William & Eliza (Cox) Wall

COX, WALL, BAKER, COUNSELL

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/28/2019 at 10:50:42

William Wall

William Wall born in Sommersetshire, England 1832. Sommersetshire is just outside of London. As a young man he fought for the championship in boxing in England. He married Eliza Ann Cox in the late 1850’s and to this union there were twelve children born, four while in England: Amelia Jane, William, Theophilus W. and John. Eight in the United States: Theodore, Eliza, Delilah, George, Edward, Mary Ann, Eugene and Wilhelmina.

A sister of William, Mrs. Dickie Baker, who lived in the United States wanted William and Eliza to come to the States to work for them, telling them of the great place and all the opportunities to be had. They sold all their belongings and set sail for the United States. (In England they were well to do people.) It took them six months to get to the United States and in that time William had lost or spent nearly all their money. They arrived in New York approximately April 27, 1867, and could have had a job for $5.00 per day in New York City, but refused for a better deal in Iowa. When they arrived at Dickie Baker’s, a location between Farley and Cascade, he housed them in a log building that had been used for cattle.

William applied for citizenship papers on March 23, 1875, and at the age of 42 he received his U.S. citizenship. Later they purchased a farm and lived there to his death, Oct. 22, 1884, at the age of 52. Eliza Ann also died on the farm Jan. 22, 1917, at the age of 76. She was buried in the taffeta dress she was married in.

Eliza Wall and son John made a trip back to London for a visit at the turn of the century. They went by passenger ship and when they arrived at London port they did not recognize the family that had come to meet them. They went about the town for a day or two before they were able to get in touch with their family and then they remembered seeing them at the port when their ship came in, but did not recognize them.

Returning home after their visit they missed their ship, so they had to return to the U.S. on a freighter. On the way home they were caught in a bad storm at sea, so bad they thought the ship would capsize. It lasted part of that day, all night and part of the next day. It was the ballast ball that kept the ship upright.

When Eliza and John returned home and were telling the children about their trip and the bad storm, they learned from the children of the frightening experience with a noise in the house, which lasted during the night. The boys had stayed outside most of the night because the sound was only in the house and as they compared notes it was during the height of the storm when the ballast ball rolled on the ship it was heard in the house by the boys. That was told to Althea Wall by Eugene Wall on several occasions.

William Wall had another sister, Jane, who was married to Joseph J. Counsell, who lived around Dyersville, Iowa. They are buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery at Dyersville, Iowa.
Jane, born 1852-Died 1936, Joseph J., Born 1847-Died 1930.