Obadiah Cooley

Obadiah married Rebecca Williams on 9 Nov 1670 in Windsor, Connecticut Colony. Rebecca was born on 20 Aug 1649 in Windsor, Connecticut Colony; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

According to research completed in 2000 by Eleanor L. Cooley Rue, circumstantial evidence links the Benjamin Cooley christened in Tring, Hertfordshire, England (chr 1615) to the Benjamin Cooley of Springfield through the posited marriage of Richard Sikes and Phebe Cooley (chr 1609), Benjamin's sister. The only evidence found by Cooley-Rue was in Benjamin Cooley's will which used the phrase "cousen Sikes". She concluded that "cousen" meant brother-in-law which it did not. Cousen was primarily used to refer to neices and nephews. A major problem with Cooley-Rue's logic is that Richard and Phebe Sikes's church activities, and his becoming a freeman are well documented* while there is no record of Benjamin and Sarah Cooley's church activities prior to 1643 (to become an accepted member of Massachusetts Bay Colony church membership was mandatory). Assuming unaccompanied women seldom made the voyage from England to New England and further assuming Phebe Cooley and Benjamin Cooley traveled together, it appears to me that information about Benjamin and Sarah must be uncovered before a link can be made between Phebe Sykes and Benjamin Cooley. *Richard Sykes joins Dorchester church 4 Nov 1639; he becomes a freeman 13 May 1640 in Cambridge; Richard marries Phebe Sykes 13 May 1640 also the date she joined the Dorchester church. Their first child Rebecca born 6 Dec 1640 in Roxbury (Pynchon's hometown).

(Research):Early Massachusetts Bay Colony political organization.

The four original counties all formed 10 May 1643 were:
o Middlesex
o Essex
o Suffolk
o Norfolk (now a part of SW Maine)
Formed in addition were
o Non-County Area 1
o Non County Area 2
Agawam Plantation (later Springfield) was founded in 1636 by William Pynchon. At that time it was simply a village in the Connecticut River basin under the jurisdiction of Connecticut Colony. Pynchon changed the name of the village to Springfield in 1641. On 10 May 1643, Non-County Area 1, was formed comprising the western portions of Massachusetts Bay Colony of which Springfield was a part (Winthrop expanding his power base). The area had no western boundary and extended an indefinite distance westward into the ill-defined "Western Country". On 7 May 1662 Hampshire County was formed (towns of Springfield, Northampton, Hadley, and all territory within 30 miles), effectively covering the entire western part of the province. (Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 2:52) On 1 Aug 1812 Hampden County, containing Springfield, was created from Hampshire County (Mass. Acts 1812, ch. 137/p. 291). Springfield remains in Hampden County to this day.

Benjamin1 married Sarah (wife of Ensign Benjamin Cooley) [?] about 1642 in Probably in the New World. Sarah was born about 1621 in Probably England; died on 23 Aug 1684 in Springfield, Hampshire Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sarah's surname is unknown but that hasn't deterred many people from inserting a surname for her based on wild speculation or simply a mis-reading of the "Cooley Genealogy".

As to the latter, on page 41 the following is written:
"1. Benjamin (b. about 1617, in Springfield in 1642/3, with his wife Sarah (Savage)."
The "Savage" in parentheses after Sarah's name refers to author James Savage who wrote a comprehensive work called "Genealogical Dictionary of New England", 1862. Yet, hundreds of would-be "researchers" have casually looked at this entry in the Cooley Genealogy and assumed that Sarah's surname was "Savage" and have incorporated that name into their family databases. In 2006 I observed 222 databases in myfamily.com's recklessly ill-conceived One World Tree that had used the name Savage as Benjamin Cooley's wife's surname.
Other surnames for Sarah have been "Colton" (surname of Benjamin's business partner and lifelong friend and associate in Longmeadow, Quartermaster George Colton), "Collen" (a "Sarah Collen" joined the Dorchester church on 20 Nov 1640), and Tremaine (unknown origin but entertained then discarded by Mortimer Cooley in the Cooley Genealogy).

Notes:

CooleyThis surname was variously spelt Cooley, Coley, Colley, Coalye, and Coolye.
William's probable birth year range was 1578-1586 as estimated by Debrett Ancestry Research. Unfortunately, records from that period are missing.
William was described as a glover* by occupation when his youngest son Joseph was baptised in 1618.
*Glover - a person who makes or sells gloves. Origin: 1350-1400; Middle English, gl

William married Joan Arnott on 25 Feb 1607/08 in Tring Parish, Hertfordshire, England. Joan was buried on 9 Aug 1630 in Tring Parish, Hertfordshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

ArnottVariations of this name in 16th century England included: Arnyatt or Arnyott, Arniott, and Arnett - Debrett Ancestry Research, 2009