I’m going to combine my post for Richard and Eliza because they arrived together as our immigrant ancestors on this line. And as with John Rhoads, I will split this blog into two parts.
Richard appears first in 1840 listed in the Census living in Napoleon Township, Henry County, Ohio. Enumerated in his household as tick marks are probably as follows:
| Tick mark (age) | Who could it be? | Birth year range (age of candidate) |
| Male 20 to 30 | Richard Cobe (head of household) | 1810 to 1820 |
| Male 10 to 15 | Unknown | 1825 to 1830 |
| Male under 5 | Frederick A. Cobe | 1835 to 1840 |
| Female 20 to 30 | Eliza Cobe (wife) | 1810 to 1820 |
| Female under 5 | Rebecca or Delila Cobe | 1835 to 1840 |
By 1850 the government began naming all the household members but did not identify their relationship to the heads of the household, so their relationship is only inferred. Richard and Eliza are now in Brown Township, Paulding County, Ohio
| Name | Age (birth year) | Birth Place |
| Richard Cobe | 35 (1815) | Ireland |
Eliza Cobe | 32 (1818) | Ireland |
| Fredie Cobe | 11 (1839) | Ohio |
| Delila | 9 (1841) | Ohio |
| Mariah I or J | 7 (1843) | Ohio |
| Richard | 5 (1845) | Ohio |
| Hamilton | 1 (1849) | Ohio |
It was also in 1850 when Richard applied for naturalization in Paulding County, but all I have been able to find on this is the court index for his application. Another record on my list to look up when I ever get a chance to visit the Paulding courthouse.
Richard is not found in any records after 1850. It is presumed he died before 1860, probably in Brown Township, Paulding County, though a burial has never been found for him.
Eliza continued to live in Paulding County, in Charloe. The 1860 census still does not identify the relationship of household members to heads of household, so we still infer the relationships.
Not only has Richard (senior) disappeared, but so has Delila who has either died or married. I found a marriage record for Rebecca Cobe to Reuben F. Graham in 1859. This marriage record is the only record naming a Rebecca Cobe in this area, so she may be the Delila who is named in the 1850 census. Another record has Delila Cobe marrying Reuben Graham, further implying they are the same women. Eliza is not doing bad financially. Her real estate is valued at $1,500 and her personal estate is valued at $200.
| Name | Age (birth year) | Birth Place |
Eliza Cobe | 42 (1818) | Ireland |
| Frederick A. Cobe | 21 (1839) | Ohio |
| Mariah J | 15 (1845) | Ohio |
| Richard | 18 (1842) | Ohio |
| Hamilton | 14 (1846) | Ohio |
In 1870, we still have to infer relationship to the heads of household, but we find Eliza has remained in Charloe, Ohio. Her real estate has declined to $1,000 but her personal estate holds at $200.
- The Graham children are most likely Eliza’s grandchildren through her daughter, Rebecca/Delila Cobe (who had died by 1870) and Reuben Graham.
- By this time, Eliza’s son, Frederick had gone off to fight in the Civil War before moving to Junction City, Kansas (near Fort Riley, an Army Cavalry post). He was living there while General Custer was stationed at Fort Riley and rode out for his last battle at Little Big Horn. Fortunately, Frederick was a civilian by then.
- Richard (junior) was married and living near his mother.
- Daughter, Mary, had married Levi Wiemer and was living in Winfield, Crowley County, Kansas. She and her children remained close with Frederick at Junction City. Many newspapers show visits back and forth between Mary and Frederick’s families. It is a Weimer daughter whose home contained the box with Frederick’s veteran papers.
| Name | Age (birth year) | Birth Place |
| Eliza Cobe | 62 (1808) she could have been 52 for an 1818 birth | Ireland |
| Hamilton Cobe | 19 (1851) | Ohio |
| Frederick Graham | 11 (1859) | Ohio |
| Ida E. Graham | 9 (1861) | Ohio |
| Emmett Graham | 7 (1863) | Ohio |
We lose Eliza after 1870 so it is presumed she died before 1880. Like her husband, Richard, her burial has never been found but is assumed to be somewhere in Brown Township.
There is one mysterious Elizabeth Cobe who marries William Hough in Paulding County on 31 January 1858. I don’t think this is Eliza because she continues to live as Widow Cobe in 1860 and 1870 census. This doesn’t rule out the possibility that it was a short marriage that ended badly – but I just have not found anything more about this couple.
Stay tuned for part 2.
Our Many Pasts 