John H. COTTINGHAM

M, b. 1792, d. January 1862
     John H. COTTINGHAM, son of Elisha COTTINGHAM Sr., was born in 1792 in North Carolina. He and Rev. William COTTINGHAM moved with Jesse Anderson BROWN from Marlboro County to Wells Creek, Stewart (now Houston) County, Tennessee, by 1806 when they appeared on a tax list in Capt. Graham's Company. Other names with possible connections were Fred Barfield, James Barfield, John Graham, Enoch and Benjamin James.1

John H. COTTINGHAM was included on a tax list in 1806 in Stewart County, Tennessee. He was included in Capt. Graham's company and was living on Wells Creek next to William Cottingham.1

John H. COTTINGHAM and Rev. William COTTINGHAM were included on a tax list in in 1811 in Capt. Warden's District, Stewart (now Houston) County, Tennessee. Both were living on Wells Creek, where William was accessed for 100 acres.

John married Obedience BROWN, daughter of Jesse Anderson BROWN and Obedience LEGGETT, in 1814 in Humphreys County, Tennessee. He began military service in the War of 1812 on 1 September 1814 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, serving in the Tennessee Militia as a private under Capt. Joseph Williams of Col. Lauderdale's regiment and under Capt. Hays of Col. Dyer's regiment in Gen. Coffee's Brigade. He fought in a skirmish at Pensacola, Florida and in the Battle of New Orleans. A note said that most of the men lived in the Yellow Creek area of the county. A William Cottingham also served in this company and a Pvt. James Brown was listed as dying in January 1815.2

As of November 1814, John H. COTTINGHAM and Jesse Anderson BROWN lived in Stewart County, Tennessee. Road construction was begun in November 1814 from the Humphreys County line at James Neill's to the east fork of Wells Creek with Andrew Hendrix as overseer. The road hands were John Cottingham, Jesse Brown, Gladdon Goren, Mordecai Lewis, Allen Williams, James Neill, John McGill, Wm. McClure, James Green, Geo. Green, John Bone, John Lewis and Wm. Pearce.3 He ended military service in April 1815 in Fayetteville, Tennessee, receiving a pension and 80 acres of land near Hickory Grove in Lowndes County, Alabama.2

John Cottingham's name appears on a petition to Congress signed 29 Dec 1817 by inhabitants of Montgomery County, Alabama. It included the names of his father and brothers William and Elisha, Jr. They later moved to Bibb County.

Elisha COTTINGHAM Sr., Elisha COTTINGHAM Jr., Rev. William COTTINGHAM and Mordecai LEWIS moved from Tennessee to Montgomery County, Alabama Territory, by 29 December 1817. They signed a petition to Congress on that date stating "your petitioners humbly Shewth that we have emmegrated from different parts of the union and Settled our Selves in the poor Broken & remote parts of the Alabama Teritory Montgomery County being generally of the poorer Class we doubted Success in Setling in the richer Soil below. wee pray that you would devise a plan in your wisdom that we might obtain a preference for a time prescribed by you to pay the Stipulated price as its generally belived the lands aluded too will never be sectioned by government & your petitioners will ever pray." Signed: Thomas Cash, Elisha Cottingham, Thomas Rayfield, Mordica Lewis, Adam Wilson, William Cottingham, Elisha Cottingham Junior, John Cottingham, James Hallmark, William Burckhalter, Evan Gaskill, John Blake, William Tabor, William Armstrong, Gref Johnson, Thos Hargiss, James W. Henderson, John J. Henderson, James Johnson, and William W. Capshaw. Note that Montgomey County was created 6 Dec 1816 by the Mississippi Territorial Legislature and covered much of central Alabama including present day Bibb County.4

John H. COTTINGHAM appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Humphreys County, Tennessee, 1 male under 10, 2 males 10-16, 1 male 16-26, 1 male 26-45 [John], 1 male over 45, 4 females under 10 [Adaline, ?], and 1 female 26-45 [Obedience].

There was a John Cottingham that was listed in the 1848 Tax List for Bibb County, District two. He was taxed for one poll and one silver watch. It is thought that his was a different person.5

John H. COTTINGHAM and Obedience BROWN appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 14 November 1850 in Lowndes County, Alabama. The household was listed as John Cottingham, a 58 year old planter and his wife Obedience, age 51. Both were born in South Carolina. With them were Frances E. Cottingham, age 19; Martha Cottingham, age 17; Rumisha P. Cottingham, age 12(f); Silas L. Cottingham, age 16; Mary Cottingham, age 12; and Harvy W. Cottingham, age 8. All of the children were born in Alabama. Also, there was Rebecca Pitts, age 11, who was born in Alabama. Living nearby was his son and daughter-in-law, C. W. and Lucinda Cottingham, and their children.6,7

John H. COTTINGHAM and Charles Washington COTTINGHAM appeared in an 1850 slave census in the Rocky Mount District, Lowndes County. John Cottingham had eight slaves and C. W. Cottingham had two.

John H. COTTINGHAM and Obedience BROWN appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 1 June 1860 in Lowndes County, Alabama. The household was listed as John Cottingham, a 68-year-old planter born in North Carolina and his wife, Obedience Cottingham, age 60 and born in South Carolina. Living with them were Frances Cottingham, age 25; Martha Cottingham, a teacher, age 23; Parlee Cottingham, age 19; M. A. Pitts(f), age 19; H. W. [Harvey] Pitts, age 17; J. R. A. Cottingham(m), age 8; C. W. Cottingham(m), age 6; and M. C. Cottingham(f), age 4. All of the later were born in Alabama.8

At the Greenville Land Office John assigned land in Crenshaw county that he received as a military land warrant for his service in Capt. Williams' Tennessee Militia to Willliam H. Lane. The warrant was for 80 acres in the west half of the northwest quarter of section 30 of township 8-N, range 16-E.9

John H. COTTINGHAM died in January 1862 in Lowndes County, Alabama.2
Last Edited=31 Aug 2021

Children of John H. COTTINGHAM and Obedience BROWN

Citations

  1. [S600] Work Progress Administration (WPA), Stewart Co. Minutes 1804-1807, Minute Book pg. 164.
  2. [S184] Pauline Jones Gandrud, Alabama Soldiers: Revolution, War of 1812, and Indian Wars.
  3. [S596] Nina Finley, In the Beginning, pg, 27.
  4. [S914] Clarence Edwin Carter, U. S. Territorial Papers, pg. 225 - 226.
  5. [S385] Jacquelyn Cox Otts, 1848 Tax List, John Cottingham, District two, pg. 122.
  6. [S212] Lyn Moore, "Brown-Cottingham Family," e-mail to John K. Brown, 17 June 1998.
  7. [S528] 1850 U. S. Census, Lowndes County, Alabama, John Cottingham, household No. 685, pg. 147-B.
  8. [S529] 1860 U. S. Census, Lowndes County, Alabama, John Cottingham household 579, pg. 78.
  9. [S232] Bureau of Land Management, online http://www.glorecords.blm.gov, Greenville Land Office, military warrant #39662, MW0394_286.
  10. [S212] Lyn Moore, "Brown-Cottingham Family," e-mail to John K. Brown, 17 June 1878.

Information on this site has been gathered over many years from many sources. Although great care has been taken, inaccuracies may exist. Please contact [email protected] with corrections or questions..