Francis Augustus Cox

Francis Augustus Cox
in 1840 in the crowd at the conference
Born	1783 Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, UK
Died	1853 Hackney
Occupation	Baptist Preacher, Writer
Known for	History of the Baptists
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth King of Watford in 1809 Sarah Savery in 1821 Hephzibah Hannah Finch Jones in 1847.
Children	seven

Francis Augustus Cox (1783–1853) was a prominent English Baptist minister. He began preaching in his teens, before training, and was then a minister for over forty years in Hackney.

Cox was an active supporter of the formation of the University of London. He published numerous articles including a book of biographies and a history of the Baptist Missionary Society.

Cox was born in Leighton Buzzard in 1783 and he was baptised at the age of twelve. After some early preaching in his teens and schooling in Northampton and receiving a substantial inheritance from his grandfather he attended the Baptist College in Bristol. Cox became a Baptist minister after earning his M.A. at Edinburgh University.

In 1805 he was appointed minister in Clipston in Northamptonshire, before taking up a position at the impressive St Andrew's Street Church in Cambridge which dates from 1764. However Cox resigned in 1808 and returned to Clipston.

His congregation for 42 years was in Hackney where his church was eventually at Mare Street.

When the University of London was founded in 1828, he sat briefly on its committee, this may have been due to his active support for the formation of the University. He was also the librarian at the University for a short while.

He served as secretary of the Protestant Society for three years; and in a group of Protestant Dissenting Ministers.

He served on the committee for Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts which succeeded in 1829 of allowing Catholics to serve in parliament when the Catholic Relief Act was passed. In 1832 Cox was involved in trying to save the British and Foreign Seaman and Soldiers' Friend Society following a public scandal but resigned shortly after his appointment.

Cox received an LL.D degree from Glasgow University through his friendship with Lord Brougham and he was later made a Docter of Divinity by the "University of Waterville" whilst on a visit to America on behalf of the Baptists in 1838.