Dr James Ernest Cox of Methven Castle^1,2

Parents:

• (Child) Birth*: Dr James Ernest Cox of Methven Castle was born in 1877 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, .²
• He was the son of Edward Cox of Cardean and Ada Mary Stitt.^3,4
• (Deceased) Death*: Dr James Ernest Cox of Methven Castle died on 17 July 1950 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, , First name(s)     James Ernest
  Last name     Cox
  Sex     Male
  Age     73
  Birth year     1877
  Death year     1950
  Death date     17 Jul 1950
  Place     Dundee
  Periodical     Courier & Advertiser
  Publication Year     1950
  Publication date     18 Jul 1950
  Page     6
  County     Forfarshire (Angus)
  Country     Scotland
  Event Type     Obituary
  Record set     Scotland, Newspaper Death Reports & Obituaries
  Category     Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
  Subcategory     Parish Burials
  Collections from     Great Britain, Scotland.⁵
• Obituary: The obituary of Dr James Ernest Cox of Methven Castle was was published on 18 July 1950 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, . COX - On July 17, 1950, at Methven Castle, James Ernest Cox, LL.D, of Methven Castle and Cardean, Perthshire, aged 73 years. Service at St Ninnian's Cathedral, Perth, at 2.30 pm, on Thurs., July 20th. Interment following at Meigle.⁵

• Newspaper Article*: He was mentioned in a newspaper article MOTOR SCORCHING.
  Dundee Manufacturer Charged.
  VIGILANT MEN IN BLUE.
  Of late numerous complaints have been received by the county police in the neighbourhood of Dundee in regard to the high rate of speed at which motor cars are being driven over the roads, and as the result of increased watchfulness on the part of the men in blue James Ernest Cox, manufacturer, Lyndhurst, Lochee was charged with driving a motor car at a rate beyond the twenty-mile speed limit. Mr Cox appeared in the Sheriff Court yesterday - before Sheriff Campbell Smith, and as it was the first case of the kind in this district great interest was evinced in the proceedings.
  BREACH OF MOTOR CAR ACT.
  The charge against Mr Cox was 10th June last, on the public highway leading between Dundee and Coupar Angus, and particularly at a part in the parish of Liff and Benvie between the fourth and fifth milestones from Dundee, he being the driver of a motor car, drove at the rate of thirty miles per hour, being a speed exceeding twenty miles per hour, contrary to the Motor Car Act, 1903, whereby accused is liable to a fine not exceeding £10.
  Mr Cox, who pleaded not guilty, was represented by Mr John M. Hendry, solicitor.
  A MILE IN TWO MINUTES.
  James Henderson, constable, stationed at Birkhill Feus, stated, in answer to the Procurator Fiscal, that several complaints had recently been received about the rate at which motor cars were being driven in the district. Amongst others, complaints had been made regarding Mr Cox. He had timed Mr Cox's car himself on several occasions, and in consequence of what he discovered he decided to test the matter in a more thorough manner. On Thursday, 9th June, he arranged together with Constable David Morris to time Mr Cox's car. On the following day he went in company with Morris to that part of the Dundee and Coupar Angus Road where they could see fifty yards past the fourth milestone and about 155 yards past the fifth milestone. Both their watches were set to the same time, and both had second hands. They commenced their vigil about four o’clock in the afternoon, and at exactly 4.27 Mr Cox’s car came in sight travelling in the direction of Coupar Angus. The second hand of his watch was pointing at sixty, and the car disappeared from view beyond the milestone at 4.29, the distance of over a mile having been covered in a exactly two minutes. Mr James E. Cox was accompanied in the car by Mr Cox of Cardean and a chauffeur, who was seated at the back. Mr James Cox was driving the car.
  Cross-examined by Mr Hendry, witnesses said that his watch was not a stop-watch, but it kept very good time. As the motor car passed him he and his companion stepped a little forward from the side of the road in order to let the driver of the motor car see them.
  There were number of carts on the road. He heard Mr Cox change the gear of the motor car as he passed, and he certain that the speed was thereby slackened.
  Constable David Morris corroborated the evidence of the former witness.
  This closed the evidence for the prosecution.
  NO SPEED INDICATOR
  James Ernest Cox was the first witness the defence. In reply to Mr Hendry, he stated that at the time in question he not driving fast. His father, who accompanied him, would have objected, as he disliked fast driving. He did not change the gear when he passed the constables. He was certain that the car was not running at a speed exceeding twenty miles per hours. It was impossible, considering the condition of the road, that he could have travelled at a speed of twenty miles per hour.
  Cross-examined, witness stated that his car was constructed to go at a speed of forty miles per hour, but he had never driven so fast as that. He had taken no means to test the speed at which he travelled. He thought that a person who had driven a motor car 4000 or 5000 miles would know at what rate of speed he was travelling. His car had not a speed indicator.
  Mr Edward Cox of Cardean deponed that he did not think the car was travelling over twenty miles per hour. Personally he had the gravest objection to fast driving, and his sons and friends knew that.
  Chas. Ower, member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, gave evidence as to the character of the road over which the motor car was timed. He denied the statement made by the constables that they could see 150 yards beyond the fifth milestone. He thought it impossible to time the speed of a motor car with an ordinary watch. It would require a man at the place of starting and at the finishing point, both with stopwatches, to take the time accurately.
  STOP WATCHES REQUISITE
  Arthur James Ramsay stated that he frequently acted as an official timekeeper at sporting events, and he was convinced that the constables could not have kept the correct time without stop watches, and he exhibited and explained to his Lordship a stopwatch belonging to himself.
  Thomas Shaw, motor agent, also said that stop watches were absolutely necessary for the correct timing of any speed event. The portion of the road passed over by Mr Cox's car when it was timed by the police men was not in good condition for rapid driving
  This concluded the evidence.
  WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES
  His Lordship and that what the law required in a case of that kind was evidence which would leave no room for reasonable doubt. He did not think the charge had been proved by conclusive evidence. He did not impute any intentional dishonesty against the policemen, but they went there expressly to get a conviction if they could, and when men wanted to obtain a conviction they were more easily satisfied with evidence than men who went to look on impartially. He thought it very peculiar that the out should have come exactly at 4 27, and disappeared two minutes later. The policemen were so many hundred yards distant from according to their idea the car was not going think they could time its approach to a second. He had not the shadow of a doubt that according to their idea, the car was not going at thirty miles an hour, or even at twenty miles an hour. He would doubt the word of half-a-dozen policemen rather than doubt the intelligence of two intelligent men.
  He found the charge not proved. on 30 July 1904 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, .⁵
• (Witness) Probate: He witnessed the probate of the estate of Edward Cox of Cardean and Ada Mary Stitt on 25 June 1913 at London, England, ; Cox, Edward of Carden, Meigle, Perthshire, died 11 March 1913, Confirmation of Ada Mary Stitt or Cox, James Ernest Cox merchant. John Arthur Cox and John Wtson.⁶

Census & Directory Entries

Member of Household	3 April 1881	They was listed as a member of the household of Edward Cox of Cardean and Ada Mary Stitt in the 1881 census at 18 Windsor Street, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, ; Edward     Cox     Head     Married     Male     30     1851     M A Spinner & Manufr Of Jute     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Ada M     Cox     Wife     Married     Female     26     1855     -     England James E     Cox     Son     -     Male     4     1877     -     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland John A     Cox     Son     -     Male     2     1879     -     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Helen     Kennedy     Servant     Unmarried     Female     42     1839     Cook     Fowlis Wester, Perthshire, Scotland Margaret     Jack     Servant     Unmarried     Female     34     1847     House & Table Maid     Banffshire, Scotland Jane W     Robertson     Servant     Unmarried     Female     22     1859     Nurse     Wemyss, Fife, Scotland.7
Member of Household	31 March 1901	They was listed as a member of the household of Edward Cox of Cardean and Ada Mary Stitt in the 1901 census at Cardean House, Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland, ; Edward     Cox     Head     Married     Male     50     1851     Jute Manufacturer     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Ada Mary     Cox     Wife     Married     Female     46     1855     -     England James Ernest     Cox     Son     Single     Male     24     1877     Jute Manufacturer     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland John Arthur     Cox     Son     Single     Male     22     1879     Jute Manufacturer     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Hilda Mary     Cox     Daughter     Single     Female     19     1882     -     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Irene Mildred     Cox     Daughter     -     Female     14     1887     Scholar     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Beatrice Emily     Cox     Daughter     -     Female     10     1891     Scholar     Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland Louisa Malcolm     Watt     Governess     Single     Female     41     1860     Governess (Domestic)     Haddington, Haddingtonshire (East Lothian), Scotland Christina     McBain     Servant     Single     Female     34     1867     Cook (Domestic)     Boyndie, Banffshire, Scotland Annie     McInnes     Servant     Widow     Female     49     1852     Laundry Maid (Domestic)     Argyllshire, Scotland Charlotte Doig     Summers     Servant     Single     Female     25     1876     Sewing Maid (Domestic)     Fife, Scotland Agnes     Crabbe     Servant     Single     Female     21     1880     House Maid Domestic     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Bessie     Boath     Servant     Single     Female     29     1872     Table Maid (Domestic)     Forfar, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Mary     Cameron     Servant     Single     Female     22     1879     Housemaid (Domestic)     Dundee, Forfarshire (Angus), Scotland Lily     Lindsay     Servant     Single     Female     19     1882     Kitchenmaid (Domestic)     Argyllshire, Scotland.2