Thomas W. Cobb

Thomas Willis Cobb (1784 – February 1, 1830)^[1] was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative, United States Senator, and a judge in the Georgia State Superior Court. He was a prominent figure in Georgia politics during the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and played a role in the early development of the state's political institutions. Cobb County is named in his honor.^[2]

Thomas Cobb was born sometime in 1784 in Columbia County, Georgia. He was a cousin of Howell Cobb, a Confederate General and Congressman,^[3] and Thomas R.R. Cobb, Confederate States Army Officer. Early on, he pursued preparatory studies and was admitted into the bar, eventually studying with William H. Crawford in Lexington, Georgia.

Thomas Cobb moved to Greensboro, Georgia, and was elected to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses (March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821). He was unsuccessful in being elected into the Seventeenth Congress, but was elected to the Eighteenth Congress (March 4, 1823 – December 6, 1824). When Nicholas Ware, a U.S. Senator representing Georgia, died in September of 1824, an election was held to replace the vacant spot and Thomas Cobb was elected. This meant he had to resign from his position as a representative. During this time, he served as a chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures. He was affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party and later aligned with Jacksonian Democrats.

He worked in the Senate from December of 1824 until his resignation in 1828. The press announced that he would "probably resign" in August 1828.^[4] His successor, Oliver H. Prince, took office in November of 1828. He later became a judge in the Superior Court of Georgia.^[5]

Thomas Cobb was the son of John Cobb and Elizabeth Beckham. He married Mary W. Moore (often referred to as Polly) on May 14, 1807, in Oglethorpe, Georgia. The two had several children; notably, one of them was Joseph Beckham Cobb who became a writer and politician in Mississippi. ^[6]

On February 1, 1830, Thomas Cobb died while serving his seat in the Georgia Superior Court. The formation of Cobb County began in 1832 with the beginning of the Georgia Gold lottery of 1832.^[7] The county was named in honor of Thomas Willis Cobb, who had died two years earlier. The county seat, Marietta, is rumored to be named for his wife, Mary Moore Cobb.^[2]

• United States Congress. "Thomas W. Cobb (id: C000553)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

• Cobb, Thomas W. "[Letter] 1821 Apr. 22, Washington [D.C. to] George Troup / Thomas W. Cobb". Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved 21 February 2018.