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Charlotte, et al:
Following are excerpts from a letter written by my great uncle,
Marshal Walter Coats, son of John Coats II, who was the grandson of
the Rev. Will. These notes were written to my grandmother about 1945
in answer to her questions about my grandfather (Ernest Edward Coat's)
family. I thought some of the names might be of help to you all in
the "search". I was also interested in the "medical history" of some
of our forebearers. Ernest E. Coats died in 1934 as a result of an
accident. Here's what Uncle Marshall wrote:
NAMES AND AGES OF ANCESTORS OF E. E. COATS
1. PATERNAL GRANDFATHER. John Coats, milled by accident while
Sheriff of Callaway County,Mo., age about 50 years.
2. PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER. Sarah Coats, lived on a farm most all her
life. Died at the age of 84 years. All of her children (except one
died in infancy not named), lived to the age of 70 or more years. No
insanity or suicides in the family.
3. MATERNAL GRANDFATHER. Thomas Garrett. Farmer, died of small pox
about the age of 50 years.
4. MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER. Letitia Garrett. Lived on farm most of her
life. Died at the age of 75 years. Was rather weakly the last 30
years of her life. Last sickness, Flux. Mind sound.
NAMES OF PATERNAL UNCLES AND AUNTS. James Coats, Thomas Coats,
William Coats, Mary Coats, Nancy Coats, Mattie Coats All lived to be
70 or more, unless Thomas Coats might have been younger. No suicides
or insanity that I heard of, am sure there was none.
NAMES OF UNCLES AND AUNTS OF E. E. COATS, MATERNAL. James Garrett
died age about 30 years. Died suddenly, might have been accidental
poison. William Garrett died about 20 years, was lost in the Civil
War 1864. Mary Garrett died about the age of 22 - never was strong
physically, but sound mentally. Virginia Garrett at about 40 years of
age, contracted some form of T.B. Sound mentally. George Garrett
died at Fulton Mo. Hospital for the Insane about 1885 or 86. Age
about 40 years. Was insane 20 years or more. Cause of insanity
presumed to be a love affair. Never was violent while at the
hospital, but would become so when he returned home, which was tried
several times.
E. E. Coats (note: and Marshal's) father, John Coats II, had something
like epilepsy at the age of 25 or 35 years, but was permanently cured
of whatever it was. He would know when the spells were coming on and
when alone would have time to find the best available place. As I
remember, they did not last very long. He lived to 82 years of age.
E. E. Coats (note, and Marshal's) mother, Elizabeth Francis Garrett,
was a strong woman. Never sick to amount to much, but worried quite a
lot about things that could not be helped.
ANOTHER NOTE: My mother's paternal grandfather's name was James
Garrett. His wife was Elizabeth Sims Garrett, all from North Carolina
to Johnson County, Mo. I was on the old James Garrett Farm last
September as I came back from the Columbia Hospital and stayed
overnight with Alvin and Maud Thompson Kendrick. Maud is a cousin of
Mother's.
Thanks Sue...this just seems to me to make it more plausible that James
Coats with the son Marshall in 1817 is related, he has to be either a
brother or the father...it's just that James Coats had no land in TN...if
that Mr. Coats in that one deed is their father, James may have been living
on his land and there is no record but there should be some sort of
probate...something, I'll take anything here....<g>....
I've ordered the MO probate records, two microfilm and the Smith County TN
probate records, one microfilm...there shouldn't be any Coats' on the Smith
County TN records except Benjamin Coats'....the MO records should give me
info on James Coats, not sure I got the dates far enough down for Rev Will's
will...these two film are probate records from MO but from two different
sources...I ordered one of each to see what there are...
I also ordered the Brush River Baptist Church Records from the TN State
Archive...I've forgotten the time period they cover...but will see what is
on them...
Rev Will just sorta shows up in Smith County TN without any indication of
where he came from in the records...????
I'm a little confused here...John I was the son of Rev Will and his son John
II...is Marshall the son of John I or John II...?
Char
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Sue Taub" <suzi6bits(a)hotmail.com>
To: COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Coats/Garrett Names
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:05:04 -0700
Charlotte, et al:
Following are excerpts from a letter written by my great uncle,
Marshal Walter Coats, son of John Coats II, who was the grandson of
the Rev. Will. These notes were written to my grandmother about 1945
in answer to her questions about my grandfather (Ernest Edward Coat's)
family. I thought some of the names might be of help to you all in
the "search". I was also interested in the "medical history" of some
of our forebearers. Ernest E. Coats died in 1934 as a result of an
accident. Here's what Uncle Marshall wrote:
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
Hmmm...this is in reference to the book I posted...someone wanted to know
what the title of the book was...this apparently is for his Master's
Thesis..but he does give his sources at the end...for more specific info I'd
send him an email...Char
----Original Message Follows----
From: FordTSmith(a)aol.com
To: CUMBERLAND-RIVER(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Feud book
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 10:11:41 EDT
I just finished working on the rough draft. I will present it to my readers
at U of L for my Masters soon, next week. Please, look this over and tell
me
what you think.
