Generation 1

DEA. HENRY COBB of Scituate and Barnstable

Parents: Unknown

Henry Cobb married first Patience Hurst. [Ref] She was buried on 4 May 1648 in Scituate. [Ref] He married second Sarah Hinckley on 12 Dec 1649. [Ref][Ref] Sarah was the daughter of Samuel Hinckley. [Ref] She joined the church in Barnstable on 20 Jan 1649 (this must be 1649/50). [Ref]

On 2 Jan 1632/3 and on 2 Jan 1633/4 the General Court asked the colonists to pay taxes, in grain or the equivalent. [Ref][Ref] Henry was assessed relatively low taxes in both years. [Ref]

Henry was assigned a houselot on Kent Street in Scituate in 1633. He had one of the first houses in Scituate, before Sep 1634; it was small and plain. [Ref]

Goodman Cobb and his wife were among the original members of the first church in Scituate, joining on 8 Jan 1634. [Ref] Henry was appointed a deacon on 15 Dec 1635. [Ref]

Henry is on a 1640 list of inhabitants of Barnstable. [Ref] He is in the Barnstable section of the 1643 list of those between 16 and 60 able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Ref]

Children of Henry Cobb and Patience Hurst: [Their grandfather James Hurst lists them in his will. Ref]

1. John Cobb 1 was born on 7 Jun 1632 in Plymouth. He married Martha Nelson.
2. James Cobb 1 was born on 14 Jan 1634 in Plymouth. He married Sarah Lewis.
3. Mary Cobb was baptised on 26 Mar 1637 in Scituate. [Ref] She married Jonathan Dunham as his second wife on 16 Oct. 1657. [Ref][Ref: editors note] He married first Mary, the daughter of Philip Delano.
4. Hannah Cobb was baptised on 5 Oct 1639 in Scituate. [Ref]
5. Patience Cobb was baptised on 13 Mar 1641/2 in Barnstable. [Ref]
6. Gershom Cobb was born on 10 Jan 1644/5. [Ref] He was baptised on 12 Jan 1644 in Barnstable. [Ref] He married Hannah Davis. [Ref]
7. Eleazer Cobb was baptised on 2 Apr 1648 in Barnstable. [Ref]

Children of Henry Cobb and Sarah Hinckley. All of the births were in Barnstable and are due to Cobb [Ref].

1. Mehitable Cobb was born on 1 Sep 1651. She was baptised on 7 Sep 1651 in Barnstable. [Ref] She was buried there on 8 Mar 1652. [Ref]
2. Samuel Cobb was born on 12 Oct 1654. He was mentioned in his grandfather Samuel Hinckley, Sr.'s will. [Ref]
3. Dea. Jonathan Cobb was born on 10 Apr 1660. He died on 15 Aug 1728, age about 65. [Ref] He married Hope Unknown. She died on 26 Jul 1728, age about 76. [Ref] He is mentioned in his grandfather Samuel Hinckley, Sr.'s will. [Ref] He and his wife were the 22nd and 23rd members of the First Church of Christ in Middleboro before 1708. [Ref] He was chosen Treasurer of Middleboro on 1 Mar 1711 and served four years. [Ref]
4. Sarah Cobb was born on 10 Mar 1662/3.
5. Henry Cobb was born on 3 Sep1665. Henry Cobb's dismission from the church at Barnstable was read in the first church in Stonington on 11 Nov 1705. [Ref]
6. Mehitable Cobb was born on 15 Feb 1667. Her brother Samuel's son Timothy left his 'Aunt Mehetable Cobb' 25 shillings in his will dated 1 Oct 1742. [Ref]
7. Experience Cobb was born on 11 Sep 1671.

