Meredith Coffey

There are a lot of them!

This Meredith is thought to have been born Jan. 6, 1822 in Grainger Co., TN to John W. and Rebecca Ragsdale Coffey. John was a son of Meredith and Esther LNU Coffey.

We know that John and Rebecca married in Grainger Co., TN on Feb. 24, 1821 [Marriages of Grainger County, Tennessee 1796-1837, Whitley, Edith Rucker, 1982] so Meredith's birth date is not unreasonable. What is unreasonable is that the remainder of the children are believed to have been born (per census) between 1834 and 1844 while John is thought to have married a Jane Hopper c1840.

These are the children of John and Rebecca as I have them:

Meredith, born Jan. 6, 1822, died Feb. 10, 1892 [unsourced]. In the 1860 McDonald Co., MO census he was 33 yrs old indicating that he was born closer to 1827. This would be a more reasonable date compared to birth years of other children. He married Elizabeth (Betsy) Hopper c1841 in McDonald Co. They appeared there in the 1860 census, 1861 McDonald Co. tax rolls, and the 1870 and 1880 census. Meredith is thought to have died there on Feb. 10, 1892.

Their children were: 1) Eliza, born c1842, died May 9, 1880, married a Mr. Pitts [no other info] and William Henry Bullard on Oct. 4, 1875 in McDonald Co. 2) Wm. Harrison, born Feb. 24, 1843 in TN, died Jun 6, 1921 in McDonald Co. Married Hillead Oakley Jan. 22, 1868 in McDonald Co. At least 13 children were born to this union. 3) Joseph, born Mar. 15, 1845 in TN, died May 5, 1913 in McDonald Co., married Elva Tennessee Clark on Sep. 26, 1869 in McDonald Co. Three known children born to this union. 4) Madison, born 1851 in TN, died between 1860 and 1870; David, born c1852 in TN, died 1918 in McDonald Co., married Mirah Paralee Clark there on Jul. 25, 1869. At least seven children were born to them. 6) Mary Rebecca, born Oct. 1852 in TN, died May 29, 1914 in McDonald Co., married James Smith Davenport on Aug. 26, 1869 in MO. Seven children born to this union. 7) James Milo, born Jul. 1857 in TN, died May 1913 in McDonald Co., married Harriet J. Russell.

The second child of John and Rebecca was Catharine, born May 4, 1834 in Wayne Co., KY, died Dec. 18, 1932 in Wayne Co. She married George Arthur. I have two children for them: Evangeline, born 1861, died 1941, and Angie, born Nov. 1873, died Jun. 1942.

Third was Caleb, born c1835 in Russell Co., KY, died Nov. 29, 1923 in Wayne Co. Married Zerilda Twiford on Jul. 28, 1853 in Wayne Co.

Number four was Franklin, born c1838 in Wayne Co., married Malinda Pratt May 29, 1855 in Wayne Co. I have eight children for them: Caleb, Ellen, Henry, Eliza, Luetta, John, Relda and Braxton.

Jane, Polly and Rebecca were number five through seven and, I have no other information about them.

I do not have a lot of confidence in this family information and, would appreciate any help available.