Be honest. Polite lies won't help me improve. I know some of the facts are
slightly off, and some names were changed to protect those not really
involved, but how else can it be improved?
Thanks in advance for your time in reading this, and let me know if I can do
anything to make it more accurate or readable.
To the White, Howard, and Bailey families, I apologize if I have portrayed
any of you unjustly. Please tell me how I can make amends. I truly admire
all of the people involved, and mean no harm.
Sincerely,
Ford T. Smith
4541 South Third Street
Louisville, KY 40214
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Char,
I missed it, can you tell me what book this is from. All the surnames
mentioned in this story are mine! This is very interesting.
thanks,
April
In a message dated 4/30/99 8:35:51 AM, coats(a)hotmail.com writes:
<<Interesting story...there is a Coates cited here as a reference at the end
of this piece......Charlotte>>
Interesting story...there is a Coates cited here as a reference at the end
of this piece......Charlotte
----Original Message Follows----
From: FordTSmith(a)aol.com
To: CUMBERLAND-RIVER(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Chapters 21 - Works Cited
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 10:03:48 EDT
Chapter XXI: Maggie Remembers
Grandma, tell me again about the time they shot Bev Bailey. Her
sad eyes, blue like mine, looked back to that time, and I could tell she was
seeing it all again. She took a deep breath, as if all the sorrow had just
happened yesterday.
They shot him to pieces. And they kept goin this a way with the
cigarettes to fool him, so hed have his hands away from his guns. One of
em said, Maggie, Maggie, run with that baby, and then they kilt him. And
I run. I did. I run. I had to, dont ye see?
Yes, Grandma, I know. And I do know. I have heard these tales all
my life, and know them by heart, but the retelling always adds something
newly remembered, like Bevs last words: Aint this a hell of shape for a
man to be in?
Maggie is at the time of this writing over ninety years old. She has
high blood pressure. She fell a couple of years ago, and now she has
trouble
getting around, but whenever she hears gun shots in Wallins Creek, and there
are still gun shots, she grabs her gun, one of several she keeps handy, and
looks out to see if trouble is stirring. She has been known to yell out the
window, I shoot back. She means it, too.
The stories are all inside her, but until I learned some of the
details form the records, the stories seemed to be disjointed, but as I
started putting the pieces together, things began to come together, like why
John shot Bev White the instant he got off the train. Or why the Whites
killed Bev Bailey over what seemed like a simple taunt, but was really based
on years of hatred and killing.
The feud did not end with the Baileys. Philpots, Bakers, and others
still find excuses to hate the Whites and Howards. I have been looked down
on by a gentleman at a funeral once because he learned I was one of them
Smiths. He told me a different story of the shooting of Tom Baker, and
swore that none of his kin ever shot a Bailey. The court records of the
investigation into Bev Baileys murder are missing, only the record of where
the witnesses were paid is still in existence, and it still shows the
pitiful
amount of money offered Maggie for being a witness at that investigation.
Israel Howard, a fine scholar of the feud, has written in The Last Mold of
Clay that the feud never happened, and that the Howard family only shot in
peoples direction to keep them from harming themselves or others, and
therefore they only killed people by accident, except for the murder of
Baldy
George Baker, and that was temporary insanity (10 and 19).
The feud still causes other problems. Family members often keep the
guns involved in the feud and pass these on from generation to generation as
if the weapons were trophies. Jim Baileys revolver still lies in the Smith
family, while the rifle that killed Floyd Ramsey Smith now belongs to
Grover Blantons descendants. By a strange twist, Floyd Smiths wife, Rosa
Gibson, was Maggies aunt, and for this reason, the rifle is now a highly
despised item on one side of the feud, but a cherished reminder of the feud
on the other, thus gun enthusiasts often have to determine local sentiment
before viewing any such weapon for fear of offending one side or the other.
Other avenues of the sad feud have been disputed for years. Several
men have been blamed for the murder of Governor Goebel, but many rumors
point
an accusatory finger at Caleb Powers, others at Big Jim Howard. The truth
will probably never be known, unless some other family eventually discloses
its secrets.
