Lewis Russell and Bidant "Biddy" Moore Coffey

Lewis' will has been transcribed and can be found here.  In his will, he named his children Betsy, Rachel, Polly, James, Henderson, Shelby, Benjamin F.,Thomas, and Edward.  He mentioned his deceased son Jesse and named Jesse's daughter Sophronia as a legatee.  Son Cleveland may have been deceased without descendants as he is not mentioned.

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Lewis Russell Coffey was a grandson of John and Jane Graves Coffey through his father, the Rev. James Coffey and his wife, Elizabeth Cleveland.  James and Elizabeth, through their 11 children are responsible for many of the Wayne and Pulaski Co., KY Coffey families.

Lewis was number 11, born Nov. 18, 1772 in Amherst Co., VA, died Sep. 29, 1850 in Wayne Co., KY.[1]    He married Bidant "Biddy" Moore on Dec. 10, 1795 [2] in Wilkes Co. NC, a daughter of Jesse Moore and Alley Johnson.  Biddy was born on May 3, 1775 in Albemarle Co., VA and died in Wayne Co. on Jan. 13, 1857.[1]

Eleven children were born to Lewis and Biddy.  They were:

Elizabeth G. (Betsy), 1797-1868, who married Richard Northcraft Cullom.  Richard was a farmer and a legislator, born in Maryland in 1795.  He and Betsy were married in Wayne Co., KY where Richard's family had moved early in his life.  In 1830, he and Betsy moved to Tazewell Co., IL where they lived the remainder of their lives.  In 1836 he was elected to the 10th Illinois General Assembly where he served with Lincoln.  In 1840 he was elected to the IL Senate.  He served in a number of other elected offices and died in Tazewell Co. on Dec. 3, 1872.  Betsy died on Dec. 5, 1868.  Both are buried at the Old Washington Cemetery in Tazewell Co., IL.  They had at least five children, the third being Shelby Moore Cullom (1829-1914).  He followed his father into politics and was elected to the IL state house in 1855.  In 1865 he was elected to represent IL in the US Congress where he served three consecutive terms.  In 1876 he was elected Governor of IL and served nearly two terms.  He resigned in the middle of the second term to become a candidate for the US Senate, to which he was elected and served five consecutive terms and was considered several times as a candidate for the US presidency.[3]  He married twice, both wives daughters of Samuel and Hannah Beaver Fisher.  All are buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, IL.

Rachel, 1798-?, married Thomas Jefferson Jones c1830.  They were probably married sometime around 1830 and were in the 1860 Wayne Co., KY census.  Thomas was age 55; Rachel age 59.  I know of two children:  Margaret (1830-1862) married Martin Sallee.  In 1860 a John Jones, age 11, was in the household with Thomas and Rachel and, could be a son or a grandson.

Mary Jane "Polly", c1803-1855, married Jooshua Oatts in Wayne Co. on Jan. 4, 1821.[4]  They were in the 1850 Wayne Co., KY census with children Cleveland, age 21; Emily, age 18; John R., age 15; Safrona [sic], age 14; Lewis, age 10; T. J., age 8 [Thomas J.]; Shelby C., age 6 and Russell, age 5.  In addition to those, they also had Cosby [1823-1890] and James Douglas [1824-1893].  Joshua died in 1858 and is buried at Elk Springs Valley Cemetery in Oil Valley, Wayne Co.  Polly died of typhoid fever in 1855 and is also buried at Elk Springs Valley.

James Lewis, 1802-1855, married Sarah Alloway "Sally" Strange in 1830, Wayne Co.  Sally was born in McMinn Co., TN in 1807 to Archelaus Alloway and Elizabeth Coffey Strange.  Elizabeth Coffey Strange and James Lewis Coffey were first cousins.  James died in Wayne Co. in 1855 and Sally there in 1885.  Both are buried at Elk Springs Valley.  They had at least 10 children:  Jesse Columbus; Elizabeth E.; Anjeletta; George W.; Cleveland McKendree; Mary "Molly"; James Franklin; Sarah J. "Sallie"; Obidah Strange "Obie"; and Verlinda J. "Linnie."  More information about this family is available.

