Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 167
now Eochester, Dea. Cobb was one of the committee to whom the
Colony Court in 1638 granted the lands for a township ; and
when it was afterwards decided to remove to Mattakeese, now
Barnstable, he was a member of the committee having charge of
the selecting of a suitable location for the settlement.
Deacon Cobb's house lot in Barnstable containing seven acres,
was situate at a little distance north from the present Unitarian
Meeting House, between the lots of Thomas Huckins on the
north and Eoger Goodspeed on the south, extending from George
Lewis' meadow on the west t^ the "Old Mill Way" on the east.
This tract of land is uneven and a large portion was originally a
swamp. It was not one of the most desirable lots in the settlement.
His other lands were the neck of land and the meadows adjoining,
where Cobb & Smith's wharf and stores are now situate,
bounded southerly by Lewis Hill and John Davis' marsh and on
the other sides by the surrounding creeks.
His Great Lot, containing three score acres, was situate on
the south side of the County road, between the present dwelling
houses of Joseph Cobb and James Otis. It was bounded in 1654,
easterly by the lands of Henry Taylor and Joshua Lumbard,
southerly by the commons, westerly partly by the commons and
partly by Goodman Foxwell's land, and northerly by the highway
and Henry Taylor's land.
Two lots of six acres each in the new Common Field.
One acre of Goodspeed's lot, (the deep bottom on the north
of the Meeting House) then town's commons was granted to him
in 1665, in payment for land damages "by ye highway running
over or between his land from ye gate to Thomas Huckins."
This acre was situated between "The Gate" at the entrance to the
old miU way and the present Pound. He was also one of the
proprietors of the common lands in the town of Barnstable, and
owned lands in Suckinneset, now Falmouth.
Deacon Cobb's house lot was rough and uneven, and not
desirable land for cultivation. His great lot had some good soil.
It was a good grazing farm, and as the raising of cattle was the
principle business of the first settlers, his lands were probably
Selected with reference to that object. His two lots in the new
Common Field had a rich soil, and was occupied as planting
lands.
He appears to have built two houses on his home lot. The
first was probably a temporary one to shelter his family till he had
time and means to build a better. It is a curious fact that the
three deacons of the church lived in stone or fortification houses.
It was required that such houses should be built in every plantation
as a place of refuge for the inhabitants, should the Indians
prove treacherous or hostile. It seems that the deacons then pro-