John C. Cox

(Born: November 3, 1790 - Died: January 9, 1872)

The 1840-1842 Philadelphia Directories list a John C. Cox as a merchant, living at 177 1/2 High Street. (High Street was officially renamed Market Street in 1858. In 1840, the lower end of High Street ran parallel to Arch Street, which is the address noted on Poe’s letter.) No John C. Cox is listed in 1839 or 1837. (There is no directory for 1838.) This gentleman is tentatively identified as John Charles Cox, Sr. He married Mary Morton Chaloner (1794-1868) on October 19, 1819. They had at least five children, only two of whom lived into adulthood. (His oldest son, John Charles Cox, Jr., was born about August 15, 1825 and died in 1915 at 89. He was married on Oct. 25, 1866 to Amanda Steward Savage. Clearly, Poe was unlikely to be corresponding with, and borrowing money from, a 13 year old in 1838.)