Person Page 224

Wealthy Ann Cobb was born on 2 Oct 1753 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG.^4,5,6 She was baptized on 7 Oct 1753.¹¹ She married Thomas Lathrop, son of Samuel Lathrop and Elizabeth Bishop, on 19 Dec 1771 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG. He was the great-great-great-grandson of Rev. John Lothrop, in whose church her great-great-grandfather, Henry Cobb, was an elder and early leader.^7,8 Thomas and Wealthy moved to Vermont by 1787, when they appeared in records at Wells. They may well have come earlier with her parents and her brothers John, Elkanah, Ebenezer, and Joshua.^12,13 She was probably one of the five females listed in the household of her husband in the 1790 Federal Census of Wells, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹⁴
     Thomas and Wealthy moved to Shelburne, in Chittenden Co., Vermont, by 1800, when they appear in the census there. Wealthy was probably the female over age 44 listed in the household of her husband in the 1800 Federal Census of Shelburne, Chittenden Co., VermontG. Her brother Ebenezer apparently lived close by, as he is listed preceding them in the census record.¹⁵
     By 1810 Thomas and Wealthy had moved a few miles north, to Burlington, in the same county. She was probably the female over age 45 listed in his household in the 1810 Federal Census of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG.¹⁶ She was probably the female over age 45 listed in the household of her husband, Thomas, in the 1820 Federal Census of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG.¹⁷
     Wealthy received $33.74 from the estate of her sister Abigail in 1827, being the only surviving sibling. Twenty-three of Abigail's nephews and nieces, including Wealthy's children, received smaller amounts.¹⁸
     Wealthy died on 22 Sep 1827 in Burlington, VermontG, at age 73.^9,10

Abigail Cobb was born on 7 Sep 1756 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG.^3,4 No record of Abigail has been found from the time of her birth until she appears as executrix of Stephen's estate. It seems likely she moved to Vermont with her parents and most of her siblings, but exactly when and where is unknown. While no marriage record has been found, it seems most likely she married Stephen in or near Pawlet, as he is known to have been living their around the time of their marriage. She married Col. Stephen Pearl, son of Nathan Pearl and Elizabeth Utley.^5,6,7
     Abigail and Stephen moved to South Hero, then part of Chittenden Co., before 1788.^13,14 She was probably one of the three females listed in the household of her husband, Stephen, in the 1790 Federal Census of South Hero, Chittenden Co., VermontG.¹⁵
     Abigail and Stephen moved to Burlington about 1794, where they occupied a spacious mansion on what was later named Pearl St., built by Frederick Saxton in 1789.¹⁶ She was probably the female age 26 to 44 listed in the household of her husband, Stephen, in the 1800 Federal Census of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG.¹⁷ She was probably the female over age 45 listed in the household of her husband in the 1810 Federal Census of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG.¹⁸

Administering Her Husband's Estate --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Abigail was named executrix, together with Horace Loomis, and an heir in the will of her husband Stephen, dated 9 Sep 1815 in BurlingtonG. She was to receive all his personal property after his debts were paid, except for his wearing appeal which he left to his brother, and all his real estate.¹⁹ She together with the other named executor presented her late husband's will to the probate court in BurlingtonG on 19 Dec 1816 where it was accepted.²⁰ On 1 Feb 1817 Abigail declined her inheritance under the will and requested her dower rights instead, presumably because it had been determined that her share remaining after payment of debts would be less than she was entitled to under her dower rights. On the same date she and the other named executor declined to serve and asked that an administrator be appointed.²¹
     The two petitions were apparently accepted. Abigail did later receive her dower, and on 22 Feb 1817 she posted a bond before the court in WillistonG for $5,000 to act as administrix. The significance of her acting as administrix and not as executrix is unclear. On 18 Mar 1817 she posted a new bond for $10,000. She represented that the estate was insolvent, and the same day Soloman Miller, Luther Loomis, and Ebenezer Englisby were appointed as commissioners to examine the claims of creditors. Also that day Luther Loomis, Horace Loomis, and John Pomeroy were appointed to inventory the estate.²²
     On 24 Nov 1817 Abigail filed a petition with the court asking that a committee be appointed to set off her dower. Four days later the judge approved a list of items set off to her totaling $1,035 in value, including all the livestock, two waggons and other farming tools, a large number of household and kitchen items, furniture including three good beds and four old beds and bedding, books, and Stephen's clothing.²³
     Abigail again petitioned the court regarding her dower rights on 27 Feb 1819, this time asking for her share of the real estate. A committee, consisting of John Pomroy, Archibald W. Hyde, and Phinias Lyman, was appointed by the court on 2 Mar 1819 to appraise all the real estate owned by the estate and set of one third of it to the widow. The committee reported its findings on 22 Mar which were accepted by the court 10 Apr 1819. She received "for her natural life" the 25 acres and buildings where she and Stephen had lived, a second parcel of 10 acres, and a third of 16 2/3 acres. The committee valued the entire estate at $8,064.20 and the part set off to the widow at $2,688.06.²⁴
     Abigail petitioned the court in another matter in 1820, stating that she had received judgment in Jul 1818 in the county court in a suit started by Stephen before his death, against Levi Grannis. She had been awarded $67.64 plus $12.60 costs. However she had been able to collect only an old horse worth $45 before Grannis had died, leaving no property. She had only one horse to manage the farm left by Stephen, which was now nearly worn out, so asked that the horse received from the suit be set over to her. Her request was granted 7 Oct 1820.²⁵
     Abigail appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of four white males age 16 to 26, one white female age 16 to 26, and one age 26 to 44 (all unknown), and one over age 45 (herself). It seems likely that the unknown persons were boarders or help. After her death the administrator collected payments for board owed by six people.^26,27
     Abigail died on 1 Apr 1822 in Burlington, Chittenden Co., VermontG, at age 65.^10,11,12 She was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Bennington, Chittenden Co., VermontG.^8,9

Administering Her Estate --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     She died without a will, and it seems that her sole surviving brother, Ebenezer, was her presumptive administrator. But in a note to the probate court dated 4 Apr 1822 he declined to serve citing his advanced age, and recommended instead George Moore.²⁸ Moore was appointed administrator, and on 5 Apr 1822 in Williston, VermontG, filed a bond of $5,000. On the same day he filed a statement that the estate was insolvent, that is insufficient to pay it's debts, and Alvan Foote and Luther Loomis were appointed by the court as commissioners to receive and examine claims from creditors. John Johnson, Nathan B. Haswell and Nathaniel Mayo were appointed to inventory the estate.²⁹
     The appraisers returned their inventory to the court on 2 Jul 1822. It was a five-page list including a large number of dishes and cooking equipment, groceries, household furniture including several beds, farm equipment, two hogs, four cows, 14 sheep, two horses, and 24 fowls. The appraised a total value of $736.80, of which all but $30.50 was realized when the goods were later sold at auction.³⁰
     The commissioners appointed to review claims reported to the court on 5 Oct 1822. They listed 22 claims, ranging from 59¢ to $156, the later by Julies Graham for "services performed" for Abigail. Of this claim, $75 was allowed, and many others had only a fraction allowed. However the claims of the two commissioners, for $74.91 and 30.26 respectively, were allowed in full. A total of $346.65 was allowed. Five claims were offset by credits with the commissioners finding nothing was owed, or amounts from 25¢ to $1.95 were owed the estate.³¹
     The administrator's account filed 19 Aug 1826 listed costs and claims paid of $556.87, with assets, including $115 cash found in a trunk, $17.87 collected from boarders, and the value of the personal property sold, totaled $869.67. So the estate was not insolvent as initially declared, but had a value of $312.80. Some time in 1827 Abigail's sister Wealthy, by then her only surviving sibling, was paid $33.74 presumably as an heir, though no explanation is found in the record.³²
     After paying several small amounts, the estate was left with $238, which the administrator was ordered on 7 Aug 1829 to pay to the heirs. Twenty-three nephews and nieces were listed, including most but not all those living in Vermont and New York who were living at the time of her death, and excluding all those who had moved to Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, and other states. Each one named received $10.34.³³

