Person Page - 37

     Isabella Matheson married John MacPherson. Isabella Matheson died in Ontario, Canada. She was born in Parish of Rogart, Scotland.

     Issachar Cozzens Jr was born on 15 December 1780 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He married Mary Ann Spinks in 1810. Issachar Cozzens Jr died on 17 April 1865 in Guttenberg at age 84.²
     He served in the army, and like many of his compatriots, was attracted to, and became a member of the Tammany Society, which at the time was meeting at a tavern owned by Abraham Martling.
Issachar, Jr. was to become one of the officers of the Society, serving as “Wiskinski” (doorkeeper) in 1811. He fought in the War of 1812 and continued to serve Tammany. The society, which had strong connections with the city government often managed to gain employment for its members.² On 6 April 1808, Issachar Cozzens Jr was a member of the Tammany Hall Committee that erected the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Brooklyn, New York. Coincidentaly, Lieutenant Colonel James Piper (1741) was one of the martyrs.³ He was an inspector of horse manure, a position which he likely obtained from his Tammany Hall connections. He is mentioned in the minutes of the City Council of the City of New York, dated 1 October 1821.²
Issachar Cozzens Jr was a member of the Lyceum of the Natural History of New York, which was later to become the New York Academy of Sciences, and eventually merged into the New York Historical Society which today has a grand museum on New York’s Central Park West, and has the Issachar Cozzens portfolio, a collection of all of his papers, in its archives. He became the Librarian and Superintendent of the Lyceum and served in that capacity from 1839 to 1844.
He was a well-known chemist, naturalist, geologist, and mineralogist, and a "New York distiller."² He authored a "Geological History of Manhattan or New York Island". Capt. A.W. Vogdes, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, wrote in the American Geologist in 1899:

     Frederick Smith Cozzens was born on 3 March 1786 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He married Lucy Backhouse in 1817.² Frederick Smith Cozzens died in 1862.
     He was elected the first Librarian of the Lyceum of the Natural History of New York in 1824 at New York City, New York, USA.

     Frederick Swartwout Cozzens was born on 5 March 1818 in New York City, New York, USA. He died on 23 December 1869 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, at age 51.
     He was an American humorist, born in New York City. He became in early life a wine merchant, and later editor of the Wine Press. He had previously contributed humorous poems and articles to magazines, and in 1853 he issued his first volume, Prismatics, under the pen name "Richard Haywarde." Then came the Sparrowgrass Papers, first published in The Knickerbocker, and in 1856 as a widely read volume. They dealt with the trials of a city man who undertakes to run a country home (near Yonkers). Three years later (1859) he published a volume of travel sketches, Acadia; or a Sojourn among the Blue Noses. Soon after the American Civil War he failed in a business promoting the sale of native wines, and retired from Yonkers, New York to Rahway, New Jersey.¹

     Frederick Schiller Cozzens was born on 11 October 1846.
     He graduated in 1868 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA.

     Sarah Martling was born in 1793. She married William Brown Cozzens, son of Issachar Cozzens and Mary Daniels, circa 1810. Sarah Martling died in 1813, perhaps associated with childbirth.

     Abraham Martling was the keeper of Martling's Tavern, in early Manhattan, which was to become the meeting place of the Tammany Society.¹

