The Coffey, Dalton, Harville, Rucker, and Shockley families have close family ties in Grainger Co., TN. A researcher cannot concentrate on one of those families without also considering each of the others.
It's impossible!
Don't believe that?
Consider the following:
Winright Shockley, a son of Booker and Hannah Ann Dalton Shockley, married Martha Emaline Coffey, daughter of George and Margaret L. Rucker Coffey. Winright and "Emily" were married on Feb. 20, 1851 in Grainger Co. and had at least eight¹ children:
Martha Jane Shockley married Thomas Coffey. Their daughter Viola married Pleasant Dalton in 1912
George Winright Shockley married Harried Harville and they had a son, James Henry who married Cora Dalton in 1895. Their son James Nathan married Mayme Harville, daughter of Hugh Harville and Lillie M. Coffey.
Wyatt W. Shockley married Virginia Rucker, daughter of Perry Rucker and Minerva Latham. They had at least six children and of those found to date, none are known to have married any of the above surnames. Wyatt and family remained in Grainger Co. thru 1900 but by 1910 they were living in Bailey, Fannin Co., TX. Wyatt died thee in 1910; Virginia in 1939.
Mahala Shockley married Collins Calvin Coffey, son of Caswell and Martha Campbell Coffey in 1883. Their daughter married Buford Enderson Shockley in 1912. Buford's parents are unknown to me.
William Berry Shockley married Eliza Jane Coffey in 1885. She was the daughter of Thomas Nelson and Cornelia Coffey Coffey.
Jincey Shockley married Berry Wisdom Coffey in 1887. Their son Nathaniel married Pearly Dalton, daughter of Ira and Sarah Manerva Dalton Dalton. Nathaniel's daughter Dorsie Ellen Coffey married Esco Dalton, son of Hugh and Minnie Dalton Dalton. Stella May, another daughter of Nathaniel married Thea Coffey, son of Everett Elbert and Leva Lois Dalton Coffey.
Winright's last child, Elizabeth "Bettie" Shockley married Pleasant Dalton in 1888. "Pleas" was a son of Hiram and Catherine Howerton Dalton. Hiram was a son of Timothy and Delphia Coffey Dalton. Timothy was a son of Reuben and Nancy Elizabeth Shockley Dalton and Delphia was a daughter of George and Margaret L. Rucker Coffey.This is just one such family. It is a small sampling of how these families joined with and shared their families over the years.
I'm certain had I chosen to go back a few more generations, or had come forward one or two more, I would have found many examples within this select group where ancestors and/or descendants intermarried with the same family of surnames.
There are perhaps a few hundred examples in my Edward Coffey Project of how these families intermarried and how, until today, they still cherish each other.
Want to know more? Contact me!
¹They also had a daughter named Rutha, born c1865. I have not yet found info about her.