Sarah Cobb was born on 12 Jan 1759 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG.^3,4 She was baptized on 21 Jan 1759 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG.⁵

Jonathan Willard was born on 26 Oct 1720 in Roxbury, MassachusettsG.^4,5,6 Jonathan and John were twins.^1,17
     His mother died on 4 Jul 1728, when Jonathan was 7 years old.^18,19,20
     Jonathan married first Sarah Childs.^7,3,8 They settled in Shrewsbury, MassachusettsG, after their marriage, and at least two of their children were born there.²¹
     Jonathan and Sarah moved to Colchester, ConnecticutG, between 1746 and 1750.^22,23 While in Colchester he owned and commanded a vessel engaged in coastal trading between ports in New England and New York.^24,25
     His wife died on 3 Apr 1750 in Colchester, ConnecticutG.^26,27
     While in Colchester Jonathan made a number of puzzling transactions involving a one-acre lot with a house and barn on Town St., the main street in town. No record has been found of how he came to own the lot. But on 16 Apr 1750 he sold it for £600 to John Chamberland, who owned the property on three sides.²⁸ For reasons totally unclear, he sold it again less than a month later, on 7 May 1750, to Bartholomew Kneeland of BostonG.²⁹
     Jonathan married second Sarah Loomis, daughter of Nathaniel Loomis and Sarah Skinner, on 21 Dec 1752 in Colchester, ConnecticutG, with Rev. Ephraim Little officiating.^12,13,14
     Jonathan bought the Town St. property back from Bartholomew Kneeland in Town St.G on 13 Apr 1753, taking a mortgage on the property for £126-13-4 from John Kneeland, of Boston. The mortgage was due one year later.³⁰
     His second wife died on 25 Dec 1754 in Colchester, ConnecticutG.³¹
     Finally, he sold the property again to John Chamberland, for £112 on 1 May 1755, apparently as he prepared to move to New York. A possible explanation for the series of transactions was that he lived in this property the whole time, and the transactions were intended to finance business deals. But it is also possible they were related to the death of his first wife, his re-marriage, and the death of his second wife.³²
      Shortly after the death of his second wife he moved to Albany, New YorkG, where he kept a public house, the only English tavern in the city.^33,34
     Jonathan married third Sarah Hough, daughter of John Hough and Hannah Denison. No marriage record has been found but her first husband died between 1753 and 1759 and they probably were married shortly afterward.^9,10,11
     Jonathan was described in 1867 by a descendant as "strong, elastic, wiry, and enduring; mentally he was a quick discerner of the intentions of men, shrewd and sound of judgment... He was a through business man, and in testimony of his uprightness, it is said that he was universally respected by those with whom he did business. His name is held in great veneration by his numerous descendants." Even if his descendant may be thought a bit over-enthralled with his ancestor, Jonathan seems to have been a remarkable individual.³⁵

Becoming a Proprietor of New Hampshire Townships --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     In 1749 Benning Wentworth, the Royal Governor of New Hampshire, began a program to settle the area of the colony west of the Connecticut River, that is, the present state of Vermont, by making grants of townships. By 1760 the form of these grants was well established. The grants were typically six miles square, or 23,040 acres, and each was made to a group of 62 "proprietors." Each proprietor received an undivided 1/68th share. In addition, two shares were reserved for the Governor and four for the benefit of the church and a school. There was a fee for the charter but no reliable report of what it was have been found. Other than that, terms seem modest:      The proprietors initially each held an undivided 1/68th share in the whole town. The towns typically made a number of "divisions" over several years in which lots were drawn up, generally 50 or 100 acres each, and assigned to individuals. Often proprietors sold their rights, and could sell any lots after they divided. The owners of the rights continued to own a share in any land not yet divided into lots.
     The issuance of grants was suspended during the French and Indian War. When they were resumed the first grant in present-day Vermont was for the town of PownalG, issued 8 Jan 1760. Jonathan was one of the grantees.³⁷ No evidence has been found that he took any active part in the development of this town. He sold his entire interest there on 24 Sep 1771.^38,39
     Jonathan was apparently more interested in obtaining his own grant. A group of investors in Nine Partners, Dutchess Co., New YorkG, was also trying to obtain a grant. After a previous attempt had failed, at a meeting on 15 Oct 1760 they appointed Jonathan as their agent to procure a charter. They collected £58-6 to cover his expenses in traveling to New Hampshire to obtain charters for two townships.⁴⁰
     The town of PawletG, six miles square, in the southwest corner of present day Rutland Co., Vermont, was granted by Governor Wentworth on 26 Aug 1761.⁴¹ The town of DanbyG, also six miles square and immediately east of Pawlet, was granted the next day.⁴² The next day the town of Harwich, later re-named Mount TaborG, also six miles square and immediately east of Danby, was chartered.⁴³ (See map.) In each charter Jonathan was the first-named grantee, followed by 61 others. He was the only one to appear on all three charters. Six others appeared on two charters.⁴⁴

Family Tradition Embellishes History a Bit --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     According to family tradition Jonathan and two partners claimed the three townships, then drew lots, with Jonathan winning the Pawlet township. He then supposedly entered the names of his old neighbors in Connecticut to fill out the required number of grantees. Then, the tradition continues, he went to Colchester where he told them what he had done and proceeded to purchase the rights of many of them for a mug of flip or a new hat, until he owned two-thirds of the town. Another version continues that he also had large rights in Danby and Mount Tabor. Like most such family traditions, examination of the records show they contain a kernel of truth but are largely embellished.^45,46
     If indeed Jonathan had "two partners" one would appear to be the group of investors in Nine Partners. All of the known participants in the meeting there were among the grantees to only one town, Darby. If any drawing of lots was done it must have been done before the charters were drawn up. The other partner, if fact he was one, was Jonathan Moulton of Hampton, New HampshireG. Jonathan Willard and three other grantees to Harwich sold their interests in that township to him on 30 Aug 1761, just two days after it was awarded, for £20 each and the charter fees. This strongly suggests they had obtained it on his behalf.^47,48,49
     Jonathan did indeed set out to buy additional rights to Pawlet, particularly in Jan and Feb 1762, but he certainly paid more than a pint of flip or a hat. According to the deeds he paid £10 for most of them and more for a few. Of the 23 recorded purchases only three sellers were from Colchester, and nine were from other towns in Connecticut. The balance were from Massachusetts and New York, and in later years from Pawlet. Records have been found for his purchase of 23 rights, and the eventual sale of 24, including his own, so he owned at most about one third, not two thirds of the rights. He sold by the time of his death about 7,000 acres out of a total in the township of 23,000, or about 31%.⁵⁰
      Among the rights Jonathan purchased for £10 was one owned by John Willard, of Claverack, New YorkG, on 15 Jan 1762. That may have been his twin brother, but no records have been found of that brother after he and his wife became members of the church in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in Sep 1742.⁵¹ Jonathan did buy a right, and a lot, from his older brother Benjamin, of Brookfield, MassachusettsG, on 3 Jun 1771, again for £10.⁵²
     Jonathan acted as moderator of the first meeting of proprietors of Danby as required by the charter, which was held 22 Sep 1761 at Nine Partners, New York. He was elected to the committee charged with making the first division of land and other business, but there is no record of his further participation. At a meeting 12 Jan 1762 the proprietors voted to pay him $2 each for obtaining the grant. It seems he never owned more than his one share in Danby. He sold that, including the two lots already laid out, to Jesse Irish Jr. on 2 Mar 1771, for £50.^53,54
     While he had sold his initial rights to Harwich two days after being granted them, he sold two more 24 Sep 1771, one of them identified as that of Charles Foot and the other, strangely, his own which he had sold ten years before. No record of how obtained these two rights has been found. This sale was part of a transaction that also included his right in Pownal and one right in Pawlet for a total of £100.³⁸