     Abraham Martling Cozzens was born on 3 June 1811 in Manhattan, New York, New York, USA.¹ He married Marion Anne Curtis, daughter of Thomas D Moore, circa 1834.² Abraham Martling Cozzens married Susan Antoinette Kelley in January 1859.² Abraham Martling Cozzens died on 6 February 1868 at Manhattan, New York, New York, USA, at age 56.³ He was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, USA.¹
     He chose not to go into the hotel business, but instead took a position with Thomas D. Moore, an importer and dealer of fine glassware.² Abraham Cozzens had become a respected and moderately wealthy merchant at a young age. And through connections and friendships he must have established earlier, he became associated with an informal group, the Sketch Club, which consisted of some of the literary and artistic notables of the city at the time. He was later a member of a similar organization, called the Century Club.⁴
The American Art Union (AAU) was formed in 1849. A number of prominent citizens were named to the Committee of Management. In addition to their function as an administrative body, they were the ones to receive, review, and recommend the acceptance and purchase of any art works to be purchased, displayed and ultimately distributed. Abraham Martling Cozzens was named to this Committee in 1840, and he served until 1850 when he became President, an office he held until the Union was dissolved in 1853. David Livingston's discussion in the endnote reference is worth the read.⁵
On 16 January 1863, an announcement appeared in New York papers, announcing the formation of the New York Kerosene Oil Company. Cozzens was one of the officers. He owned most of the shares and became President of the company, now named Cozzens Kerosene Oil. After a fire in 1865 that destroyed their production facility in Blissville, Long Island, Abraham and his son Thomas attempted to rebuild the company.³ The Cozzens Kerosene Oil Company eventually failed as did Abraham Martling Cozzens.³ He died about a week after lawsuits were started against him after his business failed. His doctor claimed death was caused by the failures and the anxiety over the lawsuits.
Cozzens was not held personally liable for the debts of the company, but he was still personally insolvent, and within a month of his death, his property was sold at auction. All the etchings that he had been issued as a subscriber to the American Art Union, and his private library, which consisted of 367 lots of both individual and multi-volume editions, were sold April 22 and 23, 1868, at the Clinton Hall Book Sale Rooms & Art Galleries, on Astor Place. The Catalogue of the book auction described it as “Comprising a Very Choice and Elegant Collection of Books in Various Departments of Literature, in Fine Bindings and best Editions, many very scarce and valuable.” The event was very well attended, as Cozzens was recognized as one of the finest collectors of American Contemporary Art at the time.⁶

     Henry Rutgers Cozzens died in 1813 at infancy. He was born in 1813.

     Deborah Cozzens was born on 17 March 1724 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ She married (or, perhaps, did not) Issachar Pollock, son of Issachar Pollock, in 1750.² Deborah Cozzens died on 28 April 1803 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, at age 79.³
     In “Colonial Cozzens,” David Livingston comes to the important conclusion about the parentage of Issachar Cozzens (105) (excerpts of which are extracted below – I have marked (I) to show the father from Providence and Newport and (II) to indicate the father of Issachar Cozzens):

     Leonard Cozzens was born in 1690 at Devises, England. Alexander Ross Piper cites Harmon Cozzens who quotes Leonard's family bible as "in the Parish of All Commings in Wiltshire, England near Devizes (about 6 miles away) 'the nearest market town' ".² He married Margaret Taylor, daughter of Robert Taylor and Deborah Peckham, in July 1712. Leonard Cozzens married Sarah Wheatley on 6 April 1758 at Friends Meeting House in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.³ Leonard Cozzens died on 2 May 1769 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹
     The Cozzens name comes from the Middle English as Cousin and Old French where it was Cusin. It is generally believed to be derived from the word meaning "relative." The name began to appear in England around the time of the Norman Conquest, 1066.⁴
This effort on the Cozzen family relies heavily on the excellent work done by David Livingston, which he documented in several papers. The most important of these are "Cozzens' Hotels West Point and New York".⁵ And "Colonial Cozzens."⁶ My efforts here are not intended to duplicate David's detailed work, but rather to capture certain bits of information, and to provide pointers to the reader for more in-depth information. He emigrated in 1711 from Devises, England.⁷ He was a tailor. In fact, he was referred to as "Newport's finest tailor" which gave him entry to the social set in Newport.³ 3 May 1715, he was admitted as a "freeman of the Colony of Rhode Island."⁸
From Frederick Swartwout Cozzens:

     Margaret Taylor was born on 5 July 1689.¹ She married Leonard Cozzens in July 1712. Margaret Taylor died on 10 September 1751 at age 62.²

     Issachar Pollock married (or, perhaps, did not) Deborah Cozzens, daughter of Leonard Cozzens and Margaret Taylor, in 1750.¹
     Issachar Pollock lived with a wife and family at New York City, New York, USA, after 1750.

