George Birdwell Cottrell & his wife Hepzabeth {Noggle} Cottrell moved to Berrien County about 1845 from Greene County Ohio. George Birdwell ( 1807 to 1884) and Hepzabeth ( 1807 to 1879) They lived most of the time in Buchanan Michigan up until 1869 when they moved to Cerro Gordo County Iowa, which is where my great great grandparents Andrew Jackson Cottrell & his wife Martha Jane {Wray} Cottrell were already living.
George & Hepzabeth had 8 boys & one girl. Andrew Jackson Cottrell, George Noggle Cottrell, Hiram Newton Cottrell,
Francis Marion Cottrell, John Dawson Cottrell, Perry Washington Cottrell, Benjamin Franklin Cottrell, James Madison Cottrell & Elizabeth Jane Cottrell.George and Hepzabeth (Noggle) Cottrell children DOB's: - From the family bible
1. Andrew Jackson - April 5, 1829 in Ohio
2. George Noggle - February 12, 1831 - Ohio
3. Elizabeth Jan - January 20, 1833 - Ohio - she wed Dorsey Scott Crapper 13 June 1852 in Michigan. They later went to Iowas and then on to Oregon where they lived out the remainder of their lived.
4. Hiram Newton - July 7, 1835 - Ohio - wed Sarah Jane Blake and he died in December of 1860 per family notes. After Hiram's death she wed Theophilus Rolph in 1862.
5. Francis Marion - Aug 22, 1838 - Ohio
6. John Dawson - Sep 20, 1841
7. Perry Washington - February 25, 1844 - Greene, Ohio
8. Benjamin Franklin - April 6, 1847 - Berrien Co., MI
9. James Madison - May 24, 1849 - Buchanan, Berrien Co., MI
Copy of Bible Page
Click on the photostat copy for larger images of the following if larger copy is desired.
Andrew & four other brothers all volunteered for service in the Civil War on the Union side even though 3 of them were married with children. Andrew Cottrell's marriage record:
One son Perry Washington Cottrell enlisted from there in Buchanan and was shot at the Battle Of Shiloh 3 weeks after leaving home in 1862. Perry Cottrell enlisted into Co. C 12th Inf Reg Mich. In October of 1861 at the age of 18 (see above). He died 6 weeks later in an Evansville Indiana Hospital & is buried in the Oak Hill cemetery there.
Another brother Fransis Marion Cottrell contacted Tuberculosis after he enter the War & also died young at the age of 42 in Colorado Springs Colorado and is buried in a Potters Field in the Evergreen Cemetery there. I ordered Stone for both of them from the VA after I found their grave sites.
Francis Cottrell's marraige record:
One other brother George Noggle Cottrell & his wife Amy C {Stevens} Cottrell lived in Wesaw Township for a short period.
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.net
Additional notes for Cottrell family.
In the 1850 Federal Census for Berrien County, the George B Cottrell (misspelled at Colrill or Cotrill) are found as a family unit.
George B. 43; Andrew J. 21; George N. 19; Elizabeth J. 17; Hephyebth 43; Hiram N. 14; Francis M. 11;
John D. 9; Perry W. 6; Benjamin W. 4; and James M.1.By 1860 Elizabeth J. Cottrell has married D S Crapper on 13 June 1852 and is living next door to her parents and siblings.
Andrew, George N, Benjamin, Perry and James are still living at their parents residence in the Village of Buchanan.
I have much info on all but Hiram Newton Cottrell who family notes have dying on 12/28/1860 but I don’t know where or how or where he is buried.
I know he married Sarah Jane Blake as I have a copy of their marriage record. I also have a copy of a Sarah Jane Cotral four years later and two years after Hiram is supposed to have died getting married to a a Theophillus Rolph. I think this is the same woman but I have not been able to find if Hiram & Sarah had any kids before he died. Theophillis Rolph marriage record:
John Dawson Cottrell's marraige record:
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.net
Second oldest son George Noggle Cottrell did enlist in Wesaw Twp. 08/12/1861 with the 6th Michigan Voluntary Infantry Co. “K” & that unit was organized in Kalamazoo on 08/20/1861. That Infantry Unit was actually soon afterward converted to a heavy artillery unit. George served with them in the field until March of 1863 when he was made a male nurse with the 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He continued in that capacity until 08/28/1863 when he was discharged for promotion as a Hospital Steward for the 84th Michigan Colored Infantry and later with the 12th Colored Infantry until his discharge date on 03/14/1866. George was not a black man but served with that unit. His daughter Jennie E. Cottrell was actually born in Louisiana 09/01/1865 so his wife & son Millard Fillmore Cottrell must have been living with him down there at that time.