Managing His Pawlet Properties from Afar --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Anxious to consummate the claim for Pawlet by settling the town, the first two settlers arrived in 1761 and began clearing land. Jonathan arrived in 1762 with nine hired men and several horses, and by fall had cleared several acres and sowed it with wheat. He then returned to his home on the Hudson.⁵⁵
     Initially the new town, like most of them, was governed from afar. On 14 Nov 1763 there was a meeting of the proprietors of the township at Jonathan's home in Albany. At that meeting a tax of £3 5s 7p, York Currency, was set on each right in the township. A collector was appointed, who placed advertisements notifying the proprietors that if they failed to pay the tax their lands would be sold at a meeting at Jonathan's home on 26 Apr 1764.⁵⁶
     Jonathan moved to SaratogaG about 1764, where he was engaged in the lumber business.^57,58,59 At some point, whether while he was in Albany or after moving to Saratoga is unclear, he contracted with the Government to furnish stores to the army at Lake GeorgeG, supposedly employing 40 yoke of oxen.^60,61 According to family tradition, he made a large amount of money, and at one point fearing an invasion, filled a cask with silver and sealed it beside the chimney.⁴⁵

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

      It seems Jonathan had never intended to settle in Pawlet, but had obtained the grant for speculation. But he met heavy losses in the lumber business, reportedly losing half his capital, so moved to Pawlet about 1771.^62,63 He was probably the first innkeeper in Pawlet. The town and freeman's meetings were held at his inn for some years.⁶⁴
     Jonathan began selling lots in Pawlet about the time he moved there, continuing from time to time as long as he lived. He sold in total some 7,000 acres in nearly 80 transactions. In 1779 alone he sold 650 acres, after which he sold at a reduced rate until 1800, when heavy selling resumed. He sold three of the rights to undistributed land during this period, then sold all 20 remaining rights in a single transaction in 1800. His sales totaled £4,600 during the period that currency was in use, and after that over $10,000. Those totals would buy over $3 million worth in today's money.^65,66 One of those sales was a mill lot and pond totaling 14 acres he sold to his son Samuel on 15 Feb 1777, for £141.⁶⁷ Two years later Jonathan sold two parcels totaling 300 acres in PawletG to Simeon Edgerton, husband of his wife's sister, for £100.⁶⁸
      In 1777 he began buying lots which had been distributed to others, continuing from time to time as long as he lived there. He bought in total over 1,000 acres in 15 transactions, most of that by 1788, but some later. Three of the rights to undistributed land he acquired were also purchased after he moved there.⁶⁵ (For details of all his purchases and sales that have been found, see the extracted Pawlet Deeds for Jonathan Willard.)
     Jonathan was a captain in the infantry company of the Pawlet militia, which was formed before the Revolution. His unit was active in the alarm of Oct 1780. He collected £12-2-10 22 Jun 1781 for expenses incurred to supply men and horses in that exercise.^69,70 He served as a PawletG selectman (equivalent of today's town council member) from 1781 through 1789.⁷¹
     On 30 Apr 1788 Jonathan sold to his son-in-law, Elkanah Cobb, lot no. 11, containing 50 acres, for £60. On the same day he bought from him, for £3 15s, a parcel which appears to be a part of lot no. 4. The size of the parcel is not stated in the deed, but it measures to about 25 acres.^72,73
     Jonathan 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 16 (himself), and one female (wife Sarah.)⁷⁴
     Jonathan was a delegate to the State Episcopal Convention in the early 1790s, representing the Episcopal church in PawletG.⁷⁵
     His third wife died on 28 Sep 1794.^76,77,78 After the death of his wife, Jonathan seems to have been primarily cared for by his namesake grandson, Jonathan Jr., son of his son Samuel who had died in 1788. He expressed his appreciation in two deeds in which he gave the young man property. In one he mentioned "his diligent and faithful service in waiting on me in my old age and decline of life and in providing nursing for my comfortable support." In the second he recognized his "unvaried pains and diligence in supporting protecting and comforting in the decline of life and under the infirmities of age."⁷⁹

Taking Care of Family --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     In Mar 1798 through Jan 1800 he gave Jonathan Jr. and his brothers Samuel and Benjamin several pieces of property. Jonathan Jr. received five 50-acre lots, including his own original home place. Samuel received a 50-acre lot, which he sold the next day for $500, and Benjamin received a 100-acre lot. In addition Samuel paid $66.66 for a small two-acre lot, and Jonathan Jr. paid $166 for another 50-acre lot and $2,500 for a 100-acre lot.⁸⁰ On 29 Mar 1802 and the next day Jonathan gave his surviving son, Joseph two parcels of land, size not specified.⁸¹
     Jonathan left a will dated 19 Mar 1803 stating he was of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG. In it he left his son Joseph $1 in addition to what he had already received, and made bequests to the children of his late son Samuel. To Jonathan he left $50 in addition to his 45-acre home place in Pawlet which he had previously given the boy, less any other amounts he had received. To Samuel, Benjamin, and Archibald he left each $1,200 but required they account for any amount previously given so they could be deducted. He also left $1,200 to Robert, to be paid as needed for his support until he reached age 21, and the balance then. To his granddaughter Sarah he left $600 less any money she had already received and to Rachel $500 in addition to support that had been paid for her education, clothing, and maintenance. He left his daughter Mary $600, again less any amounts previously paid her. In each case when the bequest was in addition to what had previously been received the heir was required to account for those previous gifts to the executors. After the bequests and expenses were paid, all remaining real estate and personal property was to be sold and the proceeds used to support Samuel, Benjamin, and Archibald, the wife of his grandson Jonathan, and their children. He named Capt. Samuel Rose, Reuben Smith, and Capt. Wm. Potter as executors.⁸²

