Happy New Year to you, and to all of the subscribers of this list!
I put out a few of feelers on the question of an illigitimate son of
Rice Coffee named William Coffee Berry. The queries were to very long
time, and thorough researchers of the Coffee/y surname, and who
certainly would have knowledge of the controversy.
None of them had ever heard of the January 1870 "Biographical Account of
the Berry Family" by William Coffee Berry. In addition, none of them
had ever heard of William Coffee Berry. The closest we came was to a
reference to as yet unconnected William Coffee (Coffe) as briefly
described in the following note that I received from Dr. Marvin Coffey:
Subject: Hello! -Reply
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 10:58:40 -0800
From:Marvin Coffey
To:jcoffee@ix.netcom.com
Hi Jack, I will try to answer any queries sent to me on e-mail,
including those picked from the CCC web page or other internet info
that looks legitimate. I don't have internet access but from what
people have given me I find a lot of stuff that's been passed around
for years and is often incorrect.
As to your account of the Berry family I am of course familiar with
the Fields and some of the other material but I have no knowledge of
the Berry family, including the claim that Elizabeth Fields Berry had
two children (illigitimate) by Rice Coffey. If true, and I have no
reason to say aye or nay, it might explain a William Coffey (or
Coffe) who was in Bedford co. TN and is not otherwise explained.
That is, assuming this William went by Coffey and not Berry. I
certainly would be interested if you ever find any real evidence that
it is true. I suspect that if it is true, and I'm not at all saying
it is, that the Coffey family kept it well hidden as most folks were
want to do in those times. I have never looked for one but do you
know if Rice Coffey had a will, whereby he might have left something
to these two, Mary and William?
Thanks for writing. It seems like all the easy stuff on the Coffeys
has been done; now most of what I get are problems that seem
difficult to solve. Oh, Well, that's what makes life interesting!
Regards - Jack
Coffey Cousins' Clearinghouse
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/6233/coffeycousins.html