CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA - HISTORY - Campbell Chronicles and Family Sketches Family Sketches - Cobbs ----¤¤¤---- CAMPBELL CHRONICLES and FAMILY SKETCHES Embracing the History of CAMPBELL COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1782-1926 By R. H. EARLY With Illustrations J. P. BELL COMPANY LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 1927 Cobbs The first of the Cobbs' name, so far ascertained, was John Cobbs of Goochland county. His sons, Colonel Samuel, Edmund and John Cobbs are recorded in Louisa county. -Samuel, married Mary Lewis, a descendant of Col. Robt. and Jane Meriwether-Lewis. -Edmund, married Sarah Lewis, and in 1773 patented 5OO acres both sides of Ivy creek. Col. Sam'l Cobbs of Louisa, patented 396 acres on the north fork of Ward's fork in 1743, just one year after John Irvin made his settlement in the county; he acquired a large landed estate; and in his will (recorded 1758) left his brother Edmund and John each 5OO acres in the (then Bedford) county. Children of Samuel and Mary Cobbs: Captain Robert, born in Louisa, married Ann Gizaage, dau. of John and Sarah White-Poindexter, he patented 1OO acres on Hunting and Hurt's creeks, and 2OO acres on Ivy creek; was living in 1795 at a residence called Plain Dealing, which is said to have been situated near the present Naruna, where he died; his will was recorded in 1829. Bedford courts of 1778 and 1779 recommended Robert Cobbs for commissions as second and first lieutenants of Virginia Militia, he served as captain, and was in the battles of Camden and Guilford. His widow, Ann G. P. Cobbs, applied in 1841 for a pension, she being then 79 years of age. She died in 1842 at her Campbell county home and her pension was allowed to her surviving children, John P., Robert L., William, Charles L., Sarah W. Weaver, and Elizabeth Ann Motley of Charlotte county. Children of Capt. Robert Cobbs: —Dr. John P., b. 1785, married Jane Meredith, dau. o'f Hon. David S. and Jane Meredith Garland. —Mary Lewis, b. 1787, m. 1st, William Armistead, m. 2nd, Dr. John McClean. —Robert Lewis, b. 1789, graduated at Pennsylvania Medical College, was brigade surgeon in General Coffee's brigade, served with General Jackson through his campaign; was attorney-general of Tennessee; revised the laws of the state in 1827 and was member of the Constitutional Convention of 1834, died 1856. —William, b. 1792, m. Mary Ann Stanard, dau. of Major Samuel Scott; bought Poplar Forest of Jefferson's grandson; died 1828 and was buried at St. Stephen's churchyard in Bedford; his dau., Emily Williams, married Edward Sixtus Hutter of the U. S. Navy, and lived at Poplar Forest which is now owned and occupied by their son, Christian Sixtus Hutter and his family, as a summer residence; this historic place has remained in the Cobbs-Hutter family through four generations. —Samuel Cobbs, U. S. A., b. 1776, appointed (through Hon. David S. Garland, M. C.,) lieutenant in the army; was with Gen. Scott at Lundy's Lane where he was wounded in battle; after war of 1812 was engaged in the Indian wars in Georgia and Florida: died in 1817 of wounds he had received in the war. —Sarah, b. 1798, m. 1822, William C. McAllister who died in 1841, she m. 2nd, Mr. Weaver. —Charles Lewis, b. 18OO, owned the Glen Alpine estate in Bedford, m. Ann M. L. Scott, moved to Indiana in 1848, died at Valparaiso in 1864. -Elizabeth A., b. 18O2, married Joel Motley, moved to Charlotte county. -Dr. Meriwether Cobbs, b. 18O5, educated at Hampden-Sidney College, and Pa. Med. College, d. at the age of 22. Captain Robert Cobbs in 1824 made a deed of gift to Charles and Thomas Cobbs, Lewis D. Poindexter, John Dixon, John S. Payne, John P. Slaughter, Collins Bradley and Samuel Pannill, self-perpetuating trustees, for sundry causes, particularly to accommodate the neighborhood with a convenient situation for a Meeting House, free for the use of all religious denominations, to be under the control of the trustees and their neighbors, land containing one acre, on the road leading from Cobb's house to a place called Nickup, with free use of water from the nearest spring; the Meeting House to be called Grove Spring as long as it was used as such place of worship but should it become disused for two consecutive years at any time, then the land was to revert back to Cobbs' heirs. This deed was witnessed by William L. and Samuel Pannill, Jr., and B. W. Nowlin. In 178O Captain Charles Cobbs patented 1OO acres of land in which were included the head branches of Falling and Little Falling rivers: four years later he purchased of John Irvine, Sr., 1OO acres on north side of Little Falling to James Gates' lines, the same year he purchased of Gates 18 acres on Sullivan's branch of Little Falling, along his line, for 2,000 lbs. of tobacco. In 1795 Charles Cobbs was sheriff of Campbell with Charles Hall, Richard Stith, Williston and Charles M. Talbot, Thomas Cocke and Charles Cobbs, Jr., as his securities. When, first settled in the county Captain Cobbs affiliated with the Presbyterians and took an active part in Hat Creek Church activities, but later withdrew and joined the Baptists, becoming a minister of that denomination. In 1784 he was appointed one of the trustees to receive the deed for land given the county by Jeremiah Rust as a site for erection of its court buildings; also for deciding upon the spot where the court house and prison should be erected, and to employ the county surveyor to lay off ten lots of one