My Genealogy Hound

JUDGE GILBERT WILCOXEN is an attorney-at-law and well known citizen at Seneca Falls, where he has resided almost his entire life. He was born in the town of Smithfield, Madison County, N. Y., September 25, 1828, and his father, Alfred Wilcoxen, was born in Stratford, Conn., in 1801. Oliver S. Wilcoxen, the grandfather of our subject, was also a native of Connecticut, but of English ancestry. The first of the family to come to America was Timothy Wilcoxen, who came to this country in 1620, first locating in Massachusetts, and afterwards removing to Connecticut. Alfred Wilcoxen married Miss Abbie Gilbert, who was also a native of Connecticut, but who was reared in the town of Madison, Madison County, N. Y. She was the daughter of Ager Gilbert, an early settler of Madison County. In the parental family were twelve children, six sons and six daughters, of whom Gilbert was third in order of birth. The boyhood of our subject was spent in his native town, where he attended the district school. In 1839 he removed with his parents to Seneca Falls and entered the academy at this place. Desiring a better education than could be obtained in the academy, he entered Hamilton College and pursued the classical course, graduating therefrom in 1852. On leaving college, he decided to make the profession of law his life work, and with that end in view entered the office of Judge J. T. Miller, of Seneca Falls, and in 1854 was admitted to the Bar at Rochester. Having a taste, however, for literary work, he established the Seneca Falls Reveille, which he conducted for four years, showing great ability as an editor.

In 1860 Mr. Wilcoxen commenced the practice of his profession, in which he has continued until the present time. He practices in all the courts in the state and also in the federal courts. As an attorney he has been successful and has acted as counsel in many important cases. In addition to his legal business, for the past fifteen years he has been President of the Seneca Falls Savings Bank. He also owns a farm of one hundred acres in the town of Tyre, which is in a good state of cultivation and to which he gives his personal attention.

Mr. Wilcoxen was married, in 1859, to Miss Jane Merritt, of Seneca Falls, and a daughter of William Merritt, also of this place. Three children have been born unto them, two sons and one daughter. In politics Mr. Wilcoxen is a Democrat, and from 1872 until 1878 was County Judge and Surrogate. For three years previous to his election as Judge he served as Supervisor of his town, and in 1856 and 1857 he was collector of canal-toll at Seneca Falls. Fraternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons. Both he and his wife are members of the First Presbyterian Church.