Violence is a way of life, as taught to me and many of my kin. It
has had to be unlearned for obvious reasons, but many persist in keeping the
dubious tradition alive. For instance, one member of the Smith clan has a
nasty reputation of being a gambler, or as he puts it, when I play, I aint
gambling, just using my talents. Alcohol abuse still holds many of the
families in poverty and despair, and abusive relationships are accepted as
the norm in some of these same families. Much of this dysfunctional
behavior
has roots in the feuds of the past.
Politics continue to plague Clay, Knox, and Harlan counties. School
boards have been known to hire according to kinship, not qualifications or
certification. Roads are repaired by request, not need, and seem to favor
some families over others. The sentiment that it aint his (her) fault, he
(she) was a-drinkin is used repeatedly to excuse driving accidents, abuse,
even murder, and those who would contradict this line of reasoning are not
likely to do well in political circles. However, not all is wrong with the
political arena in this region, for even dead citizens have been known to
cast their absentee votes; where else can such devotion to civic duty be
found?
The dead are honored by these families, if any family remains.
Decoration day is a major event in these communities, and the cemeteries are
truly places of beauty. Kentucky has more genealogical resources than most
states, and numerous historical societies exist to keep the family stories
alive; yet, keeping the stories alive is often the reason many feud victims
died. The day before his death, Anderson Root was eager to pass along all
the stories he could of the Bailey family and said of his first cousin, Big
Jim (Bailey) wouldve been somebody ifun it hadnt been for his brother,
thats sure enough true. John kept the feud going, having only been a
child
when he witness the shooting of Bad Tom Baker at Manchester, but he was in
his mid thirties when he took vengeance on the suspected murderer. Martha
Bailey kept a gun (or sometimes two) under her apron, and she often told her
children to beware of being done wrong, and instructed them on how to uphold
family honor; her reward for having taught such behavior to her offspring
was
outliving her own children and several of her grandchildren. The Bailey
family is not unique; a list written about fifty years ago by one researcher
included the names of one-hundred people killed in the Clay County feuds,
and
the list is far from complete.
This story is not finished, for it cannot be; oral histories have a
way of changing, and records in courthouses and newspaper articles in
libraries have a habit of disappearing, and secrets become public knowledge,
so the truth remains allusive. Some stories will not be told until the
time is right, like the death of Floyd Osborne; that story must wait. I
have
told the truth as I have known it, as it has been told to me. Looking
into
my grandmother Maggies eyes, so much like mine, I see that her truth is the
only one that matters to her, and so it is also my truth.
Works Cited
12 Murder Cases Up In Harlan Court. The Corbin Times-Tribune. November
18, 1930: 1.
Bailey Brothers Kill Each Other at Wallins Creek. Sentinel Echo. April
2,
1931: 1.
Baileys Hold Up Dry Men: Brothers of Slayer Appeal Sentence In United
States
Court. The Courier-Journal. April 7, 1921. Sec. 1, page 1.
The Baker-Howard Feud Is Raging in Clay County. Mt. Vernon Signal
Newspaper. June 5,1898: 1.
Baker-Howard Feud Victim. Mt. Vernon Signal Newspaper. June 6,1898: 1.
Battle Feared in Hunt for Feudist. The Courier-Journal. April 8, 1921:
Sec. 1, page 1.
Bev Bailey Slain. The Pineville Sun. May 5, 1927: Vol. 20, No. 1, Page
1,
Col. 7.
Bradley Means Business. Mt. Vernon Signal Newspaper. June 18,1899: 1.
Brothers Kill Each Other. The Courier-Journal. March 30, 1931: Sec. A,
page 1.
Clay County Deputy Shot by Bootleggers. The Courier-Journal. September
27, 1920: Sec. 1, Page 1, Col. 1
Coates, Harold Wilson. Stories of Kentucky Feuds. Knoxville, Tennessee:
Holmes-Darst Coal Corporation, 1942.
Cowardly Was the Murder of Tom Baker at Manchester. The Courier-Journal.
June 11, 1899: 1.
Davis, Hartley, and Clifford Smyth. The Story Of Kentucky's Great Family
Feuds Munsey's Magazine. November, 1903: 2.
Dickey, John J. Diary. 1898 - 1899.
Editorial. Mt. Vernon Signal Newspaper. June 23,1899: 19.
Feud Slayer Flees to Hills. The Courier-Journal. April 8, 1921: Sec. 1,
page 1.