His Estate Unravels --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     However it seems his deteriorating financial situation had become desperate before this. Exactly what the cause was is not now apparent, but it obviously caused serious resentment among his descendants. A family historian recorded half a century later what he had been told by a descendant: "From a state of great prosperity he was reduced by the prodigality of one or more of his grandchildren to actual poverty."²⁴
     A series of strange land transactions seems to have been intended to resolve the situation. On 11 Oct 1802 Jonathan Jr. bought from his grandfather, for $3,000, the same five lots he had already been given in 1798. Then on 3 Mar 1803, he sold to his grandfather, for $200, all his land in Pawlet, Danby, and Timouth. Ten days later Jonathan sold his grandson Benjamin 100 acres for $1,000. Three days after that Benjamin Jr. sold his grandfather, for $600, a lot in Pawlet and Danby.⁸³
     On 5 Apr 1803 Jonathan's son Joseph made application to the Probate Court to "take into consideration the circumstances" of his father. He told the court that his father was non compos (if unsound mind) and not capable of taking care of himself. The court ordered the selectmen of Pawlet to inquire. They reported that they agreed. On 16 Apr 1803 the court appointed Simeon Edgerton, his brother-in-law, as Jonathan's guardian to care for his person and property until he was restored to sound mind. Edgerton posted a bond of $1,000.⁸⁴
      On 24 Nov 1803 Jonathan sold "all my land and tenements in Pawlett, Danbly, Wells, and elsewhere in Vermont" to William Potter, one of his executors, for $1,000.⁸⁵ It was not enough, and Jonathan was declared bankrupt. A notice dated in Rutland 14 Jan 1804 stated that the commissioners in his bankruptcy were meeting on 1 Feb, and invited his creditors to attend to choose an assignee to manage their interests.⁸⁶
     Jonathan died on 5 Apr 1804 in Rutland, VermontG, at age 83.^15,16 He was living in RutlandG at the time of his death.⁸⁷
     His will was probated on 14 May 1804 in Rutland District Probate Court, Rutland Co., VermontG, by Reuben Smith and Capt. Wm. Potter, the surviving executors.⁸⁷
     An inventory of his estate was filed on 8 Jul 1804 reflecting personal property valued at $173.22. It included two feather beds, valued at $13 each; blankets and other bedding; two coats, a pair of britches and a vest; tables and other furniture; and dishes kitchen equipment. No accounting has been found but the executors declared the estate insolvent, so it would appear that the heirs received nothing.⁸⁸

Zadock Remington was born about 1745.⁴ He was baptized on 15 Feb 1746/47 at the Congregational Church, Suffield, ConnecticutG.¹

One of the First Settlers in Castleton --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     The town of Castleton was awarded to 65 grantees by Gov. Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire 22 Sep 1761. But the first dwelling wasn't erected until 1769 by Col. Lee. He was joined the following year by Zadock and two other settlers and their familes..^14,15 He settled half a mile west of the village, becoming an extensive land owner, but was considered eccentric. He built the first framed house in CastletonG, and probably kept the first tavern. The men recruited for the attack on Ticonderoga quartered there.^16,17
     Zadock married first Phebe Hawley on 25 Jan 1773 in Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.⁵
     She died on 9 Oct 1776 in Castleton, VermontG.¹⁸
     Zadock served as CastletonG's representative in the state Assembly during the June sessions in 1778, but was expelled under suspicion of being a Tory. The action against him was largely due to the activities of his brother David, who was arrested in Sep 1777 by order of the Council of Safety in 1778 in CastletonG.¹⁹
     Zadock married second Elizabeth Allen on 25 Nov 1778 in Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.^6,7
     Zadock served in Capt. Ephraim Buell's Company, in Col Warren's Regiment of Militia. The unit was engaged in "Scouting for the security of the frontiers" from 10 May 1779 until 3 Dec 1779. During that time he was in active service four days, for which he was to receive eight shillings in pay. He was not an officer during that time. His tombstone shows him as Lieutenant but no record has been found showing him with that military rank. It was apparently an honorific title.²⁰
     His second wire died on 16 Jan 1788.^21,22

His Third and Fourth Marriages --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Zadock married third Anne Clark, daughter of Nathan Clark and Abigail Satterlee, on 16 Apr 1788 in Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.^8,9
     Zadock appeared on the 1790 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG, (which was enumerated 4 Apr 1791, after Vermont became a state in Mar 1791) with a household consisting of three males under age 16 (sons Zadock, Elijah, and Ira), two over age 16 (himself and another), and two females (daughter Annie and his third wife, Anne.)²³
     On 3 Oct 1798 Zadock was one of 18 grand jurors in the U. S. circuit court in RutlandG who indicted Congressman Matthew Lyon for publishing several letters designed to "deceitfully, wickedly, and maliciously contriving to defame the Government," charges for which he was subsequently convicted and jailed for four months.²⁴
     Zadock appeared on the 1800 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male age 10 to 16 (son Zadock), two age 16 to 26 (Elijah and Ira), one over age 45 (himself), one female under age 10 (daughter Lucy), one age 16 to 26 (Annie), and one age 26 to 45 (his third wife, Anne.)²⁵
     Anne died on 21 Aug 1805.^26,27
     Zadock married fourth Mary Willard, daughter of Jonathan Willard and Sarah Loomis, on 9 Oct 1805 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹⁰
     He appeared on the 1810 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male under age 10 (unknown), two age 16 to 26 (perhaps his sons, or his wife's sons), one over age 45 (himself), one female age 16 to 26 (perhaps his youngest daughter, or his wife's), and one over age 45 (his fourth wife, Mary.)²⁸
     Zadock sold for $200 four parcels of land in CastletonG in CastletonG to his son Zadock on 10 Apr 1818. One was 200 acres, the second 150 acres, the third 40 acres, and the fourth 110 acres.²⁹ Zadock sold in a separate deed, also for $200 three additional parcels of land in CastletonG in CastletonG to his son Zadock on 10 Apr 1818. One, in the south part of town was 45 acres, the second south of his former home, size not recorded, and the third 70 acres, part of his home farm.³⁰ He also on the same day sold his son Zadock, for $50, his pew in the CastletonG meeting house.³¹
     Also on 10 Apr 1818, Zadock loaned his son Zadock $2,000, taking a mortgage on the 70-acre section of the home farm. The loan was to be cancelled if the son supported him and his wife for their natural life, and paid certain of his debts.³²
     Zadock appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male over age 45 (himself), and one female over age 45 (his fourth wife, Mary.)³³
     Zadock appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male age 5 to 10 (unknown), two age 10 to 15 (grandsons Elkanah and John), one age 40 to 50 (probably his son Zadock), one age 80 to 90 (himself), one female age 5 to 10 (granddaughter Mary ), one age 15 to 20 (unknown), one age 30 to 40 (probably the daughter of his current wife and wife of young Zadock, Sophia Cobb), and one age 70 to 80 (his fourth wife, Mary.)³⁴
     Zadock died on 6 Jun 1838 in Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG, at age ~93.^11,12 He was buried in Congregational Cemetery, Castleton, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹³

Joshua Cobb was born on 27 May 1776 at Stillwater, Albany Co., New YorkG.^4,5 He moved to Canterbury, ConnecticutG, with his parents Elkanah Cobb, and Mary Willard between 1776 and 1778.^11,12 He moved to Pawlet, VermontG, with his parents by 1780.^13,14,15 He was probably one of the five males under age 16 listed in the household of his father, Elkanah Cobb, in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹⁶
     He moved to Wells, VermontG, with his parents on 6 Mar 1792.^17,18
     His father died on 10 Aug 1795, when Joshua was 19 years old.^19,20,21

Moving to Pennsylvania --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Joshua moved to Greene Co., PennsylvaniaG, apparently before his marriage in 1802, as his wife's family had lived in that area for many years. He married Nancy Crawford, daughter of Col. William Crawford and Alice Kennedy, on 2 Oct 1802 Pennsylvania, probably in Greene Co.G.^6,7,8
     Joshua appeared on the 1810 Federal Census of Cumberland Twp., Greene Co., PennsylvaniaG, with a household consisting of 3 males under age 10 (sons Willard, Dyar, and John), one 26 to 45 (himself), one female age 16 to 26 (unknown), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Nancy.)²²

