John Wesley Cott was born in Kent County DE on May 27, 1838, the son of John D. Cott and his wife, Sarah Ann Dean.

The 1850 Kent County DE census shows a 12 year old "John Cott" living in Duck Creek Hundred with Peregrine Handsor and his family. The rest of John's family is listed several pages away: (John, age 46; Sarah, age 37; Deborah, age 8; Rebecca, age 6; and Elmira, age 2).

Sometime before 1864 John married his first cousin, Lydia Ann Dean, the daughter of his mother's brother, Jesse Dean Jr. and his wife, Hester Carney. The couple moved to No. Shade, Gratiot County, MI (near Carson City) where all of their children were born.

The children of John Wesley Cott and Lydia Ann Dean were :

1. Sary Catherine Cott (June 30, 1865 - August 16, 1865)

2. Elmer Mortimer Cott (Sept. 17, 1866 - Oct. 21, 1866 )

3. Mary Elmary Cott (Oct. 13, 1867- April 9, 1887)

4. Artie L. Cott (March 14, 1870 - Jan. 11, 1926)

5. John Harlan Cott (May 15, 1872 - June 16, 1946)
   married Elsie Blanche Tuttle

6. Jennie S. Cott (March 23, 1875 - ?)

John Wesley Cott died in MI on August 23, 1920. His wife, Lydia Ann, followed him on February 4, 1929. See their obituary for an excellent account of their lives in Michigan