Person Page 133

Gideon Cobb was born on 8 Jul 1718 in Stonington, ConnecticutG.^4,5,6 He was baptized on 19 Oct 1718 in Stonington, ConnecticutG.¹²
     Gideon married Abigail Dyer, daughter of Col. John Dyer and Abigail Fitch, on 5 Nov 1739 in Canterbury, Windham Co., ConnecticutG.⁷
     At least five of Gideon and Abigail's sons, William and Mary, John, Elkanah, Ebenezer and Joshua moved to the settlement of Stillwater, on the Hudson River in the Saratoga Patent in the Saratoga Tax District of Albany Co., New York. We know that Elkanah was there by 1773, and Ebenezer and Joshua evidently were there by 1777. John may not have arrived until 1779. Excepting Elkanah, the brothers remained in Stillwater at least until 1779. No evidence has been found to indicate whether Gideon and Abigail were in Stillwater with their sons, although the fact that all their sons, save William, later moved to Pawlet with them suggests they may have been.^13,14,15
     Whether or not they were in Stillwater, Gideon and Abigail were in Pawlet by about 1780. Four of their sons, John, Elkanah with his wife and children, Ebenezer with his wife and daughter, and Joshua, arrived about the same time.^16,17,18 Their daughter Wealthy and her husband Thomas Lathrop may have arrived at the same time, but they have not been documented in the area before 1787.^19,20 (See background and map.)
     Gideon served as town Selectman (somewhat like a town council member today). He was also a surveyor, and a deputy of court in Pawlet in 1782.^21,22,23
     Gideon appeared on the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG, (which was enumerated 4 Apr 1791, after Vermont became a state in Mar 1791) with a household consisting of one male over age 16 (himself) and one female (his wife, Abigail.)³
     Gideon died on 25 Jul 1798 in Pawlet, VermontG, at age 80.^8,9,10 He was buried Mettowee Valley Cemetery, now known as the Old Pawlet Cemetery, Pawlet, Vermont G.¹¹

Mary Willard was born about 1753, probably in Colchester, ConnecticutG.^4,5
     Mary was baptized on 3 Dec 1753 in First Congregational Church, Colchester, ConnecticutG, by Rev. Ephraim Little.¹
     Her mother died on 25 Dec 1754, when Mary was about one year old.¹⁴
     Mary apparently moved with her father to Albany Co., New YorkG, after the death of her mother.¹⁵
     It seems likely, since she was about 18 at the time, she moved to Pawlet, VermontG, when her father moved there about 1771, but no evidence of her being there has been found.^16,17
     Mary married first Elkanah Cobb, son of Gideon Cobb and Abigail Dyer, about 1772, likely in PawletG. Their marriage is not recorded in the Pawlet vital records, but no marriages that early appear in the surviving records. Their marriage does not appear in the surviving records of Albany Co., New York, which appears to be the other possible marriage location.^6,7,8
     Mary and Elkanah moved to the settlement of Stillwater, on the Hudson River in the Saratoga Patent in the Saratoga Tax District of Albany Co., New York. They may have been drawn there because her father had had business in the area before moving to Pawlet and she had probably lived there with him.^18,19,20
     Mary and Elkanah evidently returned to Connecticut sometime between 1776 and 1778 with their two young sons, Gideon and Joshua. Their daughter Sarah is recorded as having been born there, and Elkanah does not appear with his brothers in the later records in Saratoga. No record of why they moved has been found, but it is easy to suppose that the war raging in the Hudson Valley in the summer and fall of 1777 might have provided reason enough for the young family to depart the area, as many did. The bloody battles in Sep and Oct that lead to General Burgoyne's ruinous defeat took place less than five miles from the village of Stillwater.^21,22

Settling in Pawlet, Vermont --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Mary and Elkanah returned to Pawlet, VermontG, by 1780, with their three children, Gideon, Joshua, and Sarah.^23,24,25 She was probably one of the four females listed in the household of her husband in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.²⁶
     Elkanah and Mary moved their family to Wells, the next town north of Pawlet, evidently by 6 Mar 1792, when he was nominated for a tavern license at the meeting of town selectmen.^27,28
     Her husband died on 10 Aug 1795 in Wells, VermontG.^29,30,31
     On 9 Oct 1799 Mary was deeded 21½ acres in Wells, next to the bridge that goes over Pond Brook, as set by order of the probate judge as her dower in the estate of her late husband.³²
     Mary appeared on the 1800 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male between 10 and 16 (John or James); and two females under 10 (daughters Mary and Sophia), and one female over 45 (herself.)³³
     Mary was named an heir in the will of Jonathan Willard, her father, dated 19 Mar 1803 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG, to received $600 less any amounts already received.³⁴

A Second Marriage --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Mary married second Zadock Remington, son of Joseph Remington and Susannah Kendall, on 9 Oct 1805 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.⁹
     On 28 Mar 1805 Mary paid David Cleaveland $500 for land "called the pine pitches." The pine pitches were forests set aside for masts for the royal navy in the original town grants. This deed is confusing however. It says Mary was purchasing land "on the North side of the Highway that was formerly deeded to Mary Cobb by Gordan Johnson and all likewise that is on the South side of the Highway Except what I have Quit Claimed to David Cleaveland. Be the same more or less." Why Mary was buying land previously deeded to her, and why the seller had quit-claimed land to himself are mysteries. Perhaps the clerk mis-copied part of the deed into the deed book. The earlier deed from Gordan Johnson has not been found. On 3 Oct 1815 Mary sold the same land to her son Willard for $1,200. This deed uses exactly the same confusing description of the property, including the seller having quit-claimed a part to David Cleaveland, except that now the phrase "be the same more or less" is preceded by the customary statement of acreage – 13 acres in this case.³⁵
     She was probably the female over age 45 listed in the household of her husband, Zadock, in the 1810 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.³⁶ She was probably the female over age 45 listed in the household of her husband in the 1820 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.³⁷ She was probably the female age 70 to 80 listed in the household of her husband in the 1830 Federal Census of Rutland Co., VermontG.³⁸
     Zadock died on 6 Jun 1838 in Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.^39,40 After the death of her second husband Mary moved to IndianaG, where her sons Joshua and Willard and daughter Mary had lived for many years.
     Mary Willard was probably the female aged 80 to 90 appearing on the 1840 Federal Census of Morgan Co., IndianaG, in the household of Rev. John Butterfield, her daughter's husband.⁴¹
     Mary died on 2 Aug 1842 at age ~89.^10,11 She was buried in Old Butterfield Cemetery, Centerton, Morgan Co., IndianaG, a private cemetery in the middle of a corn field.^12,13