Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/309

 COBB

COBB

land, and a grand-niece of Sir Owen Cambridge, lord mayor of London. Mrs. Cobb died at Kox- bury district, Boston, Mass., Oct. 31, 1897. Mr. Cobb was a j^rominent lecturer on temperance and educational subjects. He died in Roxbury district, Boston, Mass., Oct. 21, 1897.

COBB, Seth Wallace, representative, was born in Southampton county, Va., Dec. 5, 1838; son of Benjamin and Margaret (Wallace) Cobb. His i^aternal grandfather was Redmond Cobb and his maternal grandfather Samuel Wallace, both natives of Virginia, whose fathers immigrated to Virginia respectively from Wales and Scotland in the 17th century. He served in the Confed- erate army throughout the civil war, and in 1867 removed to St. Louis, Mo., wliere he became clerk in a grain commission house. In 1870 he engaged in that business on his own account. He was elected president of the merchant's ex- change in 1886 and was an active supporter and president during construction, of the merchant's bridge and terminal scheme. He was elected a rejiresentative from the 12th congressional dis- trict in the 52d, 53d and 54th congresses, refusing re-election to the 55th congress. He .served on the committees on accounts, banking and cur- rency. District of Columbia, and ways and means.

COBB, Stephen Alonzo, representative, was born in Madison, Maine, June 17, 1833. He was graduated at Brown university in 1858 and in 1859 removed to Wyandotte, Kan., where he es- tablished himself as a lawyer. He was maj'or of Wyandotte in 1862 ; was elected a state senator and the same year joined the Union arm}*, rising by successive promotions to the rank of lieuten- ant-colonel. He was again elected mayor in 1868 and state senator in 1869. In 1871 he was elected a member of the lower house and in 1872 served as speaker. He was a representative in the 43d congress and was defeated for the 44th congress by 713 votes. He died at Wyandotte, Kan., in August, 1878.

COBB, Sylvanus, clergyman, was born in Norway, Maine, July 17, 1798; son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Cobb) Cobb; grandson of Syl- vanus and Mercia (Baker) Cobb; great-grandson of James and Elizabeth (Hallett) Cobb; great- grandson of James Cobb; great^ grandson of

James and (Lewis) Cobb ; and great*

grandson of Henry and Patience (Hurst) Cobb. Elder Henry Cobb is said to have been a passen- ger on the second trip of the Jlayfloicer. Sj-l- vanus was educated at the district school and engaged as a country pedagogue from 1817 to 1820, when he decided to study for the Univer- salist ministry. He was married Sept. 20, 1822, to Eunice Hale Waite. He preached in Waterville, Maine, 1821-28, and in Maiden, Mass., 1829-38.

In the latter place he conducted a private pre- paratory school for ministers in connection with his regular pastoral work. In 1838 he re- moved to Waltham, wliere he ministered to the UniversaHst society and in 1839 he started the Christian Freeman and Family Visitor, which he continued to publish during the rest of his life. See his autobiography, with a memoir by Syl- vanus Cobb, Jr. (1867). He died in East Boston, Mass., Oct. 31, 1866.

COBB, Sylvanus, author, was born at W^ater- ville, Maine, June 5, 1823; eldest son of Sylvanus and Eunice Hale (Waite) Cobb. He received a higli school education and in February, 1841, en- listed in the U.S. navy, sailing as ship's guard in the frigate Brandyvjine to the Mediterranean. In 1843 he returned from his voyage and began work in his father's printing office. On June 29, 1845, he was married to Mary Jane Mead of Waltliam, Mass. In 1846 he established a temperance paper called the liechabite, which he continued for a number of years, afterward editing the Washing- tonian and the Waverley Magazine. He won popu- larity as a writer of stories for TTie Flag of our Union, Gleason's Pictorial Draicing Boom Companion and other papers. In 1856 he accepted an offer from Robert Bonner of the Xeio York Ledger to become a contributor to that paper, and his first story, "The Gun-Maker of Mcscow,"' afterward published in book-form, Avas received with marked favor, and was subsequently dramatized. He is the author of a large number of books which pas.sed tlirough many editions. For complete bibliography and biography, see Memoir of Sylra- nus Cobb, Jr., by Ella Waite Cobb (1891). He died in Hyde Park, Mass., July 20, 1887.

COBB, Thomas R., representative, was born in Lawrence county, Ind., July 2, 1828. He attended the preparatory department of Indiana university at Bloomington, leaving in 1848 and returning to take a course in law. He was admitted to the bar in 1854 and practised in Bedford, Ind., till 1867, when he removed to Vincennes. He was major of state militia in 1852; state senator, 1858-66; president of the Democratic state convention in 1876 ; a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1876, and a representative from Indiana in the 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th and 49th congresses, 1877-87. He died in Vincennes, Ind., June 23, 1892. .

COBB, Thomas Reed Rootes, lawyer, was born at Cherry Hill, Jetferson county, Ga., April 10, 1823 ; son of John Addison and Sarah (Rootes) Cobb, and brotlier of Howell Cobb, statesman. He was graduated at the University of Georgia in 1841 with the highest honors of liis class, and was for a time professor in the law school con- nected with the university. He was admitted to the bar and was reporter of the supreme court