Burnett Mayo Hamilton and Rubinis H. "Ruby" Coffey

Ruby was the eldest of at least four daughters born to Elias and Fary Letcher Coffey Coffey.  She was born Mar. 20,1908 in West Virginia - probably Red Star or Harvey  in Fayette Co. - and died on May 11, 1967 at Beckley in Raleigh Co., WV.

Her father was a son of John and Annie Maria Ogden Coffey, born Dec. 6, 1875 in Amherst Co., VA and died in Harvey, WV on Nov. 14, 1949.  Her mother was Fary Letcher Coffey, a daughter of Jordon and Rebecca Pettis Grant Coffey, born at Irish Creek in Rockbridge Co., VA on Jul. 18, 1885 and died in Harvey on Jun. 17, 1947.  Both are buried at Hill Top Cemetery in Oak Hill, Fayette Co.

Ruby & Burnett Marriage Record

Ruby married Burnett Mayo Hamilton on Feb. 23, 1929 in Scarbro, Fayette Co.  Burnett was born Jan. 10, 1904 in Amherst Co., VA and died in Fayette Co. on Sep. 4, 1986.  I have not yet discovered his parents.  They are also buried at Hill Top.

I have located them in the 1930 Fayette Co. census but not yet in the 1940 enumeration.  In 1930 Burnett was enumerated as Bernard, a 25-yr old coal miner, born in VA; Ruby was 22.  They had only been married one year and had no children at the time.

The children that I have found, all born in Harvey, were:

Herbert Franklin, born Mar. 11, 1931, died Jul. 22, 1952 at Thurmond, Fayette Co. He was single, age 21 and died of accidental drowning.  He is also buried at Hill Top.

Betty Lou, born Feb. 19, 1933, died Feb. 22, 1933.  She was also buried at Hill Top.

Robert Elwood "Slick," born Apr. 2, 1934 and died Nov. 24, 1976 at Cincinatti in Hamilton Co., OH when his automobile was struck by a train.  He was married and was a resident of Warren, OH when he died.  I have not found his wife's name.  His death record does not give his burial location.

Charles Donald Hamilton was born Sep. 4, 1936 and died Aug. 30, 1937.  He too is buried at Hill Top.

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Blanch May Coffey, sister to Ruby was born Nov. 15, 1911 at Red Star and died May 5, 1940 at Beckley.  She married William Arthur Short (date unk.), born Aug. 11, 1903 at Knobs in Monroe Co., WV, died Aug. 26, 1988 in Fairlea, Greenbrier Co.,WV. They had at least one child, a daughter named Charlotte, born Jun. 22, 1934 in Raleigh Co.

Additions and corrections welcomed.

Pittward "Pitt" & Flavonia Fletcher Coffey

I completed some additional work on Pittward this morning.  Readers are invited to click on the blog title to see the original blog about this family and, which contains a few of the updates that will be included here.

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Pittward, or Pitt as he seems to have been called, was the eldest child and son of Charles Edward and Sarah Jane Ogden Coffey.  Charles Edward was a son of John Jack and Betsey Duff Coffey and, John Jack was the third son of Jordan and Betsey Rippetoe Coffey.  By now, descendants of Jordan should know that he was actually a Talliaferro (Toliver) and not a Coffey.  But, they are interesting folks and they do eventually get back together with the Coffeys through intermarriage.

Pitt was born in Virginia - and very likely Amherst Co. because his parents never left.  They lived there, raised their children there and are now buried there.  His first wife was Lucy Parks White, daughter of Henry A., and wife Elizabeth, born c1863.  She was the fourth of six children in the White household in the 1870 Peddlar Twp., Amherst Co. census.

Lucy apparently died in childbirth, c1882.  Her only child was Vernie Irvine, born Sep. 23, 1882, died Mar., 1970 in Buena Vista, VA.  Vernie married Robert L. Seay on Dec. 13, 1899.  He was also an Amherst Co. resident, having been born there on Oct. 25, 1875.  They had at least six children:  Evelyn, Vivia, John Robert, Henry Vaughn, Marion and William Lee.

Sometime between Vernie's birth and Sep., 1885, Pitt married Flavonia [sic] Fletcher, a daughter of Lucian and Maria Frances Crawford Fletcher.  Flavonia was born Apr. 8, 1869 in Amherst Co. and died on Jan. 4, 1955 at Fraziers Bottom in Putnam Co., WV.  Their first child was Jesse, born Sep., 1885, died unmarried on Feb. 12, 1918 at Charleston in Kanawha Co., WV.  He is buried at Spring Hill in Charleston, Kanawha Co.

The second child was Janet Aurelia, born Jul. 24, 1888 in Kanawha Co., died Mar. 27, 1945 at Huntington in Cabell Co., WV.  Janet died by suicide when she jumped off the 5th Ave. bridge spanning the Guyan River.  She was nearly 57 years old and was Mrs. Chester L. Martin.  Her first husband was T. Edward Berry to whom she was married on Nov. 19, 1908.  I have not found them in the 1910 census and do not know if any children resulted from that union.  Martin was her second husband, but I have not found a marriage date.  Chester died on Sep. 14, 1959 in Huntington.  His burial place is not known to me; Janet is buried at Spring Hill.

Third child was Alma Elizabeth, born at Jarretts Ford in Kanawha Co. on Mar. 1, 1890.  She was first married there to Thomas H. Young in 1911. They divorced sometime c1921 (it says so on the license for her second marriage) after giving birth to at least three children by Thomas:  Harless, c1913; Margaret, c1915; and Carroll Fletcher, c1918.  Alma married her second husband Frank C. Briscoe when she was 34 and he was a 51-year old widower.  They were married in West Virginia in 1924, and lived for awhile at 215 Hunt Ave. in Charleston where she gave birth to two of his children:  Mary, born c1925 and Joseph H., born c1927.  I haven't found a death record for James.  Alma died on Dec. 12, 1969 in Charleston but not before marrying again at age 73 to the 72-year old James Marshall Lawson on Apr. 25, 1963 in Kanawha Co.  Alma is buried at Spring Hill.  The buial places of her three spouses are unknown.

[Update] Child number four was Harry Clarkston, born Jun. 8, 1892 at Elkview in Kanawha Co., WV; died at Fraziers Bottom, Putnam Co., WV on Mar. 14, 1969.  His wife was Cecil Ann Fisher, born May, 1895 in Putnam Co. and died there in 1985.  She and Harry are buried at Saint Albans, Kanawha Co. WV at the Cunningham Memorial Park cemetery. I am still searching for a marriage date and place.

Number five was Fletcher Euick (?), born Jul. 5, 1895 in Charleston, died Nov., 1980 in Kanawha Co.  Also, no info on possible wife and children.

Six was Stoughton (I've seen it spelled Stephen, but it's Stoughton on his death certificate) Edward, born Feb. 27, 1897 in Kanawha Co., died of tuberculosis in Charleston on Apr. 17, 1918 at age 21,  He is also buried at Spring Hill.  He also was unmarried.

The last and seventh child that I have for Pitt and Flavonia was James Tinsley.  He was born Sep. 21, 1901 in WV and died from heart failure at age 330years Oct. 10, 1934 in Charleston.  He was also unmarried.

Rev. Patrick Henry & Cora Lee Coffey Clements

Patrick's father was James P. Clements.  His mother was Eliza Jane Allen.

"Mr. Clements has for ancestors Methodist people for a hundred years; so he has a right to shout, on proper occasions.  His birthplace was on the rich level of blue grass found all along the platform of the Blue Ridge.  He dates from October 9, 1861.  He was blessed with the favor of working on a farm in early life.  It beats a gymnasium to strengthen the thews and tendons of a young fellow.  And he learns much of the things needful in the country pulpit, as illustrations and the drift of thought.  He also was clerk in a store, another valuable aid in knowing the people.  Our Academy at Bedford and our College at Ashland educated Mr. Clements, 'in book-learning.'

He is stout for his inches, five feet nine; 165 pounds, hair, auburn; voice clear, sonorous reaching.  He speaks with moderate speed, perhaps faster that the average.

He came into the Conference in the usual way in 1895.  He and Miss Coffey were married April 19, 1899.  They have a clever boy to gladden their hearts.

Mr. Clements served two years at South View and Providence, near Lynchburg, and then was assigned to Lunenburg, where he now expounds.  He has made marked improvements in the material and spiritual condition of his present charge.  There is much subterranean, wholesome humon in 'Pat' Clements, which bubbles up at times.  And, withal, the grave questions he is charged to expound, fill his soul with profound seriousness."*

The following is amended from what you may have read here previously:

 His wife was Cora Lee Coffey, born Dec. 16, 1875 in Amherst Co., VA to Daniel Rufus and Mildred J. Lawman Coffey. 

Patrick Henry Coffey died on Sep. 29, 1950 in Wakefield, Sussex Co., VA and was buried at Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, VA. Cora died on Feb. 8, 1964 in Hampton, VA and was also buried at Blandford.

Their children were Bascom L., born c1901; Louise T., born c1904; and Mildred L., born c1915.

James P. Clements was born in Amherst Co., VA on Aug. 4, 1823 and died there on Mar. 13, 1924.  Eliza was also born in Amherst Co. on May 28, 1827 and died there on Nov. 26, 1899.  Both she and James are buried at Mount Horab United Methodist Church Cemetery at Amherst, Amherst Co.

A daughter of James and Eliza was Mary Jane Clements, born 1858, died 1937 in Amherst Co., married Augustus Decereaux Whitten.  Their son, Marvin Harrison Whitte, born 1882, died 1975, married  Hattie Stinnett in 1902, Caswell Co., NC.  Their daughter, Lottie Pearl Whitten, (1913-1997) married Reuben Loyal Coffey (1909-1988), a son of Reuben Wood and Nettie Belle Nicely Coffey.

James Thomas Clements, another son of James and Eliza, married Lucy Johnson and their daughter Nevie, married John Woodson Coffey, a son of Henry Landon and Lillie Belle Burch Coffey.  Another daughter, Ella Lazenby married Harry B. Coffey, a son of Henley and Avarilla Ogden Coffey.  Still another daughter, Sadie Lillian married Edgar Littleton Coffey, brother to Harry B.

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*John James Lafferty D. Litt., Author, Sketches and Portraits of the Virginia Conference: Twentieth Century Edition (Richmond, VA: n.p., 1901), Page 463.

Thomas Reed Crawford of Amherst Co., VA

Update 12/03/2009:  The bottom photo was taken c1902 and shows Tom Crawford and his wife, Mary Frances "Fannie" Ogden.  The top photo is Tom Crawford in his later years.

