The Cobb Family

This Information was taken from a posting on a Roots Web Page concerning the Cobb family that migrated from Connecticut to Caswell County. There has been a great deal of misinformation that the Cobb Family of Caswell descended from the the Kopp Family of German Origin in Guilford County NC. I feel this prove otherwise as Henry Cobb and his sons were on the first Tax List in 1755 for Orange County and remained in various records during Colonial times in Orange and then Caswell County. One can even see the departure of some of his sons as they migrate to South Carolina.
My ancestor however Noah Cobb remained in Caswell County his whole life, his Will being Probated in Caswell County in 1808. Latham Mark Phelps------2004

The following post offers proof that the Henry Cobb family were not the Kopp family from Germany. GENETICS AND GENEALOGY Cobb Family Genetics: A Case Study Using DNAby Hubert F. CobbMany New England men named Cobb descend from Elder Henry1 Cobb, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts before 1632, and moved to Scituate in 1634 and Barnstable in 1639.[1] The question has been raised as to whether he was the progenitor of some southern Cobbs as well as the New England Cobbs.

A few years ago I saw a query on a website from Neal Cobb of Georgia, who is one of a group working on this very problem.[2] The query requested information on an eighteenth century Henry Cobb and his ancestors. The published books had not followed this family.[3] The group of researchers, after doing extensive research, had concluded that this family had originally moved to North Carolina, where they were found in Orange and Caswell counties from 1755, when Henry paid the poll tax for himself “and three sons,” until the time of the Revolutionary War.[4] Henry and his son Samuel are listed in court cases and in Granville Grants in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1761.

From North Carolina, later generations moved to other states in the south. The group determined that the children of Henry and his wife Jemima (Morse) were, in approximated birth order: Samuel, Henry, Noah, John, and Asa. I found a family in Pomfret, Connecticut, that fit much of this description.[5]Children of Henry and Jemima Cobb:Elizabeth, b. August 5, 1732Samuel, b. April 5, 1735Henry, b. April 14, 1737Noah, b. April 14, 1739Mary, b. March 13, 1741.I was able to trace the Pomfret family back to Elder Henry Cobb.

The family was not found in Connecticut records after 1742/3 when Henry, of “Brookfield [in Cortlandt], Westchester County, New York,” sold his Connecticut land.[6] By September 1745, Henry Cobb, “late of Brookfield, now of Beetesmens province [Beekmans Patent] in Duckes [Dutchess] County in the province of New York” gave the final quit claim to his Mortlake/Pomfret land.[7] In Dutchess County, we lost the paper trail. For over a year we made little progress. Were we on the right track?

At this point Neal Cobb contacted me and asked what I thought about having a DNA analysis to see if we were related. I have a documented line back to Elder Henry Cobb, and Neal is a descendant of Henry and Jemima (Morse) Cobb. I had been studying DNA and its uses in genealogy to see if it could be used to find where in England Elder Henry came from or who his parents were. Most information says he came from County Kent, England, but no one knows for sure. As I thought about Neal’s question it occurred to me that DNA analysis was a great idea. The test would show how DNA could be used to solve genealogical problems. Neal and I discussed this matter before deciding to proceed.

We looked at three laboratories for the DNA analysis and chose Relative Genetics.[8] They screen for twenty-six Y-chromosome markers. We felt this detailed analysis would give us the most useful results.We were separated by nine generations on each side and expected there might be a single mutation in one or two of the markers. The lab sent us each a kit to scrape cells from the insides of our cheeks (a buccal swab), which we returned quickly. Then the waiting began. In about five weeks we had the results: A perfect match at all twenty-five markers. Neal Cobb and I were indeed cousins. Our assumptions had been right. The North Carolina line did descend from Elder Henry Cobb.

I was told recently that a descendant of Humphrey Cobb, grandson of Henry and Jemima, knew about Pomfret, Connecticut, being the place of origin for Henry Cobb. How they knew this fact I do not know, but the information may have been passed down through this line. The DNA analysis confirms they were right. (See chart 1.) It is important to note that we have DNA from lines with descent from both wives of Elder Henry with a match in these lines and the Henry and Jemima (Morse) Cobb line.

