McCaleb & Sarah "Sally" Hayes Coffey

McCaleb was a son of Jesse and Margaret "Peggy" Edmisten Coffey, born c1814 in North Carolina.  He married Sarah "Sally" Hayes about 1838 in probably Watauga Co., NC where they lived and died.

There were two Coffey men named McCaleb and were born just 11 years apart.  The older McCaleb was born in 1803 to Thomas and Sarah Fields Coffey.  As best as I can determine, he was always a resident of Caldwell Co. and served as a Commissioner in that county in 1868.  He and McCaleb, subject of this blog, were first cousins, once removed.  Their common ancestor was John and Jane Graves Coffey, a son of Edward.

McCaleb and Sally Hayes Coffey had four sons, three of which were killed during the Civil War:

Thomas Ninevah Coffey was the eldest, born in 1839.  He was one of the first to volunteer for service in the Confederate army and was with Co. E., 37th NC Infantry Regiment when he was killed at Chancellorsville.

John E. Coffey was the youngest, born in 1844, and also enlisted in the 37th.  He too was killed at Chancellorsville on the same day as his brother Thomas.

Jesse Finley was born c1842 and was the third born to McCaleb and Sally.  He enlisted in what became the 58th NC Infantry Regiment in 1862.  The unit was originally Palmer's Battalion of Partisan Rangers.  They were consolidated in Apr., 1865 with the 60th NC Infantry and became the 58th NC.  According to an article found at Footnote.com, "over 1000 men came from Cumberland Gap...and was assigned to guard Big Creek Cap."  Jesse died there on Mar. 7, 1863 but a cause of death was not given.  He is buried at DeLap Cemetery at La Follette in Campbell Co., TN.

The last son born to McCaleb and Sally was Cornelius Jones Coffey and the only one to live and raise a large family.  He was born on Apr. 22, 1840 served in Co. E, 37th NC Infantry Regiment.  He enlisted on Sep. 18, 1861 and was discharged in July, 1863.

Mar. 1918 Notice of Sale
C. J. Coffey Property

In 1866, Jones married his first cousin, Martha Jane Gragg, the daughter of James Burton and Nancy A. Coffey Gragg.  Nancy was a younger sister of McCaleb.  Martha was born in Caldwell Co. in 1843 and died in Shulls Mill, Watauga Co. in 1900.  Jones died there in 1917 and both are buried at White Springs Cemetery at Blowing Rock.

Jones - as I understand he was called - and Martha Jane had at least nine children; seven sons and two daughters.

Their first was Thomas Herndon Coffey, born 1867, died 1946 in Watauga Co.  His wife was Annie Marilda Pendley [sic], a daughter of William Patterson and Lou Ellen Moore Pendley.  Annie was born in 1873, Caldwell Co., and died at Blowing Rock in Watauga Co. in 1959.  Thomas and Annie were parents of at least two children, Ellen Pendley Coffey (1902-1975) and Thomas, Jr., (1905-1978),  They two are buried at White Springs.

Emma Irene was their second child, born Dec., 1868 and died in Apr., 1947.  She married John Alexander Gragg, a first cousin once removed, in Watauga Co. in 1887.  John was born to Johnson P. and Nancy Jane Cuthbertson Gragg in 1856 and died in 1925 in Watauga Co.  Both are buried at White Springs.  They were parents of at least two children, both daughters:  Mary E., born 1888 and Ila Mae, born 1891.

A third child was Simms Coffey, born c1871.  I received that information from Margaret Farley Coffey (decd), and together we searched for any record of this child without luck.  About the only fact that can be associated with the family is that he was not enumerated in the 1880 census with Jones and Martha.

Elbert, fourth child, was born in 1872 and died in 1900 at Kelsey in Watauga Co.  He Margaret Matilda Simms in 1892 at Watauga Co.  They had one son, John B., born in June, 1891, just a few months prior to Elbert's death.  I do not know where Elbert was buried.  Neither do I know if Margaret Simms remarried.  The family needs further study.

John Finley, born 1877 in Caldwell Co. was next born.  He married Frances C. Holloway, a daughter of Reede and Martha Andrews Holloway, in Watauga Co. in 1894.  I have one child born to them; John Stuart Coffey, born c1906.  John Finley died in Carolina Co., VA in 1953 and Frances in 1956 at Partlow, Spotsylvania Co., VA.  Both are buried at County Line Baptist Church Cemetery at Ruther Glen, Caroline Co.  John Stuart married a lady named Ruth in c1922 and had at least three children:  Edity, Conway and Ruth.