The child between the couple is Van who married Estelle Crist.  Children behind Tom and Fannie are, l-r: Thomas Powell, who married Alma Gertrude Coffey; Lawrence and Houston.  Houston married Hallie Coffey, daughter of Arthur and Jenny Davis Coffey.  Lawrence is believed to have never married.

The older children, l-r, are: Massie, wife of "Fed" Coffey; Walter who married Beatrice Coffey; Christina who married a Wright; Ora who married Hugh Nelson Coffey; Zack Coffey and his wife, Catherine.

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I believe this is the Thomas Reed Crawford family of Amherst Co., VA.  Several of their childred married into the Coffey family.

Thomas married Mary Frances Ogden c1873 and subsequently fathered at least 10 children.

The problem with the photo being of this Crawford family is, not withstanding how young the [apparent] wife appears, the age difference between the four younger children and the six older children. 

My files show that Thomas Reed was born Jan. 20, 1847 in Virginia and died Feb. 5, 1926 in Amherst Co.  Mary Frances Ogden, a daughter of Zachariah Ogden, Jr. and his wife Mary Elizabeth White, was born Feb., 1860 in Amherst Co.  Thomas was a son of Mansfield and Catherine [maiden name unknown] Crawford.

Their children were:

Mary Katherine, born c1874, married Zachariah Coffey c1897.  Zach was the son of Frederick and Catherine H. Ogden Coffey.

Christianna, born Oct., 1874.  No other information.

Susie Massie, born Apr. 6, 1876 in Amherst Co., and died there on Dec. 8, 1938.  Susie married Frederick "Fed" Coffey, Jr.   He was a brother to Zach who married Mary Katherine.

Walter J., born Oct. 5, 1878 in Amherst Co., died in VA on Jul. 13, 1943.  He married Beatrice Coffey on Jan. 13, 1909.  Beatrice was a daughter of George Washington and Sarah Frances Coffey Coffey. 

George was born Sep. 16, 1853 to Reuben Wetzel and Sarah Jane Wood Coffey.  He died May 31, 1928 in Amherst Co.  Sarah Frances was born Sep. 2, 1856 to William "Billy" and Sarah G. (Ann?) Crawford Coffey.  Reuben and "Billy" were distant cousins, and "Billy" was a son of Jordan and Elizabeth Rippetoe Coffey, founders of "Coffeytown" in Amherst Co.

Ora Wills, born Jul. 28, 1881 in Amherst Co., died there on Dec. 20, 1976.  She married Hugh Nelson Coffey, a son of Harden and Elizabeth "Bettie" Crawford.  Hugh was born Jul. 4, 1876 in Amherst Co. and died there on Dec. 20, 1957.

Thomas Powell, born Jul. 12, 1884 in VA, married c1907 to Alma Gertrude Coffey, born May, 1890 to Arthur and Virginia Ann "Jenny" Davis Coffey.

John Houston, born Nov. 14, 1886 in Alto, Amherst Co., died Mar. 28, 1973 in VA.  He married Hallie Pearl Coffey, born Feb. 21, 1892 in Amherst Co., died Oct. 2, 1973.  Hallie Pearl was sister to Alma Gertrude.

Lawrence DeWitt, born Aug. 28, 1890 in Alto.  No other information.

Lucy, born May, 1893 in Amherst Co., married John E. Cash c1915.

Van Talmage, born Jun, 6, 1898 in Amherst Co., married Estelle Crist c1923.

Please contact me if you can confirm that the photo is this family.  It would be extremely helpful if you can also assign names to the children.

Charles Edward and Sarah Jane Ogden Coffey - Update 2-22-2011

If you live anywhere in the US where the humidity and ambient temperature typically try to out do each other in the summer, you'll understand when I write that not much physical activity has been going on at my house for the past couple of days!

The outside cooling unit went down on Sunday.  A friend knowledgeable about such things came over and changed out a capacitor and the compressor started.  That lasted about an hour and we spent last night with every fan in the house, and one outside, running!

Today, I moved the wireless laptop out onto the deck and set up office in front of that large fan where I remained for most of the day.  Heat doesn't seem to bother my wife as much as me, so she rarely ventured out unless it was to refill my empty iced tea glass!

By the time my friend got back this afternoon with the new outside unit, temps were 91F inside and 90F outside!  Humidity inside and out was at about 49%.  But, it didn't take long to install the new unit and temps inside are steadily dropping.  We can look forward to a cool nights rest once again!

I didn't waste all of my time just sitting in front of that fan.  With the help of my friend John Taylor, I decided to update some of the information on Charles Edward Coffey, a son of John Jack and Elizabeth Susan Duff Coffey in the Jordan Coffey line.

<--Charles Edward Coffey

Charles was born on Nov. 30, 1882 in Amherst Co., VA and died there on Feb. 13, 1924.  He is buried at Bridge Hill Cemetery in Amherst Co.

He and Sarah Jane Ogden were married Feb. 14, 1854 somewhere - probably Amherst Co. - in Virginia.  Sarah was born Oct. 22, 1833 in Virginia, the daughter of Zachariah and Elizabeth McDaniel Ogden.  She died Jan. 17, 1904 and is also buried at Bridge Hill (note headstone).


One of their sons, Pittward (Pitt) Coffey (I've see his name in some genealogies as Pitt Woodford) was married to Lucy White on Oct. 3, 1881 in Amherst Co.  The entry reads that Lucy, age 18 and a widow,  was the daughter of Henry and Eliza White. She was also sister to Sallie M. White who married Pitt's younger brother, Charles Edward Coffey.

I have seen at least one unsourced genealogy that gives her name as Lucy Parks White.  I wonder if she could have been previously married to a Parks who died, and then to Pitt!?

Lucy gave birth to a daughter named Vernie some 10 months later, on Sep. 23, 1882.  Within a very short time - probably around 1885 - Pitt absconded with Flavona Fletcher, a daughter of Lucian and Marie Frances Crawford Fletcher.  Lucian had some interest in Sweet Brian College in Amherst Co., and in 1901 Flovona received a portion of his share, some $5000.

Pitt and Flavona had already relocated to Kanawha Co. in West Virginia where Pitt farmed a little and eventually went into the grocery business.  In 1900 he was a farmer.  In 1910 he was a grocer.  The extra cash that Flavona brought home probably helped him get started in the retail business.

By 1920 Pitt was retired.  Too bad he didn't live longer to enjoy his retirement.  He died on Jan. 9, 1922 of stomach cancer, and was buried on Jan. 10 at the Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston, Kanawha Co.

I do not yet know where Flavona went after 1920.  But, she died on Nov. 5, 1955 in Putney, Kanawha Co.

In 1930 Flavonia was living with her daughter Alma and Alma's second husband, Frank C. Briscoe in Charles, WV.
Vernie, Pitt's daughter with Lucy married Robert L. Seay, who was born Oct. 25, 1875 (not yet sure where).  He and Vernie had at least six children:

Evelyn, born Nov. 10, 1900, died Aug. 16, 1966
Vivian, born Sep. 25, 1903, died Nov. 1, 1973
John Robert, born Jun. 25, 1906, died apr. 2, 1984
Henry Vaughn, born Apr. 7, 1908, died Nov. 16, 1940
Marion, born Oct. 16, 1910, died May 23, 1975
William Lee, born Sep. 3, 1913, died Mar. 20, 1940

Pitt's children with Flavona were:

Jesse, born Sep., 1885, died Feb. 12, 1918 of "probably typhoid fever" and,  was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston, Kanawha Co.  Jesse died unmarried.

Janet Aurelia, born Jul. 1888, died Mar. 27, 1945.  She married first T. Edward Berry on Nov. 19, 1908 in Lexington, Rockbridge Co., VA.  She later married Chester L. Martin, born 1886, died Sep. 14, 1959 in Huntington, Cabell Co., WV.  She is also buried at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Alma, born Mar., 1890. Alma married first to Thomas H. Young in 1911, Kanawha Co., WV. She gave him at least three children: Harless, born c1913; Margaret, born c1915; and Carroll Cletcher, born c1918, each in WV. She last appeared with Young in the 1920 census in Charleston. In 1924 she married a widower, Frank C. Briscoe and gave him at least two children: Mary, born c1925 and Joseph H., born c1927. That marriage license shows that Alma was divorced. Briscoe was 17 years senior to Alma and seemingly preceded her in death because, in 1963, at the age of 73, Alma married for the third time. This husband was 72-year old James Marshall Lawson. Alma is buried at Spring Hill. I have not discovered Mr. Lawson's burial place.
Harry Clarkston, born Jun. 8, 1892, died Mar., 1969.  Buried at Putnam Co., WV.

Fletcher, born Jul. 5, 1895, died Nov., 1980 in Kanawha Co.

Stoughton Edward, born Feb., 1897, died Apr. 17, 1918.  I've seen some genealogies who named this child Steven.  However, Stoughton is how it is spelled on his death certificate.  He died very young (age 21) from Tuberculosis.  He was also buried at Spring Hill.

James Tinsley, born Sep. 21, 1901, died Oct. 10, 1934.  James died early as well.  He was deceased from a heart attack by the time he was 33 years old.  He is also buried at Spring Hill.

More to come on the remainder of Charles' children with Sarah Jane Ogden.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address to add to or correct any of this information.

Photos courtesy of John Taylor 

William Webster Davis and his two Coffey wives

William Webster Davis was born Jan. 26, 1837 in Amherst Co., VA and died there on Apr. 10, 1909. He first married Sarah Jane Coffey c1860 in Amherst Co. This union produced two sons, John, born c1861 and Henry c1863. Sarah likely died in childbirth because she disappeared immediately after Henry's birth.

Sarah Jane was the daughter of John Jack and Elizabeth Susan Duff Coffey. John Jack and Henry, father of William Davis' second wife, Avarila Coffey, were brothers. John Jack and Henry were sons of Jordan Coffey.

William married Avarila Coffey on Sep. 14, 1865 in Pedlar Dist., Amherst Co. She was born Mar. 2, 1846 to Henry F. and Elizabeth (Betsy) McDaniel Coffey. Henry is often thought of as a son of Jordan and Elizabeth Rippetoe Coffey, but may have been the son of one of Jordan's daughters out of wedlock.

John Taylor, a Coffeytown researcher, had this to say about Henry:

"...although Henry Coffey shows for the first time in the 1850 Census as the head of a household, he may have been one of 2 boys his age living with Jordan and Elizabeth in 1840. According to Census reports, Henry was born around 1817. He married, at the age of 31, Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, who was slightly older than Henry, and she had several children of her own from a previous marriage to Zachariah Ogden. Henry seems to have acted as guardian to her older children and they took his surname, at least for the census reports, but, except for Paulin, they are believed to have used their own surnames later. Henry F. Coffey died 10 June 1871 of Colic, in Amherst County, according to the Amherst County death records. The information on the death record, including naming his parents as Charles and Jane Coffey of Nelson County, was given by Henry's son, Henry L. Coffey. His place of burial is unknown, but is probably up on the hill behind Embree Crawford's house [Coffeytown], in an unmarked grave, perhaps with Elizabeth."