Henderon, c1802-1868, married Minerva Alexander in 1827, Wayne Co.[5] Minerva was born c1805 in KY and died in Wayne Co. in 1881.  Harrison died in 1868 and both are buried at Elk Springs Valley.  They had at least 10 children:  Telitha; Mary Alexander; Shelby; Joseph; Emily Biddy; Nancy "Nannie"; Elizabeth "Betsy;" Lewis; Mary Anna and Susan.  More information about this family is available.

Shelby "Shelly," 1811-1863, married Zerilda Emarine Meadows, daughter of Andrew and Jane Graham Meadows.  She was born in Wayne Co., 1822 and died there in 1900.  Shelly died in 1863 [6] and both are buried at Elk Springs Valley.  I have only three children for them:  Shelby, Jr., 1833-?; Andrew Lewis, 1844-1887; and Mary Jane, 1854-?.  More information about this family is available.

Edward Northcraft Cullom, c1813-?, married Rachel A. Isaacs.  Rachel was born in 1823 and died in Wayne Co. in 1872.  She is buried at Kendrick Cemetery in Monticello, Wayne Co., KY.  No further information.

Jesse Moore, 1815-1835, married Elizabeth "Eliza" Smith in 1832. [5]  They had a daughter, Sophronia, born c1833.  No further information.

Benjamin Franklin, 1816-1868, married Mary Ann Worsham in 1842. [5]  Mary Ann was born in 1826 in KY and died in Wayne Co. in 1886.  Both are said to be buried in Monticello at a Coffey Cemetery. [7]  Their children were Emma; Martha; William E.; Mary A.; Ida S.; Benjamin, Jr.; Robert Lee and Nannie J.  No further information.

Cleveland L., 1817-?, married Sophronia Oatts, born 1812m died 1877 in Wayne Co.  Children were at least two:  Lewis J. and Mary C.  Sophronia is buried at Elk Springs Valley.  No further information.

Thomas Coleman, c1819-1890, married four time, first to Mary Heaven or Havens in 1839, Wayne Co.[5]  No children are known to have been born to this union.  Second wife was Patience Jane Miller in 1848.[5][8]  He and Patience had at least three children:  Margaret, c1841, John, c1843 and Marshal, c1850.  Patience died in Wayne Co. in 1855.  That date is not proven and her burial place is not known to me.  Third wife was Sarah Havens, likely some relation to Mary, his first wife.  Nothing is known of her.  Thomas' fourth wife was Mrs. Amanda Jane Hudson Stone, born c1819.  They had at least three children:  Amanda, c1851; Alley, c1853 and Mary, c1856.  According to the KY DAR, Thomas died in Lincoln Co. and is probably buried there.[9]

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Some documentation as well as this information and Lewis' ancestors, his family and his descendants can be found on the Edward Coffey Project CD or DVD.  In fact, all of the Coffey's that I have written about in this blog over the past number of years can be found in my Edward Coffey Project, with much of it updated since the blog was written.

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[1] Grave monument
[2] Coffey, Laurence H., editor, Thomas Coffey and His Descendants (Chattanooga, TN: N. Sanders, 1931), Page 85.
[3] Governors of Illinois (Chicago, IL: Biographical Publishing Company, 1891), Pages 175-176.
[4] Dodd, Jordan. Kentucky Marriages to 1850. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Kentucky.
[5] From Wayne County, Kentucky Marriages, 1801-1860. Source gives brides name as Mannen Alexander; Manerva in 1850 and 1860 Wayne Co. census. Bond missing; married 29 March 1827 by Racoon John Smith.
[6] “Kentucky Probate Records, 1792-1977,” Image database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/).
[7] Wayne Co. KY Cemeteries compiled by B. B. Coffey, Sr., Page 31.  This cemetery is referred to in the source as Coffey Cemetery and is said to be located at or near the intersection of Spruce St. and Hiland View Dr. in Monticello.
[8]The bride's name appears to be Jane Meeker in record. Surety was Isaac N. Shepherd. Bond dated 23 August 1848; Minister return is missing.
[9] Kentucky DAR, compiler, Kentucky Bible Records (: DAR, 1966), Vol. IV.