Feudist Surrenders; Adherents Arrested. The Courier-Journal. April 10,
1921: Sec. 1, Page 1
Former Officer in Knox Is Slain. The Courier-Journal. September 26,
1920:
Sec. 5, Page 1.
Howard, Israel J. The Last Mold of Clay. Manchester, Kentucky:
self-published manuscript. 1998.
Knox Man, 70, Is Freed in Slaying. The Corbin Times-Tribune. November
21,
1930: Page 3, Col. 2.
Old Feud Was Bitter. The Courier-Journal. April 9, 1921: Sec. 1, Page 1
Pearce, John Ed. Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky.
Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1994.
Rockcastle County, Kentucky. Mt. Vernon Signal Newspaper. August 17,
1900:
1.
Sheriff Blair Averts Shooting. The Harlan Enterprise. October 24, 1924:
1.
Sheriff Disarms Man in Court. The Corbin Times-Tribune. October 24,
1924:
Vol. 17, No. 39, Page 1, Col. 4.
Speed, John G. Governors Victory Was Torn from Taylor, While Goebel Was
Killed. Harpers Weekly. February 17, 1900: 28.
Surprise at London, KY. Mt. Vernon Signal Newspaper. August 25, 1899: 1.
Two Brothers Kill Each Other Sunday. Harlan Daily Enterprise. March 30,
1931: Vol. 6, No. 77, 1.
Two Meet Death in Shooting Fray. The Louisville Times. February 15,
1915:
5.
White, Bailey Feud Is Renewed. The Corbin Times. May 6, 1927: 1 & 6.
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Joe Coates sent this to me...it's a like to all the Baptist Church Records in SC that Furman has available for interlibrary loan...
http://library.furman.edu/depts/speccoll/churchrecs.htm
Thanks Joe...this is great...Char
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This E-mail was sent from http://law.com
The woman that relayed the story to me is going to meet with me this Sunday.
She knows about Francis, Cecily and a lot of other Willis, Merrell, Coates
stuff. I will definitely let you know everything I find out Sunday. She
was surprised I did not know that they were sisters. I will be very
interested in getting her sources. I did not get any indication that she
knew the name of their father.
Charlotte did ask me for the Brush Arbor clarification so here it goes.
Brush is defined (in Webster) as a dense undergrowth of bushes, shrubs,
trees, vines, etc.
An arbor is a lattice work of woven plants, sticks, boards, etc.
In late 1800's and early 1900's, Christian evangelists traveled America
preaching. Some communities had no real church. The visiting evangelist
would enlist some willing Christians in the area to clear an opening in the
forest, where much brush was present. The brush was cut down and pushed
away from the center of the clearing. You ended up with a large wall of
piled up brush surrounding the clearing - an arbor. They placed chairs,
benches, or whatever to sit own inside the brush arbor. The evangelist
would then hold preaching services in the brush arbor. I know this was
prevalent in the southeastern states. There are even old hymns written about
the 'brush arbor meetings'. I do not know who started the practice or
exactly why. As to my previous story, you can see what the hornets would
think if they were released from their pillow case into a shouting, singing,
preaching group of Christians. One final note, can you imagine all the
people trying to squeeze out the one little opening left in the brush arbor
that served as the door.
djb
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Coates [mailto:jdcoates@aa.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 10:34 AM
> To: COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com
> Subject: Re: Rowan Co., NC Coates/Merrell/Williams/Willis
>
>
> Hi David,
>
> Interesting story, thanks for sharing it. Of course, there is
> another explanation (isn't that always the case!). As you
----
> losing up to 50% of their pre-1800 population. The Bush Arbor
> story does sound more exciting.
>
> In your message you mention that Francis who married Amos and
> Cecily who married William Willis are sisters. I have often
> suspected this but could find no proof. Were you able to turn
> something up? Also, my money is still on Francis being the
> daughter of Solomon and Temperance Coats. Have you had any
> more luck in this area?
Also, I found an Anthony Agee deed in Smith County TN dated
1808...Matthew I believe was a witness to it...I believe it was
Matthew Agee that married one of Rev Will's daughters...it was the
only Agee I found and the deed is likewise in the Coats Archive...
Char
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I have another Theory:)
Rev Will's first two children were Mary and James...I'm wondering if
James who went to MO with Rev Will and Nancy was his father rather
than his brother...James' wife's name was Mary as well....Remember
Nancy's father Sylvester went to MO with them...
James' shows up in the Smith County Court records in about 1811/12
but there is no land record for him...but if that *Mr Coats* in that
one deed was him...that might very well be Rev Will's father...
