William Cox: Explorer, Roadmaker, Builder, and Grazier

[William Cox, 1764 (Dorset) - 1837 (Windsor, NSW): Explorer, roadmaker, builder & grazier], A lease dated August 1833 between 'William Cox of Clarendon' and John Forrester for 'Five acres of Land at the Cornwallis' which was in the District of Windsor, bounded 'on the North by the River Hawkesbury..'. The document is signed by Cox and Forrester. In January 1837 the lease is transferred to James Upton 'with the consent of Mr Laban White' and signed by all parties. William Cox had received the first grant of land west of the mountains, 2000 acres (809 ha) across the river from Bathurst which he called Hereford. Although neither he nor his sons made it their home, they ran sheep there for some time. About 1810 they had taken up land in the Mulgoa Valley where three of his sons lived for many years. Later in the Mudgee district his sons and grandsons formed studs from William's flocks which became famous for the fine quality of their wool. His large estate at Clarendon near Windsor had all the appearance of a self-contained village. Over fifty convict servants acted as smiths, tanners, harness makers, wool sorters, weavers, butchers, tailors and herdsmen. Cox had steadily improved his flocks, which Commissioner Bigge described in 1820 as among the 'six best in the colony'. He explored the source of the Lachlan River and organized provisions for John Oxley's expedition.