Henry Clay and Sophronia Tate Coffey Coffey

Sophronia Tate Coffey

Henry Clay Coffey

Henry Clay Coffey, born Dec., 1841 in Caldwell Co., NC was a son of McCaleb and Elizabeth Collett Coffey.  He married his second cousin, Sophronia Tate Coffey on Jan. 28, 1864 in Caldwell Co.

"Henry Clay Coffey was in Co. F of the 26th NC CSA Infantry of Lee's army and took part in the July 1, 1863 attack at Gettysburg where he was the 86th of 87 wounded or killed of a total of 88 men. 

"Company F directly attacked the Minnesota Iron Brigade on McPherson's Ridge and ultimately broke the Iron Brigade on the left side of the Union line about the same time CSA's Jubal Early attacked the Union right side and crushed the Union flank. These two actions sent the Union forces running through the town of Gettysburg en route to Cemetery Hill where they would regroup with the rest of Meade's Union army for the next two day's Confederate disaster. Henry Clay Coffey was captured on July 1, 1863 and exchanged later that year. He married Sephronia on 1/28/1864 and then rejoined Lee's army by 3/1/1864 and was present at Petersburg siege in 1865

"According to later family stories Sephronia ruled the home roost with an iron hand probably because she was still miffed (my opinion) at his leaving so soon after they were married."

Sophronia was the daughter of Daniel Boone and Clarissa Estes Coffey.  She was born Oct. 20, 1841 in Caldwell Co., and died there on Nov. 23, 1928.  She is buried in the Coffey Cemetery in Lenoir, Caldwell Co.

I do not have a death date for Henry, or his burial location, but suspect that he is also in the Coffey Cemetery, adjacent to Sophronia.

Charles McDaniel Coffey

Meta Belle Critcher

Henry and Sophronia were the parents of two children:  Charles Daniel, born Mar. 5, 1869, died Jul. 8, 1950, and Dr. Laurence Henry Coffey, born Dec. 23, 1875, died Sep. 3, 1944.

Charles married Meta Belle Critcher on Oct. 5, 1892 in Watauga Co., NC.  She was born c1871 in North Carolina and died Feb. 25, 1958 in Wilkes Co., NC.  Their children were Charles McDonald Coffey, born Jun. 5, 1894, died Jun. 7, 1967, and Carl Sylvester Coffey, born Jun. 5, 1899, died in 1939.

Charles McD & Lura Finley Coffey

Charles McDonald married Martha Lura Finley on Feb. 28, 1917 in Wilkes Co.  Martha was born Jun. 25, 1894 in Wilkes Co., and died there on May 22, 1967.  She was the daughter of Thomas B. and Caroline Elizabeth Cowles Finley.  Their children were Lura Finley Coffey, born Apr. 17, 1918, died Apr. 15, 1988, and Charles McDonald Jr., born Nov. 16, 1927.

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The quoted text and photos are courtesy of Jim Deans, a descendant of Henry Clay Coffey.  

Charles Lewis & Emily Coffey Coffey

Charles and Emily were first cousins, once removed. Charles was the son of McCaleb and Elizabeth (Betsy) Collett Coffey while Emily was the daughter of Daniel Boone and Clarissa Estes Coffey. They were married on Jan. 5, 1853 (married 55 years in the 1910 census) and only had two children: Julia, born c1856 and Clarissa Jane E., born May 1857.

Julia married James Hezekiah. Hartley Sep. 17, 1872 in Caldwell Co. James was born in that county May 25, 1850.

Their children were:

- Ella, born 1876, died 1880 [per Miss Jane Hartley]
- Charles Lewis., born Jan., 1877, married Margaret Cowles in Caldwell Co., Oct. 25, 1898. They had at least three children:

- Ruth Mildred, born Aug., 1899

- Margaret Cowles, born Aug., 1901, died May 25, 1997, married Randolph Jones Carter, Jan. 8, 1920 in Morehead, Guilford Co., NC
- Charles Lewis Hartley, Jr., born Nov. 9, 1905

In 1877, Clarissa Jane married Haywood G. Powell, born Sep., 1857 in North Carolina, died 1935 in Caldwell Co. They were married in Caldwell Co. in 1877. According to the 1910 census, Jane was the mother of three living children:

- John Russell, born Jun. 27, 1880, married Mamie Leslie Rabb in 1900, Caldwell Co. Mamie was born in 1880 and died 1953 in Caldwell Co.

