Joseph Fox (1709-1779)

He started life as a carpenter becoming Master of the Carpenter's Company of Philadelphia, and the owner of a significant amount of land in Philadelphia. He was appointed City Commissioner of Philadelphia in 1745 and from 1750 he was elected a Member of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania and Burgess of Philadelphia. "Having violated our testimony against war" he was disowned by the Quakers in 1756. In 1764, he was elected Speaker of the House of Assembly and in the following year he signed the "non-importation agreement." It was suggested that he had "Tory proclivities" but he swore allegiance to the State Pennsylvania in 1777. He built the house on 3rd Street that would remain home to various members of the Fox family until 1890, and he also acquired the country estate known as "Champlost". In 1749, at the Friend's Meeting House in Philadelphia, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Mickle, and they were the parents of thirteen children, of whom six (listed) survived childhood.