A few months after the DNA analysis Robert Stricklin agreed to coordinate a Cobb Family Project with Relative Genetics and it has been underway for several months now.[9] At this time there have been over seventy Cobbs tested. Some of the other results are not at all what we expected.It has long been assumed that most of the Cobb immigrants were somehow related, especially Elder Henry Cobb of Barnstable and Ambrose Cobb of Virginia, as they both were said to come from County Kent, England.

As the results of the Cobb DNA project became available we soon discovered that Henry and Ambrose were not related. (See chart 2). There appear to be seven distinct Cobb lines in the United States. Although more DNA analysis is needed, especially in New England, the immigrants other than Elder Henry Cobb of Barnstable, include:• Thomas and his son Richard Cobb, emigrated from Banbury, Oxfordshire to Boston, Massachusetts in 1685[10] (no connection yet)• Augustine, John and Edward Cobb of Taunton, Massachusetts (no solid connection yet)• Ambrose Cobb, born 1613, emigrated from Petham, England, to Virginia in 1635[11]• Joseph Cobb, born 1588, to Virginia 1613[12]• Thomas Cobb of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Robert Cobb of Saint Pancras, England — this line migrated down through Maine and on south.More DNA analysis is needed in England to sort out the Cobb families there. The English tests so far tie the Cobbs of Reculver, County Kent, to Ambrose quite well. There is a lot of misinformation tying Elder Henry Cobb to this line, but the DNA results show there is no connection. Thomas Cobb, born ca. 1731, of Strood, County Kent, has been proven to be a cousin to Elder Henry Cobb, born ca. 1596. (See chart 1.)

We hope that many men named Cobb (the Y-chromosome is present only in the male line) in the United States and the United Kingdom will join us in this project.
Notes1 Robert C. Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, v. 1 (Boston: NEHGS, 1995), pp. 592–5.2 Other group members are Michael Anne Guido of New York, L.C. Cobb of Oklahoma, and Dorothy Potter of Tennessee. Dorothy Potter provided the New York research for this article.3 Philip L. Cobb, A History of the Cobb Family, 4v. (Cleveland, 1923)4 W.P. Johnson in The North Carolinian (December 1955), p. 108. According to the poll tax laws of that era, the three sons would have been between sixteen/seventeen and twenty-one years of age.5 Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut Town Records: Births Marriages and Deaths, 1695–1840, 1:62. FHL microfilm #1376250.6 Pomfret, Connecticut, Deeds 3:90.7 Pomfret, Connecticut, Deeds 3:137.8 www.RelativeGenetics.com9 For more information on the Cobb family DNA project, contact Robert C. Stricklin at rstrickl@oregonvos.net. Robert is the liaison between participants and the laboratory.10 Philip L Cobb, A History of The Cobb Family, part IV: Boston Family (Cleveland: PL Cobb, 1923), p. 5.11 John E Cobb, Jr., Cobb and Cobbs[:] Early Virginians (Alexandria, VA: Durant, 1976), p. 29.12 Bruce M Edwards, The Cobbs of the Tidewater (Knoxville: Montgomery, 1976); John E. Cobb, Jr., Cobb and Cobbs: Early Virginians (Alexandria: Durant, 1976), p. 23.Hubert F. Cobb (hfcobb@securespeed.us) welcomes contact from Cobb researchers.