Generation 2

JOHN COBB 1 (1632 - 1715) of Plymouth

Parents: Henry Cobb and Patience Hurst

John Cobb 1 was born on 7 Jun 1632 in Plymouth. [Ref] He married Martha Nelson on 28 Apr 1658. [Ref]

John was one of the 26 men who purchased land for Middleborough from the Indian sachem Wampatuck in Mar 1662. [Ref]

John signed his will with his mark on 4 Feb 1711/2. [Ref] He refers to himself as a yeoman of Plymouth, in Plymouth county. He mentions his wife Martha; his sons John, Elisha, James and Ebenezer; his daughter Patience Bennett. [Ref] His will was proved on 2 Apr 1715. [Ref] Inventory was taken on 25 May 1715. [Ref]

Children of John Cobb 1 and Martha Nelson. All births provided by Cobb [Ref].

1. John Cobb 2 was born on 24 Aug 1662. He died on 8 Oct 1727, age 68. He married Rebecca Soule.
2. Patience Cobb was born on 10 Aug 1668. She married John, the son of John Bennett of Middleboro. [Ref]
3. Ebenezer Cobb was born on 9 Aug 1671.
4. Elisha Cobb was born on 3 Apr 1679.
5. James Cobb was born on 20 Jul 1682.

JAMES COBB 1 (b. 1634)

Parents: Henry Cobb and Patience Hurst

James was born on 14 Jan 1634 in Plymouth. [Ref] He married Sarah Lewis.

Children of James Cobb and Sarah Lewis:

1. Mercy Cobb married Richard Sparrow 2.

Generation 3

JOHN COBB 2 (1662 - 1727) of Middleboro

Parents: John Cobb 1 and Martha Nelson

John Cobb 2 was born on 24 Aug 1662. [Ref] He died on 8 Oct 1727, age 68. [Ref] He married Rebecca Soule in 1688. [Ref]

John joined the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 26 Dec 1694 o.s. as member 16. [Ref]

His father left him his lands in Middleboro. [Ref]

Children of John Cobb 2 and Rebecca Soule:

1. John Cobb was born about 1689. He died on 6 Jul 1750, age 61. [Ref] He married first Joanna Thomas, the daughter of William Thomas, Sr, before 1714. [Ref] She died on 11 Nov 1724, age 32. [Ref] He married second the widow Mary Conant. [Ref] Mary died on 16 Aug 1795, age 92. [Ref] John joined the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 4 Jul 1742 as member 419. [Ref] Joanna joined "on her bed at her house" on 30 Jun 1724 as member 119. [Ref] Mary joined on 7 Jul 1742 as member 422. [Ref]
2. Elizabeth Cobb [Ref]
3. Martha Cobb was born about 1691. She died on 8 Aug 1775, age 84. [Ref] She married first Ephraim Tinkham, Jr in 1708. Ephraim, the son of Ephraim Tinker, Sr died on 11 Jul 1713, age 31. Martha married second Aaron Simmons in 1716. Martha joined the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 13 Mar 1743 as member 447. [Ref] Ephraim joined on 20 Aug 1710 as member 40. [Ref]
4. Patience Cobb married Samuel Tinkham. [Ref]
5. James Cobb died on 18 Oct 1729. He married Thankful Thomas.
6. Rachel Cobb married Miles Standish. [Ref]

MERCY COBB

Parents: James Cobb 1 and Sarah Lewis

Mercy Cobb married Richard Sparrow 2.

Generation 4

JAMES COBB 2 (1696 - 1744) of Middleboro

Parents: John Cobb 2 and Rebecca Soule [Ref]

James Cobb was born on 12 Apr 1696 in Middleboro. [Ref] He died on 27 Jan 1743/4. He married Thankful Thomas in 1718. [Ref]

William Cushman of Middleboro was appointed guardian of the minor daughters of James, late of Middleboro, on 6 Mar 1743. [Ref]

James's gravestone says:

 IN MEMORY OF
MR JAMES COB
WHO DECEASD
J ANRY ye 27th
1743/4
IN YE 47TH YEAR
OF HIS AGE

Children of James Cobb and Thankful Thomas:

