Henry Cobb Monument, Lothrop Cemetery, Barnstable
photo by Susan E. Roser
Henry Cobb, commonly called "Henry of Barnstable" to distinguish him from others of like name, arrived in Plymouth Colony between 1627 and 1632.1 He is sometimes called "Elder Henry Cobb" reflecting his standing in Rev. John Lothrup's church. By Nov 1634 he had moved his family to Scituate,2 apparently to join Rev. Lothrup who had located there. On 11 Oct 1639 the family relocated with Rev. Lothrup and his church to Barnstable.3

Widespread reports to the contrary, Henry's ancestors are unknown.4 Extensive work by qualified researchers has failed to find record of his date or place of birth, or identify his parents. It is commonly thought that his ancestors were English, based primarily on the fact that we quickly assumed a prominent position in Rev. Lorthrup's church when the Reverend immigrated to New England. While this does strongly suggest a prior association between the two, it does not establish that Henry was born in England.

His well-known descendant Irvin S. Cobb declared in his 1941 autobiography that Henry was one of three brothers who came out of County Mayo, Ireland, spent some time in Norwich, England, and sailed for Jamestown, Virginia in 1626. The story continues that Henry went up to Plymouth around 1634, leaving his younger brothers, who left many descendants in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia.5 The part about the brothers, at least, is refuted by recent DNA studies, which show that Henry's descendants and those of the lines from Virginia have no common ancestor.6 But the claim of Irish ancestry has been neither proven nor disproved.

Other branches of the family have a tradition that the family originated in Wales.7,8,9 This claim is not substantiated with any specific evidence, nor has it currently been totally disproved.

A claim widely circulating on the Internet and elsewhere has Henry Cobb and Pleasance Redwood as the parents of Henry of Barnstable. This Henry is known to be related to the Virginia Cobbs. Despite the fact that this pedigree has been questioned for decades, and soundly disproved by the DNA evidence cited above, it continues to widely circulate.

For now all we can say is that Henry of Barnstable is the earliest known ancestor of the large number of descendants who spread from New England throughout the United States and beyond. His descent to our Cobbs of Pawlet is depicted below.


Henry Cobb
born about 1605 - 1610, thought to be in England 10
died bet. Mar - May 1679, likely in Barnstable, Massachusetts 11
married second 12 Dec 1649, Barnstable, Massachusetts 12
 Sarah Hinckley
born 22 Nov 1629, Tenderton, Kent 13
died bet. Feb 1678/9 - Feb 1679/80, probably at Barnstable 14
Henry Cobb
born 3 Sep 1665, Barnstable, Massachusetts 15
died 24 Sep 1725, Stonington, Connecticut 16
married 10 Apr 1690 Barnstable, Massachusetts 17
Lois Hallet
born about 1672-1674, at Barnstable 18
died after Nov 1726, probably at Stonington, Connecticut 19
Gideon Cobb
born 11 Apr 1691, Barnstable, Massachusetts 20
died 22 Feb 1759, Canterbury, Connecticut 21
married 25 Sep 1717 Canterbury, Connecticut 22
Margaret Fish
baptized 18 Aug 1695, Stonington, Connecticut 23
died 30 May 1775, Canterbury, Connecticut 24
Gideon Cobb
born 8 Jul 1718, Stonington, Connecticut
died 25 Jul 1798, Pawlet, Vermont

This last Gideon Cobb was the one who moved his family to Pawlet, and was the ancestor of all the Cobbs included in this website.

Citations

  1. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 2, arrival dates based on his not being listed in the 1627 Cattle Division, citing "The Division of Cattle in 1627," The Mayflower Descendant: A Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim History and Genealogy, 1[1899]:148-54 and Susan E. Roser, Mayflower Increasings (Baltimore:1989), 131-33; and the birth of his first child 7 Jun 1632, citing The Mayflower Descendant 3[1901]:73 [note #4].
  2. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 2, citing Gary B. Roberts, Mayflower Source Records: Primary Data Concerning Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Island of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. From the New England Historical and Genealogical Register (Baltimore: 1986), 59 [see note #5], showing Henry and others were dismissed from their membership in Plymouth 23 Nov 1634 because they had joined the church at Scituate.
  3. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 4, citing Roberts, Mayflower Source Records, 595 [note #5].
  4. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 1.
  5. [S1977] Cobb, Exit Laughing, pg 19.
  6. [S2169] Cobb, "Cobb Family Genetics," pp 43-4.
  7. [S2607] Cleveland and Cleveland, Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland Families, vol 1 pg 44, states that the Cobb family was originally from Wales.
  8. [S2280] Shaw, History of Cincinnati and Hamilton Co., pg 602, states that Oliver Perry Cobb was of Welsh descent.
  9. [S4076] Harding, History of Decatur County Indiana, pg 640, states that Joahua Cobb ((son of Elkanah and Mary Willard Cobb)) was of Welsh descent.
  10. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 1, estimated based on the birth of his first child in Jun 1632.
  11. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 1, shows codicil to his will dated 28 Feb 1678/9 and will proved 3 Jun 1679.
  12. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 2, citing David T. Konig, editor, Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, 12 vols (Boston: 1855-1861, reprint Bowie, Maryland: 1998), 8:42, and The Mayflower Descendant, 3[1901]:73 [note #4], 18[1916]:199 [see note #4]; and others.
  13. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 2, citing Mrs. John E. Barclay, "Note, Errata And Addenda, Dunham-Cobb-Richard," The American Genealogist 31 [1956], 215.
  14. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 2, base on being mentioned in her husband's 22 Feb 1678/9 codicil and, citing Konig, Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, 6:32 her own administration granted 2 Mar 1679/80.
  15. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 10, citing Bowman, editor, The Mayflower Descendant, 3:73.
  16. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 42, citing Lucius B. Barhour, Barbour Collection, reprinted Lorraine C. White, editor (Genealogical Publishing Co.: Baltimore) 55 vols., Stonington, Connecticut Vital Records, 2:15.
  17. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 42, citing "Barnstable Massachusetts Vital Records," The Mayflower Descendant, 3[1901]:73.
  18. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 42, citing "Barnstable Massachusetts Vital Records," The Mayflower Descendant, 3 [1901]:73; date based on estimate of age 16 to 18 at marriage and 45 to 47 at birth of last child.
  19. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 42, based on her request 21 Nov 1726 to record the will of her son Ebenezer.
  20. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 42, citing Bowman, editor, The Mayflower Descendant, 3[1901]:73 [note #2].
  21. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 304, citing Barhour, Barbour Collection, Canterbury, Connecticut Vital Records, 1:118.
  22. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 304, citing Barhour, Barbour Collection, Canterbury, Connecticut Vital Records, 2:20; and Records of the Congregational Church in Canterbury, 1711-1844 (Hartford: 1932).
  23. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 304, citing Richard A. Wheeler, Records of the Congregational Church in Stonington, Connecticut, 1674-1874... (Norwich: 1875); and Richard A. Wheeler, A History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Conn. From Its First Settlement in 1649 to 1900, with a Genealogical Register of Stonington Families (New London, Connecticut: 1900, reprint Baltimore: 1977), 372.
  24. [S2167] Roser, Early Descendants of Henry Cobb, pg 304, citing "Inscriptions In The Carey Cemetery, Canterbury, Conn.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 70[1916]:46.