Walter Gwyn was next, born in 1878, probably in Watauga Co., and died there in 1945.  He is buried at White Springs.  He was wed to triple third cousin Julia Hayes, daughter of Wyatt and Mary Jane Coffey Hayes in Watauga Co. in 1896.  They had at least eight children:  William Harston; Lloyd Edgar; McDonald; Roberta; Wyatt; Cecil; Emma and Bulah.  More information on several of these children is available.  Julia was born in Watauga Co. in 1876 and died there in 1955.  She too is buried at White Springs.

Charles Burton was number seven.  He was born in Watauga Co. in 1882 and died in Hickory, Catawba Co. in 1960.  He married Amanda Louise Misemore in about 1916 or 17.  She was born in Tennessee in 1888 and died in Hickory in 1967.  They had at least two children; Wiley Monroe, 19188-1921 and, James Grady, 1922-1941. Charles and Amanda were buried at First Baptist Church Cemetery  in Hudson, Caldwell Co.  Their two sons are buried at Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery, also in Hudson.

We know the next child, Hattie, was born in Sep., 1833 at Watauga Co. and that she married Charles Stocks.  Nothing else is yet. known.

The last child was Rufus Monroe, born 1886 in Watauga Co., died there in 1965.  He married Emma Eliza Robbins in that county in 1906.  She was born in NC in 1886 and died there in 1952. Both are buried at White Springs.  Their children were Mabel, Howard, Helen, Edward, and Rhonda.  More information about the children and their descendants is available.

A letter to the editor appeared on page 2, column 2 of the Watauga Democrat of Thursday, March 14, 1895.  It was written by A. W. Beach [several Coffey ladies in Caldwell Co. had Beach husbands.  I do not know who A. W. was] discusses McCaleb's family.  In it he [presumed male] writes that he went to live with "uncle" Caleb and "aunt" Sally at the age of nine years in 1863.  He named their sons as Thomas N., Finley, John, and Jones.  Three sons were already deceased when he arrived and Jones was at home, disabled by a wound to a foot.  He thought that one of the sons had been brought back from the battle field and laid to rest somewhere along the Blue Ridge but, did not name the son nor a specific spot where the burial occurred.

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A double third cousin to Jesse and his brothers was Elbert Coffey, a son of William Coffey, Jr. and his wife Margaret Robbins.  Elbert was born at Buffalo Cove in Watauga Co., NC in 1837 and died "of disease" on May 15, 1863 at Big Creek Gap.  He too is buried at De Lap.

Margaret Rebecca Greene

Margaret was a daughter of David and Catherine E. Smith Greene, born Jul. 3, 1857 in Caldwell Co.  She married Smith Coffey, a son of Isaac and Sarah "Sally" Estes Coffey on Aug. 14, 1872 in Caldwell Co.*

Smith had first married Martha Smith in 1868** and had one son, Charlie, born c1874.

Rebecca and Smith were the parents of at least eight children:  Katherine who married Rev. W. Roseboro Beach; Mary who married Joseph Alexander Smith; Martha who married Horace Sudderth; Henry who married Thursa Elmira "Mira" Sudderth who later married James William Coffey, son of William Luther and Mary Ann Barlow Coffey; Margaret who married Duffy Benson; Thomas Jefferson who married Bessie Beach; George Greene who married Ella Anne Barnett; and Clara who married Jay Luther Barlow.

Annual Report

Smith apparently died before 1906 because on Sep. 19th of that year Rebecca married Burton N. Lanier at Kings Creek in Caldwell Co.***  It is unclear what happened to Burton because in 1910 Rabecca [sic] Lanier and her daughter Clara were enumerated at Kings Creek without Burton.¹  By 1920, enumerated as Myra R., she was once again using the Coffey surname.  She was a widow then and ran a retail grocery business which she operated through at least 1930.²

When Smith died, Rebecca was left with minor children Thomas, Greene and Clara.  She was required to report annually her expenses in support of the children.

Margaret Rebecca died on Dec. 11, 1938 at Kings Creek and was buried at Kings Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.

As always, corrections and additions are welcomed.