acre each with proper streets;-i. e., -one for the court house and public buildings on the north side of the main street, and in the center facing the sun, and —two on each side of the court house, the same side of the street, and -five on the south directly opposite the others, with a street between 6O feet wide: the remainder of the county land to be laid off in such manner as the trustees should think best. Charles L. Cobbs outlived his wife. His will recorded in 18O7 appointed Jesse, John, Samuel and Polly Cobbs as his executors. Children: —Jesse, who, in 1789, registering himself from Cumberland county, bought of James and Sarah Gates, John and Amy Littlepage of Campbell, 36O acres on Little Falling river, along to Charles Cobbs, Sr.'s still at Thompson's corner. Jesse later sold Charles Cobbs 5O acres of this land lying along the west side of the river. -John, in 1797, m. Christina Wynn. John Cobbs in 1773 patented 500 acres on Ivy creek. He was a Revolutionary pensioner in 1835, then aged 75 years. He sold John Mason, Sr., 100 acres on the branches of Falling from Thomas Jones’ line along Smith's line to the Ridge road, the deed to which was witnessed by Charles Cobbs, Sr., and Jr. In 1818 his daughter, Nancy, married James Murrell. —Charles R. -Caleb in 1791 married Mina Ann Wills. -William W. as president of Hat Creek Library Society, petitioned to Legislature for its incorporation with all the privilege granted in such cases. —Samuel D. married Polly. . . . Executors of Sam'l and Polly Cobbs sold land to Samuel Pannill in 1806-7. -Mary. —Thomas in 18O9 married Susanna Adams; there are many deeds of sale from Thomas Cobbs to members of his family and various other purchasers; his will was recorded in 1825; in settling up his estate, his executors sold a parcel of his land to Robert Smith. -Frances married - Rodgers; children, William, Elizabeth Ann, and Ann Walton. There are indications that Captain Charles Cobbs, the settler of 1780, was nearly related to Captain Robert Cobbs of Plain Dealing, but absence of positive proof of the fact prevents assertion of it. Edmund Cobbs, Sr., and Sarah Lewis-Cobbs had three sons: -John Lewis married Susannah, clau. of Nicolas Hamner of Albemarle. Children—Nicolas Hamner married his cousin, Lucy H. Landonia Cobbs, dau. of Edmund and Elizabeth W. Manson-Cobbs. —Elizabeth married Junius Axle, son of Rev. Charles and Editha Davies Clay; —Edmund, Jr. (3rd son of Edmund, Sr.), m. Elizabeth Willis Manson, daughter of Nathaniel, Sr., and Lucy Willis Clayton-Manson: children—Lucy Henry Landonia, m. Bishop Nicolas Cobbs; moved to Alabama;—Mary Adeline m. Henry Landon, son of Tamerlane W. W. Davies;—Frederick Augustus settled in the west;—John Cabell, m. Martha B. Carter : lived near Lynchburg. Nicolas Hamner Cobbs was born in 1796 at Rose Hill, Bedford county, within sight of the Peaks of Otter. He received a classical education under a Scotch, tutor. His father held the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, while his mother conformed to those of the Church of England. Desirous of giving her son the benefit of church rites, she carried him 60 miles on horseback to have him baptized: the Episcopal church had not been established in her community then. Bishop Cobbs began his life as an educator; one of his first positions was as principal of New London Academy, his wife being one of his pupils. However, he soon turned to the ministry and was ordained in 1824 by Bishop Moore at Staunton, Virginia. By teaching from house to house he built up two churches in Bedford county—St. Stephens near Forest and Trinity in the northern part of the county. His efforts were concentrated in the counties of Campbell, Bedford, Amherst and Botetourt; thus he founded the Episcopal church in four counties and at twelve points in Virginia: he held the first prayer book service. Mrs. Cabell, in "Sketches" tells that until the year 1819 Episcopacy was unknown in Lynch-burg and neighboring country. About that time a bishop of that church came and his appearance in gown and bands as he walked up the aisle of the church excited the wonder of his congregation, particularly the small boys, who thought the bishop was an elderly woman in a black morning wrapper. Those interested had exerted themselves to procure a few attendants who could respond to the morning service. Female members of three families possessed prayer books and knew how to go through the services, but it was considered necessary to have at least one male voice. Fortunately this was secured in the person of an Englishman who owned a large red prayer book. "He stood in front of the gallery, holding his book conspicuously, responding loudly and surveying the congregation with an air of superiority mingled with compassion for their ignorance." Mrs. Cabell gives Bishop Cobbs credit for the first dawning of an Episcopal church in Lynchburg. Soon after his marriage he made a profession of religion and partly through the influence of Seth Ward he connected himself with the Episcopal church: he assisted in building St. Paul's church. Through Nicolas Cobbs' missionary labors the church was planted in Botetourt parish: in going to officiate in Botetourt he would often travel in a wagon and carry his choir with him. This was on fifth Sundays which he reserved for missionary work. He was installed bishop of Alabama at Philadelphia: died at the age of 65 years in 1861 at Montgomery, Alabama. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________