Peter Jordan Coffey

There were two men with this name, each born and died in Nelson Co., VA around the same time.

One was born c1836 to William W. and Sarah Jane Coffey Coffey.  William was a son of William and Elizabeth "Betsy" Giles Coffey.  Sarah Jane Coffey was the daughter of Reuben and Nancy Giles Coffey.  Because Nancy and Betsy were sisters and William and Reuben were brothers, Sarah and William were double-first cousins.

Peter Jordan was the fourth of at least nine children born to William and Sarah.  Peter's first wife was Elvira C. Wood, the daughter of George W. and Martha Ann "Patsy" Coffey Wood.  Patsy was the daughter of William Benjamin and Mary F. "Molly" Demasters Coffey.  William was a son of Edmund F. & Elizabeth Burger Coffey.  Edmund was the son of William and Elizabeth Osborne Coffey.  Edmund's sister was Jane, thought to be the mother of Jordan, the "founder" of Coffeytown at Alto in Amherst Co.

Groom's Name: Peter J. Coffey Groom's Birth Date: 1836 Groom's Birthplace: Nelson Co. Groom's Age: 23 Bride's Name: Alvira C. Wood Bride's Birth Date: 1840 Bride's Birthplace: Nelson Co. Bride's Age: 19 Marriage Date: 29 Aug 1859 Marriage Place: Rockbridge, Virginia Groom's Father's Name: Wm. W. Groom's Mother's Name: Sarah Bride's Father's Name: Geo. W. Bride's Mother's Name: Dicey Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Single Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Single Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M86879-0 System Origin: Virginia-EASy Source Film Number: 32734 Reference Number: pg 7 ln 27 Collection: Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940

His children by Elvira were:

Andrew Jack, born c1861.  He married Signora L. "Nora" Stinnett on Feb. 17, 1881 in Amherst Co.  I do not know when Andrew died, but his widow - naming her parents as Peter and Nancy Elizabeth Coffey - married Daniel B. Henson on Aug. 15, 1885 in Amherst Co.

Mahalia Coffey, born c1865, married W. S. Stinnett on Feb. 17, 1881 in Amherst Co.  W. S. was a brother to Signora.

Eliza Ann, born c1868, married Marian G. Stinnett on Jan. 7, 1886, a brother to Signora.

The Stinnetts were children of Benjamin R. and Lucy F. Stinnett.  I haven't found a maiden name or marriage date for Benjamin and Lucy.

Norben Lee, born c1870, married Nellie B. Camden on Jun. 11, 1891 in Nelson Co., VA.  She was the daughter of William Sydney and Letitia Black Hight Camden.  Nellie was born Jan. 12, 1869 and died Apr. 26, 1956.  Norben died on May 1, 1941.  Both are buried in the Camden Family Cemetery at Woodson in Nelson Co.  Their children were:  Frank, Connie, Annie, Nellie, Sidney, Edward, Bettie and Virginia.

Some genealogies put a son named Eldridge in this birth position.  However, I cannot independently confirm that.

Their last child was Mildred Frances, born Jan. 9, 1872, died unknown. She married twice; first to the oft married Marion Lewis "Tip" Humphries on Oc. 14, 1887 in Amherst Co.  He did not die until 1909, but there is a marriage record for her having married Jefferson Kenneth Massie on July 26, 1896 in Nelson Co.  Her children with Massie were Horace, born 1897 and Jeanette, born 1898.

Peter's second marriage was to Nancy Elizabeth Fitzgerald in Lyndhurst, Augusta Co. on Jan. 1, 1874.  Nancy was born in 1856 and died Apr 29, 1939.

