William Cock is one of three infants of that name born in the Camborne area in 1866. The most likely family is as the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Cock of Edward Street, Tuckingmill. He had a long career of over 50 years (1878 - 1932) working in the engineering works of Messrs Holman Bros, certainly by 1901 as a draughtsman in their Art and Publicity department at Camborne.

In 1890 he married Alice Tangye Bryant in the Redruth RD of which Camborne was a part. Their son William Garstin COCK (later COX) who was named by his father in tribute to the artist Norman GARSTIN of the Newlyn School, was born in 1892. Although the timing is uncertain, William changed the family name to Cox during the next decade. When his daughter, Iris Winifred was born in 1896 she was registered as COX although the family were still recorded as COCK at the time of the 1901 census. Ten years later they had become COX.

William Cock developed a considerable reputation locally as an artist and painted four portraits of mining and engineering worthies, that are held by the RCM, Truro. He was probably commissioned by the Holman family while working for them as the paintings, like those of J C BURROW are of men important to Cornwall's mining heritage: Captain Charles Thomas (1794-1868), John Henry Holman (1853-1908), John Holman (1819-1890) and Nicholas Holman (1777-1862).

In 1903 William Cox presented two of his large oil paintings to Camborne Free Library to be hung in the Reading Room. Although William is still described as a draughtsman in 1911 both his son, Garstin and his daughter are recorded as Art School Students.

William is  mentioned as an artist in an exhibition review of March 1912.  He and his son shared a studio in St Andrews Street, St Ives, from as early as February 1907. They called it the 'Beach Studio'. [Tovey p129, St Ives 1860-1930]. Though he worked for Holman's Engineering, William was an accomplished amateur and continued to paint together with his son until the impending Great War came into focus, causing them both to work in munitions to make ends meet.

He studied under John Noble BARLOW, as did his son. He also exhibited at the RCPS Falmouth in 1920. He survived his son who had died six years before, dying in 1939 with his probable death recorded in the Bodmin RD.