James Granville & Lois Ann Dancy Coffey

James was the eldest child of Marvel and Nancy E. Pendley Coffey.  Marvel was a son of James and Delilah Ferguson Coffey.

James is said to have been born on Jul. 4, 1845 in North Carolina and to have died on Feb. 19, 1915 in McDowell Co., WV.  I have not yet been able to confirm either date.

He married Lois Ann Dancy, a daughter of Neal and Rilda Cox Dancy, natives of Ashe Co., NC.  Lois was born Dec. 19, 1858 in that county and died on Sep. 28,1938 in Welch, McDowell Co., WV.  Her death certificate reports cause of death as hypostatic pneumonia.  Lois is buried at the Premier Cemetery in Premier, Welch Co., WV.  In 1920 Lois was a widow in McDowell Co., more of less confirming that James died after he appeared last in the 1910 census.

James and Lois had at least nine children, the eldest three born in NC, the others in WV.

Alice E., born Jul. 23, 1881 in Asheville, Buncombe Co., married William S. Taylor on Nov. 19,1894 in Mercer Co. William was a native of GA, born there c1868.  At least 10 children were born to this union:  Laura A., c1899; Cora E., c1901; Luther, c1903; James A., born c1906; Mary B., born c1909; William, Jr., born c1912; Daisy V., born c1914; Elizabeth M., born c1917; Charley F., born c1919 and, Evaline B., born c1924.  I have not found death date and burial sites for William and Alice.

Daniel Alexander, born Jun. 4, 1882, Ashe Co., NC, died Jun. 19,1960 in Welch, McDowell Co.  Daniel married Belle Bunn c1907 in WV.  She was a daughter of John P. and Mary J. "Mollie" Havens Bunn, born Apr. 17, 1892 in Pulaski Co., VA, died Nov. 13, 1984 in Ravenna, Portage Co., OH.  Their children were:  James G. P., born c Jul 1909 in WV, married a lady by the name of Mary A. c1929 in McDowell Co.  Howard Clinton, Feb. 25, 1911-Mar 23,1992; Clarence E., Sep. 14, 1914-Dec. 13, 1983; Bessie C., c1917; Albert Preston, Jun. 22, 1919-Nov. 11, 1994 in Jefferson Co., WV.  Albert married Lyda Louvernia Stumbo, daughter of Christopher Columbus and Minnie Ramsey Stumbo.  Lyda was born Mar 31, 1921 in Yukon, McDowell Co., and died in Ranson, Jefferson Co., WV on Apr. 29, 2010.  Hazel was next, born c1922; Effie A., born c1925 and Hellen M., born c1928.

Mary E., born Feb., 1883 in NC, married J. E. Ferguson on Dec. 20, 1905 in Coalwood, McDowell Co.  Mr. Ferguson was a native of Smyth Co., VA, having been born there c1876.

James Henry, born Mar. 20, 1889 in WV, died Jul. 6, 1958 in Welch, McDowell Co.  He married Hattie Pearl Woods.  A marriage date has not been found.  Hattie was born Apr. 20, 1892 in KY and died in Laurel Co., KY on Jan. 22, 1973.  Their children were Myrtle, born c1915, Beatrice I., Mar. 4, 1918 in WV-Nov. 24, 1971 in KY; Clifford L., born Apr. 4, 1920 in WV, died Feb. 1, 1984 in KY; and Rev. William Kelcie Coffey, born Jul. 14, 1923, died Jul. 6, 1997 in Laurel Co., KY.  Rev. Coffey married Gloria Edna Rogers and were parents of at least one child, James Roger, born Oct. 27, 1948 in Yukon, died in Corbin, Whitley Co., KY on Apr. 20, 2008.

George Lee, born Jun. 24, 1891 in Welch, died in Columbus, Franklin Co., OH on Jun. 17, 1961.  His wife was Elizabeth Mae Steele, born Mar. 21, 1903 in Ashland, Boyd Co., KY.  She died on Aug. 8, 1968 in Wilmington, New Castle Co., DE.  Children were Helen Kathleen, Raymond Scott and Charles L.