William and Sarah's children were John Davis, born c1861, and Henry, born c1863.

Children by Avarila were:

Virginia Anne (Jenny) Davis, born 1866, died 1941. She married Arthur Coffey, a once removed first cousin and son of William (Billy) and Sarah G. (Sally) Crawford Coffey. Billy was a son of Jordan and Elizabeth.

Arthur Coffey

Arthur and Jenny's children were: Hallie Pearl, born c1881, married John Houston Crawford; Hiram Randolph, born Feb. 26, 1886, died Sep. 17, 1924, married Susie A. Catlett; Mabel Irene, born Jan. 3, 1885, married Emmett Boyd Humphries; Ernest Webster, born Feb. 5, 1888, died 1982, married Ethel McClung Stratton, daughter of George Baxter and Elianna [Eleanor?] Coffey. Elianna was the daughter of Charles Edward and Sarah Jane Ogden Coffey.

The next child born to Arthur and Jenny was Alma Gertrude, born c1891, married Thomas Powell Crawford; Fletcher Beadles, born Oct. 3, 1893, died Aug. 11, 1975, married Maggie Lee Harris; Mina Lee, born Jan. 10, 1895, died Feb. 1, 1979, married first to Thompson Massie Davis; second to James William Gibson.

Sally, born c1897, followed Mina. She married first Wallace Earl Palmer and second, Glenn Wyatt; Leonard Carlyle, born May 13, 1903, died Aug. 23, 1959, married Mary Elsie Coffey, a daughter of Hiter Webster and Mary Higginbotham Coffey. Hiter was also a son of Charles Edward and Sarah Jane Ogden Coffey.



Leonard Carlyle and Mary Elsie Coffey Coffey

The last child of Arthur and Virginia was Essie Rose, born Apr. 4, 1907, died Jun. 19, 1999. She married Emmett Lewis Sale.

The remaining children of William Webster and Avarila Coffey Davis were:

Ida Penn, born c1867; Cornelia Catherine, born c1869, married Thomas H. McDaniel; Elizabeth Pendleton, born about Apr. 1870; Amanda Ellen, born c1873; Houston Carlyle, born c1874; Mary Lee, born c1877; Callie Tucker, born Sep. 1881; Tully Ashby, born Mar. 8, 1883; Chester Cleveland, born Jan. 11, 1885; Royal Wilbur, born Oct. 10, 1886; and Edna Belle, born Apr., 1891.

Please contact me at the above e-mail address with additions and/or corrections.

Alfred and Martha Ann Bradley Coffey

Martha Ann Bradley, born Jun., 1847, was the third of at least 12 children born to William Franklin and Elizabeth Wood Bradley. when her mother died, her father married Mary (Polly) Phillips and fathered another nine children before he died in 1913.

Large families were then the norm for Martha Ann. She married Alfred Coffey on Feb. 12, 1863 in Augusta Co., VA. Before Alfred (born May, 1844, a son of Garland** and Nancy Coffey Coffey) died in 1918 she had given birth to 14 children. By 1910 however, only nine of those were still living. She died in Rockbridge Co., VA on Apr. 10, 1923.

The lack of an 1890 census prevents me from identifying all 16 of the children. The 14 that I do have are as follows:

Amanda J., born c1864, married J. N. Maston on Apr. 26, 1882 in Nelson Co., VA.

Sarah Elizabeth (Sally), born Jan. 22, 1865 in Nelson Co., married 1) William F. Allen, born c1863, on Aug. 28, 1884 in Nelson Co. I have no children for them. She married 2) Jacob Higgonbotham Benson on Nov. 24, 1897 in Rockbridge Co., VA. Jacob was born Apr. 15, 1878 in Rockbridge Co. to Preston C. and Sarah Ann (Sallie) Lucas Benson. he died on Jan. 25, 1949 in Rockbridge Co. Their children were: William, born Dec., 1888; Cornelia, born Dec. 1898 and Jacob Stuart, no info. Sarah died Dec. 19, 1906 in Rockbridge Co.

Eliza Ann, born c1868 in Nelson Co., married Charles M. Jarvis on Nov. 14, 1889 in Rockbridge Co. Their children were: F. M., a daughter, born Mar., 1891; Howard W., born Feb., 1893; Lula M., born Apr. 1895, and Leonard R., born Dec. 1899.

Henry Moses seemed to have had supreme bad luck with wives. He was married at least four times. His first wife was Julie C. Hymen to whom he was married on Nov. 14, 1889. I have found no children for this union. His second wife was Eva Ramsey who he married on Oct. 26, 1898. They had at least two children: Katie L., born May 1900 and, David H., born c1903. His third wife was Alice Ward who he married on Jan. 9, 1904. Their children were Etta R., born c1908 and, Martha C., born c1912. His fourth and final wife was Mary L. (Mollie) (LNU), who he married c1915. This union produced at least seven children: Maxie D., born around Feb. 1916; Georgie L., a daughter, born around Feb., 1919; Robert, born c1921; Hasford [?], born c1922; Voit [?], born c1923; Elizabeth, born c1925; and Henry Moses, Jr., born around May 1927.

Mary Frances (Molly), was born Apr. 6, 1872 in Nelson Co. She married Henry Jackson Benson on Mar. 23, 1893 in Rockbridge Co. He was born Jan. 1, 1869 in Rockbridge Co. to Preston C. and Sarah Ann (Sallie) Lucas Benson. Henry died Apr. 23, 1948 in Rockbridge Co. Mary Frances died in Virginia in 1949. Their children were: Mary J., born Jan., 1895; John H., born Aug., 1896; James A., born Oct., 1897; Nellie B., born Sep., 1899; Ollie C., a daughter, born c1905; William J., born c1908; and Lizzie, born c1914.

Rose Ann, born c1873. No info.

Salathiel Alford (Lath), born c1876. He is thought to have first married Eva Phylena Conner, born Mar. 15, 1881 in Hopkins Co., TX. I have no children for them. His second wife was Ollie Bell Allen, born c1884 in Virginia. Their children were Charlie D., born c1905; Louella (or Lavella) D. (Dolly), born c1909; Jennings Salathiel, born Oct. 5, 1915 and Jerimy [sic], born c1916.

Martha Beveridge, born c1879 in Nelson Co., married Robert Lee Benson, brother to Henry Jackson who married Mary Frances, on Oct. 4, 1893 in Rockbridge Co. No further info.

Jacob Morris, born Mar. 23, 1880 in Nelson Co., died May 23, 1922 in Rockbridge Co. He married Mary Jane Lotts on Mar. 26, 1902. She was born Aug. 26, 1882 and died May 26, 1929. They had at least 10 children: Samuel David, born c1903; Ella Cornelia, born c1905; Florence Dell, born c1906; James Alfred, born c1908; Saylor Marshall, born c1910; Lottie Mae, born c1912; Roy Martin, born c1915; Salathial Coolie, born c1916; John Henry, born c1920; and Mary Sturat, born c1922.

Lacy, a son, born Sep. 1884. The only place that I have found him was in the 1900 census residing in the household with his brother Henry.

Joseph R., born May 20, 1885. No further info.

Saylor Marshall, born Jul. 11, 1886, died Dec. 3, 1987. He married Celestial Coffey, the daughter of John Coffey and Annie Mariah Ogden. John ws the son of Schylar and Elizabeth (Betsy) Hamilton Coffey. Schylar is thought to be the son of Jordon and Elizabeth (Betsy) Rippetoe Coffey, founders of "Coffeytown" in Amherst Co., VA. Celestial was born c1887 in Virginia and died Aug. 9, 1961 in Roanoke Co., VA. Their children were: Emory, born Jul. 19, 1907; Wilford, born Nov. 8, 1909; Moda [?], a son, born Apr. 18, 1912; Novell Millard, born Nov. 26, 1914; William Stanley, born Mar. 24, 1917; Nettie Mildred, born May 19, 1920; Louis Alixe [?], born May 21, 1923; and Saylor Marshall, Jr., born Jul. 1, 1925, died May 4, 1992.

Rutherford Grover, born c1887 in Rockbridge Co., married Delilah Shover on May 14, 1913 in Rockbridge Co. No further info.

Ida Belle, born Apr. 1890, died Jan., 1980. She married William Hillman (or, Hileman) Blackwell. They had at least one child, a daughter, Florence Alberta born Apr. 15, 1912, died aug. 14, 1998. Ida was also married to Morris Rowe, but the other of marriage is unknown and I know of no children born to that union.

More information is available for those who need it. Write to me at the following e-mail address to add or correct any information.



**Garland Coffey was a son of William and Elizabeth (Betsy) Giles Coffey. Nancy was his double first cousin, a daughter of Reuben G. and Nancy Giles Coffey. Betsy and Nancy were sisters and, Reuben and William were brothers.

James Walker and Editha Coffey Crist

Editha Coffey, born about 1870 in Virginia, was the youngest daughter and the sixth of the seven children born to Charles Edward and Sarah Jane Ogden Coffey. Charles Edward is in the Jordan Coffey line.

Editha married James Walker Crist about 1879 in Virginia, and settled in Campbell Co. where James worked in a saw mill and a foundry. He was 44 years old when he registered for the World War I draft in Sep., 1918, and listed his occupation as "saw mill manager" for the J. W. Crist Co. The only physical description given of him at the time was that he had blue eyes and light hair.

The family was in Lynchburg from at least 1910 when they appeared in the census at 906 Turnpike St. It was also the address given when he registered for the draft in 1918. In 1920 the family had moved to 2003 Grace St. where they remained at least through 1930. Death dates have not been found for either Editha or James.

There were five children born to the union:

• Maggie C., born c1898
• Gladys E., born c1900
• Charles W., born c1902
• Sarah J., born c1904
• Edith Cordelle, born c1907

Photograph courtesy John Taylor

---

Update Dec. 15, 2012:  James Walker McDowell Crist was born May 15, 1874 in Virginia and died May 13, 1955 at Lynchburg.  He is buried at the Presbyterian Cemetery in that city.  Editha was born Nov. 12, 1870 in Amherst Co. and died between Nov. 12, 1971 and Dec. 31, 1971 in Lynchburg. She too is buried at Presbuterian.

Maggie Christine was born Nov. 19, 1897 and died of influenza in 1918.
Gladys Elinor was born Sep. 16, 1899 in Lynchburg and died there on Dec. 18, 2006.  She is also buried at Presbyterian with her spouse, Carleton Conway Candler.
Charles Walker was born Nov. 6, 1901 and died May 13, 1988.
Sarah Jane, born Jan. 21, 1904, died Mar. 9, 1926 of a ruptured appendix.
Edith Cordelle Crist was born c1907 and died Aug. 16, 1994 in Lynchburg.