     Robert Cozzens was born on 17 April 1713 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He married Elizabeth Lynde on 22 May 1735 at Congregational Church of Little Compton in Little Compton, Rhode Island, USA.¹ Robert Cozzens died on 19 December 1764 near Southold, Long Island at age 51, when the "Don Carlos" was driven ashore in a violent snowstorm with his brother Joseph in command.

     Matthew Cozzens was born on 12 November 1715 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He diedyoung.
     Matthew Cozzens was also known as Nathan. Matthew is the name in the Family Bible; Historical Society shows Nathan.

     Eleanor Cozzens was born on 15 November 1718 at Newport, Rhode Island, USA, (Also cited as August 15, 1718.)² She married Robert Feke, son of (?) Feke, on 23 September 1742 at First Baptist Church of Newport in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.² Eleanor Cozzens died on 6 July 1806 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, at age 87. She was buried at Friends Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

     Peter Cozzens was born on 5 March 1720 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He married Phoebe Tailer circa 1745. Peter Cozzens died on 2 February 1810 at age 89.

     Joseph Cozzens was born on 30 October 1721 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He married Mary Casey, daughter of John Casey and Elizabeth (?), on 2 January 1751; also 1752 in other record.¹ Joseph Cozzens died on 19 December 1764 near Southold, Long Island, New York, USA, at age 43, when the "Don Carlos" was driven ashore in a violent snowstorm with his brother Robert on board.²

     Benjamin Cozzens was born on 30 October 1721 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He married Anne Brown, daughter of George Brown, on 4 January 1747. Benjamin Cozzens died on 28 August 1802 at age 80.¹

     Deborah Cozzens was born on 13 April 1716 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ She diedyoung.

     Matthew Cozzens was born on 4 July 1726 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He married Sarah Easton in 1752 at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.² Matthew Cozzens married Elizabeth Tillinghast in 1754 at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.² Matthew Cozzens died in 1779 in Charlestown, South Carolina, USA.
     He was a successful sailor and member of the Newport Marine Society.² He was a privateer, commissioned by King George II, operating and owning a share of the ship "Defiance" a brigantine, out of Newport. in 1756 at Newport, Rhode Island, USA.¹ He was exiled under provisions of the "Test Act" promulgated by the Assembly of Newport, which required loyalty to the American Revolution. His early business interests, including as a privateer, would make that difficult. The entire story is described in "Colonial Cozzens."

This is likely the Matthew Cozzens who freed Richard Cozzens, the musician in the Colonial Army, as described by David Livingston, in "Richard - Another Cozzens".^3,4

     William Cozzens was born on 16 January 1728 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He married Sarah Casey, daughter of John Casey and Mary (?), in 1752. William Cozzens died on 9 January 1799 at age 70.¹ He was buried at Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

     Charles Cozzens was born on 16 January 1728 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He married Sarah Feke, daughter of (?) Feke, in 1749.¹ Charles Cozzens died on 30 January 1779 in Prince Edward, Maryland, USA, at age 51.¹

     Gregory Cozzens was born on 5 June 1730 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He married Mary Fry in 1756. Gregory Cozzens died on 26 November 1818 at age 88; (might be 1 December 1818.)
     He was a sea Captain. In 1776, he was involved in a naval encounter in Narragansett Bay, where two British warships, a "brig" and a sloop were at anchor. The brig and the sloop, loaded with provisions and salt, were captured by the American revolutionaries from under the nose of the British warship. He was the Captain of the sloop, and assumed to be under British control, or commandeered by them.¹ In 1777, Gregory Cozzens was Captain of the "George", where because of an apparent mutiny, his ship was seized, sailed to North Britain, and he was "imprisoned on the prison ship 'Revenue' in Glascow." The ship was sold at auction. Later, Gregory Cozzens was chartered to sail a ship to support the revolutionary forces at Charleston in April 1780.²