Abram and Mahala Cantwell Parris

Abram and Mahala May Cantwell Parris were parents of 12 children, two of which married into the Coffey family.

Abram (Abraham in the 1900 census) was born in Oct., 1826 in the Spartenburg district of SC. He died Apr. 16, 1915 in Missouri. Mahala May was born Jan. 22, 1830 in the Spartenburg district and died Sep. 23, 1909 in Grainger Co., TN. According to one source1, Abram went to MO to live with some of his children with a promise that upon his death he be returned to Grainger county to be buried with Mahala.

We know that Abram served the Confederacy during the Civil War. What isn't clear is which unit. Some genealogies that I have seen place him in Co. K, 16th NC Inf. Regt. However, there was also an Abram Parris who enlisted in Co. M, 7th Bn. Reserves Inf. Regt., in SC. I haven't researched enough to know which is accurate.

In 1860 the family lived in NC so the one who enlisted in Co. K is likely the one of interest here. The census for that year places them in Cooper Gap, Polk Co., NC. By 1870 they were in Grainger Co., TN and in 1880 in Claiborne Co. The family remained in that county until sometime after 1910. Abram the widower was found there in the 1910 household with his daughter Mahala Samantha Parris Cope.

An extract of the 1900 census:

1900 Claiborne Co., ED8, Sheet 15B, dwelling 168, family 270, Paris [sic], Abraham, head, white male, born Oct., 1826, age 73, married 52 yrs., born SC, parents born SC, farmer; Mahala, wife, white female, born Jan., 1830, age 70, married 52 yrs., mother of 12, 9 living, born SC, parents born SC; West, Allen, servant, white male, born Jan. 1879, age 21, married 3 yrs., born TN, parents born TN, farm laborer; West, Liddie E., servant, white female, born Jun., 1879, age 20, married 3 yrs., mother of none, born TN, parents born TN, house keeper; Milligan, Hobart, g-son, white male, born Dec., 1896, age 3, born TN, parents born TN

Both he and Mahala are buried in the Condry [Cope] Cemetery2 in Grainger Co.

The two daughters who married into the Coffey family were:

Dorcus Elizabeth, first born and eldest daughter, was born Oct, 30, 1847, died May 7, 1927. She married John Jackson "Stumpy" Coffey, Jr., c1868 in TN. John was born May 26, 1845 in Grainger Co., and died there on May 10, 1929. Both are buried at McGinnis-Harrell Cemetery3 in Grainger Co.

I have four children born to this family: Mary Elizabeth, born Dec. 4, 1868; Etta Elsie, born Jun. 12, 1870; William Lemmie, born Mar. 22, 1872, died Dec. 21, 1932 in Washburn, Grainger Co.; and John Landrum, born Oct. 22, 1874, died Jul. 16, 1909.

- William Lemmie married Caroline Hopson, a daughter of Jesse and Julia Ritter Hopson. She was born May 1, 1875 in Thorn Hill and died Aug. 28, 1945 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., MI. Both are buried at McGinnis-Harrell.

Their children were: William Tarrance; Maude Delia; Parlin John; Amanda Elizabeth; James Nelson; and Julia Isabell.

- John Landrum married Mollie E. Condry on Oct. 7, 1891 in Grainger Co. She was born Feb. 28, 1876 in Grainger Co., and died Sep. 24, 1953 in Morristown, Hamblen Co., TN. Although John is buried in the Condry [Cope] cemetery, Molly was apparently buried in the Jarnigan Cemetery in Morristown.

Their children were: John Zolley; Myrtle E.; James Henderson; Jesse Morris; and Carrie Mae.

Abram and Mahala's third born and third daughter was Sarah Emily Ann. She was born Oct. 20, 1852 in TN and died Aug. 3, 1905 in Thorn Hill. She married Colby C. Coffey, a brother to Stumpy. I haven't found a marriage date but estimate c1870.

Their children were: John Alfred; Cora; James Orlander; Mary; Nelson; Dillard D.; and Della.

I have some descendants of the children of Colby and Sarah as well as Dorcas and John.