Henry Cobb and Jemima Morse Cobb along with the COBB BROTHERS FIVE appeared on the TAX rolls in 1755, (Samuel, Henry, Noah, John and Asa). I assume that possibly Samuel Cobb, oldest son brought with him a wife however he could have married there in Orange County, now Caswell County, NC. Her name was probably RANSOM. Does anyone have any information on the name of his first wife, he later married a Judah Peake in Laurens County, SC about 1780. The first wife was killed by Indians in 1769.
See below. Descendants of Samuel Cobb, (1) Generation No. 1 1. SAMUEL1 COBB, (1) was born April 30, 1735 in the New England area, (Barnstable, MA - Pomfret, CT ??) and died 1805 in Owen County, Kentucky. He married JUDATH PEAK or PEAKE Abt 1780 in Donalds, South Carolina - Turkey Creek Baptist Church (Second oldest church in South Carolina – Founded 1775 ). NOTES: Samuel is the son of Henry Cobb and Jemima Morse. Daughter of Noah Morse and Abigail Gleason, an only child, Jemima was born in Sherborn, MA in 1715. Married Henry on July 30, 1731 in Pomfret, CT. She is a grand daughter of Daniel Morse, great grand daughter of Daniel Morse and great great grand daughter of Samuel Morse, b. 1587 in England. Children of Henry Cobb and Jemima Morse: i. Elizabeth Cobb, b. August 15, 1732 in Pomfret, CT ii. Samuel Cobb, b. April 30, 1935 in Pomfret, CT; d. 1805 in Owen County, KY iii. Henry Cobb, b. April 27, 1737 in Pomfret, CT iv. Noah Cobb, b. April 14, 1739 in Pomfret, CT v. Mary Cobb. b. March 13, 1741/42 in Pomfret, CT vi. John Cobb, b. 1743 (birth place unknown) vii. Asa Cobb, b. 1746 (birth place unknown) Probably Orange County, NC:; d. Fentress Co., TN in 1828 NOTES: Marriage dates and birth dates for Henry & Jemima taken from transcript from the Connecticut State Library for the period of 1705 – 1850 from the BARBOUR COLLECTION dated 1921. (I have a copy of the transcript in hand.) NOTES: The information here below has not been proven but appears to be possible. The Connecticut State Library has done a research project on Henry Cobb and has provided the following information. It is known that an Uncle of Henry (named Henry¹ born Sept 3, 1665 in Barnstable, MA and died on Sept 4, 1725 in Stonington, CT) moved his Church membership from Barnstable, MA to Stonington, CT on November 11, 1705. Henry¹ had a brother named Samuel Cobb, b. October 12, 1654 in Barnstable, MA who had a son named Henry² b. Feb 17, 1686/87 in Barnstable, MA. I have been unable to locate any information on this Henry Cobb², nephew to Henry Cobb¹ who moved to Stonington, CT and just possibly was accompanied by his Nephew (Henry Cobb²). Assuming the link to Henry Cobb², b. Feb 17, 1886/87: (POSSIBLE LINK TO HENRY COBB&JEMIMA MORSE) Elder Henry Cobb married 1634 (1) Patience Hurst, daughter of James Hurst and Catherine Hurst(?). Of Plymouth. She was buried 4 May 1648. Henry married (2) 12 Dec 1649, Sarah Hinckley daughter of Samuel Hinckley and Sarah Soole. Henry died in 1679 and his wife Sarah survived him. NOTES for ELDER HENRY COBB: Henry was born in 1596 in the southeast part of the County of Kent, England. He was brought up in the Church of England, but in his young manhood, because of the wrongs tolerated in that Church, he broke away from the Establishment and joined the Pilgrims. He is said to have united with a Congregational Church of London, of which the Rev. Mr. Lothrop was then pastor. He probably came to America on “THE ANNE” in 1629. He moved to Scituate, MA in 1633, and from there to Barnstable, MA in 1639. He was Deacon or Ruling Elder in Scituate and Barnstable for 34 years. He also held various civil offices, among them that of Deputy to the General Court of the Colony for several