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COTTMAN

The records of Northumberland County, Virginia, may not be complete, due to a fire in the clerk's office 25 Oct 1710.  The existing deeds of Northumberland County, Virginia, record that John Cotman, planter, purchased a cow and calf from John Scott, carpenter, on 20 October 1663.

In November, 1670, Benjamin Coltman of Little Wikocomocoe, Northumberland County, sold to James Austen two small necks of land at Herring Creek, part of a patent belonging to the same James Austen, who sold it to Robert Castleton, who assigned it to Francis Bickley, who assigned it to John Coltman.  Benjamin inherited it by the will of John Coltman.  It does not state whether John was his father or his brother.  The deed was recorded 25 Jan 1670/1.  The will has not been found.

On the same date Mary Colton appointed William Taylor her attorney to sell her "right of a parcel of land sold by my husband unto Tho. Shooseley & Wm Hall."  This record does not appear to match the land sold by Benjamin Coltman, recorded the same date, but matches no one else's either.

According to the biography of a descendant in Baltimore, Benjamin Cottman came from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.  No documented connection has been found. There were three Benjamin Cottmans baptized in Great Yarmouth, (1) the son of Roger Cottman and Ursula Cuddon   19 Mar 1719, (2) the son of Richard and Ruth Cottman 5 Sep 1624, and (3) the son of Ben Cottman and Margrett Waterman 29 May 1651.  Ben and Margrett were married 20 Jan 1645 and had a previous son Ben Colman (sic), baptized 27 Apr 1650, who apparently died in infancy.  

Benjamin Cottman (bef.1750 - d.1698 or 1703?) married before 29 Dec 1671 Mary Hudnall (c.1657?-after 1708). They moved from Northumberland Co, Virginia, to Somerset Co, Maryland, in 1672, having purchased land on the south side of Wicomico Creek two years earlier.   Mary remarried to Benjamin Nesham (d.1708) and outlived him.
NOTE: Most sources show Mary Hudnall married Edward White and Elizabeth Hudnall married Benjamin Cottman.  For my explanation of why I reversed this, please click HERE
Benjamin purchased land in Somerset County, Maryland, starting with 300 acres called Taunton Deanne 21 June, from Francis Roberts, 1671 (so he had to have been 21 by then). Benjamin and Mary his wife sold 50 acres of it to Richard Kimball 1 June 1677, and the rest passed to Benjamin Nesham to be held for the orphans of Benjamin Cottman. Benjamin Junior divided it between his sons William and Benjamin in 1733.  Benjamin purchased Cottman's Point in 1680, which passed to Benjamin Nesham, then to Benjamin Cottman, Jr.   In 1677, he bought Berks and Chance now in Wicomico County.  Berks passed to Benjamin Nesham, who willed it to his wife, unnamed, in 1708.   On 12 Nov 1684, Benjamin Cottman and Mary his wife sold 300 acres of Chance to John Booth, and on 13 Mar 1685, Benjamin and Mary sold the rest to William Roldolphus.  On 12 Apr 1687, Benjamin received land from the will of Samuel Simmes, as his "esteemed friend.".
Edward Sanders, Mary Hudnall's stepfather, on 29 Dec 1671, assigned his interest in an indentured servant "unto my Sonne in Law Benjamin Cottman" (Somerset County Maryland Judicial Records 1671-1675, p.98)  and Benjamin's wife was Mary in 1674: "Banjamin Cottman the sonne of Benjamin Cottman was born of Mary his wife at Wiccocomoco ye 29th day of March Annoque Domini one thousand six hundred seaventy and five" (Somerset County MD GenWeb Early Vital Records [1666-1699])   
. 1. Mary Cottman married 29 Oct 1688 William Wilson (d.bef.Dec 1731)
. . . .daughter Sarah Wilson m.3 Apr 1772 Samuel Cooper (1700-1762)
. 2. Benjamin Cottman (29 Mar 1675-c.1748) married about 1697 Elizabeth Hardy, widow of 
. . . William Robinson (d.1696).  The 1723 tax list listed Benjamin Jr, William, and Joseph of age.  
. . . Benjamin and his sons Benjamin and Joseph both served in the Somerset militia in 1732.
. . . 21. Benjamin Cottman (c1696-1767) married Frances Brown, and moved to Oxford, Dublin 
. . . . . . Twp, Philadelphia Co, Pennsylvania, by 1734, when his father deeded him part of 
. . . . . . Taunton Deanne and Cottman's Point, both of which he sold to his brother Joseph in 1743.
. . . 22. William Cottman (bef.1700-aft.1724)
. . . 23. Joseph Cottman (bef.1702-1748) Joseph and his brother Benjamin were in Spotsylvania 
. . . . . .  County, VA, in 1729, and both owned land there for a short time.  Joseph married 
. . . . . .  Hannah, and lived in Wicomico.  She married in 1751 James Treherne.
. . . 24. Betty Cottman married Mr. Polk
. . . 25. Mary Cottman married Thomas Stockwell (her father's executor and principal heir) 
. 3. Joseph Cottman (30 Oct 1678-bef.17 Feb 1748-will probate) married Hannah
. . . .children Joseph, John, Josiah (1736), Esther(1739), Betty
. 4. Nathaniel Cottman (6 Jun 1680)
. 5. Ebenezar Cotman, unproven as a son of Benjamin Cottman, and might have been a . 
. . . grandson.  He was a witness to the will of Benjamin Nesham in 1708, and so at least age 
. . . 21.  Therefore he was born in or before 1687.