Groom's Name: Peter J. Coffey Groom's Birth Date: 1838 Groom's Birthplace: Nelson Co., Va. Groom's Age: 36 Bride's Name: Nancy E. Fitzgerald Bride's Birth Date: 1856 Bride's Birthplace: Augusta Co., Va. Bride's Age: 18 Marriage Date: 01 Jan 1874 Marriage Place: Greenville, Augusta, Virginia Groom's Father's Name: Wm. W. Coffey Groom's Mother's Name: Sarah F. Coffey Bride's Father's Name: Sam'L. Fitzgerald Bride's Mother's Name: Lovella Hite Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Widowed Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Single Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M86847-3 System Origin: Virginia-EASy Source Film Number: 30416 Reference Number: No 3278 Collection: Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940

I do not have a confirmed death date or place for Peter or Nancy.  One genealogy that I have seen reports that Nancy died on Apr. 29, 1939.

There were at least 11 children born to this union, all in Amherst Co:

Laura, born c1877

Rose Forest, born Mar., 1878.  In the 1880 census the child was recorded as a 2-year old male.  The relationship to the head was "daughter" but, that was struck out.

Henry Loving, born Apr 16, 1882, died Nov. 27, 1951. Married Sarah "Sallie" Campbell.  Had at least one child, Lucille, born Mar. 30, 1923, died Mar. 4, 1924.  Lucille is buried at Bridge Hill cemetery in Alto [Coffeytown]m Amherst Co.

Elvira Catherine, born c1884, married Mel. [sic] Ponton on Apr. 22, 1903 in Nelson Co.

Lelia F., born May, 1887

Maggie B., born Jan., 1889

Nina Belle, born Mar., 1891

Chester Berry, born Apr., 1897.  Said to have married Ruby Monique Fitzgerald and had children:

Monnie May, born Jan. 11, 1922, died Oc. 26, 2003.  Married Woodrow D. Campbell, son of Aylett and Arminda Coffey Campbell.  He was born Apr. 24, 1916, died Jun. 25, 1976.  Arminda was a daughter of Floyd Lee Coffey through his marriage to Mrs. Mary Jane Weaver.

Swanson James, born May 27, 1923 at Montebello in Nelson Co., died Sep. 2, 2009 at Stuarts Draft in Augusta Co.  He married Magdelina Lucy "Madge" Campbell, born Jan. 13, 1924 at Montebello, died Feb. 3, 2008 at Stuarts Draft.  One known son, Fred James "Freddie", born Nov. 26, 1946 at Waynesboro, VA, died at Stuarts Draft on Aug. 9, 2008.  His parents are buried at the Mennonite Church Cemetery in Stuarts Draft; he at Augusta Memorial Park in Lyndhurst.

Van and Bernard.  No further information.

The last three children of Peter and Nancy are said to have been Minnie, Ella and Ollie.  However, I have not yet found them in any record.

Peter Jordan died before 1900. Nancy Elizabeth appeared as a widow in the Temperance, Amherst Co. census that year.  The children in the household at that time were Rosa F., born Mar., 1878; H. L., born Apr., 1882; L. F., [Lelia], born May., 1887; M. B., [Magie], born Jan., 1889; Nina, born Mar., 1891; M. A., a daughter, born Feb., 1894 and C. B., [Chester Berry] a son, born Apr., 1897. 

There is a gap of about six years between the birth of Nina and Chester where Minnie, Ella and Ollie could have been born and perhaps die in infancy.  I do not yet know!

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The other Peter J. Coffey was born in April, 1840 at Massies Mill, Nelson Co. to Benjamin J. and Candis W. Coffey Coffey.  Benjamin's parents haven't been identified yet, but may be William and Betsy Giles Coffey.  Candis was one of three daughters born to Nancy Coffey, another sibling of Jane, Jordan's mother, without benefit of marriage.

This Peter was a member of Co. B, 52d Infantry Regiment, Virginia.  He enlisted on Jul. 10, 1861 at Fairfield in Rockbridge Co.  On Sep. 28, 1861 he the 2d Rockbridge Light Artillery Regiment.  He apparently never married and lived with his parents at Massies Mill, Nelson Co. through the 1870 and 1880 census and then as a single man living alone in the 1900 Lovingston, Nelson Co. census.  He is said to have died in Sep., 1925.