Henry, in the 1900 census for the Sinking Pct., Wayne Co., KY tells us that he was born in Apr., 1832 in North Carolina. The census also tell us that he and Sallie had been married for 43 years and that Sallie was the mother of eight children, seven still living. Unconfirmed sources tell me that their marriage date was Dec. 3, 1856 in Wayne Co.
In 1860, the first census after their marriage, the family received mail at the Monticello Post Office in Wayne Co. Two children had been born: Lewis, c1858 and Jesse, c1860. In 1870 they were enumerated in the Texas District of Pulaski Co. Lewis was then 12 and Jesse was 10. In the interim, four additional children had been born: Manassas, age 8 (born Dec. 1, 1861 in Pulaski Co.); Silas, age 5 (born Sep. 4, 1864); Elijah, age 3 (born c1867) and James, age 6 mos. It was sometime after the birth of Manassas that the family moved back to Wayne Co. where they lived out the remainder of their lives.
When the census was taken in 1880, the family consisted of mother and father a children Silas, age 16; Elijah, age 12; James C., age 10; Thomas F., age 8; and Williams S., age 3. Also in the household was Jane Clark, a 22-year old servant girl and her son, William, age 1 mo., all born in KY.
By 1880, the three oldest sons, Lewis, Jesse and Manassas had taken brides. Lewis and Jesse lived close to their parents with their wives and young children. Lewis married a young woman by the name of Rebecca and they had one child in 1880, a daughter named Eliza. Jesse married c1880 to a young woman named Emma who shortly had a son, Tilford. About the same year, Manassas married Hettie Godsey and they also lived nearby. Their first child, Sarah came on Jan. 22, 1882; the second that I know of was William, date of birth unknown, died in Ritner, Wayne Co. in 1948.
Hettie Godsey was a daughter of Zebulon and Mahala Jane Thompson and was born Aug. 13, 1862. Her sister Ruth was born in Nov., 1864 and married Marion Sellers c1885 in KY. One of Ruth’s children, Ollie Sellers, born Jan. 31, 1898 in Whitley, Pulaski Co., married John William Coffey, a son of James Shelby and Melissa Malvina Holloway Coffey. James Shelby Coffey was Lewis Coffey’s nephew and also a double-fourth cousin.
By 1900, Henry and Ruth were up in age and the only child remaining at home was Thomas, age 28.
Henry’s headstone in the Martha Coffey cemetery near Ritner tells us that he died on Jun. 1, 1909. However, he appeared in the Ritner, Wayne Co. census taken on May 10, 1910. He was 78 then and reported that he had been twice married. Sally was 76 and 53 years into her first marriage. Henry was 24 when he and Sarah were married. Since young men tended to marry by age 20 it seems likely that he had been previously married but, outside this census I have found nothing to substantiate that.
Sarah died on Sep. 8, 1923 in McCreary Co., KY and was buried the next day in the Martha Coffey cemetery. I have not found her in the 1920 census.
Silas, born Sep. 4, 1864, died Oct. 7, 1937 in Kidder, Wayne Co. and was buried at Martha Coffey Cemetery.
Elijah, born c1868, died in Wayne Co. in 1937.
Thomas was born Feb. 23, 1872 and died Jul. 20, 1956 in Wayne Co. He is also buried at Martha Coffey Cemetery.
William was born Apr. 17, 1877 and died Jul. 17, 1962 in Wayne Co. Like the others, he is also at Martha Coffey Cemetery.
I have found nothing about James C. since his appearance in the 1880 census.
This cemetery is difficult to locate. It is near Ritner and off the Jones Hollow Road at a fork with a gravel road. I am told there is a cemetery sign at the fork.
My thanks to Theresa/Thunderbird584 at Find-A-Grave (FAG) for locating this cemetery and providing researchers with headstone photos.
I do not believe the "search also for" function at the very bottom of each blog is working properly. I suggest using the upper right search window and enclose your search terms in quotes; e.g., "Sumpter"