Recapping Jordan Coffey Family

Family Group Sheet
=================================================
Husband: Jordan COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Birth: abt 1780 Virginia
Census: 1830 Amherst Co., VA
Census: 1840 Amherst Co., VA
Death: bef 1860 Virginia
Burial:
Marriage: Mar 21, 1803 Amherst Co., VA
Census (fam): Sep 17, 1850 Amherst Co., VA
Father:
Mother:
=================================================
Wife: Elizabeth (Betsey) RIPPETOE
-------------------------------------------------
Birth: abt 1778 Virginia
Death: bef 1860 Virginia
Burial:
Father:
Mother:
=================================================
Children
=================================================
1 M Hudson (Huddie) COFFEY
Birth: abt 1805 Virginia
Census: Sep 17, 1850 Amherst Co., VA, enumerated in household with his parent
Death: 1870
Burial:
Spouse: Mrs. Mahala Green LANE (1813- )
Marriage: Sep 20, 1855 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------

2 M Schylar COFFEY
Birth: abt 1806 Virginia
Census: 1840 Amherst Co., VA
Census: Aug 16, 1870 Amherst Co., VA, with wife named Mary.
Death: bef Jun 2, 1880 Amherst Co., VA
Burial:
Spouse: Elizabeth (Betsey) HAMILTON (1820- )
Marriage: Jan 30, 1832 Virginia
-------------------------------------------------

3 M John (Jack) COFFEY
Birth: abt 1809 Virginia
Census: 1840 Amherst Co., VA
Census: Jun 1, 1880 Amherst Co., VA
Death: Dec 14, 1888 of cancer; Amherst Co., VA
Burial:
Spouse: Elizabeth Susan (Betsey) DUFF (1807-1880)
Marriage: Jan 18, 1830 Amherst Co., VA
Spouse: Virginia CAMPBELL (1849- )
Marriage: Apr 1, 1873 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------
4 M Nelson COFFEY
Birth: abt 1810 Virginia
Census: 1840 Amherst Co., VA
Death: abt 1845 Virginia
Burial:
Spouse: Rebecca HAMILTON (1816- )
Marriage: Feb 5, 1833 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------

5 F Jane COFFEY
Birth: abt 1814 Virginia
Death:
Burial:
Spouse: Meredith ALLEN (1795- )
Marriage: Apr 21, 1834 Virginia
-------------------------------------------------
6 M William (Billy) COFFEY
Birth: Apr 9, 1815 Virginia
Census: 1840 Amherst Co., VA
Death: May 11, 1896 Virginia
Burial: May 1896 Coffeytown, Amherst Co., VA
Spouse: Sarah G. (Sally) CRAWFORD (1820- )
Marriage: Sep 24, 1835 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------
7 F Elizabeth COFFEY
Birth: abt 1817 Virginia
Death:
Burial:
Spouse: John P. HAMILTON (1812- )
Marriage: May 5, 1835 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------
8 F Susannah COFFEY
Birth: abt 1819 Virginia
Death:
Burial:
Spouse: John D. CRAWFORD Jr. (1813- )
Marriage: Sep 9, 1835 Amherst Co., VA
-------------------------------------------------
9 M Henry F. COFFEY
Birth: abt 1822 Virginia
Death: Jun 10, 1871 from Colic; Amherst Co., VA
Burial:
Spouse: Mrs. Elizabeth McDaniel (Betsy) OGDEN (1813-1871)
Marriage: Mar 10, 1848 Amherst Co., VA
=================================================

-------------------------------------------------
FAMILY NOTES
-------------------------------------------------
Marriage (Mar 21, 1803): (1)
Census (fam) (Sep 17, 1850): (2)
General:

From the 1825 will of William Coffey, son of John and Jane Graves Coffey:

"It is my desire & request that my Executors hereafter named shall rent to Jordan Coffey my tract of land whereupon the said Jordan has lived he the said Jordan paying to them for the benefit of my Estate five pounds per annum so long as my Executors shall think it prudent to rent it to him but if my Executors shall think it right to sell the said tract of land the proceeds of the sale is to go to the rest of children hereafter named."

Some researchers believe that Jordan was a grandson of William through his daughter Jane and her relationship with an unknown male. Others think that his father was Benjamin Hawkins Fitzgerald, who eventually married Jane. Jordan often tried to use the Fitzgerald surname in official records, but the surname Coffey was also entered. Logic would indicate that if he were Benjamin's natural son then Benjamin would likely have claimed him.

"Item I give to Edmund F. Coffey and James Montgomery in trust & to their successors for the benefit of my daughter Jane Fitzgerald and the legitimate children of her body one half of my tract of land in Nelson County on Cub Creek containing by estimation two hundred and fifteen acres the said tract of land to be equally divided according to quantity and quality. The other moiety of the said last mentioned tract of land I give to my said trustees herein before mentioned & to their successors for the benefit of my son William Coffey during his natural life, at his death to return to the rest of my children or those which I shall name hereafter, each to hold the part they now live on. "

Other of William's daughters had illegitimate children, but Jane was the only
one mentioned thusly.
(3)

-------------------------------------------------
HUSBAND NOTES: Jordan COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Census (1830): (4)
Census (1840): (5)

-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: Hudson (Huddie) COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Census (Sep 17, 1850): (6)
General:

Hudson was born in what is now Nelson Co., VA. He and brother Schylar left Nelson Co. to live in Amherst, but were still in Nelson in 1826, but gone by 1828 when William Coffey (son of John Coffey and Jane Graves, and husband of Elizabeth Osborne) died in Nelson Co.



-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: Schylar COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Birth (abt 1806): (7)
Census (1840): (8)
Census (Aug 16, 1870): (9)
General:

"Schylar and Nelson (and Henry) are the only ones of the original 9 [children of Jordan] for whom no specific listing of parentage has been found." [John Taylor, Cold Mountain Cabbage]



-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: John (Jack) COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Census (1840): (10)
Census (Jun 1, 1880): (11)
Death (Dec 14, 1888):

John Jack Coffey died 14 December 1888 at the age of 80, of cancer. We have no specific place of burial for either him or Betsey from public records, but they may be buried behind Elsie Coffey's present house in an unmarked grave, as some believe. [John Taylor, Cold Mountain Cabbage]



-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: Nelson COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Census (1840): (12)

-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: William (Billy) COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Birth (Apr 9, 1815):

This date from his headstone. Other sources indicates 23 Apr. 1815 as his date of birth. [John Taylor, Cold Mountain Cabbage]


Census (1840): (13)
Death (May 11, 1896):
Billy's headstone shows a death date as 11 May 1896. Death records show a William Coffey, unlisted parents, dying 26 July 1897. Evidently Billy's death came as a result of falling down the stairs at the original house, after he had returned from the new house. If this is true and the new house was not built until 1897, the 26 July date may be accurate. Otherwise, it could have been over a year since his death when it was reported in Amherst Courthouse, and the record shows the reported date, not the actual date; or the listed William is not the right one. However, the listed Billy was 81 years old, which is right for his age. No other William of that age was known to be in Amherst County at the time. [John Taylor - Cold Mountain Cabbage]

Burial (May 1896):
"Sally" and Billy Coffey are buried on the hill behind Elsie Coffey's house in a fenced-in area which includes Bettie Coffey, their unmarried daughter. Bettie evidently died of grief, as she was very attached to her mother. Others in the cemetery include Walter Campbell, perhaps related to John Jack's second wife, or to one of John Jack Jr.'s two daughters, Lena and Emma Jane, who married Campbell men in sufficient time to have had Walter. Robert H. Coffey, great-grandson of Billy Coffey, grandson of Harden Coffey and Hersey Coffey's brother, has the only other marked grave (1903-1907) in this cemetery. John Jack and his wife Betsey Duff are also believed to be buried in this vicinity, although there is no marker. [John Taylor - Cold Mountain Cabbage]


-------------------------------------------------
CHILD NOTES: Henry F. COFFEY
-------------------------------------------------
Birth (abt 1822):

The 1860 census indicates that Henry was born closer to 1819.

(14)
Death (Jun 10, 1871):

Henry Coffey was the youngest of the bunch of Jordan's "kids". When he died, his son, Henry L. Coffey ("Big Hill" Henry) stated that his father's parents were Charles and Jane Coffey of Nelson County. [John Taylor, e-mail, 10-14-2005]


General:
Although Henry Coffey shows for the first time in the 1850 Census as the head of a household, he may have been one of 2 boys his age living with Jordan and Elizabeth in 1840. According to Census reports, Henry was born around 1817. He married, at the age of 31, Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, who was slightly older than Henry, and she had several children of her own from a previous marriage to Zachariah Ogden. Henry seems to have acted as guardian to her older children and they took his surname, at least for the census reports, but, except for Paulin, they are believed to have used their own surnames later. Henry F. Coffey died 10 June 1871 of Colic, in Amherst County, according to the Amherst County death records. The information on the death record, including naming his parents as Charles and Jane Coffey of Nelson County, was given by Henry's son, Henry L. Coffey. His place of burial is unknown, but is probably up on the hill behind Embree Crawford's house, in an unmarked grave, perhaps with Elizabeth. [John Taylor, Cold Mountain Cabbage]


(15)



