Mary or rather Polly was the wife of Solomon Goss (Jr.). She was a member of the Devol family who were rather prominent in the Washington County, Ohio area.
I promised to share a little of what I know of the Devol family. My curiosity of course was always with Solomon and Olive (Scott) Goss and any leads on them. However, I was also a little curious about where Polly came from. On my trip to Ohio in August and September of 2011, I finally found the link for Polly to her parents. I feel much better now!
Apparently I was not the only one that was confused with all the Polly Devol’s that I was finding. A Robert McCargar wrote a letter on May 18, 1970 to a Mr. Devol in which he is discussing the identity of different Polly Devols. Unfortunately the letter from Mr. Devol is not included in the correspondence of this file.
“There must be a least two Mary Coburn (Polly) Devols. Polly #1, as described by you was born but the date is unknown m. Gilbert Devol. Jr. on March 25, 1790 and d. ca. 1802. She had ten children.
Polly #2…was born July 5, 1795, according to records in my family. The Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly, Vol. IV., p. 86 says that a Rev. David Young married Solomon Goss, Jr. and Polly Devol., Nov. 19, 1812. Two independently written histories of the Goss family say that Mary Coburn Devol married Solomon Goss Jr. on that same date. One of these historians says she died April 1865. This Mary Coburn (Polly) Devol is certainly distinct from the one you describe. She had eleven children, among them, one named Gilbert Devol Goss. (Polly #2 was my great, great, great-grandmother.) ” Mr. McCargar was living in Ann Arbor at the time.
Source: Goss Family and other files: FHL#940938 Items 4-5.
The Washington County Public Library in Marietta has an Annex for the genealogical and family history located down the street from the main library to the south. It is on the corner. See the links to the right for Ohio.
The Main Library in Marietta, but not the genealogy annex
Mr. Jerry Devol, who passed in the late 1990’s, was quite the researcher having documented many of the cemeteries and the families in the area. All his work is still housed at the library genealogical annex. The Washington County Genealogical Society is also located there along with their holdings. It is a really great archive.
The Marietta Library Annex and Me!
They had in their possession a book titled Rhode Island Genealogical Register, Jan. 1983, Tiverton Wills.
Devol. Jonathan, of Ti, gentleman. Will dated 6 Aug 1782, proved 2 Sep 1782, pg: 321-322. Mentions: Wife Mary Devol., Sons Gilbert Devol, Silas Devol presumable dec., Stephen Devol., Daniel Devol, Benjamin Devol, & Jonathan Devol Jr. The unnamed heirs of my son Silas Devol. Witn. Charles Hull, Philip Briggs, Thos. Howland. Note: The Gilbert Devol mentioned is Sr. I believe?
They also had a big book titled “Devol Early Settlers in Rhode Island (1639) and in Ohio (1788)” with the coat of arms on the front cover. This book was researched and compiled by Jerry Barker Devol (same as the man mentioned above in the letter) and printed and published by Herbert Gordon Devol. There are also file folders containing information about the families in the area. I tried Worldcat to search for this book and see where it might be housed and was surprised to see that there is another copy in the Marietta College Library but nothing else was suggested. The Family History Library had Jerry Barker Devol titles but not this book exact book. So you will have to call or contact the annex. The volunteer who does a lot of the research for those who inquire is very eager to be of service.
The Devol Book – it’s very detailed!
Mary Coburn “Polly” is listed on page 127 under Gilbert Jr., here are some highlights:
-
- III. Mary Coburn “Polly”
- b. Marietta, Washington County, North West Territory, 5 Jul 1795
- d. Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa, __5 Jul 1795.
- m. Solomon Goss, Jr., Harmar, Ohio 19 Nov. 1812, by Rev. David Young, Vol. 4, page 86
- b. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (?), 5 May 1788.
- d. Oskaloosa, Iowa, 2 Nov. 1864
- Son of Solomon, Sr. and Olive (Scott) Goss.
- Resident Fearing Township, Washington County, Ohio, 1830
On page 65 Polly’s father and mother are listed – Gilbert Devol and Mary Coburn:
-
- V. Gilbert, Jr. 10c
- b. Tiverton, Rhode Island, ______1766
- d. Point Harmar, Marietta, Ohio, 25 Apr 1812. Ref.: Western Spectator, Marietta, Ohio
- Buried Harmar Cemetery
- m. 1. Mary “Polly” Coburn, Washington County, North West Territory, 25 Mar 1790, by Benjamin Tupper.
- b. Sturbridge, Worcester County, Massachusetts, __ ___ 1770
- d.