years. He died in Barnstable at the age of 83 in 1679. Children of ELDER HENRY COBB and PATIENCE HURST are: (a) John Cobb, b. 7 June 1632, Plymouth, MA; d. February 22, 1713/14. (b) James Cobb, b. 14 Jan 1634, Plymouth, MA; d. February 01, 1695, Barnstable, MA (c) Mary Cobb, b. 24 March 1637, Scituate, MA, m. JONATHAN DUNHAM, October 15, 1657 (d) Hannah Cobb, b. 5 Oct 1639, Scituate, MA; d. January 17, 1729/30 (e) Patience Cobb, b. 13 March 1641/42, Barnstable, MA; m. (1) ROBERT PARKER, August 1667; m. (2) WILLIAM CROCKER, DEACON, 1686 (f) Gershom Cobb, b. 10 Jan 1644/45, Barnstable, MA; d. June 04, 1675; m. HANNAH DAVIS. (g) Eleazer Cobb, b. 30 March 1648, Barnstable, MA; NOTES for Sarah Hinckley: Came to America from England in 1634 settling in Scituate, afterwards removing to Barnstable. Her brother, Thomas Hinckley, became governor of Plymouth County and was a prominent man… Phillip Cobb – History of the Cobb Family. Children of ELDER HENRY COBB and SARAH HINCKLEY are: (h) Mehitabel Cobb, b. 1 Sept 1651; d. 8 March 1652, Barnstable, MA; d. March 08, 1651/52. (i) SAMUEL COBB, b. 12 Oct 1654, Barnstable, MA; d. September 27, 1727 (j) Sarah Cobb, b. 15 Jan 1657/58; d. 25 Jan 1658, Barnstable, MA; d. January 25, 1657/58 (k) Jonathan Cobb, b. 10 April 1660, Barnstable, MA; d. August 05, 1728; m. HOPE CHIPMAN (l) Sarah Cobb, b. 10 March 1662/63, Barnstable, MA; d. January 08, 1742/43 (m) Henry Cobb, b. 3 Sept 1665, Barnstable, MA; d. September 04, 1725, Stonington, CT; m. Lois Hallett April 10, 1690 (Moved church membership to Stonington, CT in 1705) (n) Mehitabel Cobb, b. 15 Feb 1667, Barnstable, MA. (Died young, never married) (o) Experience Cobb, b. 11 Sept 1671., Barnstable, MA. (Died young) 2. Samuel Cobb, born Barnstable, Ma. 12 Oct 1654; d. 27 Dec 1727; m. 20 Dec 1680 Elizabeth Taylor, dau of Richard Taylor. She was born in 1655; d. 4 May 1721. Children are: (a) Sarah Cobb, b. 20 Aug 1681, d. January 14, 1741, Hyannis, MA; m. BENJAMINE BERSE (b) Thomas Cobb, b. 1 June 1683, Barnstable, MA; d. October 01, 1743; m. RACHAEL STONE (c) Elizabeth Cobb, b. Nov 1685, Barnstable, MA; d. July 15, 1711; m. JONATHAN LEWIS (d) Henry Cobb, b. February 17, 1686/87, Barnstable, MA -POSSIBLE LINK TO HENRY COBB&JEMIMA MORSE (e) Samuel Cobb, twin b. 10 Sept 1691, Barnstable, MA; d. December 07, 1786, Tisbury, MA; m. (1) MARY HINCKLEY, August 25, 1743; (2) HANNAH BICKNELL, April 11, 1749. (f) Mehitable Cobb, twin b. 10 Sept 1691, Barnstable, MA; m. NATHAN TAYLER, June 30, 1715. (g) Experience Cobb, b. 8 June 1692, Barnstable, MA; m. JASPER TAYLER, February 18, 1712. (h) Jonathan Cobb, b. 25 Dec 1694, Barnstable, MA; d. August 03, 1773 (i) Eleazer Cobb, b. January 14, 1695/96, Barnstable, MA (j) Lydia Cobb, b. December 08, 1699, m. EBENEEZER SCUDDER, April 02, 1725. Henry and Jemima left CT around 1742. In 1755 they appeared on the tax rolls of Orange County, NC (Now Caswell Co. NC) There are many, many Cobb’s living in that area today. Noah remained there and his will was proved there in 1808. He had children and grandchildren, one of his granddaughters married a man named Grant who flew into a jealous rage and killed two men walking with his wife from church. He was hanged in Caswell Co. NC in 1827. Notes for COBB BROTHERS FIVE: The clan of the Cobb Brothers Five first appears in Orange County, NC about 1755, namely Samuel and Henry. From the Orange Co. Court Minuites Book: Court held March 1757 - "Thomas Laxton, Jr., and Samuel Cobb proved their attendance as Evidences in the suit - Taylor vs Reynolds". Court held August 1760 - "Ordered that Nathaniel Hart, David Hart, Thomas Highs, Edmund Denny, Daniel McCullom, Samuel Cobb, John Cantrel, John Thrasher, Robert