-------------------------------------------------
SOURCES
-------------------------------------------------
1. Dodd, Jordan R, et. al. Early American Marriages: Virginia to 1850. Bountiful, UT: Precision Indexing Publishers, 19xx.
2. Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005. Original data: United States. 1850 United States Federal Census. M432, 1009 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. 1850 Amherst Co., Eastern Dist., Sheet 86, dwelling/family 205, Jordan Coffee , age 70, male, farmer; Betsey, age 72, female; Hudson, age 45, male, farmer; Margaret Painter, age 17, female.
3. John Taylor,The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown", Amherst County Virginia (: John Taylor,). "I am now fairly certain that Jane and Benjamin Hawkins Fitzgerald were properly married in Albemarle County, where she was living at the time, and where the marriage records have been lost. We just don't have a copy of an
official record; however, the courts treated them as married, as did her father." (John Taylor, e-mail to Jack Coffee, Feb. 25, 2005).
4. Ancestry.com. 1830 U.S. Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States. 1830 United States Federal Census. M19, 201 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. 1830 Amherst Co., Addison's Div., Sheet 10, Jordan Coffee, 1-122--1-------/111--1.
5. Ancestry.com. 1840 U.S. Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States. 1840 United States Federal Census. M704, 580 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C. 1840 Amherst Co., Jordon Coffey, ----2--1/--------1.
6. Amherst Co., Marriage Records, Researched by Mary Anne Taylor, 1991. Hudson Coffey, age 51, single, farmer, born Amherst Co., parents Jordan and Eliz. Coffey to Mahala Lane, age 42, widow, born Amherst Co., married 9-22-1855.
7. , The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown", Amherst County Virginia. "The ancestry of Nelson and Schylar is not firmly established. Both of these names relate directly to Nelson County geography. Nelson was born approximately when a portion of Amherst became Nelson County. One district in Nelson County is Schuyler District. On occasions, Schylar's name has been written exactly that way. He and Nelson may be brothers, but only cousins to John Jack and Billy. They may be descendants of some of Edward the twin Coffey's people, or more likely, “excess” children from one or another neighbor. Henry was so much younger it is difficult to believe he came from the same parentage. No records have been found which conclusively prove parentage of Schylar or Nelson, and Henry's is not clear.".
8. 1840 U.S. Federal Census. 1840 Amherst Co., Geo. W. Christian Div., Schuyler Coffey, 2----1/-1--1.
9. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census. [database on-line] Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2003-. Indexed by Ancestry.com from microfilmed schedules of the 1870 U.S. Federal Decennial Census.1870 United States Federal Census. [database online] Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2003. Original data: Data imaged from National Archives and Records Administration. 1870 Federal Population Census. M593, 1,761 rolls; part of Minnesota T132, 13 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. 1870 Amherst Co., Peddler Twp., Cool Well Twp., Page 80,
dwelling 638, family 611, Coffee, Schyler, age 65, male, white, farmer, $__, $125, born VA; Mary, age 56, female, white, keeping house, born VA; Fanny, age 40, female, white, at home, born VA; Jordan, age 26, male, white, farm hand, born VA; John, age 20, male, white, farm hand, born VA.
10. 1840 U.S. Federal Census. 1840 Amherst Co., Geo. W. Christian Div., John Coffey, 22---1/11---1.
11. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. 1880 Amherst Co., Pedlar Dist., ED20, Page 3, dwelling/family 21, Coffey, John, white male, age 71, farmer, born VA, parents born VA.
12. 1840 U.S. Federal Census. 1840 Amherst Co., Geo. W. Christian Div., Nelson Coffey, -1--1/2---1.
13. Ibid., 1840 Amherst Co., Geo. W. Christian Div., William Coffey, 1---1/1---1.
14. Ancestry.com. United States Federal Census [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States Federal Census for years indicated.
15. , The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown", Amherst County Virginia. According to his death record, he was not Jordan's biological son, but he could have been and probably was informally adopted by Jordan prior to his leaving Nelson County.

Henry Coffey (c1817 to 10 Jun 1871)

Continuing with the children of Jordan Coffey by John Taylor

---

Although Henry Coffey shows for the first time in the 1850 Census as the head of a household, he may have been one of 2 boys his age living with Jordan and Elizabeth in 1840. According to Census reports, Henry was born around 1817. He married, at the age of 31, Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, who was older than Henry, and she had several children of her own from a previous marriage to Zachariah Ogden. Henry seems to have acted as guardian to her older children and they took his surname, at least for the census reports, but they are believed to have used their own names later. Henry F. Coffey died 10 June 1871 of Colic, in Amherst County, according to the Amherst County death records. The information on the death record, including naming his parents as Charles and Jane Coffey of Nelson County, was given by Henry's son, Henry L. Coffey. His place of burial is unknown, but is probably up on the hill behind Embree Crawford's house, in an unmarked grave.

Henry shows in the public records for the first time in 1839 when he paid personal property taxes in Amherst County on the same day as John, Schylar, Jordan, Hudson and William Coffey. For this reason and others, he is believed to have been informally adopted by Jordan and Elizabeth, although his biological surname was Coffey also. This likely occurred in Nelson County before the family left in late 1827 or in 1828. At that time, he would have been 10 or 11 years old. By 1839, he was 22 or 23 and needed to pay taxes.

Henry married Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey on 10 March 1848 in Amherst County. In 1848 Henry had nothing and paid no personal property taxes. By 1849, he owned one horse, two slaves, one over 16 and another over 12 years of age, and 4 metallic clocks. By 1850, he was down to one horse. On 8 May 1851 he bought 340 acres on both sides of the middle fork of the Pedlar River from his father-in-law William McDaniel. William had bought it in 1811 from Benjamin Sandidge. This deed had a built-in will. That is, Henry paid $1000 for the use of this land during his lifetime. When he died, ownership would revert to William McDaniel or his son Lindsay. Nevertheless, Henry was happy to have his own land to work. This is the first piece of land adjacent to or near Staton's Creek (middle fork) which we have found. The same deal may have been made with Zachariah Ogden, when he married Elizabeth, because Henry seems to have been living on her property in 1850, along with the other Coffeys. Most of the land around present day Coffeytown seems to have been owned by the Richerson family. John Jack Coffey bought some of it in 1859, later expanded with a joint land purchase by him and William in 1873. By that time, Henry was dead.

It seems that the first Coffey settler in the Coffeytown area was the youngest of the Coffey clan, Henry Coffey. Since Henry "owned" land on both sides of the Pedlar, it is likely that Henry continued to live on the south side and that the others set up housekeeping on the north side of the Creek, but judging from the census reports, and reading a little between the lines, the other Coffeys may have initially set up on the far south end of Henry's land.

Henry and Elizabeth had three children of their own, but Paulin apparently never knew his father Zachariah Ogden who died before he was born. Paulin J. Coffey names Henry as his guardian in his will. He died evidently without marrying, at the age of 24. His will named the three children of Henry as benefactors. He is believed to be that P.J. Coffey who enlisted as a Private in Co. E, 13th VA Infantry in Culpepper on 28 October 1863. The record has him as a deserter in December 1863.

Nothing is known of the other elder children of Elizabeth. Henry's children Avarilla, Henry L. and Mary F. all married and had children of their own.

Avarilla (Coffey) Davis listed Henry as her father on her marriage application, although she was apparently born 2 years or so prior to Henry's marriage to Elizabeth. If there was an earlier marriage by Henry, it is not listed in Amherst, Rockbridge, Albemarle, or Nelson counties. Henry may have been working on Zachariah's farm when he died, stayed on to help out, since Elizabeth was pregnant at the time and had at least 6 other children to care for, only one of whom, "Zack", was male, and he was only about 8 years of age at the time. Avarilla married William Webster Davis, who had previously married Sarah Jane Coffey, daughter of John Jack Coffey. By that marriage there were two children. Avarilla gave him 13 more, including Virginia Ann "Jenny" Davis who married Arthur Coffey.

Henry L. Coffey married Lillie Belle (Burch) Coffey on 3 December 1873 in Amherst County. They lived in Coffeytown and had a number of children, including Georgiana, Mattie, John, Emmett, Bernard, Albright, Harry, Eliza, and Ruth Coffey. Henry was called "Big Hill" Henry, leaving little doubt as the topography of his housesite. Henry was probably drafted as a Private into the 13th VA Infantry on 22 April 1862 in Gordonsville, along with others in the family. He is listed as deserted 17 June 1864, but was AWOL much earlier. Most likely he came back to Amherst County. It does not appear that he rejoined in another regiment.

Mary F. Coffey married Joseph Crawford on 5 December 1866 when she was very young. Nothing is known of this couple.

---

[Next: Jane Coffey (c1814-1880)]

---

Update March 6, 2012 I am still a bit confused by the family of Henry F. Coffey and wife Elizabeth "Betsey" McDaniel Coffey.  In 1850, two years after their marriage on Mar. 10, 1848 in Amherst Co., the census record lists family members as Margaret Coffee [sic], age 20, Elizabeth Coffee, age 18; Zac Coffee, age 15, Catharine Coffee, age 13, Serana Coffee, age 7, Paulus Coffee, age 5, Avarila Coffee, age 4, Henry Coffee, age 1, Mary F. Coffee, age 6 mos., and Sarah Coffee, age 16.

Zac, Catharine and Sarah appear to be Elizabeth McDaniel's children by her first husband, Zachariah Ogden, who she married on Nov. 16, 1825 in Amherst Co.  Sarah Ogden went on to marry Charles Edward Coffey, a son of John Jack and Elizabeth Duff Coffey, on Feb. 14, 1854.  Zachariah married Mary Elizabeth White on Dec. 23, 1853 and Catharine married Frederick Coffey, son of Nelson and Rebecca Hamilton Coffey on Mar. 10, 1856.

My confusion arises while attempting to reconcile the children Margaret, Elizabeth, Serana, Paulus and Avarila.  Based merely on the fact that Henry and Betsey married in the Spring of 1848, when Henry was 26 and Betsey 35, I cannot figure how those children might have been off-spring of either.  My opinion is that Henry Landon "Big Hill" Coffey, born Nov 18, 1848 and Mary Frances, born c1850 were Henry and Betsy's only children.  In the John Taylor essay above, he writes that Paulus was an Ogden, born shortly after his father Zachariah, Sr. died.

Jordan and Elizabeth Rippetoe Coffey, Henry's parents, are thought to have taken in a number of "orphan" children in the Coffeytown area so perhaps, these children were taken in by Henry!?  I don't know.

Avarilla became the second wife of William Webster "Buck" Davis on Sep. 15, 1865 in Amherst Co.  Buck's first wife was Sarah Jane Coffey, another daughter of John Jack and Elizabeth Duff Coffey. Sarah died c1863 after giving birth to her second son, William Henry Davis. Her first child was John Edward, born c1861.

Buck and Avarilla had at least twelve children, one of which married back into the Coffey family:

Virginia Anne "Jenny" Davis, born 1866, died 1951 in Amherst Co., married Arthur Coffey on Jan. 31, 1884.  He was a son of William "Billy" and Sally Crawford Coffey.  William was a son of Jordan.

Jack

John Jack Coffey (bc1808-Dec. 14, 1888)

John Jack Coffey was born around 1808/9, according to the census reports. He was probably the second son of Jordan and Elizabeth Coffey, but he was third oldest. In 1827.28 when his family came to Amherst County, he was around 20 years old.

On 18 January 1830, John Jack married Elizabeth "Betsey" (Duff) Coffey, the daughter of Joshua and Besley Duff of Fluvanna County. His parents were not listed in that document, but Jordan and Elizabeth were listed as witnesses. Census records imply that this couple had 7 children, including Mark Coffey who appears as a 10 year old only in the 1850 Census. He probably died between 1850 and 1860, but his death does not appear in the County Death Records. Another possibility is that William Henry, who was also 10 years old at the time and is not listed by name in this report, could have been nicknamed "Mark". Or William Henry and Mark could have traded parents for the summer when the Census was taken, which was common practice in those days.

