View Comments Dr. Daniel Coxe III had a pretty nice job in England. He took care of King Charles II, who ate and drank in moderation, exercised a lot and rarely fell ill. He conducted scientific studies, such as the effect of nicotine on animals. There's an entry in Samuel Pepys' diary about the poisoning of a cat with tobacco at a medical conference. The doctor married the Lord Mayor's daughter and embarked on empire building. In 1686, the king granted Coxe the right to buy and govern one million acres in what became New Jersey. Six years later, Coxe sold much of that to developers. And in 1696, he acquired "Carolana," a tract with North Carolina's present north-south boundaries, but extending to the west coast.