Polly Harris, daughter of Rufus Harris and Lucy Hill and sister of Lucy Harris, was born on 8 March 1794 in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island. Polly was reared in the Quaker faith.
Polly married Freeman Cobb on 19 May 1812 in Palmyra. By 1820 Polly and Freeman were residing in Williamson, Ontario County, New York.
On December 12, 1821 the schooner Atlas, carrying a cargo of barreled pork, cider, and lard, left Pultneyville, New York, on Lake Ontario bound for Ogdensburgh, St. Lawrence County, New York, situated on the St. Lawrence River. Its crew consisted of five men and a boy. Among them was “Freeman Cobb of Williamson.” During a severe winter gale on the night of December 13, the Atlas was wrecked and all hands went to a watery grave.” The newspaper Western Farmer went on to describe the total destruction: “The vessel, dismasted and with her deck and cabin carried away, with nothing remaining but her hull, was driven on shore, on the 13th ult. near the mouth of Sand Creek, at Ellisburgh, Jefferson county” (“Distressing Event,” Western Farmer (Palmyra, New York), December 26, 1821, 3).
Following the tragic accident, Polly and her children moved into Martin’s house. As to the number of children Polly Cobb could have brought with her to Martin’s house, the answer may lie in the 1820 US Federal Census. In the census, Freeman Cobb is listed as having in his household one male child between the ages of ten and sixteen, two female children under age ten, and one female child between ages ten and sixteen. Only the names of two of the children are known—Mary Ann or Maranda Cobb and Duty Cobb.
In late September or early October 1827 Joseph Smith asked his mother to go to the Harris home and tell Martin Harris to come and meet with him. The errand appeared simple enough, but not for Mother Smith. She wrote, “This, indeed, was an errand which I much disliked.” Mother Smith said to Joseph, “I would rather not go, unless I could have the privilege of speaking to her [Lucy Harris] first upon the subject. To this he consented, and I went according to his request.”
When Mother Smith arrived at the Harris home, she “cautiously detailed the particulars with regard to Joseph’s finding the plates, so far as wisdom dictated and necessity demanded, in order to satisfy Mrs. Harris’s curiosity.” Her brief narrative provoked a most curious reaction in Lucy Harris and her sister Polly Cobb. Polly “desired me to receive an amount of money, I think some seventy-five dollars, to assist in getting the Record translated.” Such talk of finance and translation moved the conversation beyond the scope of Mother Smith’s errand (Smith, Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith, 116-17).
In 1828 Polly was still living with her sister Lucy. It is assumed that she moved from the Martin Harris home to the Lucy Harris home in May 1828. Polly apparently stayed with her sister until marrying William Parker on July 3, 1828 in Palmyra by Reverend William Blakesley.
After their marriage, Polly and William resided in Venice, New York, before moving to Hartland, Niagara County, New York, where they were living in 1830.
According to the Mary Durfee diary, Polly returned often to Palmyra. For example, on
August 13, 1837, Mary writes, “Polly Harris came here.” On March 30, 1839, “Polly H. is here – I am spinning flax.” On September 17, 1839, Mary writes, “Polly Harris is here” (Mary Durfee Diary).
By 1840 William and Polly were residents of Newfane, Niagara County, New York.
Polly’s brother Peter Harris died December 7, 1849 in Palmyra. Peter had no descendants. Polly and her husband began receiving notices of an inheritance on February 9, 1850. On November 18, 1850 Polly was paid $100 by executors of the Peter Harris estate on account of being bequeathed by the will of the deceased. She later received $70.32 from the same executors. On November 15, 1851 Polly was served a citation regarding her portion of the inheritance of the Peter Harris estate (The Wayne Surrogate’s Court—In the Matter of the Estate of Peter Harris, deceased).
Polly died on December 18, 1871 in Newfane. She was buried in the Corwin Cemetery in Newfane.