- Florence, born Apr., 1882, married Laurence Henry Coffey (later Dr.) on Apr. 12, 1898 in NC and divorced in 1905.  Laurence was the son of Henry Clay and Sophronia Tate Coffey Coffey and in c1909 he married Adah Mae Costner in NC.

- Collett C., born Apr. 1887

Jane and Haywood were residents in the home of her parents in 1910. Also present in the household was a granddaughter, Bessie Coffey, age 11. Because Charles and Emily had only two children, both daughters, it isn't yet clear who Bessie's parents were. Likely her mother was Jane by someone other than Haywood. [See explanation in update below]

Other children of James H. and Julia Ann Coffey Hartley were:

Henry Harper, born Jul. 13, 1880, died May 28, 1940 in North Wilkesboro, NC; married Ida Madeline Harris.

Franklin J., born Jan. 23, 1882, died Jul. 22, 1951 in North Wilkesboro; married Elizabeth T. Steele on Apr. 26, 1905 in Kings Creek Twp., Caldwell Co.  Elizabeth was born Feb. 23, 1884 in NC and died on Apr. 30, 1974 in Charlotte, NC.

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Update 9/17/2015

Today I received an e-mail from Miss Jane Hartley containing some extremely nice comments pertaining to the Edward Coffey blog and some corrections/additions.  The above has been edited to reflect some of the corrections as well as additional information from my files.  Her great-grandparents were James Hezekiah and Julia Ann Coffey Hartley.  Her great-great grandparents were Charles L. and Emily Coffey Coffey.

Part of the e-mail follows:

"Regarding the 1910 Census:  Census is correct in saying JANE E. COFFEY (POWELL) gave birth to three children who grew to adulthood.

"JANE and HAYWOOD POWELL'S middle child was a daughter, FLORENCE E. POWELL, who married (on 4/12/1898) her double-2nd cousin LAURENCE HENRY COFFEY(1875-1944).  (I believe it's on Pg. 37 of the latter's book "Thomas Coffey and his Descendants" where LAURENCE H. COFFEY, M.D. mentions his first wife FLORENCE POWELL and their only child together a daughter BESSIE BOONE COFFEY.

"LAURENCE filed for divorce from FLORENCE receiving a Final Decree in Nov., 1905.  Both he and FLORENCE remarried. (FLORENCE perhaps remarried more than once.)

"So, I suspect the above paragraph might explain why the 1910 CENSUS found their 11-year-old daughter BESSIE COFFEY living in the same household as her maternal grandparents the POWELLS and her maternal g-grandparents the COFFEYS:

"1910 Census Listing is INCORRECT RE: relationship of Bessie Coffey to Head of Household:

Charles L. Coffey, Head of Household

Emily Coffey, wife

Haywood Powell, son-in-law

Jane Powell, daughter

Bessie Coffey, granddaughter  [Bessie's relationship to Head of Household should have read G-Granddaughter.]"

P.S. Just FYI -  In my personal Coffey history file, I show Florence and Laurence Coffey's daughter as BESSIE ARELIA BOONE COFFEY (KING) (b. 1899 NC - d. 1978 FL) who married ARCHIE SAMUEL KING (b. Dec. 3, 1896 NC - d. Sept 15, 1971 FL).  The Kings' only child was a daughter, BEUELARESS KING (HELEM) (b. Oct. 21, 1921 FL - d.Mar 2, 2011 FL).  Beuelaress's husband was HORACE WILLIAM HELEM (b. July 7, 1918 - d. Oct. 1, 1996 FL).