A son of Colby, James Orlander Coffey, married Orlena Cope c1898. They had at least eight children, the youngest of which was James Carson, born Apr. 9, 1918, and who died on Jan. 8, 2008 at the age of 89. I found his obituary this morning in the Middletown Journal, Middletown, OH:

COFFEY, James Carson Age 89, of Middletown went to be with the Lord at Atrium Medical Center on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. James was born on April 9, 1918 in Tazwell, TN, the son of Orlando and Orleana Coffey. The youngest of eight children, James was a veteran of the United States Army during WW II. He was an assembly worker for General Motors for 20 years, retiring in 1980. James attended Towne Blvd. Church of God. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers General, Emmet and Paris Coffey; sisters Lillie Dalton, Ella Carpenter, Delta Coffey and Elsie Jaynes. James is survived by Beulah Seal Coffey, his devoted wife of 64 years; daughter Mary Hall and husband John; son Tony Coffey and wife Faith with grandson Carson Coffey. Visitation will be Thursday, January 10, 2008 5:00-8:00 at Baker-Stevens Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life Service will be Friday, January 11, 2008 at 10:30 am also at the Funeral Home. Interment will be at Woodhill Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.baker-stevens.com.

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








1Claiborne County Historical Society, compiler, The People's History of Claiborne County, Tennessee 1801-1988 (: Claiborne Co. Historical Society, 1999, Second Printing)

2There are at least two cemeteries with the name Condry. One is located off Hwy 131W on Hayes Mountain Lane, and almost due west of Thorn HIll. The other is found off Condry Bend at 36:22:18N, 083:29:29W more or less NW of Thorn Hill, near Beech Grove

3This cemetery is located off of Campground Road, west of Thorn Hill.

William Lemmie and Caroline Hopson Coffey

William was a son of John Jackson "Stumpy" Coffey, Jr. and wife Darcus Elizabeth Parris. He was born Mar. 22, 1872 in Grainger Co., TN and died Dec. 21, 1932 in Washburn, Grainger Co. He married Caroline Hopson, a daughter of Jesse and Julia Ritter Hopson in Oct., 1892 in Thorn Hill, Grainger Co. Caroline was born May 1, 1875 in Thorn Hill and died Aug. 28, 1956 in Pontiac, Oakland Co., MI.
There were at least six children born to this marriage:

William Tarrance, born Jul. 26, 1893 in Washburn, and died Jul 16, 1946, place unknown. He married Susan Maude Melissa Rucker, born Oct. 9, 1897 in Idol, Grainger Co. to Claiborn and Mary Majors Rucker, on Sep. 7, 1919 in Washburn. Their children, all born in Grainger Co., were: Lillian, born c1921; Alta, born c1923, married Conley Hubert Coffman; Kathleen, born Dec., 1925, married Landon Crow Rucker; Wancida, born Jan., 1928; and Delta Lucille, born c1932, married James Leonard Dalton on Jun. 6, 1950 in Grainger Co. James was a son of Joseph Thomas and Martha Hayes Dalton.

Maude Delia, born Jul. 31, 1895 in Washburn. She married Henry A. Presnell on Oct. 16, 1920 in Monroe Co., MI. Their children were Hilda, born c1922 in MI; Alma, born c1924 in KY; Ellen, born c1925 in TN; Dewey S., born c1927 in TN; and Leona, born c1928 in MI. Although both claimed to still be married, the 1930 Grainger Co. census shows Maude and her children residing in the household with her parents, and Henry residing alone elsewhere in the county. Maude could have been visiting her parents.

Parlin John, born Jun. 10, 1898 in Idol, married Maude Wolfenbarger on Jun. 20, 1918 in Washburn. Maude was born c1900 in Idol and died in Dec., 1946 in Michigan. I know of two children: Ethel, born c1922 and Norma.

