{{Short description|Paper mill owner of Pennsylvania, United States}}{{Distinguish|text=clergyman Thomas Wilcox, association football player Tom Wilcox, or American football player Tommy Wilcox}}{{Infobox person | name = Thomas Willcox | image = | caption = | birth_date = 1689 | birth_place = Exeter, Devonshire, England | death_date = 1779 | resting_place = | occupation = Paper mill owner }} '''Thomas Willcox''' (1689 - 1779) was a colonial-era paper mill owner in Concord Township, Delaware County, Colony of Pennsylvania. The Ivy Mills supplied paper used for currency for the Continental and United States governments as well as many South American governments. Willcox was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, made printing paper for him and received the first orders for paper used in colonial American currency from him.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Ivy Mills Historic District|url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/CRGIS_Attachments/SiteResource/H000716_01H.pdf|website=dot7.state.pa.us|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref>
The ruins of the paper mill, erected in 1829; the clerk's house, dated to about 1830; and the Ivy Mills Mansion House, built in 1837 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Ivy Mills Historic District. Ivy Mills is the second oldest paper mill built in America.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Martin|first1=John Hill|title=Chester (and Its Vicinity,) Delaware County, in Pennsylvania|date=1877|publisher=Wm. H. Pile & Sons|location=Philadelphia|page=231|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Kg-AAAAYAAJ&q=albert+o.+deshong&pg=PA357|accessdate=14 January 2018}}</ref>
==Career== thumb|Wilcox Paper Mill thumb| In 1726, Thomas Willcox, along with Thomas Brown, constructed a mill dam across Chester Creek.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Willcox|first1=Joseph|title=Ivy Mills, 1729-1866: Willcox and Allied Families|date=1911|publisher=Lucas Brothers, Inc.|location=Baltimore|page=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l9MwAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=3 July 2017}}</ref> Soon afterward, a paper mill was built and in 1729 the first paper produced at the site was sold. Willcox learned paper making prior to coming to Pennsylvania and the arrangement was that he should receive three-fifths of the profit of the joint undertaking.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Weeks|first1=Lyman Horace|title=A History of Paper-manufacturing in the United States, 1690-1916|date=1916|publisher=The Lockwood Trade Journal Company|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistorypaperma01weekgoog/page/n30 12]|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorypaperma01weekgoog|quote=The Willcox Paper Mill, 1729 -1866.|accessdate=3 July 2017}}</ref>
Brown and Willcox continued their partnership until 1732 when Willcox leased Brown's interest in the operation. In 1739, Willcox bought Brown out completely.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Ivy Mills Historic District|url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/CRGIS_Attachments/SiteResource/H000716_01H.pdf|website=dot7.state.pa.us|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref> Thomas Willcox passed the mill and property on to his son Mark.<ref>{{cite web|title=Willcoxes of Ivy Mills|url=http://www.properphiladelphia.com/willcoxes-of-ivy-mills/|website=www.properphiladelphia.com|accessdate=3 July 2017}}</ref>
The first output from Ivy Mills was pressboard and then printing paper. After 1775, the mill was devoted almost entirely to making government paper for the continental bills, loan certificates and bills of exchange. At the time of the revolution, the government depended entirely on Ivy Mills for paper for currency.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Weeks|first1=Lyman Horace|title=A History of Paper-manufacturing in the United States, 1690-1916|date=1916|publisher=The Lockwood Trade Journal Company|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistorypaperma01weekgoog/page/n31 13]|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorypaperma01weekgoog|quote=The Willcox Paper Mill, 1729 -1866.|accessdate=3 July 2017}}</ref>
Thomas Willcox left the mill and property to his son Mark and to other Willcoxes until paper manufacturing at the mill ceased in 1886.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Ivy Mills Historic District|url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/CRGIS_Attachments/SiteResource/H000716_01H.pdf|website=dot7.state.pa.us|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref>
==Missionary Work== Thomas Willcox and his family were of Roman Catholic faith and are believed to be the oldest Roman Catholic family in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ashmeade|first1=Henry Graham|title=History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania|date=1884|publisher=L.H. Everts & Co.|location=Philadelphia|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655/page/n643 492]|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655|accessdate=2 July 2017}}</ref> The Willcox family opened their home as a regular stop to Jesuit priests traveling from Maryland to preach to Christians in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Three Miles, Three Faiths|url=http://concordhist.org/three-miles-three-faiths/|website=www.concordhist.org|accessdate=24 December 2017}}</ref> A mission chapel was established at Ivy Mills in 1730,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jordan|first1=John W.|title=A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and Its People|date=1912|publisher=Lewis Historical Publishing Company|location=New York|page=394|url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofdelawar02jord#page/394/mode/2up|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia|date=1895|publisher=The American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia|location=Philadelphia|page=460|edition=Vol. VI|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ArITAAAAYAAJ&pg=GBS.PA459|accessdate=1 July 2017}}</ref> making it the oldest Roman Catholic parish in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web|title=Friends of Old St. Thomas Website|url=http://www.friendsofoldstthomas.org|website=www.friendsofoldstthomas.org|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref> In 1837, St. Mary's Chapel was built as part of the new Ivy Mills Mansion. Eventually the size of the congregation was sufficient to warrant the construction of a new church in 1852 named St. Thomas the Apostle Church a mile away in what would become the borough of Chester Heights.<ref>{{cite web|title=Friends of Old St. Thomas Church Website|url=http://www.friendsofoldstthomas.org/milestones|website=www.friendsofoldstthomas.org|accessdate=30 June 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== Willcox was originally from Exeter and emigrated to Concord Township with his wife Elizabeth (née Cole) in 1718. Thomas and Elizabeth Willcox had nine children, John, Anne, James, Elizabeth, Mary, Deborah, Thomas, Mark and Margaret.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ashmeade|first1=Henry Graham|title=History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania|date=1884|publisher=L.H. Everts & Co.|location=Philadelphia|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655/page/n643 492]|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655|accessdate=2 July 2017}}</ref>
==External links== *{{cite web|url=http://thomaswillcox.blogspot.com/p/tour-of-ivy-mills-and-st-thomas-apostle.html|title=Thomas Willcox Family|accessdate=30 June 2017}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willcox, Thomas}} Category:1689 births Category:1779 deaths Category:Catholics from Pennsylvania Category:18th-century American merchants Category:British emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Category:Papermakers Category:Merchants from colonial Pennsylvania Category:People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania Category:Businesspeople from Exeter