Cobb(s) and Bruton Parish Church

Robert Cobb(s), 1627-1682, son of Ambrose Cobbs and Ann White, arrived in the United States with his family when he was 8 years old. As a young man, he settled in Marston Parish, York County, Virginia where he served as church warden of Marston Parish from 1658 until 1674, when Marston Parish and Middletown parish were absorbed into Bruton Parish. Then he became one of the first vestrymen of the Bruton Parish Church.

A tile I found at an antique shop features the present day Bruton Parish Church.

In 1677 the vestry decided that instead of repairing the existing churches in the parish, they wanted to build a new one out of brick to serve the entire consolidated area. An agreement was signed in 1681 that would require the payment of  "L150 and sixty pounds of good, sound, merchantable, sweet-scented tobacco. to be leveyed of each tytheable in the parish for three years together" in order to build the church. The land for the church and churchyard was given as a gift forever by the wealthy colonist, John Page. It was in what was then known as Middle Plantation, but in 1699 it was renamed Williamsburg when it became the colonial capital.

A plaque commemorating those involved in the building of the first brick church
at Bruton Parish includes the name of Robert Cobb.

Robert Cobb(s) died in December of 1682, midway through the construction of the church. A new, larger church was built in the same location in 1715, when Robert's son Ambrose was a member of the vestry, and still stands in Williamsburg. 

A plaque commemorating the 1710-1715 vestry, when the present church was built,
includes the name Ambrose Cobb(s), son of Robert Cobb(s).

Robert Cobb(s) was my 9th Great-Grandfather, his son Ambrose, my 8th Great-Grandfather. These men were in the midst of the beginnings of this country and knew all the important players in colonial Virginia. They were strong Christian leaders in the community and I'm proud to have them as ancestors.