We wouldn't normally write up about someone unless we had personally checked the records to verify the information. We're adding this because it makes such a great story, and as we've been concentrating on the women in the family in the last few months, we wanted to add this in this update to the website. It's interesting that the following account, about Philadelphia's illegitimate birth and her supposed father, was written in 1823, when Philadelphia Ward nee Cox was still alive. If the information we've received is correct, Philadelphia Cox was Colin's Great Great Great Grandmother.

Dunkin (local historian from Bicester, Oxfordshire) wrote a history of the Ploughley Hundred in 1823, his entry for Weston includes the following:

"The honourable Peregrine Bertie, born March 13 1741, early selecting a maritime life, regularly passed through the subordinate stations of midshipman, lieutenant, etc till, on Nov 6 1762, he was appointed a captain of the Shannon. Having obtained considerable reputation, he was elected MP for the city of Oxford AD 1774, and retained the office till his death Aug 20 1790, when having no issue, he left Weston and his other estates to Willoughby, fourth earl of Abingdon, during his life, and devised them after his decease to the second surviving son of that nobleman, and his heirs, so that they should not become the property of the heir to the Abingdon estates, unless there was only one son in existence. ( By his testament dated Jan 20 1790 Peregrine Bertie of Weston directs his body to be buried in the church of that village, and a monument, whereon should be carved the representation of a ship, and a quadrant and compass, proper for a naval officer, with a suitable inscription to his memory, to be fixed to the wall of the said church, as near the spot where he should be laid as possible. He then appropriates his personal property to the payment of his debts, and the following legacies and annuities. To Lord Wenman and Philip Stapleton, whom he constitutes joint executors £5 each; to Elizabeth Cox, his servant, an annuity of £25 during her life; to Philadelphia Cox, her daughter, an annuity of £50; and to Elizabeth his wife, an annuity of £250 together with his household furniture at Fitzham; further directing, that in case his personal property should be found insufficient for the payment of the aforesaid debts, legacies, and annuities, the latter should be charged on his manors and estates at Weston, Chesterton, Bletchingdon etc and in case the payment of any of these annuities should be withheld beyond a stated period, he empowers the several annuitants to seize upon the said estates, and hold them until such sums are paid. The aforesaid manors and estates he gives to Willoughby Earl of Abingdon during life, and at his death directs that they shall become the property of the second son of the said earl, and his heirs; but if the second son should become the heir of the said earl, then the beforementioned manors and estates shall become the property of the heir to the title and estate of the said earl. But if all the youngest sons of the aforesaid earl should die without issue male, then the heir shall inherit; and if there is no son, the daughters of the earl shall inherit, share and share alike. The will was proved 23 Sept 1790. - The neighbourhood of Weston was greatly surprised at Capt Bertie's slender provision for Philadelphia Cox, whom he had always acknowledged as his daughter, and introduced into the best company, especially when they observed into what distress she was plunged after his death. She subsequently married one Ward, a farmer. - Mrs Bertie's maiden name was Hitchens. )"

Philadelphia married John Ward in 1807 in Weston on the Green, Oxfordshire. They had eight children. The first five were born in Weston on the Green, then the family seem to have moved to Noke in 1819 where the last three were born.

The above information was sent to us by Colin's distant cousin in Canada, Eleanor Collins. In her family, there was a tradition that a distant ancestress had had to wait on her own family. This was always spoken of in hushed, shamed terms. Eleanor then started to research her family history and came across Philadelphia Cox's story, and the family rumours made sense. As her mother was a servant in the house, it's quite likely that after her father's death, Philadelphia would have become a servant - to her own family.