John Jack's sons Charles Coffey, John Jack Coffey, Jr., William Henry Coffey and Daniel Rufus Coffey all lived in Coffeytown proper and provided much of the population of the western and northern portion of Coffeytown. No record of marriage has been found for Mary Coffey, but Sarah Jane (Coffey) Davis married William Davis in 1859. They had two children and after she died, Davis married Avarilla Coffey, Henry Coffey's daughter. William Henry and Daniel Rufus married sisters in a double wedding on 6 April 1868. True to the old wives' tale, it was bad luck. Mildred (Lawman) Coffey died and Daniel remarried to Sallie Cole (Black) Coffey. Between the two of them, Daniel had 14 children. Charles, the eldest son, married Sarah Jane Ogden on Valentine's day, 1854. John Jack, Jr. married Patara Tyler (pronounced pay - tra), who was listed as a 24 year old "domestic" in Charles' household in the 1860 Census.

John Jack Coffey, Sr. was too old to be involved in the Civil War, but his sons were just the right age. On 22 April 1862, many of the Coffeytown boys were in Gordonsville, possibly selling tobacco or fruit (prices in Gordonsville were artifically inflated since it was a railroad center for the Confederacy and there were many soldiers hungry for non-military food). Up until this time they had stayed out of the war. As long as Stonewall was in charge, they weren't too concerned. Charles E., John Jack, Jr., Henry L. (son of Henry and Elizabeth Coffey, James (oldest son of Billy), and William (son of Billy) all enlisted as Privates in Co. E, 13th VA Regiment Infantry. Col Walker enlisted them, perhaps at gun point. The Confederate States instituted a draft in April, 1862 and these Coffeys stumbled into some serious recruiters in Gordonsville. The record shows that most attended one or a few of the drills and then disappeared, some being listed as deserters. Charles was AWOL on 1 June 1862 and there is nothing in their records until May, 1864 when he "re-enlisted". Family legend has it that they hid from the recruiters but were discovered, routed out of the bushes and drafted. Somehow, John Jack Coffey, Jr. and Charles E. Coffey were "transferred" to Co. F, 50th Regiment, VA Infantry. According to the Compiled Service Records at the Archives, Charles E. and John Jack were captured 12 May 1864 at Spottsylvania Courthouse (some records show the place of capture as The Wilderness, which coincides with family legend. The Wilderness Battle was over by 12 May, and it may have been only then that they were noted as missing. Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded 11 May 1864, a severe blow to the Confederacy). They were taken to Belle Plains, VA and shipped to Elmira, NY as Prisoners of War. The record shows John Jack shipped on 30 July 1864, but Charles was sent 2 August 1864. They were both released 23 June 1865, under General Order #109, after taking the "Iron Clad Oath" of allegiance to the United States. John Jack is listed as having auburn hair, blue eyes, 5'-9" tall, and fair complexion. Both Charles and John Jack, Jr. were married before the war began.

William Henry Coffey served longer and paid a heavier price. He enlisted 15 August 1861 at Millner's Store by Capt William Higginbotham and he was mustered into service 24 September 1861 in Staunton, VA. He was in the 2nd Corp, Co. F, 58th VA Infantry. On 28 August 1862 he was sent to the Richmond Hospital, but he was promoted to Corporal 1 May 1862. In March and April 1863 he was admitted to the hospitals in Staunton as well as in Richmond. By August 1863 he was a "1 Corporal", which he remained until he was captured 12 May 1864 at Spottsylvania Courthouse (or The Wilderness). From there he was sent to Fort Delaware from Belle Plain, VA on 21 May 1864. He was released after taking the oath on 19 June 1865, under the same general order. His complexion was dark, hair dark, eyes dark, and 5'-6" tall. Nicknamed Cripple Henry", he suffered as a result of his wounds during the war. Legend has it that he walked home from Fort Delaware and could barely make it down the road toward home. Some of the family had lost hope and given him up for dead but Betsey Duff, John Jack's wife, had never given up on old "Hen". She lived to see her faith fulfilled. In 1868 William Henry Coffey married Jenny Lawman who was a sister of Mildred Lawman who married Daniel Rufus Coffey. Henry and Jenny had seven children.

Daniel Rufus Coffey served in the local defense and is not known to have ever seen action. He was 15 when the war began.

In August of 1871, Betsey died of Cholera. Henry Coffey, same generation as John Jack, died in June of the same year of Colic. About 1-1/2 years later on 1 April 1873, John Jack took a young wife, 25 year old Virginia C. Campbell of Rockbridge County, called “Jenny”. Virginia had come to the cabin, so the legend goes, to take care of Betsey during her sickness. Apparently there were no children by the second marriage, but the couple is thought to have informally adopted some Staton children. In this marriage record, John Jack's parents are listed as J and E Coffey, Jordan and Elizabeth. At the time, he was 64 years old. A few months later, he and "Billy" bought the 1335 acres called "Cooper's Place" evidently named after John Cooper, an early trapper who lived in the area.

John Jack died 14 December 1888 at the age of 80, of cancer. We have no specific place of burial for either him or Betsey. They may be buried behind Elsie Coffey's present house in an unmarked grave, as some believe.

[Next: William "Billy" Coffey]

Schylar Coffey (bc1806-dc1870-80)

Schylar may have been the second son of Jordan and Elizabeth Coffey, born around 1806. The marriage records do not list his parents, and death records have not been found for him. Schylar and Nelson (and Henry) are the only ones of the original 9 for whom no specific listing of parentage has been found. When Nelson married in 1833, Schylar gave permission, not Jordan and Elizabeth, although they were alive and living in Amherst County at the time.

The ancestry of Nelson and Schylar is not firmly established. Both of these names relate directly to Nelson County geography. Nelson was born approximately when a portion of Amherst became Nelson County. One district in Nelson County is Schuyler District. On occasions, Schylar's name has been written exactly that way. He and Nelson may be brothers, but only cousins to John Jack and Billy. They may be descendants of some of Edward the twin Coffey's people, or more likely, “excess” children from one or another neighbor. Henry was so much younger it is difficult to believe he came from the same parentage. NO records have been found which conclusively prove parentage of Schylar or Nelson, and Henry’s is not clear.

Schylar married Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of Robert "Hot-headed" Hambelton) Hamilton, and sister of Rebecca Hamilton who married Nelson Coffey, on 30 January 1832. His parents are not listed. It seems Schylar and Elizabeth had 7 children (see chart). Sophia, Jordan, Schylar and John all married.

No information regarding marriage of any of the older three has been found. All three, Frances, George and Robert, were still living with their parents in Amherst in 1860. Frances Coffey, 40 at the time, was still there in 1870.

George Coffey is believed to have enlisted as a Private in Co. B, 49th Regiment, VA Infantry, Confederate States of America on 23 April 1861. He died from wounds and typhoid fever either 1 or 5 March 1862 in camp along the Rapidan River in Madison County. Robert Coffey also served as a Private in the same regiment from his enlistment on 21 August 1862 until his death in July 1864 from wounds received 12 May 1864. He received a Certification of Commendation prior to his death. Jordan Coffey enlisted in Richmond, VA on 25 June 1864, assigned to Co. B, 3rd VA Calvary on 1 February 1864; no record regarding his service in the cavalry but he enlisted 1 March 1864 in Amherst County, VA, later transferred to Co. I, 49th VA Infantry on 27 June 1864; listed as AWOL as of 1 October 1864. No doubt the death of his brothers and the realization of the lost cause contributed to his absence. No record of Schylar, Jr. serving in the CSA has been found.

Schylar Coffey, Jr. married at least twice and probably three times. His first wife, Isabella Drumheller died 17 February 1870. No children are known. He remarried a Mary Coffey, daughter of Reubin W. and SJB Coffey in 1880 and she must have also died as he is believed to have taken on a third wife, Elizabeth. With this one he had at least one daughter, Anne Belle Coffey, who died in Rockbridge County in August 1895, a little before Elizabeth died (12 October 1895), both of fever. No further record regarding Schylar, Jr.

Sophia Coffey married Jim Coffey, Billy's oldest son, and they had several children which are discussed and charted under the "Billy" section.

Jordan Coffey married Rebecca Pettis (Grant) Coffey in 1876 in Rockbridge County and they are known to have had children, but nothing is known of this branch of the family.John Coffey married Annie Mariah Ogden in 1875 and they had eight children. John died in Harvey, West Virginia, but most of his children seemed to have settled in Buena Vista, VA. Nothing else is known about John at this time.

(Next: John Jack Coffey)

Coffeytown

Continuing with the work of John Taylor.

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There seems to be some controversy as to when Coffeytown was actually settled by the Coffeys. The earliest deed in present day Amherst County which we could find relating to the Coffey family was the 1827 deed by Hudson to his father Jordan. This deed, and William the elder's will, set forces in motion which eventually led to Coffeytown.

The next earliest deed is 1842, when Nelson bought his father-in-laws property for $475 from the estate. Our guess at this time is that he was living with his wife Rebecca on or near this property on Thrasher's Creek in 1841 when Robert Hambelton, Rebecca's father, died. Census reports indicate that he was next door to Robert in 1840. Nelson died sometime between 1845 - 1847 (based on tax records). His wife Rebecca Hamilton married Abram Clement in 1849. Abram was killed in Harrisonburg in 1862 during the Civil War. It appears that Rebecca stayed on the property for some time, but Frederick and Nancy each sold their share of the land 20 Aug. 1859 to James P. Hamilton. This land was related only to Nelson and his family and did not contribute to the overall development of Coffeytown. Had Nelson lived, however, Coffeytown would probably have been along Thrasher's Creek, which is more like rolling hills than the mountainous area around Coffeytown. Family legend has it that the Coffeys bought into Coffeytown land because the land they wanted was not available. If there is any truth to that statement, it was probably the land around Thrasher's Creek they would have preferred.

In 1848, William Coffey signed a deed of trust for $225.00 for Eliza White, his neighbor, who bought 230 acres with the money. This lien was released 12 April 1855. That same year William bought 105 acres from Meredith Allen and William's sister Jane, lying on the south side of Fork Mountain. This is probably the date the Allens left Virginia and eventually ended up in West Virginia, although they owned other property in the area which we have not tracked. He sold this to Willis White for a $10 loss on 6 October 1851. This land was adjacent to property owned by Aaron Higginbotham and Anderson Sandidge.

