Sidney Louis "Sid" Coffey

Sidney was a son of Louis Raleigh Coffey and Lillie O. Morrow.  He was born 9 Apr 1905 in Rutherford Co., NC and later married Aquilla Quinn Hunt.  He died on 12 Jun 1987 in Rutherford Co. and was buried at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery in Forest City, Rutherford Co. on 14 Jun 1987.

Sid's claim to fame was a conviction in a federal court at Asheville, NC in May 1924 for violation of the Mann white slave act.

The following appeared in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina "Journal" on Tue., May 20, 1924, Page 1:

One Jailed for White Slavery

Judgment Suspended in Case of Two Others and Another is Freed of Charge

(By The Associated Press}

Asheville, May 19.--Sid Coffey was sentenced to serve four months in jail; judgment was suspended in the case of Pink Bright and Lewis Webb and Ed Ingle were found not guilty of violating the Mann white slave act in federal court today.

The four youths, residents of Forest City, N.C. were charged with having taken Mrs. Gertrude Jenkins, 19, from her home in Spartanburg, S.C. into North Carolina for immoral purposes.  She was with the men several days, part of the time being spent in a school house near Forest City.  The defense was based on the https://goo.gl/srE3fr : accessed Nov. 16, 2017 contention that the young woman went on the trip willingly.

Source: Genealogy Bank at https://goo.gl/srE3fr

Coffey-Gilbreath

Elmer C. Gilbreath compiled the Coffee-Gilbreath-Turnbow Families in 1958.  It was placed on microfilm and retained in the LDS library at Salt Lake City and later reprinted by Gene Brewington (dec'd).  The following is from Gene's reprint and the website Gilbreath-Morrow Cemetery.

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 I began transcribing information for the Gilbreath-Coffey family with Andrew Gilbreath and his wife Nancy Hicklin.  Andrew is said to have been born c1735 in Pennsylvania, married Nancy c1767 in South Carolina and died c1783 in Tennessee. Of interest to Coffey researchers are two of their children, John (Jun. 6, 1768 - Nov. 24, 1850) and Elizabeth (c1777-June 18, 1846).

John Gilbreath was born in Virginia and died in Maury Co., TN.  He married Mary "Polly" Coffey c1788 in Kentucky.  Polly was the daughter of Chesley Coffey, Jr. and his wife, Margaret Baldwin.  She was born in Sept., 1758 in Wilkes Co., NC and died Aug. 24, 1843 in Maury Co.  Both she and John are buried in the Gilbreath-Morrow cemetery and their graves are marked with headstones.

Their children were Andrew, born c1791 in SC; James, born Apr. 2, 1792 in SC, died Sep. 26, 1845 in Maury Co.; Jane, born Oct. 2, 1795 in SC, died Apr. 22, 1842 in Maury Co., and John, born Sep. 26, 1799 in Green Co., KY.  His death date is unknown. 

Of these, James married Elizabeth Baker in KY n 1816.  She was born there on Mar. 24, 1798 and died in Maury Co. on Apr. 6, 1879.  Both are buried in the Gilbreath-Morrow cemetery and their graves are marked with headstones.  Their children were Minerva, born Nov. 30, 1819, died Sep. 28, 1875; John B., born Dec. 2, 1823, died Oct. 3, 1855; Isaih R., born Dec. 1, 1828, died Nov. 21, 1864, and Absalum M., born Mar. 9, 1830, died Nov. 22, 1858. 

Isaih married Mary L. Coffey on Aug. 19, 1862 in Maury Co.  She was the daughter of Calvin and Elizabeth Fine Coffey.  Calvin was a son of Nathan and Elizabeth Gilbreath Coffey.  Their children were Martha, born Jun 21, 1863, died Feb. 22, 1864 and, William James, born Aug. 29, 1864.  Isaih and Martha are buried at Gilbreath-Morrow.  After Isaih's death, Mary remarried to J. J. Fleming and died May 8, 1896 in Maury Co.  Mr. Fleming died Mar. 4, 1926 in Maury Co.  Both are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Maury Co.

Absalum married Emily E., born Nov. 25, 1831, died Sep. 1, 1855 in Maury Co.  They had at least one child, Elizabeth Jane, born Aug. 20, 1855, died Nov. 30, 1855.  All are buried at Gilbreath-Morrow and their graves are marked with headstones.

John and Polly's third child Jane, married John Leonard Morrow on Oct. 13, 1821 in Maury Co.  John's grave site is unmarked; Jane's headstone is intact.  John was born Apr. 30, 1797 in the Pendleton District of SC and died Jan. 21, 1863 in Maury Co.

Their children were:

Mary Ann, born Jun. 3, 1828, perhaps in Giles Co., died Aug. 20, 1902 in Collin Co., TX.  She married Coleman William Wilcoxson on Mar. 26, 1851 in Maury Co.  He was born there on Sep. 26, 1828 and died in Collin Co. on Oct. 12, 1902.  They had at least two children:  Martha Asia, born Jan. 27, 1858 in TN, died Apr. 3, 1947 in Collin Co.; and Mary Alice, born Jul. 15, 1865 in Farmersville, Collin Co., died in Victoria Co., TX on Apr. 3, 1954.  These sisters respectively married brothers Isaac Fountain Coffey and William Daniel Coffey, sons of William Fine Coffey and Priscilla Howard.  Both had large families and, more information is available.

