Joseph Marx (1772-1840) immigrated to America from Hanover, Germany, in the 1790s with his widowed mother, Frances (1750-1819). In New York, Marx married Richea Myers (1769-1838), the daughter of noted silversmith Myer Myers. The Marx family settled in Richmond, Virginia, and resided at 6th and Cary streets. They produced ten surviving children between 1795 and 1812.
The extended Marx family belonged to Beth Shalome Congregation and was prominent in Richmond’s Jewish community that has flourished since the 18th century.