Did George Cockburn (1746 - 1834) Have Two Wives Named Elizabeth?
The following is a word-for-word analysis that I submitted to the Daughters of the American Revolution on March 14, 2007, for the purposes of future applicants who use Patriot George Cockburn (VA, GA) as their ancestor.I thought it would also be helpful to people on the forum who have had this same question.
"Did George Cockburn Have Two Wives Named Elizabeth?
George Cockburn could have had two wives named Elizabeth.According to an indenture in Amherst County (Virginia) Deed Book C, Page 479, George Cockburn was married to a woman named Elizabeth Snyder.The document states, “This Indenture made this the first Day of March in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith and in this year of our Lord Christ MDCCLXXIII [1773] Betwixt John Snyder and George Cockburn both of the County and Parish of Amherst.The said John Snyder for the tender regard which he bears his daughter Elizabeth and her husband George Cockburn hath given granted and confirmed unto the said George Cockburn one Certain Tract or parcel of Land Containing One hundred and fifty acres . . . .”This indenture proves that George Cockburn was married to Elizabeth Snyder on or before 1 Mar 1773 in Amherst County, Virginia.
However, George Cockburn fathered at least one child by another woman.According to the 1847 last will and testament of George’s son, George Jr., located in Forsyth County (Georgia) Will Book B, Pages 391-395, George Jr. wrote, “I Give bequeath and devise to John Cockburn my half brother a lot of land number Six hundred and Eighty Eight, and half of nine hundred + twenty three, and the third part of number one thousand of the fourth district and first Section of now Lumpkin County Georgia.”This statement proves that John Cockburn was born to another woman.George Jr. goes on to mention two of his full brothers, writing, “I will and desire that my Executors divide Equally the balance of the proceeds arising from the Sail [Sale] of the property mentioned in item ten, between my two brothers, Archy Cockburn, and James Cockburn after paying my just debts and other expenses . . . .”George Jr.’s will proves that he, Archibald and James were born to the same mother, and John was born to a different mother.
There are few sources proving the dates on which George Cockburn’s children were born, but one indicator is his 1834 last will and testament, written and probated in Franklin County, Georgia.James and Malissa are singled out in the will (and therefore listed out of order) because they were given most of their father’s property, but the rest of George’s children were given one dollar, and were apparently listed in order of birth: Archibald Cockburn, Jerusia Blackwell, George Cockburn, Rachel, John Cockburn, Josiah Cockburn, Russel Cockburn, Jeremiah Cockburn, Sarah Cockburn, and Clark Cockburn.Although James was listed out of order, his 1850 census record confirms that he was born circa 1778 in Virginia.From this information, we can assume that Archibald, James and George were among George’s first sons and that Elizabeth Snyder was probably their mother.
John Cockburn was born in 1799, according to a book called “Murray County Heritage” and his headstone at Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Tennga, Georgia.By that time, George Cockburn was living in Franklin County, Georgia, and according to four Franklin County deeds, dated 18 Jan 1800, 22 Dec 1804, and 17 May 1806, George’s wife was named Elizabeth.
On one hand, it is possible that all of George’s children, except John, were born to Elizabeth Snyder, since all known records show George’s wife’s name was “Elizabeth Snyder” or “Elizabeth,” and both women were apparently German.Snyder was almost certainly a German name, and yet one of George Cockburn’s later children, Jeremiah Cockburn, stated on his 1880 U.S. Federal Census record that his mother’s place of birth was Germany.All of these records could refer to the same woman.
On the other hand, the wife Elizabeth on the Franklin County deeds could have been another Elizabeth, to whom John, Josiah, Russel, Jeremiah, Sarah and Clark were all born.According to the Bible of N. J. Cogburn, Clark was born on 11 Aug 1812 (one of George Cockburn’s last children, if not his last child), and Elizabeth Snyder would have already passed, or been nearing the end of, her child-bearing years.More than 39 years elapsed between the date of the Amherst County indenture on 1 Mar 1773 and the Clark’s date of birth.Even if Elizabeth Snyder was as young as 15 years of age at the time of the indenture, she would have been 54 years old on 11 Aug 1812.Natural pregnancies sometimes occur in 54-year-old women, but it is rare.In addition, the likelihood is that Elizabeth Snyder was older than 15 when she married George Cockburn, and that she married George Cockburn before 1 Mar 1773.
From this information, I conclude that George Cockburn was married to Elizabeth Snyder in Amherst County, Virginia; and to another Elizabeth, who was born in Germany and died in Franklin County, Georgia, between 11 Aug 1812 (the date of Clark’s birth) and 1 Mar 1813 (the date of the first Franklin County deed after 1806 on which George Cockburn is listed alone)."
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Re: Did George Cockburn (1746 - 1834) Have Two Wives Named Elizabeth?
Ray Porter 1/12/09
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Re: Did George Cockburn (1746 - 1834) Have Two Wives Named Elizabeth?
Elizabeth Boody 1/12/09
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Re: Did George Cockburn (1746 - 1834) Have Two Wives Named Elizabeth?