Joseph Simon Cohen was one of eight children born to SolomonMyers-Cohen, a New York merchant, and BelleSimon Cohen, daughter of Joseph Simon, aLancaster, Pennsylvania, trader. Solomon and Belle were involved withCongregation Shearith Israel in New York, but when the Britishoccupied the city in 1776, they fled with their young family fled forPhiladelphia. There Solomon served with the Third Battalion of thePennsylvania Militia. Although the family returned to New Yorkquickly after the war, with Solomon’s death, in 1796, they againmoved to Philadelphia, where they would Belle and her children wouldbecome prominent figures in the community around Congregation MikvehIsrael.

Josephgraduated from the University of Pennsylvania and was admitted to thebar in 1813. From 1840 to 1853 he was prothonotary of the SupremeCourt of Pennsylvania. He remained active with Mikveh Israel and gavea sermon to the congregation on the day of thanksgiving to mark theend of the War of 1812. He never married and seems not to have hadchildren.