Elijah Cobb
Captain Elijah Cobb (July 4th, 1769 - November 21st, 1848) was an American Sea Captain who was captured by the French in 1794 and was released by the order of Maximilian Robespierre.
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Captain Cobb was born in Harwich, Massachusetts on July 4th, 1769. His father died at sea leaving his mother with six children.[1] In 1794 his ship was captured by the French, but Captain Cobb managed to get a private audience with Maximilian Robespierre, the French leader at the time. Captain Cobb was among the 1,000 people who watched his execution by guillotine 10 days later.[2][3]Captain Cobb was later captured during the War of 1812 and imprisoned in Canada.[3] He retired in 1820 and spent the rest of his life on his Brewster, Massachusetts farm until he died in 1848.[1] His home was later visited by Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan and they may have posed for a photograph in the backyard.[4]
References
- "Elijah Cobb (1768-1848) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- "Cape Cod Captain Elijah Cobb Meets the French Guillotine and Lives to Tell Of It - New England Historical Society". www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- "Storied Captain Elijah Cobb House A House with History | Page 2 of 5 | Cape Cod LIFE". Cape Cod LIFE. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- "Helen Keller's Cape Connection". blogs.capecodonline.com. Retrieved 2018-08-23.