Thomas

Weird Hookups And A Great Mystery

Born November 28, 1725 in Connecticut

Son of Thomas Couch and Sarah Gideon Allen, Fairfield, CT (Greens Farms)

m. Elizabeth Jessup, Fairfield, CT.

Father of

Died December 4, 1764 in Connecticut

Fifty years after the Couch family arrival in the North American colonies the famous diarist Sarah Kemble Knight rode a Couch/ Boone/ Campbell/ Noble/ Fugate/ Liftig

horse from Boston to New York – the first woman ever known to do so alone. It took her a month over paths that were barely considered roads. What would that same trip take in stamina and resources to move a family from Connecticut to Virginia?

The story of the connections above are more than fascinating. If you go on the Internet or are reading this book, you can see that Answer: Probably much more than anyone would want to expend.

there are also many Virginia families that start with a Couch and could connect that person to the family of Daniel Boone: 1634 Robert, Francis and Ann Couch who were VA merchants

The most logical conclusion is that the Couch family connected to Boone MUST be the Virginia family – BUT, the dates don’t match, and, as we have seen with the Fugate. Fuquas, etc. proximity does not necessarily mean matching identity.

1635 Matthew Couch who arrived in James City Colony on Constance.

Travel by boat was the easiest way to settle the coast, in those days, and boats did run down the shoreline connecting the 1635-37 William Couch who arrived in James City (probably indentured servant).

Atlantic colonies. The Couches COULD have made the trip from Connecticut to Virginia…but did they?BMaybe. Some of the Connecticut Couches were married in Maryland. Another was born in Virginia, and returned to Connecticut. Clearly, there was 1654 Alexander Couch who arrived in Northhampton, VA.

some connection, and some relatively easy way to make the trip.

1662 Ambrose Couch who was in Westmoreland, VA.

John C. Couch – the ancestor who has presented so many problems to researchers – is rarely listed definitively with any firm place 1676 Ralph Couch of Stepney who died in VA

of origin: “Germany ?” “VA or NC?” “CT?” Nor are his parents certain: The “C” in his middle name should stand for something –

most likely a family name from previous generations – but none of the lineages seem to offer a clue – except the one that has not yet 1684 Thomas Couch who arrived VA from Plymouth with Capt Blagg on the good ship Charles.

been presented, which may be the strangest possibility of all. (unless the “C” was meant to represent “Connecticut”)BIn some of the 1693 Thomas Couch who was a Plymouth, VA merchant.

internet postings, John C. Couch was supposed to have been born in Germany in 1750. Possible? Of course. Likely? I didn’t think so at first. For this to have been possible, or so it seemed when I first noted it, we would have to assume that either a Connecticut 1693 Thomas Couch who was part owner of ship called Fortune and master of ship named Palm Tree.

or a Virginia or a North Carolina Couch couple left their newly founded settlements and traveled to Germany to present John C.

1693 Robert Couch who received Gloucester Co, VA land patent.

Couch to the world – so that he could marry into the Boone family. BHow and why could this happen?

1695 Charles and Alexander Couch who received land patents.

Everything is possible on the internet, but how likely would it be for colonials?

1695 Robert Couch whose transportation was paid by Thomas Snead.

Virginia Governor Spotswood invited Germans to settle along the Shenandoah to man his iron works, and he called the settlement

“Germania.” It attracted 70 or so families, among which were the Koch’s. We can imagine John C. (not exactly a German name-There is also a Connecticut Couch family which ancestry.com connects to the Virginia Couches and then to the Boones: Johann? ) not only changing Johann to John, but Koch to Couch…except that the Koch referred to in the records of Germania Devonshire, England

changed his name to Cook, and the pronounciation remained through his lineage. However, the German thing keeps turning up birth: 1646

on the internet. Perhaps everybody wants to be related to Daniel Boone. One of the postings presents an interesting and new death: 24 March 1687

possibility:

m. Rebecca ?