That would make Marshall Smith Coats, Rev Will's brother...
Comments?
Char
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Subscribers ; There was a Babtist Mission at Candy Creek Tn where my 3rd
greatgrandparents were married in 1825 . They were Joseph Spears and
Lucinda Martin .These records were given me by a relative who discovered
them in archives of the Library of Congress in D. C. to the best of my
recollection . N. Coats
Charlotte ~ wrote:
> Thanks John...my memory you know...<g>...I'll do a search of the list
> archive for the info...I'd sure like to get some of the old Coats
> deeds for the Archive...
>
> Now...as far as NC and TN goes...from what I'm gathering...there was
> no TN during and after the Am Rev, it was a territory...so NC gave
> their military service people land grants in TN...so prior to 1806
> all the land grants were basically NC grants in TN or the territory
> south of the Ohio River I've seen it called...now after 1806 TN
> started issuing it's own land grants...
>
> Now, that means that the 1806 deed of Willim in Smith County is a TN
> grant of land he already had and I'm wondering if there might be a
> military grant in there for him or the Mr. Coats, if that is his
> father...the preemption meant it was part of a military
> grant...however, it appears that 1806 land grant was from a Collins
> so it might be that Collings had the military warrant and Rev William
> made a purchase from him...not real clear on all this as of yet...in
> which case it means that Rev Will didn't come to Smith County until
> 1806 or sometime prior since one deeds says he was already living on
> the land he got...however, if that one deed that refers to Mr. Coats'
> old line, is indeed another Coats', first name unknown at this time I
> guess...I was thinking William but could be another...if Mr. Coats is
> refering to another older Coats and probably Rev William's father,
> then might he have gotten a land grant for military service...?
>
> I also believe Obed Baker's military grant was in Smith County, I'll
> have to double check that...but it could mean that Sylvester spent
> and I think his military records state a couple of years in Wayne
> County KY, then Davidson County then Smith County, it might be that
> these were such short periods of time that no land was purchased and
> that both Obed and Sylvester got their military warrants in Smith
> County...I belive Obed's was quite early...anyway if that is the case
> and if there is an older Coats in Smith County there should be some
> type of military record for it...or some type of NC grant? It's just
> that I've never heard of any of this line of Coats' being in the
> military, other than my dad thought there was a revolutionary
> ancestor in our Coats' line...but if they were Quaker not likely
> unless, they were disowned for service as so many Coats' were...I'm
> also gathering that the vast majority of land grants in TN were from
> NC folks...the early grants...
>
> As to the marriage records for Rev William and Nancy
> Baker....apparently if they were Quaker there would be no return as
> to a marriage license, thus no record except in the Quaker
> Records...but the Baker's were heavy duty Baptists, although that
> certainly doesn't mean one line could not have been Quaker...just
> haven't found any record of that....
>
> Does anyone know if there were any Quaker meetings in TN, Smith
> County in particular?
>
> Also got the Dixon Springs Baptist Church Records...there was a Brush
> Creek Baptist Church...not sure it was the Primitive Baptist
> Church...at any rate, no Coats' named in the Dixon Springs or Peyton
> Creek Baptist Church records...
>
> This microfilm also included Smith County Court records from 1808 to
> 1811 I believe it was...it named Obed Baker in the index, although I
> can't find him in the pages, Sylvester Baker is named, William Coats
> is name on several pages...in the index in one place it names William
> Coats but in the pages has it Wilson Coats....??? Don't know which
> is right without the original documents...these are WPA records...
>
> Char
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "John Coates" <jdcoates(a)aa.net>
> To: "Charlotte ~" <coats(a)hotmail.com>, <COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com>
> Subject: Re: Rowan County NC
> Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 06:46:51 -0700
>
> > Well, I found a microfilm today of an index to Rowan County
> > deeds...it was so dark I couldn't get a copy of it...
>
> Most of the deeds prior to 1800 have been transcribed and
> fully indexed. I have posted these records to Coates-L and to
> the archives. I have also tracked down most of the deeds from
> 1800 on that dealt with Coats and associated families. Not
> much there but I have posted what little I found
>
> >
> > Coats were nil in the index but I did find:
> >
> > 1819 - Coat, Thomas to Robling, Peter, Bk 25 p. 41
> > 1828 - Coat, Wile to Pinkston, Meshack Bk 30, p. 589
>
> Thomas moved to Lincoln County, TN. He appears to be Wile's
> (Wylie) brother and most likely the son of William. Wylie is
> my 2nd greatgrandfather. I lost track of him after 1842. His
> was in NC until then.