This was no doubt sold because Henry Coffey, freshly married to Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, bought 340 acres on both sides of the middle fork of the Pedlar River (Staton's Creek) on 8 May 1851 (DB "BB"/pp 188-189), having paid $1000 to William McDaniel, Elizabeth's father. The deed had the will built-in, so that when Henry died, it went back to Elizabeth. Sort of a rubber string attached. McDaniel then wrote his will (5 JUNE 1851) leaving his plantation to his son Lindsay McDaniel, Elizabeth's brother. The property bought by Henry was previously purchased by McDaniel from Benjamin Sandidge in 1811. This is the earliest deed for Coffey land which mentions Staton's Creek, even in such cryptic terms. It is likely that Jordan, Hudson, John Jack, Schylar, and William, since they were living in the same "neighborhood" in 1850, may have been living on Ogden land, inherited by Elizabeth from her husband Zachariah Ogden at census time, as Henry married Elizabeth in 1848. And when Henry bought the McDaniel property on both sides of the middle fork, all his Coffey cohorts came with him, looking for similar property in the same area.

Cognizant of Henry's "rubber string" deed, in 1859 John Jack purchased land from Thomas, James, and R. Richerson (DB "HH"/329), which was probably northeast of Henry's property. This was later expanded in 1873 when William and John Jack jointly purchased 1335 acres along Staton's Creek for the sum of $4000 from the estate of Jesse Richerson. Jesse had purchased it from Richard and John Cooper; Captain Benjamin Taliaferro's heirs, and James Taliaferro. This land, which we believe became a larger part of Coffeytown, was known as "Cooper's Place". In 1874, William and John sold a small portion, 275 acres, to McDaniel Crawford, then split the remaining land between themselves, and John Jack sold portions to Charles E. and John Jack, Jr. By the time the land was split, each had already built a cabin. The next few years are filled with land deals among the children and with a few outsiders, no doubt all centered around Coffeytown. (See Deed book "JJ" and later in Amherst County Courthouse.)

From several different indexes, these are the earliest deeds we have been able to find. Since other researchers seem to have the same problem with earlier Coffey property in Coffeytown area, we assume that 1851 was the first Coffey foothold along Staton's Creek but 1859 was the first year Coffeys freely owned land at Staton's Creek. Jordan and Elizabeth were most likely dead by this time, but they did get to see Henry's land and probably saw the general area before it was developed. Henry, we believe, lived south of Bridgehill Cemetery, in the general area of Embree Crawford's present house but probably up the hill off the roadway. The other Coffeys no doubt crowded around and saved their money until 1859. It was more than 30 years since Jordan had left Nelson County. The strong family ties which developed between the six Coffey boys, probably as a result of so much difficulty they faced together, left them and their families determined to stay close together so they could support each other in a way which had not occurred previously. These Coffeys understood what it meant to be essentially abandoned.

Having reviewed the evolution of Coffeytown from a census perspective, and then as a real estate transaction, we turn attention now to each of the six Coffey boys whose relationships throughout these years held the family together and finally culminated in a community. The family charts for each of these is located in the next section on descendants.

(Next: Hudson Coffey)

Harden Coffey 1846-1937

Harden was a grandson of Jordon Coffey, and son of William (Billy) Coffey and Sarah G. Crawford. He was born May. 10, 1846 in Virginia, and died Oct. 22, 1937 in Amherst Co.

Harden married Elizabeth, daughter of James and Susan Crawford, on Jan. 16, 1867 in Amherst Co. Elizabeth "Betsy" Crawford was born Sep. 22, 1849 in Amherst Co., and died Dec. 19, 1935 in that county.

She and Harden were the parents of nine children:

1. Nathan, born Feb. 4, 1869, died Feb. 8, 1954; married his first cousin, Luella Davis, daughter of Bennett Hudson and Roxsinia Belle Coffey, a daughter of William (Billy) Coffey. William was the sixth child of Jordan, and fifth son.
2. Sarah Catherine, born Sep. 30, 1871, died Aug. 17, 1909. She married Harding Lewis (Tip) Humphreys, and had three children: Hardin Lewis, Jr.; Sophia; and Turner B.
3. Hugh Nelson, born Jul 4, 1876 in Amherst Co., died Dec. 20, 1957 in that county. Married Ora Wills Crawford, born Jul. 28, 1881 in Amherst Co., died Dec. 20, 1976 in that county. Together they had five children: Robert H., Henry (Harvy?); Effie Gladys; Hersey Carter; and Bessie R.
4. Nora, born about 1873 in Amherst Co., married Champ Lee Ogden, born about 1869 in Amherst Co., on Feb. 7, 1894. They had three children: Cora L.; Hugh O.; and Bernard.
5. Indianna, born Jul. 30, 1879 in Amherst Co., died Sep. 1, 1966 in that county. She married William O. Fitzgerald, born May 24, 1890 in Amherst Co., died Jul. 26, 1916 in Amherst Co. They had at least one child, a daughter, Lottie born about 1913.
6. Pidgie, born about 1833 in Amherst Co., married about 1901 to John Cole Camden, born about 1868 in Virginia. They had at least one child, a son, Rucker V., born about 1901.
7. Sophia, born Mar. 13, 1885 in Amherst Co., died Sep. 15, 1967 in that county. She married Isaac G. Taylor, born Mar. 22, 1885, died Sep. 18, 1945 in Amherst Co. They had at least one child, a daughter, Flarie Taylor, born 1907, died 1975.
8. Flora, born 1888 in Amherst Co., died 1970 in that county. She married about 1916 to Luther M. Taylor, born Nov. 9, 1892 in Amherst Co., died Aug., 1967 in that county. There are no known children.
9. Bertha Lee, born about 1891 in Virginia, married Donald Grant about 1914 in Amherst Co. He was born about 1891 in Virginia, and died before April 15, 1930, the date of the 1930 census. They had seven children: Ruby, born about 1913; Jessie, born about 1915; Frank B., born Jun. 12, 1917, died Oct. 13, 1917; Henry, born about 1919; William, born about 1921; Larry, born about 1923; and Lois, born about 1927.

Descendants of John Jack, son of Jordon Coffey

According to current research, John Jack was the third child and son of Jordon and Elizabeth Rippetoe Coffey. He was born about 1809 in Virginia, and died Dec. 14, 1888 in Amherst Co., VA. He married Elizabeth Susan "Betsy" Duff on Jan. 18, 1830 in Amherst Co. Elizabeth was born about 1807 in Madison Co., VA, and died June 1, 1880 in Amherst Co. John Jack, Sr. married a second time to Virginia Campbell on Apr. 1, 1873 in Amherst Co. There are no known children from this marriage.

They appeared in every Amherst Co. census from 1840 through 1880. In 1830, his father was the first Coffey to be enumerated in Amherst Co.

John Jack and Elizabeth had six children:

1. Charles Edward, born Nov. 30, 1832, died Feb. 13, 1924. Charles married Sarah Jane (Jane) Ogden, born Oct. 22, 1833 in Virginia, died Jan. 17, 1904 in Amherst Co., VA. They had 9 children: Pittward (Pitt), born about 1855; Irvin, born about 1857; John, born/died about 1858; Charles Edward, Jr., born Nov. 9, 1859, died May 29, 1921; Edwin Horsley, born Mar. 1862; Mary Jane, born about 1864; Elianna (Eleanor?), born about 1867; Editha, born about 1870, and Hiter Webster, born about 1873.
2. Mary Colston, born about 1834
3. John Jack, Jr., born May 8, 1836, died Dec. 1, 1907. John married Patra Tyler, who was born Nov. 5, 1838 in Amherst Co., and died Mar. 8, 1921 in that county. They had eight children: Marcia M., born about 1861; Henely, born May 1862; Helena, born about 1865; Emma Jane, born May 11, 1868, died Apr. 22, 1910; John E., born Jun. 22, 1870, died Nov. 21, 1933; Lutie V., born Sep., 1873; Elizabeth, born Dec. 31, 1875, died Dec. 17, 1926; and Ambrose Rucker, born Dec. 1879.
4. Sarah Jane, born about 1838 in Virginia, married William Webster Davis, born Jan. 26, 1837 in Amherst Co., bird Apr. 10, 1909 in that county. There are no known children. William later married Avarilla Coffey, daughter Henry F. Coffey, a brother to John Jack.
5. William Henry, born May 23, 1840 in Amherst Co., married 1868 to Virginia Lawman, born about 1852 in Virginia. They had eight children: Willie Ann, born about 1811; Lillian, born about 1873; Frank Anderson, born Sep. 16, 1880, died Nov. 5, 1936; Irvin, born about 1878; Laura May, born May 7, 1875, died Dec. 16, 1911; Minnie; Nellie; and Hattie.
6. Daniel Rufus, born Aug. 17, 1846 in Virginia, died Nov. 18, 1921 in Amherst Co. Married Mildred J. Lawman, born about 1848 in Virginia, died Mar. 1880 in Amherst Co. They had five children: Ellen, born about 1869; Alice Loving, born about 1871; Cora, born about 1875; Bascom Walker, born about 1878, and Melissa, born/died Mar. 1880. Daniel married a second time to Sallie Cole Black, daughter of Cole and Sophia Black, on Aug. 30, 1880 in Amherst Co. They had 10 children: Nannie Lou; Daisy; Myrtle Shepard; Massie Johnson; Early Brown; Talmadge Ivey; Robert Mahood; Helen McClung; Mary Melissa; and Farrow Lawton.

The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown"

The following is one of a chapter in the new work pending editing and publication by John Taylor of Midlothian, Virginia. John and his wife own property in the Coffeytown area of Amherst Co., VA, and have been interested in the history of the area since about 1993.

John is intimately familar with the people of the Coffeytown area but he is not a Coffey descendant. He has generously given me permission to use this information, but asks that readers understand that it can be edited and/or amended before final release.

I am creating a family tree showing known descendants of Jordan Coffey. It will be based on John's work, and my own census research. That work is currently being reviewed by John, and will be made available to researchers when we are sure that it is as accurate as we can make it.

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The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown"

by John Taylor


The Coffey settlers of Coffeytown are described by family legend as Hudson, Schylar, John Jack, William (“Billy”), Nelson, and Henry Coffey. Jordan’s three daughters were Jane, Susanna, and Elizabeth. After their marriage, some stayed in the general area for a while but never were involved in the settlement of “Coffeytown”, which we define as land along Staton’s Creek, which at one time (1894 map) was referred to as “Coffie Creek”. This chapter explores the emergence of Coffeytown and discusses the lives of the Coffey family settlers to the extent we can find written documentation in the public records.

Overview

The 1830 Census shows Jordan Coffey as the only Coffey in present day Amherst County. This was the first census taken after Nelson county was formed which shows any Coffey in Amherst County. Jordan and his wife and 9 children are shown. John Jack was the first in this group to marry, in January, 1830, and by the time the census was taken was probably not living with the family. He doesn't show as the head of a household but this could be because he was living with a different family, as a boarder, probably with her family. If John Jack was not at home in the summer of 1830, this would mean that 10 children existed. There is no proof that all of these were Jordan's, as the listing is only for the head of the household and others by age range. One boy child is listed as being between the ages of 0-5. None of the known Coffeys listed above were that young in 1830. If this was Elizabeth's child, she would have been between 47 and 52 years of age when the child was born. It is likely that such a child may have died before the 1840 census. No name is known. It could also have been visiting for the summer, which is just as likely, based on the information available.