Keel-Boating to New Orleans --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     While living in PennsylvaniaG Joshua was a captain and pilot of keel-boats, making six trips to New Orleans. On one of those trips he cordelled (towed with a rope) and poled his boat back upstream to Pittsburgh. In two other trips he sold his boats and rode home on horseback. On his last trip he walked the whole distance from New Orleans to his home. On this journey he arrived at Louisville the people were celebrating the arrival of a steamboat having made the trip from New Orleans in 40 days.²³ On 12 May 1814 Gideon's brother Joshua, of Greene Co., PennsylvaniaG, gave their younger brother John a power of attorney to recover debts owed to him by Cobb & Clark. There is no record of what those debts were.²⁴
     On 24 Dec 1816 Joshua was appointed by Governor Simon Snyder to be Justice of the Peace in Greene Co., PennsylvaniaG, for the district composed of Cumberland and Jefferson Twps.²⁵

Moving West to Indiana --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Joshua and Nancy moved their family of six children down the Ohio River by flatboat to Dearborn Co., IndianaG, where they lived on a farm for a year and a half.^26,27,28 (See map.)
     Joshua appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Laughery, Dearborn Co., IndianaG, with a household consisting of two males under age 10 (sons Oliver and Elkanah), three age 10 to 16 (John, Dyar, and Willard), and one aged 26 to 45 (himself), two females under age 10 (daughters Maria and Ella), and one aged 26 to 45 (wife Nancy.)²⁹ In the spring of 1821 they then moved some 40 miles northwest to Decatur Co.G, far beyond any considerable settlement, in what was called then the "New Purchase." Only two houses could be seen from their farm.^30,23,31
      On 27 Feb 1822 Joshua was granted a patent for 80 acres of land in Dearborn Co., IndianaG, under the Cash Entry Act of April 24,1820. That act reduced the minimum price of public land to $1.25 per acre, and the minimum purchase to 80 acres, but required payment in cash, not on credit. According to family tradition, the $100 was raised in part by selling their only cow and best bed and bedding.^32,23
     Settling in the wilderness, he gave up working on the rivers and farming became his primary occupation.^33,34,35 He built a log cabin for the family, using no nails, screws, or hardware, later adding a larger one to form an "L." When the family moved there their nearest neighbors were seven miles away, and there were only two other families within 25 miles.²³ He did have a "wet weather" saw mill, which apparently meant it depended on a stream that only ran in rainy weather.³⁶
     Joshua appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Decatur Co., IndianaG, with a household consisting of two males age 10 to 15 (sons Oliver and Elkanah), one 15 to 20 (unknown), two age 20 to 30 (could be any of the three surviving older sons), and one age 50 to 60 (himself), one female age 5 to 10 (daughter Martha), one age 10 to 15 (probably Ella, though she was actually age 16 at the time), one age 15 to 20 (Maria), and one age 40 to 50 (wife Nancy.)³⁷
     Joshua appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Decatur Co., IndianaG, with a household consisting of one male age 20 to 30 (could be Oliver or Elkanah), one age 60 to 70 (himself), and one female age 15 to 20 (daughter Martha), one age 20 to 30 (Ella), and one age 50 to 60 (wife Nancy). Son Dyer and his family are listed on the preceding line, apparently living close by.³⁸
     He and Nancy appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Marion Twp., Decatur Co., IndianaG, in the household of James B. Terhune and Martha M. Cobb, their daughter and her husband.³⁹
     Joshua and Nancy appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Marion Twp., Decatur Co., IndianaG, in the household of their daughter Maria and her husband, Churchill G. Christy.⁴⁰
     Joshua died on 27 Aug 1860 in Washington Twp., Decatur Co., IndianaG, at age 84.^9,6 He was buried in Sand Creek Cemetery, Greensburg, IndianaG.¹⁰

Sarah Cobb was born on 16 Jul 1778 in Canterbury, ConnecticutG.^4,5
     She moved to Pawlet, VermontG, with her parents, Elkanah Cobb and Mary Willard, by 1780.^10,11,12
     She was probably one of the four females listed in the household of her father, Elkanah Cobb, in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹³
     She moved with her parents to Wells, the next town north of Pawlet, by 1792.^14,15
     Sarah died on 15 Mar 1795 in Wells, Rutland Co., VermontG, at age 16.^6,7 She was buried Mettowee Valley Cemetery, now known as the Old Pawlet Cemetery, Pawlet, Vermont G.^8,9

Capt. Willard Cobb was born on 17 Mar 1781 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.^3,4,5
     He was probably one of the five males under age 16 listed in the household of his father, Elkanah Cobb, in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹³
     He moved with his parents to Wells, the next town north of Pawlet, by 1792.^14,15
     His father died on 10 Aug 1795, when Willard was 14 years old.^16,17,18
     Willard married Amy Allen, daughter of Caleb Allen and Phebe Curtis, before 1805.^6,7,8

A Mill Owner Like His Father --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Willard seems to have followed in his father's footsteps as a mill owner at an early age. On 26 Mar 1805 he bought a parcel of land with water rights for a mill from David Comstock for $80. The parcel was located on Wells Pond Brook in PawletG, just south of Wells, at Allens bridge. He obtained the rights to all the water of the brook flowing through the land, from the bridge as far up as Comstock's land ran, apparently meaning he could build a dam that would flood the brook from the bridge as far as the seller's land extended. He obtained the right to set a "water works," except he could not install a grindstone or spinning wheel. The same day, he sold half those rights to William Maher for $40. Maher, reputed to be an ingenious mechanic who was among the first in the country to manufacture cut nails, built a trip hammer on the site.^19,20
      On 20 May 1805 Willard and Amy sold 13½ acres, 20 rods of land in the same area to Daty Allen, her brother, who owned the adjacent property, for $750. This appears to not be part of the March purchase, but no record of them acquiring it has been found. The fact that this is the only one of his many deeds that includes her suggests she may have inherited it.⁶ On 2 Nov 1809 Willard sold 41¼ acres, 28 rods of land in Wells, lying along the Wells/Pawlet line, as well as the land he had purchased from Comstock in 1805, to Allen for $500.²¹
     In an undated deed, recorded 1 Jul 1813, Willard purchased 60 rods of land that seems to be the same property, or perhaps only a part of it, north of the bridge on the highway from Pawlet to Granville, New York, on the west side of Wells Pond Brook. He paid Daty Allen $100 for the land and half the water rights, specified as before, from the bridge to the end of Comstock's land (the other half apparently still owned by William Maher). On the same date Willard sold an undivided half of the land, and one quarter of the water rights, to David Murry, for $800, taking a mortgage for $600, payable $100 annually. Given the large difference between what Willard paid for the property and what he sold half of it for the same day, it may well be that there were aspects of the apparently circular transactions with Allen that are not evident in the record. Two years later, on 20 Feb 1815, Murry sold back his interest to Willard for his purchase price.²²
     According to a local history, Willard built a woolen factory on this property about 1812, which, like others in the area, was erected in response to shortages caused by the war with England. Whether he constructed other milling operations on the site earlier is unclear.²³ On 22 Nov 1816 Willard sold a substantial parcel around the mill, and the water rights, to Jonathan Stevens, another pioneer in the woolen business, for $1,550. Stevens operated the factory briefly before it burned.^24,25

Living in Pawlet --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Willard appeared on the 1810 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of one male under age 10 (son Willard), one age 16 to 18 (unknown), one age 26 to 45 (himself), and two females under age 10 (daughter Marietta and another unknown), one age 10 to 16 (unknown), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Amy). The census also recorded that the family had two wheels and a loom, with which they produced 50 yards of woolen cloth and 30 yards of linen.²⁶
      During the War of 1812, he was captain of the light artillery company formed in PawletG in 1802, having a three-pounder brass field piece. The unit volunteered to take the field in the War of 1812, but was not called out.^27,28,29
     Willard was one of several who operated the public house in north Pawlet erected by Bethel Hurd about 1800.³⁰ In 1817 he served as constable of PawletG.³¹