>
> > There were a whole lot of Coles...now, that makes me
> suspecious that
> > maybe some of these Coles are Cotes...then again maybe
> not...but I
> > will check...
>
> Been through most of these and found no connection. William
> Temples COLES, the first of the clan, was a large land owner
> and quite prominet in Rowan.
>
> >
> > Also found Sylvester Baker's deed he sold it sometime
> between 1785-
> > 1787 - Sylvester & wife ot Pinson, Joseph Bk 10 p. 481
> > Obadiah Baker we think is his brother he also sold his land
> 1785-
> > 1787 - Obadiah Bkaer & wife to Saunders Moses Bk 10 p. 473
>
> Could PINSON be PINKSTON? The Pinkston family were neighbors
> of the Rowan Coats group. See the deed from Wile Coats to
> Meshack Pinkston above.
>
> >
> > There were a lot of other Bakers there as well...
> >
> > If Sylvester sold his land in 1785/87 that means he must
> have gone to
> > KY about that time...some that means Rev Will must have met
> Nancy
>
> We also have some Coats going to Mulenberg <sp> KY in the
> early 1800s.
>
> John Coates
> jdcoates(a)aa.net
>
> _______________________________________________________________
> Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
Yes, I believe you are correct...TN was Southwest Territory or
something then NC then TN State...I think it was about 1804 that TN
started giving grants in its own name...Char
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Joe Coates" <grampajoec(a)Lynchburg.net>
To: "Charlotte ~" <coats(a)hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Rowan County NC
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 17:29:21 -0400
TN- NC-- I believe I'm right in saying that the TN Territory was
later made
part of NC; then in 1804 was deeded to the Federal Gov't and the
State was
later formed. Some of the early NC Deeds were for land which was in
what
later became TN, but at the time of issuance was actually in NC
boundaries.
I think that's basically correct but I could be confusing the
facts.....grampajoec
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Dear Ms. Coats-Siercks,
Thank you for your interest in the State Archives. Below is a link to our County Records Guide online where you can see a general list of both original and microfilmed records available from us:
<http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/arch/FindingAids/guide.htm>
Be sure to download this as a "PDF" document; the WORD download takes too long. For actual reel numbers, write in to me and I will let you know the reel numbers and the cost for duplication.
As for land grants (not deeds - they are within the county records), we have an online index which includes all NC land grants for land which is now in the state of Tennessee:
<http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/archives/arch/mars.htm>
For Rowan County land grants, you will have to write to me and send a
search fee if you are not a North Carolina resident. If you are a North Carolina resident, you can send your request for a Rowan County land grant search via e-mail, but be sure to include your US mailing address since we respond to most such requests by conventional mail. Hopefully in the near future all the land grants will be indexed online (we are proceeding alphabetically by county and are presently working on Moore County, I believe).
The search fee is not required for duplicate microfilm orders, though. Please see the attachment for details of our mail order policy and fees, and let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to helping you.
I didn't add the attachment since rootsweb rejects them...but it was just a copy of the mail research policy they have one their web site...
Char
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This E-mail was sent from http://law.com
Subject: Re: Coats/Baker
>
> I'm also a bit puzzled by the "Mr. Coats' old line" in one
of the
> Smith County Deeds...William Coats is a party to the deed,
but it
> refers to Mr. Coats' old line...which seemed to indicate to
me that
> there might be an older William there...why would you call
William
> Coats all through the deed but refer to Mr. Coats' old
line...the
> deed I believe was selling a portion of this land and I
didn't see
> any deed showing a sale of the other property...
>
> Just appeared a bit odd to me...but nothing else to go on at
this
> point...
I have an old letter (early 1960s) in my files somewhere that
refers to a COATS couple from NC that moved to TN and lived to
be over a 100 years old. The William of Potts Creek (Rowan)
was born prior to 1755. If this William and the William in the
early Rowan records (1753) are one in the same, then he was
most likely born in the 1730s. Just some tidbits to kick
around.
John Coates
jdcoates(a)aa.net
Hi David,
Interesting story, thanks for sharing it. Of course, there is
another explanation (isn't that always the case!). As you
stated, the records show that many of the Coats, Williams,
Merrells , Batemans, Willis and others left Rowan for Lincoln
County, TN. The may have just simply been part of the large
migration out of NC. Starting in the late 1790s NC, and Rowan
specifically, experienced a rather large exodus. There were
many reasons for this migration but the overriding reason was
the poor economic conditions in the state. The government had
done little to improve roads and in general to support
commerce. Some estimates have certain areas (like Rowan)
losing up to 50% of their pre-1800 population. The Bush Arbor
story does sound more exciting.
