Union Cemetery

Fox, Benjamin F

BORN: 1805
DIED: 2/1/1869
AGED: 64


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CURRENT EVENTS:
  • 1831 Reaper (Cyrus McCormick)
  • 1836 Revolver (Samuel Colt)
  • 1845 Texas annexed into U.S.
  • 1846 Mexican-American War
  • 1849 California Gold Rush
  • 1850 California became the 31st State
  • 1860 The Pony Express
  • 1861 Abraham Lincoln elected President
  • 1861 American Civil War
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  • 1866 Ku Klux Klan
  • 1869 National Woman Suffrage Assoc.
OBITUARY ---------------

BENJAMIN FOX

San Mateo County Gazette

Feb 6, 1869

Died at Redwood City February 1st Benjamin F. Fox, a native of New York, aged 64 years and 10 months.

"We are called upon this week to record the demise of one of San Mateo county's most prominent and respected citizens, that of Hon. Benj. F. Fox, who departed this life on last Monday morning at his residence in this town. Judge Fox was born in central New York in 1804, and was in his 65th year at the time of his death. He was reared in and near Buffalo, living with an elder brother who was a lawyer of considerable prominence. In 1826 he removed to the then wilds of Michigan, where he married Betsy Crane in the following year - who still survives him. About this time, he happened one day to be present in a Magistrate's Court, in which a poor widow was about to be tried upon some criminal charge, and she being without counsel, and the Judge being satisfied that a great injustice was about to be done the widow, volunteered to defend her, which in done with such skill and ability that she was acquitted. From that time, his appearance as consul in the inferior courts of his county was quite frequent - and almost invariably on the side of the oppressed, it makig no difference with him whether they had money or not. he was frequently advised by his friends to be admitted to the bar and make the practice of the law his profession, but he declined to do so. In 1848 he was elected a member or the legislature of Michigan, in which body he soon became a prominent member. He was an able and ready debater - never at a loss for language with which to express his ideas clearly and forcibly.

In l850 he came overland to California and with others was caught by the snow in the Sierras, where they suffered from cold and starvation to such an extent that several of the party died, and those that survived were many months in recovering from the effects or their sufferings.

In 1853 the Judge returned East and brought his family to California, and settled in San Mateo county, where he continued to reside up to the time of his death.

Upon the organization of San Mateo county in 1856, he was elected County Judge, which position he occupied for four years.

A few years ago he received a stroke of Paralysis from which he never fully recovered.

He leaves a widow, four sons and °daughters, surviving him: he was the father of C. N. Fox of the firm of Campbell, Fox & Camp- bell of San Francisco; of George W. Fox, District Attorney of this county; of Benj F. Fox ,Lieutenant in the U. S. Army; and C. P. Fox of this place; one of the daughters, Mrs Quigley, resides at La Porte, Plumas County, in this state; the other, Mrs Palmer, lives at Gilroy.

The funeral of deceased took place on inst Wednesday afternoon, and although the weather was unfavorable, the people generally turned out to pay the last sad tribute of respect to the remains of him who they had known so long. Religious services were held at the Congregational Church, Rev. Mr. Henderson , (Baptist) of San Josee preaching the funeral discourse, after which the body was taken in charge by Bay View Lodge No 109, I.O.O.F., of which the deceased was a member, and conveyed to the Cemetary, wheere the funeral ceremonies of the Order were performed. Judge Fox was a man of positive opinions - stronly attached to his friends, and equally inflexible agains his enemies, which some may consider a fault, while others think it a virtue. But few men have less faults, and but few possess more virtues, than did the deceased.

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