Elijah & Martha Coffey Coffey

Elijah Coffey Family

This Elijah was a son of Samuel "Sam" and Martha Wolfe Coffey, born April, 1881 in Grainger Co., TN.  Martha was the daughter of Jasper Newton and Lucy Jane Shell Coffey.  Jasper and Sam were second cousins with their common ancestor being Revolutionary War veteran Benjamin and Mary "Polly" Hayes Coffey.  Benjamin was a son of John and Jane Graves Coffey.  Martha was born in Hancock Co., TN in May of 1883.

I have not yet found a marriage record for Elijah and Martha.  The birth years of their 12 - at least - children, all born in Grainger Co., change from census to census making it difficult to document their birth order.

Their first child is thought to have been Martha, born c1899.  No further info

George Washington "Washie", born Dec. 29 1902, died Jan. 1, 1978 in Grainger Co.  Washie was twice married, first to Mandy or Manda Atkins (1903-1924) who likely died at or shortly after the birth of their only child, George Washington "Jessie" Coffey, born Jan. 1, 1924, died Mar, 1969 in Grainger Co.  His second wife was Gelina Atkins, a cousin to Manda.  I haven't found this couple in 1930 but, in 1940 they had a son, James, age 14.

Dexter Coffey Hedrick

Dexter, a daughter, is said to have been born in 1907 and married on May 5, 1928, Robert William Hedrick.  Robert appears to have died before the 1930 census because Dexter was a widow, living with her parents in Grainger Co.  They had one son, Robert William Hedrick, Jr.

Vara, fourth born, May 19, 1909, married Oscar Wallace on Oct. 3, 1926 in Hamblen Co., TN.  Oscar was born Jul. 21, 1901 in Grainger Co.  He died on Mar. 22, 1983 at Bean Station, Grainger Co.; she on Jan. 20, 1995 at Bean Station.  Their children were Minnie Ruth; Henry P. (Paul Earl?), Ruby Lee; twins Jerry and Perry, Charles Elmer and Oscar Lee.  Oscar and Vara as well as sons Jerry and Perry are buried at Bean Station Cemetery which I believe is also known as the Bean Station Baptist Church Cemetery.[1]

Samuel, born c1911.  No other information.

Walter Preston, born c1913.  No other information

Newton, Jul. 19, 1914, died Jun. 22, 1915 at Tate Springs in Grainger Co.

Thomas, born c1917.  No other information.

Ophia Coffey Coffey

Ophia "Ophie", born c1918, married Enos Garfield Coffey on Apr. 12, 1937 in Grainger Co.  She and Enos were related at least seven different ways as 3d, 4th, and 5th cousins.  Enos was the son of Charles Edward and Susan McDaniel Coffey.  Charles and Elijah were 4th cousins, once removed.  Enos and Ophie had at least two children, daughter Dussie (?) and son Charles W.

Irene, born c1920.  No other information.

Clint, born c1926.  No other information.

Henry, born Aug. 28, 1928, died Mar. 10, 2006 at Bean Station.

Washie, Newton, and Henry [perhaps other siblings as well] are said to be buried at the Atkins Cemetery in Thorn Hill.  In particular, they are said to be buried at the Atkins Cemetery in "Poor Valley" or, along "Poor Valley" Ridge.  There are several Atkins cemeteries in Grainger Co., found on Find-A-Grave including one with the name "Poor Valley" attached.  An internet search for this particular cemetery shows it in a densely wooded area.  At Find-A-Grave, this hidden cemetery is referred to as "Atkins Cemetery (Dixie Highway)" but, does not show any Coffey Graves.

Please contact me if you know exactly which Atkins Cemetery at which these Coffey families are buried.

Additions and corrections welcomed.

Jack





[1]This cemetery is located off US11W at the end of Lake Cove Lane on the south side of US11W about 5 miles west of Bean Station, on the north side of Cherokee Lake. Take the Old, or New Lee Hwy. from Bean Station, past the Dixie Highway turn all the way to a right turn onto the Bean Station Cemetery Road. Follow this road all the way to the cemetery.

Joel Hamilton Malicoat

Joel Hamilton Malicoat is said to have been born on Feb. 6, 1818 in TN to Dedman and Levina Thacker Malicoat. I cannot verify that through any record that I have found. Neither can I verify that his middle name was Hamilton. Middle names were not all that common in the era of his birth.

An extract of a Bible record sent to me in 1995 e-mail reads:

Grainger County Bible Records - Mallicoat Bible

Original owner Joel Mallicoat, present owner, Adam Mallicoat, Bean Station, Tn. Copied by Johnny Atkins, Bean Station, Tn Oct 1, 1937

Joel Mallicoat born Feb 6, 1818

Family Record: Joel Mallicoat was born in the year 1818, Feb 6th, and Margaret Wolfe, his last wife was born in the year 1832 November 3rd. and we were married in the year 1850. Martha Allen, my first wife was born in the year 1822 June 7th, and was married Dec 3, 1840. James L. Mallicoat born Dec 10, 1841

William Sheaddie born Oct 15, 1843 Nancy Jane born May 19th 1845 Wiley Mc. Henderson born Jan 23, 1848 Martha Mallicoat died Feb 12, 1848 Nathaniel N. Mallicoat died June 18, 1854 John Mallicoat died 10th May 1857 The little girl died April 29, 1859 L. Mallicoat was killed Jan 21, 1865 Margaret Mallicoat my last wife died May 21, 1883 William Mallicoat died Feb 23, 1908 Joel Mallicoat went into the Civil War in 1861 and came out in 1866; he was the father of 12 children.