Elizabeth Jane, born Apr. 29, 1895 in WV, died Apr. 23, 1939 in Big Creek Dist., McDowell Co.  She married a Mr. Branhorn.

William Luther, born Apr. 29, 1895 in WV, died Jul. 27, 1977 in WV.  Married Lillian Banfield, born Jul. 28, 1909 in Williamson, Mingo Co., WV, died in Cherry Run, Morgan Co., WV in Sep., 1973.  They had at least one child, a son named Donald, born c1932 in WV.

Charles Earnest, born Apr. 17, 1897 in Freeman, Mercer Co., WV, died in Beckley, Raleigh Co., WV on Oct. 1, 1923.  His spouse was Lockie Quesenbury, born c1902 in VA.  They married on Jul. 28, 1921 in Coalwood, McDowell Co.

The last child born to James and Lois was Jesse Franklin on Jan. 18, 1900 in WV.  He married Virgie Sizemore on Jan. 4, 1923 in McDowell Co.  She was born c1905 in Wyoming Co., WV.  Their children were Charles, born c1924; James, born c1926; and Sidney A., born c1928.  There was also a stillborn male child on May 15, 1940 in North Welch, McDowell Co.

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Additions and corrections welcomed. Sources available on request.

Joshua and Mary Coffey Oatts of Wayne Co., KY

The first time I wrote about Joshua and Mary's children, I included a child Sophronia who was said to have first married Cleveland Coffey, then Alexander Bobbitt. Mary (Polly) Coffey was a daughter of Lewis and Biddy Moore Coffey.

After checking census records more closely I find that Sophronia Oatts was born in 1812 and died in 1877. She is buried at the Elk Spring Valley Cemetery in Wayne Co., and not their daughter.

The Sophronia born to Joshua and Polly was 14-yrs old in the 1850 census, indicating a birth year of 1835-36. She is also buried at Elk Spring Valley, and according to the cemetery compilation, she was born Oct. 3, 1839 and died Mar. 14, 1855. This Sophronia appears to not have been married.

So, that leaves me with an unidentified Sophronia Oatts!

The Sophronia Oatts who married Bobbitt can be found in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records of Monticello, Wayne Co.

The 1850 Wayne Co. census enumerated Alexander R. Bobbitt, age 38, blacksmith, with wife Sophrona, age 38 [born c1812], and children Jervis T. Coffey, age 17, Mary C. Coffey, age 16, Margaret E. Bobitt, age 12, John Bobbitt, age 9, James W. Bobbitt, age 8, Sarah A. Bobbitt, age 6, Thomas O. Bobbitt, age 1 and Tyre Samson, age 20.

In 1860 she was 46-yrs. old and apparently a widow with children James Bobbitt, age 15, Sallie Bobbitt, age 13, and Therissa [sic] Bobbitt, age 7 in the household. Her age indicates a birth year of c1814.

The Slave Schedule for that year shows Sophronia as owner of one male mulatto, age 12. Next door to her are Lewis Coffey, Jonathan Frisbie, John Frisbie and M.D. Hardin, also slave owners. These are also family names that some of Joshua and Mary's children married into. Nearby is Benjamin F. Coffey with 18 slaves, mostly children. This Benjamin appears to be the younger brother of Mary (Polly) Coffey Oatts and, was born Dec. 10, 1816 and died May 11, 1868 in Wayne Co.

She was enumerated in Wayne Co. in 1870 at age 56. This confirms her approximate birth year of c1814. The only child remaining with her was Theresa, age 18. Lucy Havens, a 20-yr. old black domestic with her child also named Lucy, age 1, were included in the household.

I have no proof other than "tradition" that she married Cleveland Coffey, brother of Mary (Polly) Coffey Oatts, Benjamin Franklin Coffey, and others. Lewis and Biddy Moore Coffey had at least 11 children.

Please contact me at the e-mail address above if you know who this Sophronia Oatts belongs to.