Susan P. was their second child.  She was born Mar. 10, 1834 in Maury Co., and died Apr. 7. 1852.  She is buried at Gilbreath-Morrow and her gravesite is marked by a headstone.

Andrew Alexander was next, born Feb. 6, 1836, died Jun. 18, 1898 in Maury Co.  Andrew married Martha S. Coffey, another daughter of Calvin and Elizabeth Fine Coffey, on Mar. 4, 1880 in Maury Co.  Martha was born Sep. 13, 1842 and died Jan. 14, 1899 in Maury Co.  Both grave sites are marked by headstones.  Before Andrew, Martha was married to Martin V. West of Giles Co. He was born Apr. 15, 1841 and died Jun. 14, 1872 in Maury Co. and was buried at Gilbreath-Morrow.

John William is the last known (to me) child of John and Jane.  He was born Nov. 4, 1853 in Farmersville, Collin Co., and died in Pauls Valley, Garvin Co., OK on Jun. 26, 1925.  He married Rebeca Jane Bottoms, born May 9, 1858 in IL, died Jun. 4, 1936 at Pauls Valley.  Both are buried at the Paoli Cemetery in Garvin Co.

John Gilbreath, born Sep. 26, 1799 in Green Co., KY is the last known (to me) child of John and Mary Coffey Gilbreath.

As written earlier, Andrew and Nancy Hicklin Gilbreath had two children who married into the Chesley Coffey, Jr. family.  His daughter, Elizabeth, born c1777 (very questionable, considering Nathan's birth date!) in VA married Nathan Coffey, a son of Chesley, Jr.  Nathan was born Aug. 13, 1790 in NC and died Jun 3, 1858 in Maury Co.  He is buried at Reece Chapel Cemetery at McCains in Maury Co.  Elizabeth died on Jun. 18, 1846 and is also buried at Reece Chapel.  I wrote an earlier blog about Nathan and Elizabeth and it can be read here.  Not much was included about their 14 children however, and I'll do that in a future blog.

After Elizabeth died, Nathan married  Eupheme Stockard, and I know almost nothing about this union.

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Wayne Austin has created an excellent website containing links to roughly 400 Tennessee cemeteries, some with photographs of the graves and headstones.  To view photos of the Coffey-Gilbreath graves, use this link.  Use this link to view a menu of available cemeteries.

Benjamin Franklin & Martha Cecelia Dobbs Coffey

Benjamin was born Feb. 10, 1851 in Wayne Co., KY to Nelson N. & Kissie Watters Coffey. His wife, Martha Cecelia Dobbs, was born Mar. 18, 1850 in Wayne Co. to George Washington & Lurany H. Strunk Dobbs. They were married on Dec. 5, 1872 in Whitley Co., KY.

Martha Cecelia Dobbs Coffey with unidentified grandchildren
Photo Courtesy Charles Gilbreath 

Benjamin died of nephritis on on Apr. 6, 1918 in McCreary Co. and is buried in the Coffey Cemetery at Yamacraw. Martha died there of pneumonia on Mar. 5, 1938 and is also buried in the Coffey cemetery.

Their children were:

Nelson, born c1874

Benjamin, Jr., born Wayne Co. on Feb. 16, 1876, died McCreary Co. on Nov. 15, 1855. He married Sallie Belle [?] [May?] Clark on Nov. 11, 1902 in Kentucky. Both are buried in the Coffey cemetery. They were parents of at least 11 children. Some additional information is available.

Tolbert Nelson, born Feb. 5, 1878, died Jul. 15, 1907. He married Sarah Roberts c1899 in Wayne Co. After Tolbert died, Sarah married Andrew Cader Worley on Feb. 9, 1914.

Nettie, born Jun. 10, 1881, died Feb. 20, 1973 in McCreary Co. She married George Phillips on Jan. 24, 1906. He was born c1884 in Wayne Co., and died Jul. 25, 1974 in McCreary Co.

L. Henderson, born Mar. 29, 1886 in Kentucky, died Jan. 5, 1909 in McCreary Co. He married Alice Sims Clark c1905 in Kentucky. She was the daughter of Henry and Rebecca Morrow Clark, born Dec. 5, 1887 in Kentucky, doed Oct. 26, 1979 in Wayne Co. She married second to Alex Blane Tucker in Jan., 1911.

America Florence, born Mar. 11, 1889 in Wayne Co., died Nov. 29, 1993 in Stearns, McCreary Co. Her husband was Sherman L. Corder, born c1891 in Kentucky, died Dec. 25, 1981 in McCreary Co. They were married c1922.

Maggie, born 1893, married James E. Keith.

James Perke, born Aug. 24, 1895 in McCreary Co., and died there on Feb. 14, 1929. He married Clara May Correll, a daughter of William and Rose M. Simpson Correll. They were married Jan. 16, 1924. Both are buried in the Coffey Cemetery at Yamacraw.  Clara died on Sep. 25, 1995 in Sidney, Shelby Co., OH.

Contact me for additional information on ancestors and descendants of this family or, to make corrections.