PART I -
PART II -
PART III -
PART IV -
PART V -
PART VII
From the Gettysburg Times Gettysburg, Pennsylvania of
Saturday, August 11, 1959
A Bit Of History About Early Settlers
Bits of Cobean Genealogy
By B. F. M. MacPHERSON
According to a descendent of the Pioneer Cobean family they (the Cobeans)
were a French Huguenot (Alsatian refugees) ancestry. They fled from the
old country, as did so many others, to escape religious persecution.
The Cobeans first came to America with one of the first expeditions of
Jean Ribaut and 1652 or 1654, landing at Fort Royal, in what is now
South Carolina. Some historians are of the opinion that this group of
French Huguenots were the first Protestants to land upon American soil.
These people built a fort at Fort Royal at the colony was not to be a
permanent one. It gradually disintegrated and many of the people drifted
south to what is now Florida. This aroused the suspicions of the
Spaniards, who claimed sole ownership of the whole of that region.
Jean Ribaut, their leader, went back to France for more colonists for,
on his arrival there found friends at war with Roman Catholics. It was
impossible to return to his colony in Florida for quite some time. When
he did return it was to find his fort destroyed and the colonists
scattered. Soon after the departure of Ribaut settlement was attacked
by the Spaniards and still later the remnants were set upon by the
Indians. Of this attack only a few survived. In some way or other some
of the Cobeans managed to escape and survive.
Arrived in Adams
Almost 200 years later members of the Cobean family appeared in what
is now Adams County, Pennsylvania. In the old records that name is
spelled Cobine, Cobean and Kobine. The Rev. A. Stapleton in his
"memorials of the Huguenots" lists that name and states it was
originally spelled "Cobean" but was later changed to "Cobin".
Samuel Cobean, of Cumberland Township, York (now Adams) County,
Pennsylvania, was a second lieutenant in the first (Capt. Thomas Lalta's)
company, fifth Battalion, York County militia, according to a return
of that company on April 5, 1778. Apparently he remained a member of
this company and in 1780, when this particular group became the first
company of the second Battalion of the York County militia, Samuel
Cobean was promoted to captain.
Just when the Cobeans settled on March Creek is not known, insofar as
the exact year is concerned. The name of Capt. Samuel A. Cobean
appeared on the tax lists of York (now Adams) County in 1767. He
(Capt. Samuel) settled along the marsh Creek and Cumberland Township,
not too far south of the old stone bridge, that once spanned the stream
at the old Black Horse (or McClellan) Tavern. He built a grist mill and
a saw mill and members of his family and some of their descendents
lived there for a number of years.
In Black's Graveyard
It is very possible that Capt. Samuel Alexander Cobean, soldier of the
Revolution, is buried in Black's Graveyard (Upper Marsh Creek
Presbyterian) along with his wife and other members of the family in
unmarked graves. As stated before there is quite a large lot, which is
obviously the family burial plot -- but only two stones remain in it
at this late date.
Capt. Samuel Alexander Cobean was the father of Alexander Cobean, the
first president of the Gettysburg National Bank. The late Edward
McPherson had this to say of Mr. Cobean: -- "Alexander Cobean was born
in 1767, in Franklin Township, York (now Adams) County, Pennsylvania.
He was a man of superior intelligence, agreeable manners, and great
force of character. He was for many years one of the most active
citizens of Marsh Creek owned the Plank (lately Bream) Mill, and moved
to Gettysburg about 1796. He was a candidate for Congress at the Federal
Party in 1814, was the first president of the Bank of Gettysburg, was
captain of the company who marched to Baltimore in 1814, and became a
colonel in the company of troops in the Battle of North Point, and died
April 2, 1823, aged 57 years. The Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, who came to
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1816, told me (Edward
McPherson) that he regarded Col. Cobean the strongest man then in the
community.
