Abigail Mayo Cobb

Narrative:

     Abigail Mayo Cobb was born on 12 Oct 1821 in Rochester, New York.^7,8,9 She was baptized on 11 Jul 1823 in First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, New York.²⁰
     Her father died on 21 Sep 1826, when Abigail was 4 years old.^6,21,22
     Abigail married Charles Greene Johnson, son of Oliver Johnson and Eliza Disbrow, about 1844.^10,11,12
     How Abigail, a native of Rochester, and Charles, a native of Michigan, met is unknown. It may be they met when he came east to attend college. Her obituary says she moved Monroe, Michigan, in 1844, about the time they married. However their first child was born in New York in 1847. Either she returned home for the birth, or she actually moved west later.^23,24

Establishing a Respected Place in the Community --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Abigail and Charles appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, enumerated 29 Jul 1850, reporting real estate valued at $4,400. Their children Sarah and Kate were listed as living with them, as was Madeline Rose, age 17 from Germany, who appears to have been a servant.²⁵
     Abigail and Charles appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, enumerated 1 Jun 1860, reporting real estate valued at $14,000 and personal estate of 10,000. Their children Kate, Charles, Oliver and Harry were listed as living with them, as were her mother, Lora Fitch, and her younger sister, Lora Fitch Cobb, and Mary Canady, age 50 from Ireland, and Ann Kelly, age 19 from Scotland, who appear to have been servants.²⁶
     Abigail and Charles appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, enumerated 29 Jun 1870, reporting real estate valued at $16,000 and personal estate of $34,000. Their children Kate, Oliver and Harry were listed as living with them, as were his mother, her mother, two domestic servants, and Charles Wing, age 17, relationship unknown.²⁷
     Abigail and Charles appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, on Washington St., enumerated 2 Jun 1880. Their son Harry was listed as living with them, as was Mary Klutz, a 19-year old servant from Prussia.²⁸

A Very Messy Divorce --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Charles sued for divorce from Abigail on grounds of extreme cruelty. At trial much testimony was taken and the private lives of the parties for many years was described. They had been married 37 years, had children and grand-children, were members in good standing of a church, and had been "prominent and conspicuous persons in society." But it was evident that they had not lived happily together for a number of years. Judge Governeur Morris of Circuit Court in Monroe Co. granted the divorce 8 Nov 1881, "much to the surprise of the good people thereabouts" according to one news account.^13,14,15
     Abigail filed a motion with the state Supreme Court to vacate the divorce decree and require a new trial on 4 Apr 1882, on the grounds that the trial judge's term had ended before the time for settling the case. Her petition was denied the next day.²⁹
     On 20 Oct 1882 she filed an appeal of the original divorce decree with the Supreme Court. The Court decided the appeal 17 Jan 1883, founding that the "extreme cruelty" relied upon as the basis of the case consisted of "petty annoyances, complaints and fault-finding, and the disparagement of complaint's common sense, taste, and judgment." It continued "No doubt many of the little things now complained of were very annoying at the time, but such annoyances fall to the lot of many, who wisely bear therewith rather than seek relief in the courts." The Court expressed hope that the "parties may, as they should, become reconciled, and spend the remainder of their days under the same roof." It then dismissed the divorce decree and directed Charles to pay Abigail $500 for costs and expenses.²⁹
     The Court's hope for reconciliation was apparently thwarted, as Charles again filed for divorce on the grounds of extreme cruelty, this time in Wood Co., Ohio. That county is the first county across the state line in Ohio, some 50 miles from Monroe. Ohio at the time had a one-year residency requirement to file for divorce, so Charles must have established his residence there soon after the first divorce was overturned by the Michigan Supreme Court.^30,31 That divorce was eventually granted.^16,17
     The divorce must of caused quite a stir in the community. Her obituary described her as "another of Monroe's old and highly respected citizens" who "during her long residence here became widely known and respected." It said "in early life she took and active part in church work and was a leader in those things that usually occupy the attention of ladies interested in church matters, latterly accumulating years bore heavily upon her and she gave way to juniority."²³
     Abigail died on 8 Feb 1891 in Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, at age 69.^18,8 She was buried in Woodland Cemetery, Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, in the Johnson plot, next to her mother.¹⁹