Ebenezar Cotman (bef.1687-1765) married Ann Cooper. He is listed as a neighbor of Ralph Lowe on the Nanticoke Hundred Tax Lists from 1723 into the 1730's, and .  Ebanezar was witness to the will of his stepfather Benjamin Nesham in 1708.  He and his father-in-law Gabriel Cooper were both sued by William WIlson on 20 Mar 1716/7 for payment of a debt of 5,000 pounds of tobacco (each) by a note dated 2 Feb 1715. Ebenezar purchased 200 acres of the 300 acre tract Weatherlees Adventure "on the North Side of the Northern most branch of Quantico Creek back in the woods" from James and William Weatherlee on 14 May 1722.  Ebenezar's will dated 9 Nov 1760, proved 19 Mar 1765, leaves his plantation Weatherless Adventure to his grandson Nathan Cotman, son of his daughter Sarah Low. Executor George Low, witnesses Ralph Low and Hudson Low.
. 1. Mary Cotman married about 1735 John Moore (c1710-bef.1759) m.1760 Levin Moore
. 2. Anne Cotman (c.1719-bef.1753) 28 Aug 1740 Richard Waller (c1715-1784) Sussex Co, DE
. 3. Sarah Cotman (bef.1727) m.29 Dec 1754 George Low, see below
. 4. Phillis Cotman unmarried in 1760; married by 13 Jun 1766 Averton Cowaly

Sarah Cotman was born before 1727, and married 29 Dec 1754 George Low at Stepney Parish. Somerset County, MD. Their children were christened at the same parish. George Low of Somerset County died 24 Dec 1778, and his widow Sophia was named administrator.
. 1. Nathan (Cotman) Low (14 Jan 1754-1830) married Mary and moved to Ohio
. 2. Phillis Low (29 Sep 1755) m.23 Mar 1775 Jonathan Waller (1 Apr 1752), her first cousin, son of 
. . . Richard Waller and Anne Cottman
. 3. Lidia Low (8 Aug 1758)
. 4. George Low (8 Jul 1760)
. 5. William Low (28 Nov 1762-1795) married Unice

Nathan (Cotman) Lowe (1754-c1829) was born 14 Jan 1754 in Stepney Parish.  He was in Monongalia County, Virginia, by 1773.  Nathan and Mary Cottman sold their land in Somerset County, Maryland in 1784. They moved to Kentucky by 1798, and to Ohio by 1810.  See Lowe

Nathan (Cotman) Lowe (1754-c1829) married Mary

Mary Lowe (1798-1868) m.1817 William Hickman

John Hickman (1821-17 Jan 1875) married 1 Dec 1842 Maria Kochel

Angeline Hickman (1848-1923) m.1868 George B Liptrap

John Liptrap (1872-1935) m.1904 Bertha Helen Stonecypher

Virgil Raymond Liptrap (1907-1977) m.1949 Frances Mary Tate Matthews

James Matthews Liptrap (1951)


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