Buying and Selling Land --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     On 3 Oct 1815 Willard bought a 13-acre parcel formerly known as a pine pitch from his mother for $1,200.³² On 12 Mar 1816Willard purchased an undivided half interest in a parcel on the west side of the highway to Granville from Jonathan Stevens for $1,500. Eight days later he bought a half interest in 112 acres, which appears to be the same parcel, from Jared Stevens. He paid $1,300 for this interest, giving the seller a mortgage of $1,000. After selling 36 rods of the property to Hartly Hollister and Lera Wright for $35 on 16 Jan 1817, he sold Jared Stevens back his half interest for $1,375 on 22 Mar 1817.³³
     On 23 Jul 1817 Willard gave Henry Buckley and Reuben Skinner of Granville, New York a mortgage on an undivided half of 90 acres of the property for $200. The note was due 1 Apr 1818, and was apparently settled by transferring the property to them outright on 18 Sep 1818.³⁴ In the meantime, in Sep 1818 one Jonathan Bidwell won a judgment in the Vermont Supreme court against Willard and John Strong, another early manufacturer of woolen goods, for $500 damages and $79.95 court costs. The basis for the case has not been found. In response to a court order issued 14 Jan 1819, the sheriff transferred Willard's undivided half interest in 15 acres to Birdwell to satisfy the judgment.³⁵
      On 8 Dec 1819 Willard sold an undivided half of a parcel, size not specified, to Joel Simonds Jnr. for $75. This seems to have been the last of his holdings in Pawlet, as no further land transactions involving him have been found.³⁶ (For details of all the land records that have been found, see the extracted Cobb Deeds in Pawlet Vermont.)

The Move to Wells --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     By 1820 Willard and Amy had moved from Pawlet to WellsG.^37,38 He appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Wells, Rutland Co., VermontG, with a household consisting of three males under age 10 (sons Reuben, James, and Royal), one age 10 to 16 (Willard), one age 26 to 45 (himself), and one female age 10 to 16 (daughter Marietta), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Amy Allen.)³⁷
     They moved to Fort Ann, New York in 1824, where he built a store house at Polley's Landing before they moved on to Indiana.^39,40 (See map.)

The Move to Indiana --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Willard and Amy moved their family to Indiana, near where his older brother Joshua was living, about 1827.⁴¹ Willard appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Decatur Co., IndianaG, with a household consisting of three males age 15 to 20 (sons Reuben, James, and Royal), one age 20 to 30 (Willard, and one age 40 to 50 (himself), and one female age 5 to 10 (daughter Sarah), one age 10 to 15 (Parolina), one age 20 to 30, and one age 40 to 50 (wife Amy.)⁴²
     After leaving the milling business, he seems to have regarded himself as primarily a farmer. In the 1820 census in Vermont and the 1840 census in Indiana the only occupation reported for the household was agriculture. But in 1850 he reported his occupation as merchant.^43,44,45
      On 30 Sep 1835 Willard was granted a patent for two parcels of land containing 40 acres each in Decatur Co., IndianaG, under the Cash Entry Act of April 24,1820. That act reduced the minimum price of public land to $1.25 per acre, and the minimum purchase to 80 acres, but required payment in cash, not on credit.⁴⁶
     Willard served as one of the nine delegates representing Decatur Co. at the 1839 Indiana Democratic State Convention.⁴⁷
     Willard appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Decatur Co., IndianaG, with a household consisting of one male age 10 to 15 (perhaps a grandson), one age 20 to 30 (probably one of his sons), one age 50 to 60 (himself), and one female age 10 to 15 (probably daughter Sarah, although she would have been age 17), two age 20 to 30 (Parolina and perhaps the wife of the son living with them), and one age 40 to 50 (wife Amy.)⁴⁸

The Move to Iowa --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Willard and Amy moved to Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., IowaG, in 1846 with their daughters Parolina and Sarah. He bought several pieces of property. One included a cabin, where they lived until they could occupy the house on another. That house had been built by Mr. Jolly, a minister, who was moving by ox team to Oregon the next year with his family. Their daughter Marietta and her husband, William Samuel Dart, moved to Oskaloosa at the same time.^49,50
     Willard was appointed postmaster in Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., IowaG, 3 Feb 1849, but apparently served only briefly as he was replaced in April by Samuel Ingles.⁵¹
     He and Amy appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Mahaska Co., IowaG, enumerated 13 Aug 1850, reporting real estate valued at $500. Their children Parolina and Sarah were listed as living with them.⁵²
     Willard died on 23 Jan 1855 in Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., IowaG, at age 73.^9,10 He was buried in White Cemetery, Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., IowaG.^11,12

Elkanah Cobb was born on 13 Sep 1783 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.³
     He was probably one of the five males under age 16 listed in the household of his father, Elkanah Cobb, in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.⁷
     He moved with his parents to Wells, the next town north of Pawlet, by 1792.^8,9
     His father died on 10 Aug 1795, when Elkanah was 11 years old.^10,11,12 On 5 Feb 1801, having reached the age when he could choose his own guardian, Elkanah chose Capt. William Meacham of Poultney. Meacham posted a bond of $500.¹³
     Elkanah moved to MarylandG before 1810. He established a blanket manufactory about 1810 near Bladensburg, Prince George's Co., MarylandG, with Daniel Bussard & Company. In Sep 1812 they announced that they were erecting a fulling mill (which cleaned the cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities) and enlarging their blanket factory. They offered cash for wool, or to exchange blankets for wool. Customers could make the exchange at Renner & Bassard in Bladensburg if that was more convenient.^14,15,16

Invention of a Machine for Making Blankets --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Elkanah was issued a patent on 29 Apr 1812 for a machine for making woolen blankets that reportedly did the work of several men. His invention was well received in view of the trade restrictions with England then in effect, since England had been the principal source of finished blankets. The Washington Daily National Intelligencer offered this view on 19 May 1812:     The story was picked up and repeated in various newspapers around the country.^17,18,19
     On 4 Jul 1812 the Wilmington, Delaware American Watchman and Delaware Republican reprinted the entire article, adding that it had learned that the government had purchased the patent for this "wonderful machine, which will soon be of incalculable advantage to the U. States and have liberally remunerated the past suffering of the inventor."²⁰
     In Sep 1812 Elkanah and Daniel Bussard & Co. announced that they had erected a manufactory of blankets in GeorgetownG, on the principles of hatting and fulling. They said they had obtained the patent right according to law and warned others from vending or using those principles without having obtained the patent right themselves. It appears this was the same factory previously established some miles outside of GeorgetownG.²¹ The company obtained a contract with the government and supplied blankets to the troops, but when the war was over demand dropped, and the factory was closed.²²
      Elkanah served in the 34th Maryland Militia in the War of 1812, but no details of his service have been found.²³
     Elkanah married Martha I. Jones, daughter of Richard Jones and Mary Donaldson, and sister of the woman his younger brother James would marry four years later, on 8 Sep 1813 in Prince George's Co., MarylandG.⁴
     Elkanah bought two tracts of land, known as Hughes Discover and Addition in Prince George's Co., MarylandG, from Zephaniah Cecil on 13 Dec 1813.²⁴
     Elkanah was an active participant in the sale of personal property from the estate of the first husband of his wife's sister, Zephaniah Cecil, on 20 Nov 1815. He purchased a total of $431 worth of property of a total of $6,763 sold. His purchases were mainly household and farm goods, but included a slave Perry, for $205, a yoke of oxen for $71, and 43½ bushels of wheat for $65.²⁵
     Meanwhile, Elkanah adapted his machine for making hats and established a factory to make felt hats. The factory was located in buildings owned by Richard Snowden on the Patuxent River, about 18 miles from BaltimoreG. On the morning of 29 Dec 1816 the factory burned, with the loss of all the machinery and stock, estimated at about $13,000.²²

Reduced to Bankruptcy --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     The losses seem to have been devastating. Shortly afterwards Elkanah was jailed as a debtor. He petitioned the Prince George's Co.G court at its Apr 1817 term for release under bankruptcy act. The court ordered him released, and required him to run an ad weekly for three months to give notice to his creditors of the appointment of a trustee.²⁶
     The trustee was appointed, and set a public sale for 10 Nov 1817, at Semmes' tavern in Georgetown to sell 4,280 acres of land in Grayson Co., Kentucky. The following day, at the blanket factory in Prince George's Co., MarylandG, the balance of his real and personal estate was to be sold. It included a house and lot called Mount Hope, on Paint Branch, Prince George's Co.; one half of the nearby Paint mills and site; a house on Richard Snowden's Fairland Farm; all his interest in the Washington Blanket and Woollen Manufacturing Company; his patent right for making felt blankets and other woollen goods; and old iron and copper remaining from the burned hat factory.²⁷
     Elkanah died between Nov 1817 and Dec 1818.^5,6
     In Dec 1818, Martha presented a petition to the U. S. Congress "praying for a patent for certain inventions of the said deceased." The petition was referred to committee on Judiciary 30 Dec 1818. On 5 Jan 1819 the committee returned its report, recommending the petition not be granted, which was concurred in by the House.²⁸

James Dyer Cobb was born on 24 Sep 1789 in Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.^4,5,6
     He was probably one of the five males under age 16 listed in the household of his father, Elkanah Cobb, in the 1790 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland Co., VermontG.¹⁰
     He moved with his parents to Wells, the next town north of Pawlet, by 1792.^11,12
     His father died on 10 Aug 1795, when James was 5 years old.^13,14,15
     James attended school at Burlington, VermontG.¹⁶ He entered United States Military Academy, West Point, New YorkG, on 8 Mar 1808, graduating 1 May 1811.^17,18

A Military Career Foreshortened --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

      Upon graduation he was made a Second Lieut., Light Artillery. He served on recruiting service from 1811 to 1813, and in the War of 1812-15, in garrison at Greenbush, New YorkG, from 1813 to 1814. He was promoted to First Lieut., Light Artillery, 1 Apr 1812.^19,20,21 According to the version of the story passed down by the family, he recruited a company for the war, but not being allowed by the government to command it he broke his sword and resigned his commission.¹⁶
      The official version, however, is a bit different. On 21 Jul 1813, while serving at Greenbush, New YorkG, he was arraigned before a General Court Martial assembled there by Col. S. Larned, on charges of disobedience of orders and unofficer-like conduct. He was convicted and sentenced to be cashiered.
     On 29 Jan 1814 the Adjutant General wrote to Col. Larned informing him that the proceedings, including those against James, were illegal and he did not have authority to institute a General Court Martial. The issue was that only a general officer had authority to convene a general court martial, and Greenbush was only a cantonment under a military district. On 3 Feb 1814 the Adjutant General issued an order to Lt. Cobb to report to Col. Larned in Albany for a new trial. But the Colonel, in correspondence with the department, described "the inconvenience that would result from the decision that the court was illegal" because the sentences had been executed, and in one instance a man had been shot for repeated desertions. On 9 Mar the Adjutant General advised Col. Larned that the President had decided that Greenbush should be a separate command, thus confirming the earlier Court Martial, and that no further proceedings were necessary. The Adjutant General advised Lt. Cobb on 28 May 1814 that the President had approved the sentence and he was dismissed from the Army.^22,23,24

Seeking Redress in Congress --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

      James pursued relief in the U. S. Congress for many years, involving a number of Representatives as he moved about the country. His petition "complaining that he has been dismissed by a Court Martial, illegally constituted, and unlawfully conducted, and praying that he may be allowed his pay from the date of his pretended or unlawful dismissal, to the time of disbanding the corps to which he was attached" was presented to Congress 7 Feb 1825 and again the following year, and 7 Jan 1829 by Representative Rollin Carolas Mallary of Vermont. The Committee on Military Affairs reported in Jan 1830 that it had found that the approval of the President was insufficient to render the sentence of an illegally constituted court valid, and that Lt. Cobb was entitled to all the rights of a first Lieutenant until the time his unit was incorporated with the Artillery, which had been done as part of a reduction in the size of the Army directed by Congress in 1815 and 1821.^25,26
      A bill directing the Treasury to pay him from the time of his discharge until the company was disbanded, on 2 Mar 1821, was passed and signed by the President 11 Feb 1830. James received not only his regular pay, but also the extra three month's pay allowed those removed from the service by the 1821 act. The Committee commented in its report that nature of the original charges was not the issue before it, but it felt "no hesitation in saying that they did not materially implicate his character, and that the evidence adduced to support them was dubious."^27,28
      That did not end the matter. On 13 Mar 1844 Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky introduced a petition by James "praying a restoration to the rank in the army of the United States of which he states he has been illegally deprived by the sentence of a court martial, and arrearages of pay and emoluments." His claim now was that he was still rightly an officer, apparently ignoring the reduction in the army in 1821, and should be restored to the rolls and "allowing the promotion to which he is entitled by rules of the service." After languishing for some years it was sent back to committee by Senator William Seward of New York 21 Jan 1853 but failed to advance.²⁹
      On23 Dec 1853 a new petition was filed Senator Robert Johnson of Arkansas on essentially the same grounds. That petition received an adverse report from committee. On 16 Feb 1858 Senator Sam Houston of Texas had the 1844 petition for restoration of rank and back pay revived, which again received an adverse report from committee 3 Mar 1859. Its report stated that the "great number of applications made by this memorialist to the executive and the Congress for relief has induced the committee to examine the case with great care." It concluded that despite the illegal court martial, James ceased to be an officer not in 1821, but on 17 Jun 1815 when the first reduction in the army took place. Since he had already received more compensation by reason of the longer period allowed previously than would have resulted from the supposed promotion, it was unnecessary to address whether he might have received that promotion.^30,31

Becoming an Educator --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     James married Rachael Isaacs Jones, daughter of Richard Jones and Mary Donaldson, and sister of the woman his older brother Elkanah had married four years before, on 24 Apr 1817 in Prince George's Co., MarylandG.^7,8,9
     After leaving the Army James seems to have taken up education, though he occasionally engaged in other occupations. In pursuit of his varied career, he and his family moved around the country extensively. He was in Maryland in 1817, and soon moved to Georgetown, but is known to have been also in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, and Indiana, and may well have lived in other places as well. (See map.)
     He was a tutor to a private family for fifteen months, then decided to open his own school. In Jun 1817 he advertised in the Washington newspaper that he "had lately purchased a healthy situation in the country" about two miles west of Vansville, Prince George's Co., MarylandG. There he offered to "devote the whole of his time and attention" to instruct no more than 10 pupils whose parents wish to have their children educated at a boarding school in the country.³²
      Apparently the boarding school did not live up to his expectations, because by 1820 James and Rachael had moved a dozen miles or so into the District of ColumbiaG. James appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of District of ColumbiaG with a household consisting of three males under age 10 (son George, his wife's son Joseph Cecil by her prior marriage, and another), and one aged 26 to 45 (himself), one female under age 10 (Martha I. Cecil, his wife's daughter by her prior marriage), and two age 16 to 26 (his wife, Rachael and another.)³³
     In Feb 1821 James opened the Union Academy of Georgetown and Washington, offering instruction to youth of both sexes in spelling, reading, penmanship, arithmetic, English grammar, Latin and Greek, geography, history, chronology, maps and globes, and the various branches of the mathematics. The school was located west of the residence of the Russian minister in Washington.^34,35

