Paul Cobb, Thomas Underwood and William Isaack

Paul Cobb was admitted an Attorney of the Bedford Court of Please on the 28th July 1658 where it appears that he practised there until his death in 1699. He was also Clerk of the Peace of the County and is possibly the same "Paul Cobb" who is mentioned in Bunyan's relation of his imprisonment. On the 28th September 1678 Cobb was admitted as a Burgess of the Borough by Act of Common Council and he was later elected Mayor, coming into office on the 29th September 1683.

On the 11th July, 1684, during the mayoralty of Paul Cobb, a new charter was granted whereby a new constitution was imposed on the Corporation, and Paul Cobb was named Mayor. This charter reserved a power of amotion to the Crown, which was used 8th March 1688, to remove Thomas Underwood from the office  of Mayor and substitute William Isaack. The old constitution was restored and the new charter pro tanto revoked by Proclamation, 17th October, 1688, and Paul Cobb, as the most recently elected, was restored to the Mayoralty, but was not re-elected [CRT180/18].