Re: Ancestors&Descendents of 7 Coss Brothers
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In reply to:
Ancestors&Descendents of 7 Coss Brothers
3/22/00
The newspaper article at the time of Jacob Coss's 100th birth anniversary in 1888 had several misstatements.
The father of the 7 brothers, their sister, and the earlier half-siblings was GEORGE Coss, not Jacob Coss.There was no census which showed a Jacob Coss with enough children, at the places where the family lived.There were census listings for George Coss at those places, with enough children.In Northumberland County PA in 1800, he was called George GOSS, probably because there had been Goss families there earlier.He also signed a petition there in 1792, as George Coss.As many people have noted, he appeared in Belmont County OH in 1820 and 1830, along with his seven sons, their sister, and George Coss (Junior).This latter was my ancestor, and was apparently the only child by the first marriage who moved to Belmont County with the rest of the family.He was certainly the only member of that first family that I know anything about.
The absence of George Coss (Senior) from the 1790 census of PA suggests that he was then living in a place such as NJ, for which that census does not survive.I have proposed that his entire first family (including George Junior) was born in NJ, that he remarried there to Mary Cleckener, and that several children of the second family were born there. He then moved to PA after the 1790 census but before 1792.He lived there until after the 1800 census and the birth of son James. He moved to Belmont County OH before the birth of son Benjamin there in 1802.It is unclear whether the whole family was still in PA when George (Junior) married there in 1801.
I am fortunate to have a copy of the large joint work on the seven Coss brothers, done about 1980 by Beverly Coss, Rev. Fred Goss, and others.It is unfortunately incomplete (e.g., neither George was included as definitely related), but it certainly was a fine way to get started.
I hope that someone has found original sources that can support or refute my proposals above.
John M. McKinley
[email protected]
More Replies:
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Re: Ancestors&Descendents of 7 Coss Brothers
Joy Coss 9/24/09
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Re: Ancestors&Descendents of 7 Coss Brothers
Marilyn Souders 2/03/04