Amanda Elizabeth, born Sep. 22, 1902 in Idol, married William Frank Breeding on Jun. 29, 1919 in Washburn. William was born May 10, 1897 in Thorn Hill and died Jan. 10, 1976, place unknown. Their children, all born in Michigan, were William Harvey, born Apr. 15, 1921; Wiley Grover, born Nov. 2, 1922; Buford Frank, born May 27, 1927; Clifford Jesse, born Mar. 20, 1933; and Delbert Nelson, born May 15, 1935.

James Nelson, born May 6, 1906 in Idol, died Feb. 6, 1988 in Bean Station, Grainger Co. He married Joycie Clara Dalton, a daughter of William Jasper "Jape" and Cynthia Ann Jordan Dalton. She was born Dec. 21, 1907 in Washburn, and died Jul. 11, 1993 in Bean Station. The marriage was recorded on Feb. 14, 1926 in Washburn. Their children were: Vernon Clare, a dau., born Aug. 21, 1926 in TN; Leland Clarence, born Oct. 6, 1927 in TN and died Nov. 24, 1999 in Hamblen Co., TN; Lela Elizabeth, born Sep. 25, 1929 in Oakland Co., MI; Lemmie Elmer, born Dec. 14, 1931, married Ida Jo. Waddell; Gladys Imogene, born Jan. 6, 1934, died Apr. 6, 1984 in Jefferson Co., TN; Reva Marie, born May 28, 1936, died May 23, 2000; Raymond William, born Aug. 24, 1940.

The last child, known to me, was Julia Isabell, born Jan. 28, 1912 in Washburn. She married Carter Emmitt Smith on Jun. 14, 1920 in Luttrell, Grainger Co. Carter was born Sep. 14, 1911 in Claiborn Co. Their children were: Donald, born Jun. 28, 1931 in MI, and died Feb. 12, 1951 in Korea; Dorothy, born Jun. 28, 1931; Hazel Ruth, born Oct. 11, 1933; and Paris Leland, born May 25, 1940.

Brothers Colby C. and John Jackson "Stumpy" Coffey

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Colby C. Coffey was born Jan. 12, 1852 in TN, son of John Jackson and Alsy Nash Coffey. He died Oct. 23, 1924 in Thorn Hill, Grainger Co., TN and was buried there in the Condry (also known as Cope) Cemetery. He married Sarah Emily Ann Parris c1870 in probably Claiborne Co., TN. Their first child, John Alfred was born in Tazewell, Claiborne Co.

Sarah Emily was born Oct. 20, 1852 and died Aug. 3, 1905 in Thorn Hill. She is also buried in the Condry Cemetery. Her parents were Abram Parris, born Oct. 26, 1826 in the Spartenburg Dist. of South Carolina, and died on Apr. 16, 1915. Her mother was Mahala May Cantwell, born Jan. 22, 1830 in Spartenburg Dist., and died 1909. Both are buried in the Condry Cemetery.

Colby and Sarah were parents of seven children: John Alfred, born Mar. 9, 1872, died Oct. 27, 1943; Cora, born Jun. 29, 1877, died Jun. 25, 1951; James Orlander, born Mar. 18, 1879, died May 1, 1956; Mary, born Mar. 24, 1881; Nelson, born Aug. 28, 1884, died Oct., 1912; Dillard D., born May 8, 1886, died Jul. 23, 1924; and Della, born Jan., 1894.

In addition to Sarah Emily Abram and Mahale were also the parents of Darcus Elizabeth Parris who married Colby's brother, John Jackson (Stumpy) Coffey, Jr. Darcus was born Oct. 20, 1847 in South Carolina and died May 7, 1927 in Thorn Hill. She and Stumpy were married c1868 in TN. John Jackson, Jr. was born May 26, 1845 in Grainger Co., and died May 20, 1929 in Thorn Hill. This couple is buried in the McGinnis-Harrell Cemetery in Grainger Co. Their children were: Mary Elizabeth, born Dec. 4, 1868; Etta Elsie, born Jun. 12, 1870; William Lemmie, born Mar. 22, 1872, died 1932; and John Landrum, born Oct. 22, 1874, died Jul. 16, 1909.

I have additional information on the descendants of these two families.

Please contact me if you need additional information, or can add to or correct any of the above.