This page lists the “brick walls” and dead ends associated with this database. I am hopeful that by posting them on this page, someone can and will be able to help make breakthroughs.
The Cobbs
- David Cobb of Madison County, Alabama (1760-1839) – How the Cobb’s of Madison County, Alabama, relate to the Cobbs of North Carolina is murky. Many family genealogies contend that David Cobb is the son of William Cobb of Craven/Dobbs/Wayne County, North Carolina, and Sara Stancil. In fact, so many genealogists have made this connection that it has begun to be accepted as a fact, even without hard evidence. However, while this link may eventually be proved true, I have found no compelling evidence supporting this claim, which appears to be based primarily on Daughters of the American Revolution applications. That there is a connection between David Cobb and the Cobbs of Bertie County, North Carolina, is fairly clear, since land records show transactions between David and John Cobb, and Henry Cobb’s Last Will and Testaments clearly establishes James and John as his sons. However, is this the same David Cobb who migrated to Madison County, Alabama? If so, why aren’t there any references to William, his supposed father, in those records?
- William Cobb of Craven/Dobbs/Wayne County, North Carolina (1730-1797) – John E. Cobb Jr. in his book “Cobb and Cobbs: Early Virginians,” indicates that the William Cobb who married Sara “Stanstall” was the son of James Cobb of Bertie County, North Carolina. I do not believe this to be accurate because in James’ last will, written in 1792, he seemed to imply that his four sons (Henry, William, James and Jesse) were too young to inherit his estate, which wouldn’t have been the case if William was actually born in 1730 as JE Cobb also states. Perhaps William was actually the son of James’ father, Henry Cobb (1687-1763) of Bertie County? But if that was the case he was left out of Henry’s Last Will and Testament, in which he only named John and James as his sons.
David Cobb’s son—Bryant—bequeathed his family bible to his daughter—Arminnie Kilgore—when he died in 1881. If that Bible contained the family genealogy as Bryant Cobb knew it in his day, maybe it could answer the questions concerning the family’s origins once and for all. Unfortunately, the Bible has never been located and may have been lost, although I am hopeful that one of Arminnie’s descendants still has it in their possession and is willing to share it with the rest of the Cobb family.
Note that all of the Cobbs mentioned above are contained in this database. However, until such time as compelling evidence linking David and William Cobb is found, I have decided not to acknowledge a relationship between them. While I have maintained the father-son relationship between James and William Cobb, I caution researchers that this relationship is also highly suspect.