Promoting Gettysburg
"He was very active in having Gettysburg selected as the county seat
of the new County of Adams. He was living at marsh Creek in 1793, and
was there engaged in the operation of a mill. He had been elected to
the legislature in 1799, and was sent to Philadelphia as a special
agent to represent the parties interested in having Gettysburg made
the county seat. On February 2, 1799, he appeared before the
legislature in Philadelphia as a representative of the inhabitants
and vicinity. He was elected a member of the Council of Gettysburg
in 1808. He was very active in establishing the Bank of Gettysburg
and was elected a member of the first order directors May 26, 1814.
He was elected the first president of the board of directors and
1814 and served until 1820, when he resigned, and John McConaughty,
Esq., was elected president."
In the "Adams Centinel" the following data pertaining to Col.
Alexander Cobean and his family appeared under the dates given, as
follows: --
1. Wednesday, November 8, 1815 --
"Died, Monday, November 6, 1815,Miss Jane Cobean, eldest daughter of
Alexander Cobean,Esq., of this borough (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)."
Burial Place Unknown
Note: -- the eldest daughter of Col. Alexander Cobean, born to his
first marriage. The burial place of Jane Cobean is not known.
2. Wednesday, May 26, 1819 --
"Married, Thursday evening, a 20th 1819, by the Rev. David McConaughty,
Col. Alexander Cobean to Mrs. Priscilla Harper, both of this Borough."
Note: -- the second marriage of Col. Alexander Cobean, which took place
some years after the death of his first wife. The bride was Priscilla
Dougherty, the widow of Robert Harper, who founded the "Adam Centinel”
November 12, 1800. Robert Harper died in 1816 and his widow, Priscilla,
assumed the task of editing and publishing the newspaper, which her
husband had founded.
3. Wednesday, April 9, 1823 --
"Died, at eleven o'clock, Wednesday night, April 2, 1823, Col. Alexander
Cobean, of this place (Gettysburg Pennsylvania), in the 57th year of his
age, after a severe illness of eight days. Few men have been more actively
engaged in business than the deceased during his whole life. Most generally
at the head of every object of public improvement, eat two often sacrificed
his private interest to his zeal for the public prosperity. The whole tenor
of his private life has been that of frankness, honor and generosity,
endearing him to all who knew him."
Soldier of 1812-14
Note: -- Col. Alexander, soldier of the war of 1812-1814, the son of Capt.
Samuel Alexander Cobean, who, in turn, served his country in the war of the
American Revolution.
4. Tuesday, January 24, 1832 --
"Died, Saturday morning, January 21, 1832, after a short illness, at Mount
Alto Furnace, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Alexander Cobean, youngest
son of Col. Alexander Cobean, formerly of this town (Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania), in the 30th year of his age."
Note: -- the youngest son of Col. Alexander Cobean and his father's
namesake -- born of Col. Cobean's first marriage. The burial place of
Alexander Cobean II is not known.
Died at Antietam
5. Monday, January 5, 1835 --
"Died, at the Antietam Ironworks, Maryland, Thursday morning, January 2,
1835. Mr. Samuel A. Cobean, son of Col. Alexander Cobean, deceased, formerly
of this town (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), aged about 35 years."
Note: -- the son of Col. Alexander Cobean, who was a son of Capt. Samuel
Alexander Cobean, soldier of the American Revolution, and pioneer settler
in the Manor of the Masque. The burial place of Samuel A. Cobean is not
known.
This concludes, for the "time being" at least, the notes on the Cobean family.
The list of marked graves in Black's Graveyard (Upper Marsh Creek
Presbyterian) is continued at this time, as follows: --
5. Dinsmore - "In memory of William Henry Dinsmore, Born December 7, 1792,
Died 25th of January 1793, Aged 7 weeks, Son of Charlotte and Thomas Dinsmore."
Note: -- nothing is known pertaining to this family except that the Dinsmores
were early settlers in the Manor of the Masque. Other members of the family
may be buried in the cemetery -- if so the graves are unmarked.
These notes will be continued next week.
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Pennsylvania Marriage Announcements Collection
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