I know that a Joel Malicoat married Margaret Wolfe in Grainger Co., TN on Aug. 14, 1850.  He and Margaret appeared in the Grainger Co., TN federal census record from 1860 until 1880.  According to the above Bible record, Margaret died on May 21, 1883.  children from this marriage were: Eliza; Mary L., Henry L., married Hannah Dalton; Martha E., Adam W., Lydia, married John Timothy Dalton and Harley who married Ethel Malena Coffey, daughter of Asbury and Martha Corder Coffey.


Joel married again on Sep. 2, 1883, this time to Julia A. Hipshire Coffey.  I know of no children born to this union.

An entry at Find-A-Grave (FAG) for a Joel Hamilton Malicoat, born 1837 in TN, died in Ellettsville, Monroe Co., IN in 1927, says he was the husband of Martha Allen.  Information included with his FAG memorial says that he came to MO when a year old.  The creator of the memorial page also reports that Joel Hamilton and Martha A. were parents of:

"Florabelle (b. Dec. 14, 1859), Hester Evelyn (b. Feb. 8, 1861), Horace Hamilton (b. Feb. 28, 1863), Fred (b. Aug. 2, 1865), Rilla (b. March 8, 1869), Maude (b. June 24, 1871), Anna (b. March 22, 1874), and Charlie (b. Dec. 15, 1875); enlisted as a CPL in Co. G, 38TH IND INF on Sept. 18, 1861; discharged for disability, April 1862"

Joel's obituary, also posted on his FAG memorial, reads in part:

"He is survived by the widow, two sons, H. H. of this city, and Harley of Ellettsville, three daughters, Mrs. Flora Campbell, Detroit, Mrs. Rilla Stevenson, Hammond, and Mrs. Maude Koss, this city."

Their children, as I have them and all born in TN were:  James L., born 1841; William L., born 1843; Nancy Jane, born 1845 and Wiley, born 1848.  These children appeared in the 1860 census with Joel and wife Margaret Wolfe.  Because they married in 1850, the children are apparently Joel's by a previous union.  Joel and Margaret's children were:  Eliza, Mary, born c1853; Henry L., born 1854; Martha, born c1856; Adam, born May, 1860, Lydia, born Dec., 1862 and Harley, born Dec. 15, 1875.  I have not found a son named Harley in any household with Joel and his three wives and have to conclude that he must belong to the Joel Hamilton Malicoat buried at Ellettsville.  Harley was born in that town and married Ethel Malena Coffey in Owen Co., IN on Jan. 30, 1913.

In 1870 children remaining in the household with Joel and Margaret were:  Henry, Martha, Adam, Liddie and Eliza.  In 1880 only Adam, Lida [sic] and Eliza remained at home.

I tend to believe that Joel Malicoat in TN was not named Joel Hamilton Malicoat.  None of his marriage records or census records even hint at a middle name or initial.  I do not know what to believe about his marriage to Martha Allen as given in the above Bible record.  Perhaps Joel's marriage to Martha Allen was coincidental to the marriage of Joel Hamilton Malicoat to Martha Evelyn Allen!?

Lorenzo Dow

A friend, after reading my blog about Bailey Eliphalet Chaney, wrote to me about the eccentric preacher Lorenzo Dow who labored in the continental wilds shortly after the Revolutionary War.  Lorenzo Dow  lived from 1777-1834.  At one time his autobiography was second only to the Bible in sales.   According to Wikipedia, Lorenzo was one of the most popular names in America in the 1850 census.

Looking through my Edward Coffey Project files, I found only one Coffey with given name of Lorenzo Dow.  This Lorenzo was a son of William Wiley and Mailnda Emeline Little Coffey, born Sep. 12, 1852 in Indiana.  He married Martha J. Wilson, born Oct. 28, 1854 in Gentry Co., and died May 13, 1938 in Stanberry, Gentry Co.  Lorenzo died on Mar. 20, 1920 in Cooper Twp., Gentry Co. 

Martha was the daughter of Sidney and Mary Cooper Wilson.  She and Lorenzo are both buried in the High Ridge Cemetery at Stanberry.

There is another Lorenzo Coffey in my file, but I do not have a middle name for him.  He was born in 1832 in North Carolina, a son of Larkin and Catherine H. Wilson Coffey.  He married Eliza Corder and had at least two children; Wayland and Nora.

Lorenzo Dow Carr, born c1832 in Virginia, married a lady by the name of Margaret who produced at least three sons, one named Alexander D. Carr, born Feb., 1861.  He married Alice E. Coffey on Apr. 17, 1884 in Nelson Co., VA.  Alice was the daughter of Joseph C., Jr. and Nancy Jane Coffey Coffey.

Then, there's Langston Lorenzo Estes, a son of Elijah and Zebiah Walker Wentworth Estes.  Langston was born in Nov., 1839 in North Carolina.  Langston received his name - at least the Langston part - from his grandfather, Langston Estes who married Mary "Polly" Moore.  The only reason these Estes families are in my file is because of a marriage between Lance Estes, a son of Reuben and Delphia Atkins Estes and Elizabeth Coffey c1803 in North Carolina.  Elizabeth was the daughter of James Coffey, Jr., and Mary "Mollie" Moore.

Lorenzo does not seem to be a popular name in a population of nearly 4000 Coffey men in my file, plus a few thousand other male given names in colateral lines.

The Estes and Moore families, along with the Coffeys were some of the earliest settlers in the Globe Valley of western North Carolina, in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain.