John married Mary Catherine COCKE. Mary (daughter of William Henry COCKE and Cornelia Ann LOFTUS) was born on 2 Jan 1851; and died. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: 6B9421954ECFD34C8DEA1810081757D7DDCA

Other Events:

• _UID: FB06D33C1CE5A647BE949E42391ADADE3B80
• Residence: 1839, Missouri
• Residence: 1854, California

Notes:

"William Henry Cocke came from Missouri west in 1850 with a small party, and rode horseback all the way. He spent a years out looking over the land. His father-in-law James Loftus, started with the party, but sickened with cholera and died in the vicinity of Kansas, and was buried along the trail. William Henry Cocke reached California, looked the land over and returned to Missouri, having been gone for a year. His wife, having no word in all this time, feared he was dead until he suddenly appeared one night while they were having supper. They emigrated to the West in 1854 when my father Francis Nathan was five years old. He spent the year of 1853 disposing of his property and in organizing a wagon train, of which he was to become the Wagonmaster. In the spring of 1854, all being ready, they started for California on the Overland Trail, coming through Salt Lake City. William Henry rode horseback all the way, supervising the wagon train, but his family came in a covered wagon drawn by horses.William Henry died at the age of forty-five while in Nevada on a cattle buying trip. Grandmother reached his side an hour before his death. She lived to be 74 years old, at the home of her son James Cocke, in Downey, California. William Henry had sent a telegram to her but it was held for two days in the local post office by carelessness, and did not reach his wife in time. She reached his side one hour before he died. He was buried in Nevada. The family intended to remove the remains to California later. This was never done." Author believed to be George Cocke, grandson of William Henry Cocke.

Died:
Other entries state that he died in Dayton, NV on 17 Feb 1863.

William married Cornelia Ann LOFTUS on 18 Oct 1838 in Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky. Cornelia (daughter of James LOFTUS and Mary) was born on 25 Aug 1822 in Staunton, Virginia; died in Jun 1896 in Downey, Los Angeles, California; was buried in Downey Cemetery, Downey, Los Angeles, California. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: B199665E8F2EF84A838AD4CD9676B177EFC3

Notes:

Cornelia's mother died when she was fourteen years old and she was sent to boarding school for two years, meanwhile corresponding with William Henry Cocke whom she had met before she left. When Cornelia was sixteen, Chastain Cocke and James Loftus III, fathers of the young couple, held a conference and decided to let William and Cornelia marry. This took place Oct 18, 1838. Cornelia was sixteen and William was nineteen. Cornelia's father explored four states and finally bought four quarter sections of land for his children. Cornelia's land was in Jefferson County, MO., border on the Mississippi. There their first child, of eleven in all, was born. Later they moved to Clinton, Henry County, Mo., and from there started to California with a small party that went on horseback all the way. James Loftus was one of this Party. When in the vicinity of Kansas, he died of cholera and was buried along the trail. William reached California, looked over the land and returned to his home, having been gone for one years. His wife, with no word, had feared he was dead, until he suddenly appeared one night in the fall of 1851. He spent the year of 1858 disposing of his property and in organizing a wagon train, of which he was to become the Wagonmaster. In the spring of 1854, all being ready, they started for California on the Overland Trail, coming through Salt Lake City. William Henry rode horseback all the way, supervising the wagon train, but his family came in a covered wagon drawn by horses. William Henry first settled in Three Rivers, where he was in the cattle business for a number of years. There was a slump in cattle prices and he lost heavily. For a time the lived in Santa Rosa. He made a cattle buying trip to Nevada, was taken ill with pneumonia, and died Feb 17, 1863. Cornelia arrived an hour before his death. He was buried temporarily at Silver City, Nevada; the intention was to bring home his body later, but they never did. The family moved to San Luis Obispo, County in 1866 and settled on the Big Morro Creek, six miles north of Morro Bay.

Birth:
Other sources indicate birth date of 31 Aug 1822.

Buried:
She is bured in the same plot as her son James, his wife, and several member sof their family.

Died:
She died at the home of her son James.

Other Events:

• Occupation: Campbell County, Virginia; farmer
• Occupation: Campbell County, Virginia; tanner
• _UID: 794661EC9B86F0418B7436C551B50BDA4397
• Residence: Nov 1833, Christian County, Kentucky

Chastain married Mary BROWN on 18 Jun 1810 in Campbell, Virginia. Mary was born on 7 Jul 1797 in Campbell County, Virginia; died on 17 Sep 1863 in Sonoma County, California; was buried about 20 Sep 1863 in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California. [Group Sheet]

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• Name: Mary Bronson
• _UID: BFA2156DE5E66F4EBB93EAA0123EAF9ADC42

Notes:

Birth:
Other sources indicated birth date of 22 Jun 1797.

Notes:

Married:
Other sources indicate marriage date of 22 Jun 1815.

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• Military: War of 1812
• _UID: 17215DDA1E06CC46BFD24FE1E4C849A702B5

Notes:

James Loftus, realizing that in a new country there were better opportunities, started out afoot to look for land that he wanted. He walked through four states, Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Missouri, and decided to purchase 640 acres lying on the line between the two states of Illinois and Missouri. He gave each of his four children mentioned 160 acres, establishing Margaret Atwell and Cornelia Loftus Cocke on the Missouri side and the boys George Atwell and Edward Loftus on the Illinois side of the line. The corners of all four farms touched. It is not knowl how long they lived there, but Mr. Loftus lost his wealth and that is probably why William Henry Cocke and Edward Loftus decided to come west. James Loftus accompanied Wm. Henry Cocke on his first trip (1850) across the plains but was seized with cholera when they were three days journey out and died and was buried on the plains somewhere in the region of the territory of Kansas as it was then.

James married Mary. Mary was born in in Scotland; died about 1834 in Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• _UID: F142E0FD6517EF4FB285F7E9F94DB0C79E59

Notes:

She was a widow and was known as the "Belle of Hopkinsville".

Died:
Cornelia, who was born inj 1822, was fourteen at the time of Mary Atwell's death, making Mary's death year abt 1834.