cox was then 34, single, and living with his mother), he emigrated from England to New Zealand, living in Christchurch, New Zealand until 1888 and thereafter in the North Island, where he worked in a flax mill. The mill closed in 1890 and thereafter Cox lived a hand-to-mouth existence, a hard life of vagrancy, intermittent and arduous labour, and poverty.[1][2] He was buried in an unmarked grave, but a headstone was placed for him at Greytown Cemetery in 2013.[3]
After 1888, he kept a very detailed diary, the surviving portion being about 800,000 words. The diary offers a unique and valuable account of New Zealand working class life of the period.[1] Miles Fairburn wrote a 1995 book, Nearly Out of Heart and Hope, based on Cox's diaries.[4] Cox's dairies were featured in the 2013 exhibition "Logs to blogs" at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.[2][5]
Cox was the cousin of nature writer Richard Jefferies; as teens, Cox and Jefferies set off on an unsuccessful adventure, first planning to walk to Moscow and, this having failed, to sail to America, which also proved impossible.[1][6][7]
^ abDavid Colquhoun (12 September 2013). "Logs to blogs – exhibition to ebook". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^Christine Clement. "Book..." Sooty's Home Page. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^Danny Yee (2006). "Nearly Out of Heart and Hope: The Puzzle of a Colonial Labourer's Diary – Miles Fairburn". Danny Yee's Book Reviews. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^"Logs to blogs opens". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^Besant, W. (1888). The Eulogy of Richard Jefferies (Fourth impression (1905) ed.). London: Chatto and Windus. pp. 50–53.
^Thomas, E. (1909). Richard Jefferies: His Life and Work. London: Hutchinson. pp. 46–47.
External linksedit
Cox's Twitter feed
Further readingedit
Cox, James, 1846-1925 : Diaries MS-0621-0655, National Library of New Zealand
Fairburn, Miles (1995). Nearly Out of Heart and Hope: The Puzzle of a Colonial Labourer's Diary. Auckland University Press. ISBN978-1869401184.
April 14, 2024
james, labourer, james, october, 1846, snodshill, chiseldon, wiltshire, england, july, 1925, greytown, zealand, english, office, worker, later, zealand, flax, worker, swagman, itinerant, labourer, agricultural, worker, remembered, because, extensive, diary, 19. James Cox 11 October 1846 in Snodshill in Chiseldon Wiltshire England 19 July 1925 in Greytown New Zealand was an English office worker and later a New Zealand flax worker swagman itinerant labourer and agricultural worker He is remembered because of his extensive diary Cox in 1921Cox was the son of a prosperous small farmer He became a clerical assistant for the Great Western Railway Company When in 1880 his mother sold the family farm Cox was then 34 single and living with his mother he emigrated from England to New Zealand living in Christchurch New Zealand until 1888 and thereafter in the North Island where he worked in a flax mill The mill closed in 1890 and thereafter Cox lived a hand to mouth existence a hard life of vagrancy intermittent and arduous labour and poverty 1 2 He was buried in an unmarked grave but a headstone was placed for him at Greytown Cemetery in 2013 3 After 1888 he kept a very detailed diary the surviving portion being about 800 000 words The diary offers a unique and valuable account of New Zealand working class life of the period 1 Miles Fairburn wrote a 1995 book Nearly Out of Heart and Hope based on Cox s diaries 4 Cox s dairies were featured in the 2013 exhibition Logs to blogs at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington 2 5 Cox was the cousin of nature writer Richard Jefferies as teens Cox and Jefferies set off on an unsuccessful adventure first planning to walk to Moscow and this having failed to sail to America which also proved impossible 1 6 7 References edit a b c Fairburn Miles James Cox Dictionary of New Zealand Biography Ministry for Culture and Heritage Retrieved 1 December 2011 a b David Colquhoun 12 September 2013 Logs to blogs exhibition to ebook National Library of New Zealand Retrieved 9 May 2014 Christine Clement Book Sooty s Home Page Retrieved 9 May 2014 Danny Yee 2006 Nearly Out of Heart and Hope The Puzzle of a Colonial Labourer s Diary Miles Fairburn Danny Yee s Book Reviews Retrieved 9 May 2014 Logs to blogs opens National Library of New Zealand Retrieved 9 May 2014 Besant W 1888 The Eulogy of Richard Jefferies Fourth impression 1905 ed London Chatto and Windus pp 50 53 Thomas E 1909 Richard Jefferies His Life and Work London Hutchinson pp 46 47 External links editCox s Twitter feedFurther reading editCox James 1846 1925 Diaries MS 0621 0655 National Library of New Zealand Fairburn Miles 1995 Nearly Out of Heart and Hope The Puzzle of a Colonial Labourer s Diary Auckland University Press ISBN 978 1869401184 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Cox labourer amp oldid 1210740902, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