In your message you mention that Francis who married Amos and
Cecily who married William Willis are sisters. I have often
suspected this but could find no proof. Were you able to turn
something up? Also, my money is still on Francis being the
daughter of Solomon and Temperance Coats. Have you had any
more luck in this area?
John Coates
jdcoates(a)aa.net
----- Original Message -----
From: David J Brasher <brasher1(a)bellsouth.net>
To: <COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 1999 9:06 PM
Subject: Rowan Co., NC Coates/Merrell/Williams/Willis
> As many of you are aware I descend from Frances Coates, B.
1790 from Rowan,
> NC. She married Amos Merrell. I have been looking hard for
her parents. I
> now have a related story (related to Frances) and an
interesting bit of
> history of the Rowan area. I do not know how much of it is
true. The
> researcher relating the data seemed very confident as the
story was always
> known in her family.
>
> Here it is.
>
> Many years ago people conducted Brush Arbor Revivals (I'll
explain that if
> someone asks for it). Some well known families of the area
were the Coates,
> Williams, Merrells and Willis. At this particular Brush
Arbor meeting, some
> Willis boys (I also suspect the Merrells, since I know a
little about their
> history) took a hornet's nest and placed it in a pillow
case. They attached
> a long rope to the pillow case to tie it closed. They
placed the pillow
> case in the brush making up the arbor which surrounded the
meeting benches.
> During the service, the boys yanked the rope from the pillow
case. The
> hornets ate up the people at the meeting. The ill-will was
so great after
> this event, the Williams, Willis and Merrell, familes left
Rowan in a big
> way. Amos Merrell had married Frances Coates. William
Willis had married
> Cecily Coates, France's sister. They moved from Rowan, some
through
> Lincoln, TN, then finally to Shelby County, AL.
>
> I know someone has got to have something on this, one way or
the other. I
> am open to any and all comments.
>
> djb
>
> Well, I found a microfilm today of an index to Rowan County
> deeds...it was so dark I couldn't get a copy of it...
Most of the deeds prior to 1800 have been transcribed and
fully indexed. I have posted these records to Coates-L and to
the archives. I have also tracked down most of the deeds from
1800 on that dealt with Coats and associated families. Not
much there but I have posted what little I found
>
> Coats were nil in the index but I did find:
>
> 1819 - Coat, Thomas to Robling, Peter, Bk 25 p. 41
> 1828 - Coat, Wile to Pinkston, Meshack Bk 30, p. 589
Thomas moved to Lincoln County, TN. He appears to be Wile's
(Wylie) brother and most likely the son of William. Wylie is
my 2nd greatgrandfather. I lost track of him after 1842. His
was in NC until then.
> There were a whole lot of Coles...now, that makes me
suspecious that
> maybe some of these Coles are Cotes...then again maybe
not...but I
> will check...
Been through most of these and found no connection. William
Temples COLES, the first of the clan, was a large land owner
and quite prominet in Rowan.
>
> Also found Sylvester Baker's deed he sold it sometime
between 1785-
> 1787 - Sylvester & wife ot Pinson, Joseph Bk 10 p. 481
> Obadiah Baker we think is his brother he also sold his land
1785-
> 1787 - Obadiah Bkaer & wife to Saunders Moses Bk 10 p. 473
Could PINSON be PINKSTON? The Pinkston family were neighbors
of the Rowan Coats group. See the deed from Wile Coats to
Meshack Pinkston above.
>
> There were a lot of other Bakers there as well...
>
> If Sylvester sold his land in 1785/87 that means he must
have gone to
> KY about that time...some that means Rev Will must have met
Nancy
We also have some Coats going to Mulenberg <sp> KY in the
early 1800s.
John Coates
jdcoates(a)aa.net
This came from 10 day free database on Ancestry.com. You can access it via:
<A HREF="http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/3736.htm">Ancestry.com -
Ancestry Genealogy Library
</A>
Missouri Confederate Volunteers
FieldSearchMatches[Any]COATS3
3 Combined Matches
LAST NAMEFIRST NAMERANKUNITRESIDENCEOCCUPATION
Coats J. O. 2 Inft'y Paris, Mo Farmer
Coats Perry 3 Inft'y
Coats Q. O. 1 Brig.
----Original Message Follows----
In Schweitzer's Tennessee Genealogical Research, he says: . . .