Wells and Samuel Watt be appointed to lay out and open a road from the McCollom's Plantation to Taylor's Road leading to the Court House". Court held August 1763: - "Ordered that Henry Cobb be appointed overseer of the Lower Town Road from the County Line to John Cantril's and that all hands on the waters of the County Line Creek assist". In 1761, Samuel Cobb recorded a land grant on County Line Creek for 487 acres, adjoining Nathaniel Hart. In the survey of this land, Henry Cobb was one of the chain bearers. It may be that all five of the brothers shared this same tract which was transferred in 1765 to Henry Cobb. That may be about the time that Samuel Cobb moved on to Old Ninety-Six District in South Carolina, and he most probably took his younger brother, Asa Cobb with him. In 1770, Henry Cobb sold off 238 acres of this tract to Matthew Lovett and John Williams. Caswell County was created in 1777 from Orange County and the First Tax List of the newly created county shows John, Henry and Noah Cobb as land owners there in 1777. According to some records that I have read, a homesteader would stake a claim, live on it for two years and then have a survey made and apply for a land grant. This may have been the case as in 1788/89, Henry and Noah applied for and received a land grant in Caswell Co., NC. The brothers John, Henry and Noah are listed in the NC State Census of 1786. Sometime after this and before the first Federal Census was taken in 1790, both John and Henry moved on to join Samuel and Asa in South Carolina. It may be well to NOTE here that the Orange County Court House burned in 1789 and many of the records were lost or destroyed. This is the only reason that I can give for not locating any marriage records of any of the five brothers. As we have no records of the birth years or marriage dates, a reasonable estimate based on other data would show them to have been born in the 1730's to early 1740’s. The 1790 census of Pendleton District, SC, shows as heads of households: Asa Cobb, John Cobb, and Henry Cobb in the Greenville District, (across the Saluda River) was Samuel Cobb and his son, Humphry Cobb. This area along the upper Saluda River was Cherokee land until after the Revolutionary War when settlers began to move in. It was then in the judicial district of Ninety-Six, later attached to Abbeville County where many of the earlier records were kept. Land was not granted to settlers until 1784. Pendleton Co. was created in 1789 with a Court House in Pickensville, which embraced all lands northwest from Abbeville County between the Saluda River and the Savannah/Tugaloo/Chattooga Rivers (State of GA boundary) up to the Blue Ridge. In 1791, Washington District was created and was composed of Pendleton and Greenville counties. Washington District was short lived and in 1798 Pendleton and Greenville again became districts, each with a court house. In 1826, Pendleton District was divided into Anderson and Pickens Counties. This brief introduction is to establish the origin and relationships of this clan of Cobb brothers and their migration into South Carolina, from which area their descendants continued to pioneer throughout the south and west and helped to open new territories for settlement. The above was taken from a work that was "Researched and Compiled" by Thomas C. Sutton of Hamet, CA in 1982 entitled "COBB BROTHERS FIVE" NOTES FOR SAMUEL COBB: Samuel and his first wife were involved in a well documented Indian Attack known as the AUSTIN RAID in the fall of 1769 in Laurens Co. SC. The Austin farm was only two farms from the Cobb farm. Samuel lost his first wife and his daughter (Elizabeth). Two sons survived the attack, Ransom and