He returned to Buchanan Michigan after his final discharge & worked as a carpenter building the Advent Christian Church located on Oak Street during the summer of 1866. I have found copies of some deeds that George bought lots in Buchanan, Michigan & built houses on & then sold in 1866 & 1867 until he went to work for the Michigan Central Railroad as a carpenter foreman in 1867. He moved once to Three Rivers Michigan where his daughter Jennie E Cottrell died of consumption at the age of 16 on 01/11/1882 & then moved to Jackson , Michigan according to his military pension file in June of 1883. He retired as a foreman of the building Department for the Michigan Central Railroad sometime after 1901 in Jackson Michigan. That is where he died 03/29/1910 & he is buried in Woodland Cemetery there along with his wife & 2 sons. -
Submitted by: Mark Cottrell, great, great, great grandson of George Birdwell Cottrell. His email is: mountainman@wctatel.netFrancis M. Cottrell enlisted September 25, 1863 and was discharged with a disability on January 26, 1865 per history of Berrien County.
Some of the family did remain in Berrien County through the 1870 census. But this branch of the family seems to have left Berrien by the 1880 census.
Additional notes from the files of Mark Cottrell
Hiram Newton Cottrell who married Sarah Jane Blake. Hiram was the 3rd born son out of 8 to George Birdwell Cottrell & Hepzabeth {Noggle} Cottrell. The second born son was George Noggle Cottrell. I am attaching a list of the kids names that I got in a Civil War Pension file from the National Archives in Washington D C. The names were taken from George & Hepzabeth’s family Bible 12/05/1878 & sworn to by 2 witnesses in pursuit of a Pension for their son Perry Washington Cottrells death at Shiloh in 1862. 5 of the 8 Cottrell boys served in the Civil War & all were volunteers. My great great granddad Andrew Jackson Cottrell was the oldest son & served here in Iowa with the 9th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Company C. My Cottrell family lived in Berrien County from about 1844 or 1845 until 1869 when the last of them left that area. I have several deed copies from Berrien County & all 5 Pension files from the NARA for the ones that served in the Civil War. Hiram Newton Cottrell is the only one of 8 boys & one girl that I have not been able to find a death date or Cemetery where he is buried. I was handed down from my family a death date of 12/28/1860 but I have not been able to prove that. I am sure that the Sarah Jane Cotral that married Theophilus Rolph in 1862 is Hiram’s widow. Hepzabeth Cottrell is buried here in Clear Lake Iowa, about 25 miles from my home & George Birdwell Cottrell is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Three Rivers , Michigan . I am also attaching pics of Perry Washington Cottrell’s Stone in Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville , Indiana , I ordered from the V A & also Francis Marion Cottrell’s Stone in the Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs , Colorado that I also ordered from the V A. - Mark CottrellAndrew Jackson Cottrell is my Great Great Granddad and he resided in Berrien County from about 1845-1858 before moving to Floyd County Iowa. He married Martha Jane Wray October 30th1853 at the home of her father Titus Wray in Berrien County. Elizabeth Jane Cottrell is a sister of Andrew who married Dorsey Scott Crapper June 13th 1852 in Berrien County. Francis Marion Cottrell is a brother of Andrew who married who married Sarah A Herrin September 15th 1857 in Berrien County. Hiram Newton Cottrell was a brother of Andrews who married Sarah Jane Blake January 9th1858 in Berrien County. After Hiram’s death in 1860 Sarah Jane {Blake} Cottrell married Theophilus Rolph May 3rd 1862 in Berrien County. John Dawson Cottrell was a brother of Andrew and married Alvira Walton October 6th 1867 in Berrien County. George Noggle Cottrell was a brother of Andrew who married Amy C Stevens January 6th 1853 in Berrien County, but he states in his Civil War Pension file that they were married by a Justice of the Peace Darius Jennings, but didn’t receive a Marriage Certificate. I obtained the attached marriage returns from the Berrien County Historical Society in 2008 and George Noggle Cottrell’s deposition was among 94 pages in his Civil War Pension File. I obtained in 2007 from the NARA. As a side note, 5 Cottrell brothers served in the Civil War. MY GG Andrew Jackson Cottrell with the 9th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Company C. George Noggle Cottrell with the 6th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Company K and re-enlisted with the 84th Colored Infantry as a white hospital steward [nurse]. Francis Marion Cottrell with the 11th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Company K. John Dawson Cottrell with the 31st Ohio Volunteer Infantry Company I. Perry Washington Cottrell with the 12th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Company C. Perry was just 18 years old and had left Michigan just 3 weeks prior to the “Battle of Shiloh”, where he was shot April 6th 1862, on the first day of that battle. Perry died 6 weeks later in an Evansville , Indiana Union hospital & is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville. I am attaching pics of 2 Stones I ordered from the VA. One for Perry & one for Francis as their graves were improperly or not marked at all. Mark Cottrell email: mountainman@wctatel.net
