SEVENTEENTH GENERATION

203. Andrew Cochran was born on 4 Feb 1769 in Hamilton Bann, York, PA.⁽³⁾⁽⁵⁶⁾ He died on 20 Feb 1814 in South Sandusky, Erie, OH.⁽¹⁸⁾⁽¹⁸⁾⁽¹⁰⁾ He died on 20 Feb 1818 in near Sandusky, Erie, OH.⁽⁵⁶⁾ From Robert Moore SR. and Sarah Cochran, Pioneer Settlers of Brown County, Ohio:

Ambushed and killed on way home from War of 1812 leaving widow and six children.[Descendants of Andrew Cochran (From Lynnette & Steve Davis 606 southview Dr. ,Osceola, IA 50213 stevedd@@pionet.net).FTW]

excerpted from "Jane Barker & Andrew Cochran Family"

By Lymen E. G. Suiter
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9749/janebarker.html

The romance of our ancestors Jane Barker and Andrew Cochran began in the Spring of 1790 near Taneytown and/or Emmitsburg, Maryland. During this exciting era, many of the families from the Eastern communities "pulled up their roots" and sought new homes in the Northwest.

Jane's step-father, John Baldwin and her mother, Mary Currey Barker Baldwin were among them. In the Spring of 1791, they left their Maryland plantation and headed for "old Kaintucky" thus interrupting the romance of Jane Currey and Andrew Cochran. What the lover's thoughts were at the time is anyone's guess, but it is known that Andrew was anxious to accompany the Baldwins. Only the matter of "settling up" his father's estate kept him from going. I am sure he promised to follow later.

The Baldwin "entourage" that came over the wilderness trail to Pittsburg and down the Ohio on a flatboat consisted of John and Mary and their 5 children plus Mary's two daughters, Jane and Margaret Barker (father- Capt. John William Barker ), two brothers of John Baldwin and the ever faithful "Old Mose". They came into Mason County, Kentucky and settled near what is now the town of Washington, southwest of present Maysville (then known as Limestone).

John Baldwin bought land at once. He built a log house for his family and shelter of a sort for his horses, cattle and pigs. With the help of his brothers, he cleared land and planted seeds brought from Maryland. In short order, crops sprang from the "so-called" new ground.

Sometime later, possibly the following year after the Baldwins located in Kentucky, a tall, slender, sandy-haired, young Scotsman led his horse from a flat boat at Limestone (now Maysville) and inquired the direction to John Baldwin's home. He was Andrew Cochran from "Carrolsburg Manor" in Frederick County, Maryland. This was the man Jane Barker left behind when her family migrated to the Blue Grass region.

Their courtship was resumed. Andrew bought land near the Baldwins and started to build his own log house. Not many details are available on the intervening period, but when the new home was completed he and Jane were married and promptly moved in. That event took place on February 14, 1794.

Andrew and Jane decided to stay in Kentucky. The Baldwins--Jane's mother and step-father--nevertheless moved to North Liberty (Cherry Fork) Adams Co., Ohio, in the Spring of 1795. In addition to other members of their family, they were accompanied by "Old Mose". He was grieved at being parted from Jane for the first time in her life, but could not leave his "missus".

Some 35 miles now separated the two families. Still, "Old Mose" frequently went back and forth between the two areas. In fact, he made such regular trips that the settlers along the route soon learned to watch for him and sent letters to the river post office in his care. Thus the "faithful Mose" became the first letter carrier (unofficial) of Adams County, Ohio.

Jane and Andrew lived in their log cabin home in Kentucky for eleven years. Three children were born to them there; William Barker Cochran, Mary Jane Cochran, and Sarah Miller Cochran. And during those years, they made frequent trips also between their home and the Baldwin home in Ohio. Eventually they became more and more enamoured with the new settlement made up of many Scotch Presbyterian families.

A second son, James Andrew Cochran, was born (1806) soon after their new home was built. Four years later, Nancy Margaret Cochran was born on February 10, 1810. Andrew Cochran marched away in July of 1812 along with the company of soldiers partially recruited from his neighborhood. His brother, William, also joined up. A few weeks later, the youngest of Jane and Andrew's children, a daughter Elizabeth, was born destined never to see her father.

Jane and Andrew's eldest son, William, was fourteen years old when his father went away. According to the information available, he was a tall, sturdy youth, much like his father. The responsibility of the farm and care of the family therefore fell upon his shoulders.

Then one cold morning in February of 1815, these youngsters took some grain to the mill for grinding into meal. A man rode by and told that a few soldiers had arrived in West Union on the previous night with the story that Andrew Cochran had been killed near Sandusky, Ohio on his way home from war.
William and Mary rode sadly home hoping against hope that what they had heard was not true. They resolved to withhold the sad tidings from their mother for the time being. Then on the following day, Andrew's brother William, came to their house accompanied by two other soldiers. He verified the story the children had held back from their mother. He stated that while he and other soldiers were on their way home, they came across Andrew's body the day after he had been killed along with some other soldiers. Some Indians and renegade whites had attacked the group and in a pitched battle slew them and robbed them of their pay. With a sad heart, he had helped bury the remains after taking some personal items from Andrew's clothing which he gave to Jane. Thus, on February 20, 1818, the worldly toil and strife of a gallant ancestor, Andrew Cochran, came to an inglorious end.

In a few days following the tragedy, Jane (Barker) Cochran was very sad and lonely. Neither she nor the children were able to resume their old interest in their surroundings. Everywhere they turned, they were reminded of their loss. Consequently, Jane became very restless. She longed for a new place where things would be different and she could forget the past. Early one October morning in 1815, Jane and William mounted saddlehorses and rode northward through the still rugged country to the village of Belfast in Highland County, Ohio. From there they followed a wagon trail that trended northeast to a ridge which overlooked the village and on which is now located the Coss-Belfast Cemetery. An hour later, Jane had acquired an option on the property. By early afternoon, they had returned to their home near Tranquility and began making new plans for the future. Weeks before its completion, she named the new home "Hickory Hill".

Jane Barker Cochran died on March 26, 1863 in her 90th year. She was laid to rest in the Coss-Belfast Cemetery near the village on the ridge overlooking the countryside. It was the one and same ridge where almost 50 years before, Jane had reined in her horse to look at the surrounding country in its peaceful serenity.

He was married to Mary Jane Barker (daughter of William Barker Captain and Mary Currey Barker Baldwin) on 14 Feb 1794 in Maysville, Mason Co., KY.⁽¹⁸⁾ ⁽¹⁸⁾⁽¹⁰⁾⁽⁵⁶⁾ Mary Jane Barker was born on 20 Feb 1774 in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD.⁽¹⁸⁾⁽⁵⁶⁾ She died on 26 Mar 1863 in Hickory Hill, Belfast, Highland, OH.⁽³⁾ She was buried in Coss-Belfast Cemetery, Highland Co..⁽⁵⁶⁾ Andrew Cochran and Mary Jane Barker had the following children:

+266 i. Mary Jane "Polly" Cochran.
+267 ii. Sarah Miller Cochran.
+268 iii. James Andrew Cochran.
+269 iv. Nancy Margaret Cochran.
+270 v. Elizabeth Amanda Cochran.
+271 vi. William Barker Cochran.

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