Humphrey . Both of the boys grew up and married and moved on to DeKalb, GA in late 1790’s or early 1800’s. Henry and John remained in the Laurens Co. SC area. John died in 1793 or 1794 and Henry was the administrator of his estate. John died in 1799. Samuel and Asa as well as other members of the Turkey Creek Baptist Church moved to Owen County, KY in 1795. Asa remained in Owen Co. KY for only a few years before moving on to TN. Asa is buried in Fentress Co. TN in 1828. NOTE: I now have the transcripts from the State Library in Connecticut to confirm the marriage dates and the dates of the first five children for Henry Cobb and Jemima Morse. )|(John and Asa were born after they left Pomfret, CT. Do not know where they resided from 1743 but do know they were in Orange County (now Caswell County) NC prior to 1755. More About SAMUEL COBB, (1): Buried: 1805, Old Jackson Graveyard on the Davis Farm near Breck in Owen County, KY. Census: 1790, Only Samuel Cobb shown in South Carolina in the 1790 Census. Former marriage: Bef. 1769, Samuel Cobb had a previous family. A wife, one daughter, Elizabeth & two sons. Former offspring: Fall of 1769, Wife and daughter were killed by Indians. Both sons, Ransom and Humphrey survived. Military service: September 07, 1776, Enlistment in the Revolutionary War and fought in battles around Charleston, discharged after the battle of Charleston in 1780. (Most probably did not remarry until after his discharge. Property: May 05, 1786, Received 500 acres along the Reedy River in South Carolina as payment for War Services. He deeded this land to his son Humphrey. Special Thanks: Edgar L. Morgan Published "THE COBBS OF OWEN COUNTY, KENTUCKY" in 1961 More About JUDAH PEAK or PEAKE: Misc Information: 1790, Census of 1790 shows several families of Peak’s (?? Spelling) living in South Carolina. Children of SAMUEL COBB and JUDAH PEAK are: 3. i. THOMAS2 COBB, (1-1), b. January 21, 1781, South Carolina; d. June 08, 1854, Indiana. He married PRACILLA SMITH 1800, daughter of JOSEPH SMITH and LEONNAR (unknown). More About Thomas Cobb, (1-1) (I have 9 pages of descendants for Thomas Cobb) Moved Abt. 1817 to Jasper Co. Indiana 4. ii. JOHN COBB, (1-2), b. March 10, 1786 in Donalds, SC; d. dec. 24, 1847 in Bedford, Taylor Co., Iowa More About JOHN COBB, (I-2): (I have 42 pages of descendants for John Cobb) Moved: Abt. 1817 to Indiana and then on to Bedford, Taylor Co., Iowa 5. iii. WILLIAM COBB, (1-3), b. 1786, South Carolina; d. 1833, Owen County, Kentucky. He married (1) MISS HAMBRICK, (2) MISS SIMPSON, (3) ELIZABETH (SISTER) COX. (I have 12 pages of descendants for William Cobb) 6. iv. DILLA COBB, (l-D), b. Abt. 1788, South Carolina. She married WILLIAM JONES. More About DILLA COBB, (1-D): (I have 2 pages of descendants for Dilia Cobb) WILLIAM JONES built the first grist mill at what was known as the Cobb Settlement, then known as the Cobb Settlement and later Cobb’s Mill. Later sold to John Lusby and name changed to Lusby’s Mill. 7. v. DANIEL COBB, (1-5), b. March 04, 1792; d. January 10, 1877. He married ELIZABETH (BETSY) HOLBROOK, daughter of ZECHARIAH HOLBROOK and SUSAM MORGAN. (I have 35 pages of descendants for Daniel Cobb) 8. vi. ELISHA COBB, (1-6), b. February 19, 1794; d. December 04, 1854. He married (1) HETTIE ROACH Abt. 1814. (2) MARY F. BRYANT June 11, 1846. (I have 20 pages of descendants for Elisha Cobb) 9. vii. PEGGY (MARGARET) COBB, (l-G), b. 1797, Owen County, Kentucky. She married BENJAMINE ROBINSON of Grant County, KY. (I have 7 pages of descendants for Peggy Cobb) 10. viii. ASA COBB, (1-8), b. May 22, 1799, Lusby's Mill, Owen County, Kentucky; d. August 28, 1852, Owen County, Kentucky. He married ANNA O’BANION in 1820.