SMC Families - The Fox Family

Benjamin F. Fox figures in the early history of San Mateo County in that he was the judge that oversaw the second election (April 1857) in which Redwood City was declared the county seat.  The first election had been declared invalid after it was proven that an organized crime group had manipulated the vote.

Benjamin, who served as San Mateo county's first superior court judge from 1856 to 1860, was considered to be an honest. Benjamin was born in New York in 1804.  He moved to Michigan in 1826 and served in the Michigan State legislature for over 25 years.  In 1850 he traveled to California and in 1853 brought his family. They settled in Redwood City. He died in 1869 and is buried in Union Cemetery.  Obituary 


 Besides his widow, Betsey Crane, who he had married in Michigan, Benjamin left the following Children:

• Charles N.     Charles was a lawyer with the firm of Campbell, Fox & Campbell of San Francisco.  bio  Charles m. 1st Celestia Taylor in 1856 in MI. She died in 1859. They are buried in Union Cemetery. Charles married 2 Lucy Taylor in 1860.  She died in 1864 and he married Mary Schwartz Rice later that year.  The family had moved to Oakland by 1880.
• Hattie d. 1859 or earlier
• Lucy d. 1859 or earlier
• Minnie b. 1860 
• dau. d. 1861
• George B. 1861-1893
• Anna Miriam d. 1863
• Capitola Comfort d. 1863
• Charles N. d. 1865
• Mary 1866-1934 m. Roscoe Spaulding Gray 1887 in Oakland
• Ida F b. 1869
• George W. (1839-1899) George served for many years as District attorney of San Mateo County.  obituary  Bio George married Sarah T. Donald in 1864 and had 
• Claudius b. @1866  m. Harriet Bement 1890 d. 1933
• Parker 1867-1874 
• Zoe  b. @1870 m. Fayette Thorpe 1892
• Ethel Belle b, @1878
• Beatrice  b. @ 1881 B m Charles Dimmit 1914
• Benjamin F.  at the time of his father's death was a Lt. in the U.S. Army. He married Ella Wynn in 1869 
• Chester P. (1840-1885) During his life C.P. worked as a farmer, a driver for the Overland State company, a guard at San Quentin, and for the Northern Pacific Express Co. Obituary 
• Sarah E. m. Andrew Jackson Quigley. They lived in La Porte, Plumas County
• Nancy m. Samuel Palmer They were living in Gilroy when her father died and in San Benito in 1870.

There were other early Foxes in San Mateo county, many might be connected to this family including George Williams (1816-1867) who is also buried in Union Cemetery.

 

 For more on the Fox Family and sources for above information see: 

• Historic Union Cemetery  
• History of San Mateo County, California, including its geography, topography, geology, climatography, and description, together with an historical sketch of California; a record of the Mexican grants; the early history and settlement, compiled from the most authentic sources; some of the names of Spanish and American pioneers; legislative history; a record of its cities and towns; biographical sketches of representative men; etc., etc 1883 BF Alley 
• San Mateo County Marriages (search for Fox)
• Index to San Mateo County Times Gazette (see Fox)
• San Mateo County Index to Schellens (allow plenty of time to search this collection at the SMCGS library)
• You will find many entries in the land and other records for the county.