We let the month of January slip by and neglected to wish our friend John Holbrook a Happy Birthday! We send John and his wife Deanna our best wishes for the year to come. We have shared some wonderful experiences with them through the years.

Our research this week has centered on the Cochran surname. There are various spellings of the name such as Cockerham, Cocheran, Cochrine, etc.

From info received in 1998 from Corbet Cochran, Jr. we learned that the area Cochran families descend from William Cockerham and his wife Elizabeth Hill. This couple married in 1821 Wilkes Co. NC. By 1850 they and most of their children show in the census of Owsley Co. KY.

Their children were (1) James Cockerham b. 1822 m. Emily Stamper – lived in Lee Co. KY. In 1880 his mother Elizabeth Cochran age 78 and "infirm", lived with the family. (2) Humphrey Cockerham b. 1824 m. Francis Jane Allen, dau of Richard Allen and Edy Williams, and lived in Morgan Co. KY. (3) William M. Cockerham b. 1827 m. Nancy Emily Allen, dau of Richard Allen and Edy Williams. (4) Martin Cockerham b. 1828 m. 1858 Breathitt Co. KY to Lydia Ann King and lived in Wolfe Co. KY. (5) John Miles Cockerham b. 1833 m. Nancy. John Miles died in Montgomery Co. KY in 1924. (6) Elijah D. Cockerham b. 1835, a Confederate soldier, m. Amanda Arminta Lemaster, and (7) Daniel Duff Cockerham b. 1838 m. in Breathitt Co. KY to Orlena Holland. Duff died in 1863, a Confederate soldier. William and Elizabeth possibly had other children.

Some of these Cochran families are found in Magoffin County records, notably William Cockerham’s son Elijah D. Cochran.

Elijah Cochran and Amanda Arminta Lemaster were married in Morgan County in 1857. We believe Amanda to be the daughter of John Lemaster and Elizabeth Keeton who lived in Morgan County in 1850. In that census year their listed children were (1) Winston age 15, (2) Amanda age 9, (3) son Meredith age 5, (4) son Francis age 4 and (5) Sarah Lemaster age 1. Elijah and Amanda are included in the 1860 Magoffin Co. KY census.

Elijah Cochran and two of his brothers-in-law enlisted in September of 1862 at Salyersville in Co. C, 5^th KY CSA. Sadly all three of them were later captured and confined as prisoners of war at Camp Chase, Ohio where each of them died. Elijah Cochran died 22 Dec 1863, Meredith Lemaster died 7 Feb 1864 and his brother Winston Lemaster died 20 Feb 1865.

Elijah’s widow Amanda is later found in the Johnson Co. KY records. She applied for a Confederate Widow’s pension which was granted on 7 Apr 1913 by the County Court in Johnson County. In Amanda’s application she gave her husband’s birth as 18 Mar 1835 Breathitt Co. KY and their marriage date as 12 Feb 1857 Morgan Co. KY. The record says Elijah served under Capt. David Lykins from August or September 1862 until his death in December of 1863 at Camp Chase, OH. He had been granted a furlough but was captured by Federal soldiers before he reached home. A marker for him is in the Camp Chase National Cemetery: "E. D. Cochran, Co. C, 5 KY MTD, Inf. CSA." The number 87 is engraved at the top of the marker.

Amanda’s application names her children as Martha Stapleton, Jeff D. Cochran, Jno. N. Cochran and Ellen Williams.

The 1880 Johnson Co. KY census lists Amanda as a widow, age 40, with her children in her household: Martha J. age 21, Jefferson D. age 18, Elizabeth B. age 15 and John W. Cockerham age 12.

By 1900 we find Amanda "Mandy" R. Cockran age 59 in the home of her son John W. and his wife Martelia, along with children Bruce, Sam and Kelce.

Amanda’s daughter Martha J. was next door. She was married to Robert Stapleton b. about 1859 Big Stone Gap, VA d. 1944 Staffordsville, KY. His death certificate gives the names of his parents as John Stapleton and Mary Coger.

Robert and Martha Stapleton had 5 children by 1900: Benjamin Stapleton b. 1883, Norman S. Stapleton b. 1887, John W. Stapleton b. 1892, Murlie May Stapleton b. 1896 and Ollie Geneva Stapleton b. 1898.

Amanda Cochran’s son Jefferson Cockran, age 39 was married to Louisa Osborne and they had 5 children: Thurman, Lowman, Rhoda, Martha, and Ray.

By 1910 in Johnson County, Amanda at age 69 was still living in the home of her son John Cochran and wife Martelia Lemaster. John and Martelia had added a son Rosco to their family.

Next door was Amanda’s daughter Martha and husband Robert Stapleton. Robert reported Virginia as the birthplace for himself and his parents.

Living a short distance away was Amanda’s son Jefferson D. and wife Louisa. They had three additional children, Vertrica, Charley and Mary K.

Amanda at age 79 was still living in 1920 Low Gap, Johnson Co. KY with son John and his wife Martelia. Nearby was son Jeff D. and family. One of Jeff’s daughters Rhoda had married a Stapleton and apparently was widowed. She and her two young children Percy or Perry Stapleton and Maurice Stapleton, lived with her parents.

Martelia Lemaster Cochran died in 1964 and is buried in Madison County, OH where two of her sons had lived, Samuel Norman Cochran and Kelse Cochran.

The study of the Cochran family is very interesting and we will continue our research on them, especially the family of William and Nancy Emily (Allen) Cochran who are the ancestors of the Magoffin County Cochrans. There is much history that can be learned about the Civil War era with the Cochran and related families.

Perhaps there are descendants and/or researchers who can add to or correct our knowledge of these families, if so, please contact Magoffin County Historical Society, PO Box 222, Salyersville, KY 41465 (email: [email protected])

We were so sorry to hear of the passing of one of our favorite people, Myrtle Fletcher Cole Hughes died on Friday, January 29^th, the daughter of the late Wiley Fletcher and Parrot Pinks. Myrtle lived on Gun Creek near Royalton, KY and was widely known throughout the area. We don’t believe she ever met a stranger and was always willing to be of help to others. She enjoyed cooking for family, friends and neighbors. Her chicken and dumplings are legendary (smile). We loved working with Myrtle through the Fletcher Founders Days.