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Deacon Henry Cobb (say 1607–1679)

Patience Hurst (say 1609–1648), daughter of James Hurst and Gertrude Bennister

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Henry was born say 1607. He died between 22 February 1678/9 and 3 June 1679. He married first Patience, the daughter of James Hurst. [1] Mr. Henry Cobb married second Sarah Hinckley on 12 December 1649 in Barnstable. [2]

Patience Hurst was born say 1609. Patience, the wife of Mr. Henry Cobb, was buried on 4 May 1648 in Barnstable. [2]

James Hurst named his Cobb grandchildren in his will. [1]

Henry came to New Englalnd in 1632 and settled in Plymouth. He moved to Scituate in 1634 and Barnstable in 1639. [1]

The first meeting of the New Plymouth Colony General Court took place on 1 January 1632/3 (all court dates are old style). Henry was already a freeman by then. All governments need revenue and one of the courts first acts was to order the collection of taxes. The taxes, collexted in corn, ranged from nine shillings for most of the households to three pounds and 11 shillings for Isaac Allerton. Henry was one of those assessed nine shillings. [3] By an order of 2 January 1633/4, Henry paid a tax of nine shillings. [3]

Henry was on the 1633 list of Plymouth freemen. [1] He is in the Barnstable section of the 1643 list of men able to bear arms in Plymouth. [1]

Henry and his wife were founding members of the Scituate church on 8 January 1634/5. [1] He was invested as a deacon on 15 December 1635. [1] He was ordained a ruling elder of the Barnstable church on 14 April 1670. [1]

The court made a grant of a plantation called Seppekann for a township and congregation on 22 January 1638/9 to a committee of eight men, including Henry, who were to dispose of the land. [3]

Henry kept a tavern; he was licensed to draw wine on 5 June 1644 in Barnstable. [1]

Henry was on the committee for defense of Barnstable on 10 October 1643. He was a deputy for Barnstable ten times between 5 June 1644 and 3 June 1662. He was a frequent jury member. He was an excise collector on 8 June 1664. [1]

Henry Cobb of Barnstable made his will on 4 April 1678 and added a codicil on 22 February 1678/9; it was proved on 3 June 1679. He left bequests to his sons John, James, Gershom, Eleazer, Samuel, Jonathan, and Henry; his wife Sarah; his daughters Mary, Hannah, and Patience. Inventory on the estate of Elder Henry Cobb was undated and untotaled; it included house, land, and meadow valued at 80 pounds. [1]

Children of Henry Cobb and Patience Hurst: Births, except for Hannah's, recorded in Barnstable [2]

i. John Cobb was born on 7 June 1632 in Plymouth. He married Martha Nelson on 28 April 1658 in Plymouth. [1]

ii. Sergeant James Cobb was born on 14 January 1634 in Plymouth. He married Sarah Lewis.

v. Patience Cobb was born about 9 March 1641/2 in Barnstable. She died on 23 October 1727 in Barnstable. [1] She was baptized on 13 March 1641/2 in Barnstable. [1] She married first as his second wife Robert Parker at the beginning of August 1677. [1] She married second William Crocker. [1]

vi. Gershom Cobb was born on 10 January 1644. He was buried, unmarried, on 24 June 1675 in Swansea. [1] He was baptized on 12 January 1644/5 in Barnstable. [1]

Gershom was a constable in Middleborough in 1671. [4] He was on the Grand Enquest in 1674. [4]

Gershom was in Swansea at the first attack of the Indians on that town in King Philip's War. He was killed along with eight others and was buried with them. [4]

Gershom's brother John administered his estate. It was divided equally among his siblings, except that John received a double share. [4]

vii. Eleazer Cobb was born on 30 March 1648. He was baptized on 2 April 1648 in Barnstable. [1] He was living in Barnstable, apparently unmarried, in 1703. [1]

Children of Henry Cobb and Sarah Hinckley: All born in Barnstable [

viii. Mehitable Cobb was born in September 1651. [1][2] She was baptized on 7 September 1651 in Barnstable. [1] She was buried on 8 March 1651/2 in Barnstable. [1][2]

ix. Samuel Cobb was born on 12 October 1654. [1][2] He married Elizabeth ___ on 20 December 1680 in Barnstable. [1] She is said to be the daughter of Richard Taylor. [1]

x. Sarah Cobb was born on 15 January 1658. [1][2] She was buried on 25 January 1658 in Barnstable. [1][2]

xi. Jonathan Cobb was born on 10 April 1660. [1][2] Deacon Jonathan Cobb died on 15 August 1728, age 68 in Middleborough. [4] He married Hope (Chipman) Huckins on 1 March 1682/3 in Barnstable. [1][2] Hope was the daughter of John Chipman and widow of John Huckins. [1][2] She died on 26 "Jy." 1728, age 76 in Middleborough. [4]

Jonathan might be the Jonathan Cobb whose wife Sarah was dismissed to the church in Middleborough on 3 June 1703. [2]

Jonathan and Hope Cobb were probably members of the first church in Middleborough by 1708. [4]

xii. Sarah Cobb was born on 10 March 1662/3 in Barnstable. [1] She married Samuel Chipman on 27 December 1686 in Barnstable. [1]

xiii. Henry Cobb was born on 3 September 1667 in Barnstable. [1] He married Lois Hallett on 10 April 1690 in Barnstable. [1]

xiv. Ephraim Cobb was born on 11 September 1671 in Barnstable. [1] He probably died by 4 April 1678.

References:

1. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 392

2. "Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620–1850," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Barnstable, 690.

3. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640 (Boston: William White, 1855).

4. Thomas Weston, History of the Town of Middleborough, Massachusetts (New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1906), 38 (Gershom), 42–42 (Mary), 639–86.

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Last revised: 27-Dec-2023