1. Lydia Cobb was born on 17 Oct 1718 in Middleboro, MA. She may be the Lydia Cobb of Middleboro married Seth Howland of Middleboro on 25 Jan 1738/9 in Middleboro. [Ref]
2. Rachel Cobb was born on 17 Oct 1719 in Middleboro. She died on 2 Mar 1767, age 47. [Ref] She married Samuel Smith in 1738. [Ref] Samuel, the son of Jonathan and Susannah (Thomas) Smith, died on 16 Dec 1781, age 67. [Ref] Rachel joined the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 16 Jan 1742 as member 309. [Ref] Samuel the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 28 Mar 1742 as member 360. [Ref]
3. Thankful Cobb was born on 4 Jun 1722 in Middleboro. [Ref] She died before 1777. She married Ichabod Wood on 16 Feb 1743/4 in Middleboro. [Ref gives only the year, 1743][Ref] Ichabod, the son of Thankful's aunt Sarah Thomas's husband Dea. Samuel Wood, Jr, died on 8 Aug 1787, age 68. [Ref] Ichabod married second Priscilla Thomas in 1777. [Ref] Ichabod joined the First Church of Christ in Middleboro on 15 Apr 1742 as member 379. [Ref]
4. James Cobb was born on 11 Mar 1726/7 in Middleboro. [Ref] He died on 14 Aug 1773 in Middleboro. [Ref] He married Susannah Tinkham in 1749. [Ref does not give the date][Ref] Susanna was born in 1724. [Ref] She died on 21 Jun 1813, age 88. [Ref] She was the daughter of John and Hannah (Howland) Tinkham and the granddaughter of Lieut. Isaac Howland. [Ref]
5. Sarah Cobb was born on 9 Apr 1729 in Middleboro. [Ref] She died on 22 Nov 1781. [Ref] She may have been the Sarah Cobb who married Ebenezer Morton on 23 Jul 1753 in Middleboro. [Ref]
6. Priscilla Cobb married either her guardian William Cushman on 11 Apr 1751 in Middleboro or Silas Cobb on 24 Nov 1752 in Middleboro. [Ref]
7. Elizabeth Cobb [Ref]

Generation 5

LYDIA COBB (b 1718)

Parents: James Cobb and Thankful Thomas

Lydia Cobb was born on 17 Oct 1718 in Middleboro. She married Seth Howland 1 on 25 Jan 1739. [Ref][Ref]

References

Church Records

Church Membership, 1694 to 1799, extracted from First Church of Middleborough, Mass., Mr. Putnams Century and Half Discourses: An Historical Account and a Catalogue of Members, Published by the Church, 1854.

Otis, Amos, trans., "Scituate and Barnstable Church Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 279-287; 10,1856, 37-43, 345-351.

Family Genealogies

Cobb, Philip L., A History of the Cobb Family, Cleveland, unknown, 1907.

Gates, Horatio, The Aikens Monograph, privately printed, no date.

Heinz, John W., Some Descendants of Ephraim Tinkham of Plymouth, Buffalo, Buffalo Chapter, Daughters of the American Colonists, 195-?.

Ridlon, G. T., A Contribution to the History, Biography and Genealogy of the Families named Sole, Solly, Soule, Sowle, Soulis, unknown, G.T. Ridlon, 1926.

Local Histories

Editors, "Sketches of the Early History of Middleborough, in the County of Plymouth," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 2, 1849, 213-220, 330-344.

Hamblin, David, trans. "The First Settlers of Barnstable," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 2, 1848, 64-67.

Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts: With biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884.

Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620 - 1691, Salt Lake City, Ancestry, 1986.

Public Records

Hayward, Elijah, "Plymouth Colony Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 313-318.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "List of Those Able to Bear Arms in the Colony of New Plymouth 1643," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850, 255-259.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "Plymouth Colony Rates," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850 252-3.

Vital Records

Merrick, Barbara Lambert and Alicia Crane Williams, Middleborough, Massachusetts Vital Records, Volumes 1 and 2, Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, William S. Sullwold Publishing, Inc., Taunton, MA, 1986 and 1990.

Wills

Winsor, Justin, "Abstract of the Earliest Wills in the Probate Office, Plymouth," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, various issues.