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*North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).  Groom's Name: Smith Coffey Groom's Birth Date: Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: Bride's Name: Rebecca Greene Bride's Birth Date: Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: Marriage Date: 14 Aug 1872 Marriage Place: Caldwell, North Carolina Groom's Father's Name: Lic Isaac Coffey Groom's Mother's Name: Bride's Father's Name: Bride's Mother's Name: Groom's Race: Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M74468-7 System Origin: North Carolina-EASy Source Film Number: 590345 Reference Number: bk 3 


**Ancestry.com. North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2004 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA.  Name: Smith Coffey Gender: Male Spouse: Martha Smith Spouse Gender: Female Marriage Date: 12 Jan 1868 Marriage County: Caldwell Marriage State: North Carolina Source Vendor: FHL microfilm # ????? Source: Record of this marriage may be found at the Family Notes: Smith Coffey married Martha Smith on Jan 12, 1868 in Caldwell, NC


***North Carolina County Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).  groom's name:Burton N. Lanier groom's birth date:1850 groom's birthplace: groom's age:56 bride's name:M. R. Coffey bride's birth date:1858 bride's birthplace: bride's age:48 marriage date:19 Sep 1906 marriage place:Kings River [sic] [Creek], Caldwell, North Carolina groom's father's name:Edmund Lanier groom's mother's name:Susanna Lanier bride's father's name:David Greene bride's mother's name:Mrs. David Greene groom's race:White groom's marital status: groom's previous wife's name: bride's race:White bride's marital status: bride's previous husband's name: indexing project (batch) number:M74462-1 system origin:North Carolina-EASy source film number:590348 reference number:


¹1910 NC, Caldwell Co., Kings Creek Twp., ED56, Sheet 4B, dwelling/family 50, Lanier, Rabecca [sic], head, female, white, age 52, married this time for 4 yrs., born NC, parents born NC; Coffey, Clara, dau., female, white, age 14, single, born NC, parents born NC, farm laborer


²1920 Caldwell Co., Kings Creek Twp., ED64, Sheet 9B, Pennell Road, dwelling/family 170, Coffey, Myra [sic] R., head, female, white, age 62, widow, born NC, parents born NC, retail merchant, groceries; 1930 NC, Caldwell Co., Kings Creek Twp., ED 14-6, Sheet 4B, dwelling 64, family 65, Coffey, Rebecca, head, female, white, age 73, widow, married at age 14, born NC, parents born NC, retail merchant, groceries

Robert William & Nora A. Odell Coffey

Nora Odell Coffey Death Cert.

Robert, a son of Ervin and Elsie Cannon Coffey, was born in Burke Co., NC Apr. 10, 1868 and died before 1910.  He married Nora A. Odell c1893 and fathered three daughters between Dec., 1894 and 1904.  The girls were: Louise, Gladys and Hattie (Probably Harriet).  From 1910 thru 1930 Nora* lived in Morganton as a widow and died there on Apr. 26, 1952. Her death certificate reveals that her parents were Alfred Odell and Hattie Beach.

Harriet L Beach Odell Death Cert.

Through that same period, her widowed mother Harriet Louise "Hattie" Beach Odell**, also a widow, lived with her.  Hattie died Mar. 10, 1932 in Morganton.  Her death certificates reveals that her father's name was Alfred Beach and that he mother was Mary Coffey.  Alfred and Mary lived in Morganton in 1860 and their birth dates are estimated to be 1813 and 1816 respectively.  Their children then were:  James; Elmira, Leona and Harriet.

So far, so good...but!  There is a Burke Co., NC marriage record for William J. Odell to Harriet L. A. Beach with a bond date of May 10, 1868.

Nora's daughter, Hattie Coffey Connelly of Morganton was named as the informant on her mother's death certificate.  It appears that Hattie Connelly while attempting to handle the grief caused by the loss of her mother, mistakenly named her maternal grandfather as Alfred.

What I need to now know is who was Mary Coffey who married Alfred Beach?

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*After her husband's death, Nora worked as a "laundress" and later as a "doffer" to support herself and her daughters.  Nora's mother was a seamstress and later, her daughter Gladys was a school teacher while still living at home.  Apparently, all strong women who did what it required for them to live.  A "doffer" removed empty spindles or bobbins from machines in a cotton or textile factory and replaced them with full ones.
**In 1870 Hattie Odell lived with her brother James Beach, the Morganton jailer.  Hattie's husband was not in the household at that census and, I have not found them in 1880.  In 1890, Hattie appeared in the Veteran's census in Morganton but, for whatever reason, her name is over struck!  It shows however, that she was the widow of William J. Odell who was a private in Co. A, 5th OH Cav.  He enlisted on Jun. 1, 1861 and was discharged Apr. 29, 1865, after serving for 3 years, 10 months and 28 days.  So, was he already deceased in 1870?

