Josiah Cobb1,2

Family Chart
ID# 16612, ( - abt 1817)

Key Events:

Marriage: Ann [surname unknown] ( - before 1827)2
Death: about Jun 18173

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Josiah married Ann [surname unknown].2
     Josiah and Ann moved their family about 1806 from South Carolina to Livingston Co., Kentucky, which became Caldwell Co. in May 1809.
     Josiah purchased 200 acres on the waters of Skinframe Creek in Livingston Co., Kentucky, on 11 Jan 1809, from Andrew and Elisabeth Jones, for $700.4
     Josiah appeared on the 1810 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, with a household consisting of three white males under age 10 (sons Humphrey, Hezekiah and Samuel), and one between 26 and 45 (himself), one female under 10 (possibly daughter Harriet), two between 10 and 16 (unknown), and one 16 to 26 (his wife, Ann), and 5 slaves.1
     Josiah appears on the Caldwell Co. tax lists for 1812 through 1816, reporting that he owned two slaves in 1812, increasing to four in 1814, and three thereafter. He reported six horses the first three years, then four and three in the final years. He reported the 200-acre parcel each year, and another parcel in 1815 and 1816, intially reported at 540 acres and the next year at 400 acres. No deeds have been found for this latter parcel. The total valuation was $2,740 the last year.5
     On 23 Oct 1815 Josiah was appointed with Jesse Cobb and three others to appraise the estate of Samuel Boyd.6 He was appointed with Henry Ballinger Machen and William Norris to mark out a road from Freemans Mill to the intersection of the road leading from Eddyville to Centerville at Machen's farm on 26 Aug 1816.7
     Josiah purchased 10 acres adjacent to his exiting property, on the waters of Skinframe Creek in Caldwell Co., Kentucky, on 16 Jan 1817, from William Cook, paying $10.8
     Josiah died about Jun 1817.3
     A letters of administration for Josiah's estate was granted on 29 Jul 1817 in County Court, Caldwell Co., to his widow, Ann, after she executed a $6,000 bond with Jesse Cobb and William Johnston as her securities.9 An inventory of his estate was filed on 19 Aug 1817 in Caldwell Co. Court. It listed 32 head of cattle valued at $178, 38 hogs valued at $65, 16 sheep at $27, seven horses at $161, farm tools including a harrow and plows, household items including a coffee mill, loom, and four spinning wheels, a feather bed and furniture valued at $80.75, books, a slave Elick valued at $500, Nancy and her children, valued at $500, and Richard, valued at $600.10,11 When William Johnston withdrew as one of the securities for her bond she appeared on 26 Oct 1818 in the county court of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, and tendered Edward H. Tarrant as additional surety.12
     Jesse Cobb reported Josiah's property, 210 acres, in the 1817 tax lists, and Ann reported them in 1818 as administrator. They reported four slaves and four horses, and 210 acres of property each year. Ann reported the property in her own name after that.13
     The 200-acre parcel Josiah purchased in 1809 was sold by his heirs 14 Dec 1838, to Jacob Holt, for $500. The sellers were Humphrey Cobb, Hezekiah Cobb, Samuel T. Cobb & wife Nancy A., Delila Cobb and Harriet Cobb, described as heirs and legal representatives of Josiah Cobb. They were all described as of Desoto Co., Mississippi, except for Hezekiah, who was from Shelby Co., Tennessee.14
     
Research Note, 14 Apr 2018:

Josiah and Jesse Cobb were clearly not closely related to the other Cobbs in Eddyville, whose ancestors and close cousins are well documented. The frequent association of the two with each other in various documents suggests they were related, but just how has not been well documented. It seems likely that most if not all of the "heirs and legal representatives" who sold Josiah's property in 1838 were his children. Extensive research by descendants of some of them has found evidence suggesting, if not yet solidly proving, that Josiah and Jesse were brothers, and were descendants of Henry (the Elder) Cobb of Barnstable by a different son than the one who is the ancestor of most of the Cobbs on our website. While the others descend from his son Henry (1665-1725), Josiah and Jesse are believed to have descended from his son Samuel (1654-1727), by his son Henry (1687-1755), most likely by his son Noah (1739-1808). This latter Henry is known to have moved to Pomfret, Connecticut, and then to North Carolina, where both he and his son Noah died. The presumed sons of Josiah were born in South Carolina, a connection that seems quite possible but not yet proved.15

Children:
     Children with Ann [surname unknown]

The known children of Josiah and Ann are primarily established by an 1839 deed in which his former property in Caldwell Co. was sold by "Humphrey Cobb, Hezekiah Cobb, Saml T. Cobb & wife Nancy H., Delila Cobb, and Harriet Cobb all heirs & legal representatives." Hezekiah was shown as of Shelby Co., Tennessee, and the others of Desoto Co., Mississippi. Humphrey and Samuel are found in records in Shelby Co. up to 1830 and Desoto Co. after than; Hezekiah remained in Shelby.

Evidence of Theron is thinner. The Delila mentioned in the deed may have been the Delila who married Theron Cobb, who seems to have died before 1839 leaving his widow Delila his heir.

No record of Harriet has been found other than the deed.

It seems likely there were other children, among them likely a William Cobb who died in Shelby Co. in 1836 leaving a nuncupative (oral) will that was accepted based on the testimony of Hezikiah and his wife Nancy.14

Citations

  1. [S1776] Joseah Cobb household, 1810 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky.
  2. [S587] The Caldwell County Kentucky Genealogy Home Page, online, extract of Caldwell County Court Order Book A, 24 Aug 1818, pg 20, record of summons issued, extracter's note says Ann Cobb was the widow, and 26 Oct 1818, pg 30, recording Ann Cobb, administratrix of estate of Josiah Cobb, deceased, answering summons.
  3. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, B:156, letters of administration for his estate granted to his widow 29 Jul 1817.
  4. [S1975] Deeds, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, B:10-11, Andrew Jones & Elisabeth Jones to Josiah Cobb, 16 Mar 1814.
  5. [S4057] Caldwell Co. tax lists,, 1812 pg 7; 1813 pg 7; 1814 pg 8; 1815 pg 5; and 1816 pg 6.
  6. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, 1:418-9; 1:426-7.
  7. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, B:76.
  8. [S1975] Deeds, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, B:498-9, William Cook to Josiah Cobb, 17 Jan 181.
  9. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, B:156.
  10. [S875] Wills, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, A:300-1, Josiah Cobb valuation, 19 Aug 1817, given name written as Joseph, at the beginning, but correctly at the end.
  11. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, B:173, inventory ordered recorded 26 Aug 1817.
  12. [S1971] Caldwell Co. Order Book, C:20, on motion of William Johnston, the widow was ordered to appear at the Oct term and given another security in his place; C:30, she appeared and tendered Edward H. Farrant as additional security.
  13. [S4057] Caldwell Co. tax lists,, 1817 pg 6; and 1818 pg 8.
  14. [S1975] Deeds, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, I:240-2, Humphrey Cobb, Hezekiah Cobb, Saml T. Cobb & wife Nancy H., Delila Cobb, and Harriet Cobb all heirs & legal representatives of Josiah Cobb, dec'd to Jacob Holt, 17 Jun 1839.
  15. [S7958] Wunder, "Cobbs in Caldwell, KY," e-mail to author, 7 Apr 2018, shows her current research into ancestry of Josiah Cobb.
  16. [S1975] Deeds, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, I:240-2, Humphrey Cobb, Hezekiah Cobb, Saml T. Cobb & wife Nancy H., Delila Cobb, and Harriet Cobb all heirs & legal representatives of Josiah Cobb, dec'd to Jacob Holt, 17 Jun 1839; Delila may have been his widow.