In 1830, the Census shows Jordan Coffey living in the same basic neighborhood with Ambrose Rucker, Lindsay McDaniel, and Henry Ogden. A few doors away is William McDaniel, Benjamin Taliaferro, and Joshua Duff, with his family, probably including Betsey Duff and John Jack, Sr. who were married in January 1830. In what appears to be a different part of the county not too far away, the census reads like a who's who of Coffey family and Amherst County history: Anderson Sandidge, John Staton, Joseph Dodd, Garland Richerson, Willis White, Aaron Higginbotham, James Clements, John Allen.

By 1840, John Jack, Nelson, Schuyler, and William are listed in addition to Jordan as the heads of households. This leaves Henry and Hudson unaccounted for by name in 1840. There were two males, aged 20-30 in Jordan's household that year. This is strange because Hudson was too old (35) and Henry was too young (18) to fit into that category. Neither of them are listed anywhere in Virginia as the head of household in 1840; but in 1839, the following Coffeys paid their taxes on the same day at the courthouse: John, Schylar, Jordan, Henry F., Hudson, and William. It is likely that the census age range is incorrect and that both Henry and Hudson were living with Jordan in 1840. The first mention of Henry is in the Amherst County tax records for 1839 when he would have been 22 years of age. It was 1842 when he paid taxes the next time, for a silver watch. Throughout the next seven years he declares for taxes but owns nothing being taxed. In 1849, after he married the widow Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, he arrives in style with four metallic clocks, 2 slaves and one horse, logging in at the staggering amount of $0.76 taxes for the year. Given all that and the fact that Henry shows nowhere else by name in any census report, it is likely that he was the ninth child indicated in the 1830 census as well, giving some credence to the family legend that Henry was thought of as Jordan's son. According to his death record, he was not Jordan's biological son, but he could have been and probably was informally adopted by Jordan prior to his leaving Nelson County.

Based on the listing in the 1840 Census, John Jack, William and Schylar were living in the same "neighborhood", Nelson was off elsewhere in the county, and Jordan lived between the two groups. Jordan lived between John Cash and Thomas Mahoney. We didn't recognize any of the other "nearby" names either. William and John were living next to each other, 3 doors down from Schylar who lived next to Meredith Allen, Jane Coffey's husband. Meredith and Jane had two young girls and one boy, all less than 5 years old in 1840. Patsy Cooper was a neighbor and 14 houses down the road was William W. Davis. Not too far away was the Methodist Reverend Pitt Woodroof with his wife and eight youngsters.

Reubin P. Coffey was living in a different part of Amherst County - just him and his wife. By 1850, he seems to have moved to Augusta County, and Joseph Coffee (59) and his wife Ruth (48) replaced Reubin P. as an "oddball" Coffey in Amherst.

In 1850, Henry, John, Jordan, Schylar, and William were living in the same neighborhood" while Frederick and Jesse were the oddballs, living in different parts of the county. Eliza Wilson lived next to John Coffey who lived next to William H. Ogden. Jordan, William, Schylar and Henry lived all in a row with James Dodd and Cornelius Clement at the end. Some 100 houses away, Frederick was living with Abram Clement and Rebecca, the widow of Nelson Coffey, along with her children by both marriages. William Hamilton (Hambelton), with James P. Hamilton living in, also lived next to Abram Clement.

Even Frederick Coffey joined the cluster by 1860. Rebecca and Pauline, with 15 year old Nelson were still living with Abram Clement, in the same neighborhood as William Sandidge, and next door to James Taliaferro. Charles E. Coffey, son of John Jack was living near 36 year old Edward Drummond who ended up with Pauline Coffey before 1870, and next door to John Whitesides and his family. The cluster which Frederick joined consisted of the following men and their families: Henry Coffey, John Coffey, William Coffey, Frederick Coffey, William W. Davis, Ben H. Davis, Hudson Coffey, and Nelson Clark flanking Hudson. This was all probably within the general area of present day Coffeytown. Meredith Coffey and family were next to James Taliaferro and Peter Lawhorne. Schylar Coffey was still further away from the cluster, but still in Amherst County, probably way up Rt. 634.

In 1870, Reubin C. Coffey and wife Margaret, sons Augustus (23) and Marcellus (27), along with her mother Martha Bolling (60) and a black cook named Victoria Briggs, lived in the Courthouse district of Amherst, probably near Thrasher's Creek since he and Edgar Whitehead bought 467-3/4 acres from John R. Haden in 1869 (DB "JJ"/pg 170). Meredith and his wife Martha, and four young children lived in the Temperance district of Amherst County. Pauline was living with Edward Drummond and her two children Moses (6) and William (2). They were also in the Temperance district. All other Coffeys seem concentrated in one area, which surely by 1870, was a bustling little "Coffeytown". It was in 1888 that Charles E. Coffey deeded land to the Methodist Church, and 1896 when the present church, in the process of restoration, was constructed of chestnut lumber cut from Coffey land. The schoolhouse (land deeded by Charles E. Coffey in 1899 to Pedlar School Board - DB "YY" pg 405/ 498) was located just up the hill from the church site, and the post office was down by the road, next to the church. This concentration of Coffeys continued through the 1910 Census report we reviewed, and no doubt continued well into the era of World War II.

We would like to get into more detail regarding Coffeytown itself, but we simply ran out of time. Perhaps in the next edition.

[Next: "Coffeytown"]

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Click on the title link to view a Jordan Coffey family group sheet pdf.

The Coffey Family Settlers of "Coffeytown" - Part 2

Continuing with the work of John Taylor:

"Coffeytown"

There seems to be some controversy as to when Coffeytown was actually settled by the Coffeys. The earliest deed in present day Amherst County which we could find relating to the Coffey family was the 1827 deed by Hudson to his father Jordan. This deed, and William the elder's will, set forces in motion which eventually led to Coffeytown.

The next earliest deed is 1842, when Nelson bought his father-in-laws property for $475 from the estate. Our guess at this time is that he was living with his wife Rebecca on or near this property on Thrasher's Creek in 1841 when Robert Hambelton, Rebecca's father, died. Census reports indicate that he was next door to Robert in 1840. Nelson died sometime between 1845 - 1847 (based on tax records). His wife Rebecca Hamilton married Abram Clement in 1849. Abram was killed in Harrisonburg in 1862 during the Civil War. It appears that Rebecca stayed on the property for some time, but Frederick and Nancy each sold their share of the land 20 AUG 1859 to James P. Hamilton. This land was related only to Nelson and his family and did not contribute to the overall development of Coffeytown. Had Nelson lived, however, Coffeytown would probably have been along Thrasher's Creek, which is more like rolling hills than the mountainous area around Coffeytown. Family legend has it that the Coffeys bought into Coffeytown land because the land they wanted was not available. If there is any truth to that statement, it was probably the land around Thrasher's Creek they would have preferred.

In 1848, William Coffey signed a deed of trust for $225.00 for Eliza White, his neighbor, who bought 230 acres with the money. This lien was released 12 April 1855. That same year William bought 105 acres from Meredith Allen and William's sister Jane, lying on the south side of Fork Mountain. This is probably the date the Allens left Virginia and eventually ended up in West Virginia, although they owned other property in the area which we have not tracked. He sold this to Willis White for a $10 loss on 6 October 1851. This land was adjacent to property owned by Aaron Higginbotham and Anderson Sandidge.

This was no doubt sold because Henry Coffey, freshly married to Elizabeth (McDaniel) (Ogden) Coffey, bought 340 acres on both sides of the middle fork of the Pedlar River (Staton's Creek) on 8 May 1851 (DB "BB"/pp 188-189), having paid $1000 to William McDaniel, Elizabeth's father. The deed had the will built-in, so that when Henry died, it went back to Elizabeth. Sort of a rubber string attached. McDaniel then wrote his will (5 JUNE 1851) leaving his plantation to his son Lindsay McDaniel, Elizabeth's brother. The property bought by Henry was previously purchased by McDaniel from Benjamin Sandidge in 1811. This is the earliest deed for Coffey land which mentions Staton's Creek, even in such cryptic terms. It is likely that Jordan, Hudson, John Jack, Schylar, and William, since they were living in the same "neighborhood" in 1850, may have been living on Ogden land, inherited by Elizabeth from her husband Zachariah Ogden at census time, as Henry married Elizabeth in 1848. And when Henry bought the McDaniel property on both sides of the middle fork, all his Coffey cohorts came with him, looking for similar property in the same area.

Cognizant of Henry's "rubber string" deed, in 1859 John Jack purchased land from Thomas, James, and R. Richerson (DB "HH"/329), which was probably northeast of Henry's property. This was later expanded in 1873 when William and John Jack jointly purchased 1335 acres along Staton's Creek for the sum of $4000 from the estate of Jesse Richerson. Jesse had purchased it from Richard and John Cooper; Captain Benjamin Taliaferro's heirs, and James Taliaferro. This land, which we believe became a larger part of Coffeytown, was known as "Cooper's Place". In 1874, William and John sold a small portion, 275 acres, to McDaniel Crawford, then split the remaining land between themselves, and John Jack sold portions to Charles E. and John Jack, Jr. By the time the land was split, each had already built a cabin. The next few years are filled with land deals among the children and with a few outsiders, no doubt all centered around Coffeytown. (See Deed book "JJ" and later in Amherst County Courthouse.)

From several different indexes, these are the earliest deeds we have been able to find. Since other researchers seem to have the same problem with earlier Coffey property in Coffeytown area, we assume that 1851 was the first Coffey foothold along Staton's Creek but 1859 was the first year Coffeys freely owned land at Staton's Creek. Jordan and Elizabeth were most likely dead by this time, but they did get to see Henry's land and probably saw the general area before it was developed. Henry, we believe, lived south of Bridgehill Cemetery, in the general area of Embree Crawford's present house but probably up the hill off the roadway. The other Coffeys no doubt crowded around and saved their money until 1859. It was more than 30 years since Jordan had left Nelson County. The strong family ties which developed between the six Coffey boys, probably as a result of so much difficulty they faced together, left them and their families determined to stay close together so they could support each other in a way which had not occurred previously. These Coffeys understood what it meant to be essentially abandoned.

Having reviewed the evolution of Coffeytown from a census perspective, and then as a real estate transaction, we turn attention now to each of the six Coffey boys whose relationships throughout these years held the family together and finally culminated in a community. The family charts for each of these is located in the next section on descendants.