Taylor and Coffey of Massies Mill, Nelson Co., VA

John H. [probably Henry] Taylor, was born c1834 in Nelson Co. and died there on May 12, 1896. He was married c1853 to Sarah E. Wood, a daughter of Arthur and Sarah A. Wood. Sarah Wood Taylor was born c1836, death date unknown. Both are buried in the Pleasant [Pleas] Taylor cemetery in Nelson Co.

They were the parents of at least 10 children:

1 - William Henry "Billy" Taylor was born Apr. 10, 1954 at Massies Mill and died in Nelson Co. on Apr. 8, 1928. Billie married Martha Jane Coffey on Jan. 20, 1873 in Nelson Co. Martha Jane was born in Jan., 1856 at Massies Mill and died in Nelson Co. on Feb. 5, 1935. They too are buried in the Pleas Taylor cemetery. Martha Jane was the daughter and ninth child of Edmund and Martha Snead Coffey.

The children of Billy and Martha Jane were:

Emma Jane, born Jan. 1, 1874 at Montebello in Nelson Co., died Apr. 7, 1960 in Waynesboro, VA and was buried at White Rock cemetery near Montebello. Emma Jane married Robert Alexander Coffey, born May 25, 1883 at Montebello, died Mar. 13, 1959 at Waynesboro. He too is buried at White Rock. I do not believe they had any children. Because of their ages at marriage, (Robert was 45 and Emma was 54) they may have been previously married to others.

Lafayette G. was born Mar., 1875 and married Rose Painter. Rose is buried at Pleas Taylor. No other information.

The next three children were Ida or Ada Bell, born Mar., 1879; Estella, born Sep., 1881, died 1934, buried Pleas Taylor; and Dandridge, born Feb., 1884.

Rosa Y. "Rosie" was child number six, born Oct. 11, 1885, died Aug., 1982 in Augusta Co. Rosie married Earnest Drummond Coffey on Jul. 26, 1904 in Nelson Co. He was a son of J. H. Vanvert and Mary Ann "Polly" Coffey Coffey, born Sep. 16, 1882 at Massies Mill, died 1968 in Augusta Co. Both are buried at the Springdale Mennonite Church cemetery in Waynesboro. Their childen were Herbert Less, Gilbert; William Van; Nellie; Perry Dodge; Davis Lee; Wilson Monroe; Earl Drummond; Mary A. and an unlikely Polly. She may be the same child as Mary A.

The seventh and last child was Henry M., born Mar., 1891. No further information.

2 - Mary Jane married Robert Lee Coffey, born c1870 to William and Mary C. Ramsey Coffey.  The marriage took place on Jan. 9, 1902 in Nelson Co.  Mary Jane was born c1859 in Nelson Co., and was buried in the Rob Coffey family cemetery in Nelson Co.  Robert apparently died before 1920 (He was 43 when they married) because Mary Jane lived with her brother Pleas when the 1920 and 1930 census was enumerated.  Mary was 43 when they married and I know of no children.

3 - James Lucien, born c1860 in Nelson Co., married Rose Ella Coffey on Jan. 2, 1896 in Nelson Co.  Rose Ella was the daughter of Floyd Lee and Mary Jane Weaver [previously married to a Mr. Weaver].  I know of no children.

4 - John Emmet, born c1863.  No further information.

5 - McPleasant "Pleas", born Mar., 1865, buried in the family cemetery.  He married Elizabeth G. "Lizzie" Sorrels, a daughter of George D. and Bethanie Fitzgerald Sorrels,  Lizzie was born in Apr., 1872, Nelson Co., and is buried near Pleas.   I know of two children:  Bernice W., born c1915 and Matthew G., born c Mar., 1917.

6, 7 & 8 - Martha A., born c1869, Etta F., born c1872, and Emma L., born Jun., 1873.  No further information.

9 - Nancy B. "Nannie", born Jun., 1873, married  James E. Coffey, born May 1871, a son of Robert Wesley and Elizabeth A. Coffey Coffey.  In 1900 they had been married for 10 years and had no children.

10 - Howard M., born c1878.  No further information.

The title of this blog could also include Giles and Fitzgerald.  All of these families intermarried and many of their children followed suit.

If I have calculated correctly:

Martha Jane and Robert Lee were first cousins, once removed and double second cousins, once removed.

Rose Ella and Robert Lee were second cousins and 2x third cousins.

Rose Ella was Martha Jane's niece; James E. was Martha Jane's nephew.

James E. and Rose Ella were first cousins.

James E. and Robert Lee were first cousins, second cousins and 4x third cousins

They* all go back to Edward and Ann Powell Coffey through brothers William Coffey who married Elizabeth Giles and Reuben who married her sister, Nancy.  Reuben and William were sons of Edmond Steward and Nancy Barnett Coffey.  Edmond was a son of John Coffey and Jane Graves.  John was the eldest and best researched son of Edward and Ann.


Corrections and/or additions welcomed.

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*Including Earnest Drummond Coffey whose father was J. H. Vanvert Coffey and mother was Mary Ann Coffey.  Vanvert was a son of Wayett [sic] Wesley Coffey and Nancy Coffey.  Wyaett was a son of William Coffey and Betsy Giles.  Nancy's parents are not known to me.  Vanvert's wife Mary Ann was a daughter of George Washington Coffey and Mary Catherine Demastus [sic].  George was a son of Edmund and Martha Snead Coffey while Mary Catherine was a daughter of John Demastus and Mary Ann Coffey.  Edmund, of course, was a son of William and Betsy Giles Coffey.  Mary Ann was a daughter of Edmund F. and Elizabeth Burger Coffey who goes back to Edward and Ann through William and Elizabeth Osborne Coffey.  Readers may remember that Jane Coffey, a daughter of William and Elizabeth is believed to be the mother of Jordan Coffey who has been shown by DNA testing to be a Taliaferro and not a Coffey.