The Washington Literary, Scientific & Military Gymnasium --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     James opened the Washington Literary, Scientific and Military Gymnasium on Prospect St., Georgetown, District of ColumbiaG, on 4 Sep 1826. He was superintendent, and taught in the science department and the English branches. A Mr. Chauncy W. Fitch taught Greek, Latin, and French. A "gentleman of high literary attainments" was engaged to give lectures in natural history, and there were also lectures in "chymistry and mineralogy." Students were known as cadets, and required to dress in "uniforms of a military cut and fashion." The hours of instruction were from sunrise to sunset, with study and recitations for eight hours, and the remainder for military and gymnastic exercises. He promised parents that "cadets are never to be out of the knowledge of the superintendent." Cadets from a distance could board with his family for $130 per year. They would pass their evenings with him "in a room for the purpose," and lodge in rooms adjoining his. Board, clothing, and tuition were not to exceed $275 per year, including a $2 per year charge for firewood.^36,37,38 His nephew, Joshua Cobb, studied there during the school's second year, and he wrote a letter of recommendation for the boy in support of Joshua's application to West Point.³⁹
     A Board of Visitors, several identified as military officers, published their report on the school on 3 Jul 1827. After pontificating at length on the methods of instruction of youth over the centuries, they declared themselves "highly gratified with the examination and military exercise of the cadets." They mention the "rigid" examination in the branches of mathematics, and were satisfied by those in Latin, Greek, and French, and noted the accomplishments of the students in drawing. They seem to have been especially impressed with the military maneuvers "which would have done honor to more experienced troops."⁴⁰ James continued to superintend the school until 1829. No further record of it has been found, so it may well have closed then. There are notices in the newspapers for a number of similar institutions, so there may have been considerable competition for students.⁴¹

The Move to Ohio, Indiana, then Back to Ohio --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     James appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Lebanon, Warren Co., OhioG, with a household consisting of two males under age 5 (sons James and Joshua), one age 5 to 10 (unknown), two age 10 to 15 (George and and perhaps his wife's son Joseph Cecil), and one aged 40 to 50 (himself), two females age 5 to 10 (daughters Mary and Sophia), one age 15 to 20 (his wife's daughter Martha I. Cecil), and two age 30 to 40 (his wife, Rachael and another). There was also one free Black woman, aged between 10 and 24, perhaps a servant.⁴²
     He was a counselor at law in Ohio, supposedly from 1832 to 1842.^43,44 But on 16 Apr 1835 James was granted a patent for 80 acres of land in Decatur Co., IndianaG, under the Cash Entry Act of April 24,1820. That act reduced the minimum price of public land to $1.25 per acre, and the minimum purchase to 80 acres, but required payment in cash, not on credit. His tract was described as the west half of the southeast quarter of section 29, twp. 10 north, range 10 east.⁴⁵
     James and Rachael were living Greensbury [Greensburgh ?] Indiana in Apr 1836 when their son George returned there from college and died shortly afterwards.⁴⁶ James was apparently an active member of the community while he was there. At a meeting held 22 Apr 1837 in GreensburghG to address citizen concerns about the tax burden of the system of Internal Improvements adopted by the state legislature in 1835-36, he was appointed one of a committee of seven to draft language urging reconsideration.⁴⁷ On 20 Aug 1838 he was granted a patent for two more parcels under that act. One was 80 acres, described as the north half of the southwest quarter of section 28, and the other of 160 acres, the east half of the southeast quarter of section 29, both of twp. 10 north, range 10 east.⁴⁸
     The family apparently moved back to Ohio, as James appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Dayton, Montgomery Co., OhioG, with a household consisting of one male age 10 to 15 (son Joshua), two aged 15 to 20 (James and another), and one aged 40 to 50 (himself), two females under age 5 (daughters Georgiana and Alice), one age 5 to 10 (Caroline), one age 10 to 15 (Mary), one age 15 to 20 (Sophia) and one age 30 to 40 (his wife, Rachael Isaacs Cobb.)⁴⁹
     While at DaytonG James apparently tried to open a school there modeled on the one he had started in Georgetown. He place an advertisement in the Washington newspaper on 9 Oct 1841 for his Western Literary, Scientific, and Military Gymnasium, using much of the same language he had used to describe his earlier school. The notice included eleven references, including the governor of Ohio, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John McLean, three colonels, and his cousin, Caleb Clark Cobb, of Eddyville, Kentucky. No further record of the school has been found, so whether it actually opened, and if so for how long, is unknown.⁵⁰

Then to Arkansas --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     By 1847 James had been named superintendent of the Washington Male and Female Seminary in Washington, ArkansasG. Newspaper advertisements in the spring of that year, for the second term, to start 7 Apr 1848 for five months named him as also teaching physics, ethics and belles lettres. His son James and daughter Mary were also listed as instructors there. He had been replaced by the fall of 1848 by Rev. H. C. Thweatt.^51,52,53
     James and Rachael appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Washington, Hempstead Co., ArkansasG, enumerated 3 Oct 1850, reporting real estate valued at $2,000. Their children Mary, Joshua, Caroline, Alice, and Georgiana were listed as living with them, as was on female slave, age 50.^54,55
     He was a special agent to visit land offices in Arkansas in 1851, and a clerk in the Third Auditor's Office of the Treasury Department from 1851 to 1853. He was a professor of Mathematics in Franklin College, Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1854 and in Andrew College, Trenton, Tennessee, in 1856. He became president of La Grange College, Alabama, in 1857.⁴³
      James's long-running efforts in Congress do not seem to reflect any ongoing conflict with the Army. In addition to the various officers who served as references for his schools, he was appointed one of the 15 members of the Board of Visitors to the U.S. Military Academy in 1850. In the announcement of his appointment he was shown as Capt. James D. Cobb of Arkansas, and in the 1850 census claimed as his occupation to be a Lieut. Col. U.S.A. In the report of the board dated 18 Jun 1850, he is listed first among the members of the Committee on Police, which reported on "the physical wants, the health, and the moral condition of the Cadets." They were generally satisfied with the facilities, and seemed particularly impressed that the barracks included "bathing-rooms, where the Cadets, at a very slight expense, can bathe once a week, or oftener, if desired."^56,57,58
     James and Rachael apparently separated, or perhaps were divorced, before 1860. In the 1860 census he is listed as living with his eldest daughter and her husband in Arkansas, while she was living with her eldest daughter by her first marriage in Louisiana, listed under her maiden name.
     James appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Saline Twp., Hempstead Co., ArkansasG, in the household of his daughter Sophia and her husband, William H. Crabtree, with no occupation listed. His second-youngest daughter, Alice, as also listed in the household.^59,60
     James apparently died before 1870. No record of his death has been found, but he was not listed with Sophia and her husband in 1870, nor has he been found elsewhere.