Not much can be found on Amos D. Coffey, a son of Elijah and Mary Abby Dyer Coffey, born Jun. 12, 1811 in Indiana. Owen Co., IN marriage records tell us that he and Martha K. Niell married on Feb. 11, 1834 in Owen Co.
A short item in a book about Clay and Owen Co., IN tells us that Amos opened the first hotel in what became White Hall in Clay Twp., and was also one of the first Justices of the Peace.¹
We also know that he and his family were in Owen Co. in 1840 and that Martha was there in 1850 with her children: James, Elizabeth, William, and Andrew. A daughter, Martha, was not in the household and neither was Amos.
A blurb² appeared in the New Albany Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN on Mon., May 21, 1855 in which it was reported "Dr. Amos D. Coffey, of Louisville [KY], has been arrested and taken to Bloomington on a charge of counterfeiting." In 1856, Martha was granted a divorce from Amos and given custody of "minor children: James, Elizabeth, Martha, Harrison, Andrew" and, she was allowed to recover costs.³
James Martin Coffey went on to marry Margaret A. Huston in Monroe Co., IN in 1855 and died there in 1861. He left children: William. Sarah, Samuel and Ellsworth.4
Elizabeth married William A. Raper in 1867 and died in 1890.5
Martha Ann married William Osborn Harrah in 1854, Green Co., IN and died Jun. 3, 1885 in Osborne Co., KS6
William Harrison was killed in Arkansas while fighting with the Union's Co., D, 5th Indiana Infantry. He is buried in Little Rock at the National Cemetery.7
Andrew Noble married Angeline Mercy Rogers in Tecumseh, Johnson Co., NE in 1876 and was enumerated in the 1890 Veteran's census as a veteran of the 59th Indiana Infantry. He died in 1917 and was buried in Tecumseh. Angeline, born in 1857 Dane Co., WI, did not die until 1955. She too is buried at Tecumseh.8, 9
So, what happened to Amos? What kind of Doctor was he? Did he go to prison? When and where did he die and where is he buried?
Sources:
1 Charles Blanchard, Editor, Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Illustrated. (Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884), Page 781.
2 "The New Albany Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN", http://bit.ly/1ExgMHS, Mon., May 21, 1855, Vol. VI, Issue 1748, Page 2.3 Divorces for Owen Co., IN 1819-1871, Owen County Genealogical and Historical Society online [http://www.owen.in.us/owenhist/divorces.htm], accessed Jan. 6, 2005.
4 Dr. Marvin D. Coffey, Author/Researcher, James Bluford Coffey: His ancestors and descendants in America, second printing (Medford, OR: n.p., 1994), Supplemental to James B. Coffey, p17.
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
8 Find A Grave, Andrew Noble Coffey, Find A Grave Memorial # 58247537.
9 Find A Grave, Mary Angeline Rogers Coffey, Find A Grave Memorial # 58247588.