Margaret Elizabeth Bessie Coffey

There seems to have been two with the same name, both born around the same time in the same place and, both called Bessie!

If you have an Edward Coffey Project CD or DVD, please note the following addition and correction:

The first Margaret Elizabeth Coffey

She was born to Thomas Clingman Coffey and his wife Margaret Coffey.  Thomas was a son of Smith W. & Charity Elizabeth Redmond Coffey; Margaret, a daughter of William Coffey, Jr. and his wife Margaret Robbins.  Smith and William were first cousins, once removed as well as second cousins, once removed (common ancestors were John Coffey and Jane Graves).

This Margaret was born Aug. 14, 1897 in Caldwell Co., and died Feb. 1, 1956 in Lenoir.  She married James Franklin Coffey on Aug. 30, 1916 in Yadkin Valley.  James was a son of Elijah M. and Caroline Amanda "Carrie" Dobbins Coffey.  Thomas Clingman and Elijah were third cousins, once removed.

I know of two children:  Wallace E., born Aug. 11, 1917, died Sep 1, 1992; and Millard Lafayette, born Apr. 2, 1922, died Oct. 25, 1976.

The second Margaret Elizabeth Coffey

She was a sister to James Franklin Coffey.  There is some confusion about her given name:  Some say Margaretta while others say Margaret.  I have it as Margaretta because that's the way it appears in the Caldwell Co. birth register, Vol. 6, Page 266.

She was born Aug. 29, 1894 in Buffalo Cove, Caldwell Co. and married Millard Porter Campbell on Sep. 24, 1916* in Yadkin Valley.  Millard was born Jul. 14, 1894 in Caldwell Co., died of influenza and pneumonia on Jan. 12, 1919 in Lenoir and was buried at Buffalo Cove.  His parents were George W. and Dorcas Elizabeth Beach Campbell.

Margaretta very likely remarried sometime later but so far, I have not found a second marriage record.

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Please contact me if you know where the Buffalo Cove and/or the Lewis Cemeteries are located.

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*Groom's Name: Millard Campbell Groom's Birth Date: 1893 Groom's Birthplace: Groom's Age: 23 Bride's Name: Bessie Coffey Bride's Birth Date: 1894 Bride's Birthplace: Bride's Age: 22 Marriage Date: 24 Sep 1916 Marriage Place: Yadkin Valley Groom's Father's Name: George Campbell Groom's Mother's Name: Elizabeth Campbell Bride's Father's Name: Elijah Coffey Bride's Mother's Name: Carrie Coffey Groom's Race: White Groom's Marital Status: Groom's Previous Wife's Name: Bride's Race: White Bride's Marital Status: Bride's Previous Husband's Name: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M74476-1 System Origin: North Carolina-EASy Source Film Number: 590350 Reference Number: Cn 175. North Carolina Marriages, 1759-1979 , digital images, FamilySearch.Org (www.familysearch.org).

Martha Coffey

Martha - sixth child and second daughter of Rice and Dorotha Jane Medaris Coffey:

According to her death certificate Martha was born in 1847 in Brasstown, Clay Co., NC.  It is more likely however, that she was born while the family resided in Cherokee Co., NC where she was found with her parents in the 1850 census.

Martha and her parents were in Towns Co., GA in 1860 but by 1873 she was in Brasstown, Clay Co. where she was married to William Columbus (Lum) Beach on Aug. 25th of that year.

Lum and Martha remained in that area the remainder of their lives.  She died there from influenza on Apr. 9, 1926, and was buried in the Copperhill Church Cemetery in Brasstown. Lum died the next day, also from influenza.  He was also buried at Copperhill.

I have found only three children for Lum and Martha:

Hanible, born c1874 in Clay Co., and married Martha L. c1898 in NC.  She was born in Apr., 1881.  In 1900 there was only one child in the household:  Willie, born Feb., 1898

The other two children were Georgia, born c1877 and Mary, born Oct., 1880.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to correct or, to add additional information.