Eckley...?

Did you ever wonder where the name, Eckley, came from?  I have to admit I never gave it a thought until I was asked about it one day in some email.  Growing up near Eckley you tend to take it (Eckley) for granted.  Like the sky.  Its blue.  Always was.  Always will be.  You don't know why...it just is!  Just like Eckley. It was always Eckley and always will be.

Ok, so I am exaggerating a little.  I knew that the town of Eckley was named for Eckley Brinton Coxe but I didn't know how he got that name. To understand where it (the Eckley name) came from you have to trace the Coxe family ancestry back quite a few generations.  This turned out to be a very interesting project.  The Coxe family history is a study of American history and then some, but that will be a story for another day.  I will try to keep this as short as possible.

The parents of Eckley B. Coxe were Charles Sidney Coxe and Ann Maria Brinton.  Already you can see where his middle name, Brinton, came from.

Eckley's  paternal grandparents were Tench and Rebecca Coxe.  Tench was a delegate to the Continental Congress and was appointed to several important positions in government  by Thomas Jefferson.  Large tracts of coal lands in Luzerne, Carbon, Schuylkill, and Columbia Counties were acquired by Tench Coxe.

Tench Coxe's Parents were William Coxe and Mary (Francis) Coxe.

Finally, here is the answer to the question.  What question?  Oh, yes... "Where did the Eckley name come from?"  The parents of William Coxe were Colonel Daniel Coxe and Sarah Eckley  Coxe.

So now we know who Eckley B. Coxe was named after but now I'm wondering...WHY did they name the town of Eckley after Eckley B. Coxe?  They did, didn't they? And the answer is...

by Stacy's dad
More Coxe Info:

Daniel Coxe

Tench Coxe-William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, February 1999

Tench Coxe-The James Madison Research Library and Information Center

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