CORNWALL, Ontario – Canadian music journalist Alan Cross has uncovered a Cornwall connection to the King of the Grunge scene Kurt Cobain.
According to Cross’ research, Cobain’s great-great-great grandfather Samuel Cobain, then spelled Cobane, moved to Cornwall, Ontario with his family from County Tyrone in Ireland sometime in the 1870s.
Cornwall was the first place in North America where a Cobain landed, as far as this research shows. Does this mean that without Cornwall, there would be no Grunge? No Nirvana? No Dave Grohl and no Foo Fighters? Well, no, it doesn’t mean that, but it is a nice surprise.
Samuel arrived in Cornwall with his wife and eventually had seven children, two boys and five girls. Research from sites like Ancestry.ca also have him listed as a shoemaker.
The family eventually pulled up stakes and moved to Washington Territory (Washington became the 42nd state in 1889).
This is where history gets a little murky, some reports have Samuel’s last child being born in Cornwall in 1901, others have Samuel dying in Ellensburg, Washington the year before and other sources say he died in Kansas.
In a conversation with Seaway News Alan Cross explained that the Cobain connection to Canada might be something that remained after Samuel Cobain left.
“When I spoke to Courtney (Love), she told me that she knew of some members of the Cobain family still living in Cornwall,” he said. “She said there was still property in Ontario owned by the Cobains,” he went on to say.
Whether Kurt himself knew or was greatly interested in his Canadian connections is unclear, but it is likely that he was aware of it.
“If Courtney knew, then I imagine that Kurt had an idea,” Cross said. “He had a complicated family life . . . I don’t know how interested he was in his family history.”
Is it possible that there are still members of the Cobain family living in the Cornwall area? Hard to say, but Cross explained that Kurt’s family story shows that Canada has been welcoming to immigrants and even though some didn’t remain here, they were able to find their feet.
