Irish surname search

MacQuilly, Cox


Although Cox is a common English name the great majority of our Irish Coxes are of native Irish stock, Cox (I.e. Cocks) being derived by translation from the Gaelic Mac an Choiligh (son of the cock), the alternative form in English being the phonetic MacQuilly. This sept is still more numerous in the county of its origin, viz. Co. Roscommon: they were corabs of St. Barry at Kilbarry in that county. There is another indigenous Irish surname Mac Conchoille, which has also been anglicized Cox in some parts of the country through a mistranslation - it is more often rendered as Woods meaning, as it does, son of the hound of the wood. Sir Richard Cox (1650-1733), though Irish, was an aggressive Protestant who espoused the Williamite cause: he was a judge and Governor of Cork, but was removed from the Privy Council because, in spite of his Protestantism, he opposed the violation of the Treaty of Limerick. He later became Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The only other Irish Cox of much note was Walter Cox (1770-1837), gunsmith and editor of extremist newspapers; he was resident for a time in New York.