- Daughter of Major Asa and Mary (McClure) Coburn.
- m. 2 Rachel Peek, Washington County, Ohio, 14 Jul 1803, by Rev. Nehemiah Davis,
- b. Connecticut 1786
- d.
- Rachel m. 2 Oliver Shute, Washington County, Ohio, 6 Oct 1821, by Rev. John McMahon
- b. New Jersey, 1786.
- d.
The Devol book goes onto describe more about the life and activities of Gilbert Devol, Jr. with sources. He was a blacksmith in Point Harmar (west of Marietta) and some of his work has survived.
Polly’s siblings are and I believe these were the children of Mary Coburn from the same book:
Harriet Devol b. about 1795, d. about 1826, m. George Dunlevy 8 July 1812, b. 1776 in Virginia and died 28 Dec 1836, Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio. He remarried to a Mrs. Eliza (Buell) Buell, 20 April 1826. Eliza was born 22 August 1798 and d in Indiana 26 March 1885. She was the daughter of Timothy and Sarah “Sally (DeWitt) Buell. Widow of Salmon D. (DeWitt) Buell. Both are buried in Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio, Range 64, Lot 1.
Clarissa Devol b. about 1791, Farmer’s Castle, Belpre, Northwest Territory m. Joseph Cook (III) 29 November 1812, born 20 July 1785 Long Plain, (Bristol Co.) Massachusetts, d. 3 August 1823, Belpre, Washington Co., Ohio. Joseph was the son of Captain Joseph Jr. and Elizabeth (Barker) Cook. Residence Wood County, Virginia then Belpre 1813. Kept a tavern “Cook House.” They are buried in (Riverview) Cemetery, Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Mary “Polly” Coburn Devol – our subject in past posts and wife of Solomon Goss (Jr.).
Lucy b. 18 Dec 1797, Marietta, d. 17 January 1867, Danbury Twp., Ottawa Co., Ohio m. Isaac Rice 25 November 1816, b. 7 May 1792, Brattleboro, Windham Co., Vermont and died 14 April 1845 Danbury Twp., Ottawa Co., Ohio.
Gilbert Devol III b. 25 March 1800, Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio and died 24 July 1871, Lancaster, Fairfield Co., Ohio m. Cynthia Goodwin 25 Mary 1823, she was born 6 April 1803 in Canada and died 8 June 1870 in Lancaster, Fairfield Co., Ohio. They had one child Sophia S. Devol who died after 1897 in Belpre, Washington Co., Ohio?
With his second wife Rachel he had
Harrison Devol b. about 1804 in Washington Co., Ohio and died 29 May 1873 Staunton Twp., Miami Co., Ohio m. Jane Orr 11 June 1835, b. about 1806 in Pennsylvania and died 6 January 1870 in Staunton Twp., Miami Co., Ohio
Benjamin Franklin Devol b. about 1809 Point Harmar, Washington Co., Ohio and died after 1870, Prairie Creek Twp., Vigo Co., Indiana, m. Sarah C. Turnham 16 December 1841, she was born before 1823 in Spencer Co., Kentucky and died about 1868 in Vigo Co., Indiana. They had two children Athelinda b. before 1813 m. Myhew Rollins. Austin Devol b. Feb 1813 and died after 1840, m. Elizabeth Blue 28 November 1838.
The book Abstracts of Wills and Administration of Estates of Washington Co., by Genevieve Mary Potts about 1946 is at the FHL in book and microfilm form, here is the book form FHL#977.198 P28p and I have run into it in other archives. This book is a good start to located estates for families and the Devols, Goss and many others are listed. Be careful mistakes have been made in the transcribing so check the actual record in the probates of the county.
Updated 9/1/2023: Contacting the Washington County Library Local History and Genealogy Archive you will need to go through the main library website. https://www.wcplib.info/local-history-and-genealogy
Don’t forget the Marietta College’s Special Collections and Digital Collection – Manuscripts and Documents of the Ohio Company in particular for land records regarding the families in the area. The archivist I interacted with when I visited was very nice and very helpful. http://digicoll.marietta.edu/oca/ http://library.marietta.edu/spc/
The Washington County Historical Society is also very good and if you are doing any research in the area you need to contact them as well. They have a lot of the old records from the courthouse.
Regarding the cemeteries in Washington County, Ohio. I will write a post or two about this topic as regards to my visit there in 2011 with sources and photographs. Mr. Devol mentions Harmar one of the oldest but it is right on the Muskingum River and has been flooded. The other is another old cemetery the Mound.
BJ MacDonald
Solomon Goss of Fearing Township in Ohio 1754-1825 