Three types
of records are to be found: marriage bonds, applications for marriage
licenses, and marriage licenses. The license itself is the only
certification
that a marriage has actually taken place since the other two
documents are
prior to the marriage itself. Marriage licenses usually list the
bride and
groom, the date, and the officiant.
No License=no marriage
But I don't think Quakers used Civil Marriage Licenses anyway, did
they?
Char
_______________________________________________________________
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Yeah, interesting...but the deed says *Mr. Coats* I think I've
assumed his first name was William...but it sure seems to me that
perhaps Rev William was living there with his parents when he met and
married Nancy Baker...it sure is looking to me like the Baker's were
in that area at the same time and in the same general location Smith
Fork as the Coats' on Brush Creek and Hickman Creek...
Sylvester has me a bit puzzled since his DAR papers say he was born
in 1753, June 16th I believe but he died in 1840...now that's a long
time and he would have died after Rev William or at least shortly
thereafter...possible but puzzling...
Hmmm....also if there was a Coats that died in Smith county might be
some probate records....I'll have to check that as well...
Char
----Original Message Follows----
From: "John Coates" <jdcoates(a)aa.net>
To: COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: Coats/Baker
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 09:01:31 -0700
Subject: Re: Coats/Baker
>
> I'm also a bit puzzled by the "Mr. Coats' old line" in one
of the
> Smith County Deeds...William Coats is a party to the deed,
but it
> refers to Mr. Coats' old line...which seemed to indicate to
me that
> there might be an older William there...why would you call
William
> Coats all through the deed but refer to Mr. Coats' old
line...the
> deed I believe was selling a portion of this land and I
didn't see
> any deed showing a sale of the other property...
>
> Just appeared a bit odd to me...but nothing else to go on at
this
> point...
I have an old letter (early 1960s) in my files somewhere that
refers to a COATS couple from NC that moved to TN and lived to
be over a 100 years old. The William of Potts Creek (Rowan)
was born prior to 1755. If this William and the William in the
early Rowan records (1753) are one in the same, then he was
most likely born in the 1730s. Just some tidbits to kick
around.
John Coates
jdcoates(a)aa.net
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
LAST NAME FIRST NAME RANK UNIT RESIDENCE OCCUPATION
Coats J. O. 2 Inft'y Paris, Mo Farmer
Coats Perry 3 Inft'y
Coats Q. O. 1 Brig.
Char
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
Thanks John...my memory you know...<g>...I'll do a search of the list
archive for the info...I'd sure like to get some of the old Coats
deeds for the Archive...
Now...as far as NC and TN goes...from what I'm gathering...there was
no TN during and after the Am Rev, it was a territory...so NC gave
their military service people land grants in TN...so prior to 1806
all the land grants were basically NC grants in TN or the territory
south of the Ohio River I've seen it called...now after 1806 TN
started issuing it's own land grants...
Now, that means that the 1806 deed of Willim in Smith County is a TN
grant of land he already had and I'm wondering if there might be a
military grant in there for him or the Mr. Coats, if that is his
father...the preemption meant it was part of a military
grant...however, it appears that 1806 land grant was from a Collins
so it might be that Collings had the military warrant and Rev William
made a purchase from him...not real clear on all this as of yet...in
which case it means that Rev Will didn't come to Smith County until
1806 or sometime prior since one deeds says he was already living on
the land he got...however, if that one deed that refers to Mr. Coats'
old line, is indeed another Coats', first name unknown at this time I
guess...I was thinking William but could be another...if Mr. Coats is
refering to another older Coats and probably Rev William's father,
then might he have gotten a land grant for military service...?
I also believe Obed Baker's military grant was in Smith County, I'll
have to double check that...but it could mean that Sylvester spent
and I think his military records state a couple of years in Wayne
County KY, then Davidson County then Smith County, it might be that
these were such short periods of time that no land was purchased and
that both Obed and Sylvester got their military warrants in Smith
County...I belive Obed's was quite early...anyway if that is the case
and if there is an older Coats in Smith County there should be some
type of military record for it...or some type of NC grant? It's just
that I've never heard of any of this line of Coats' being in the
military, other than my dad thought there was a revolutionary
ancestor in our Coats' line...but if they were Quaker not likely
unless, they were disowned for service as so many Coats' were...I'm
also gathering that the vast majority of land grants in TN were from
NC folks...the early grants...
As to the marriage records for Rev William and Nancy
Baker....apparently if they were Quaker there would be no return as
to a marriage license, thus no record except in the Quaker
Records...but the Baker's were heavy duty Baptists, although that
certainly doesn't mean one line could not have been Quaker...just
haven't found any record of that....
Does anyone know if there were any Quaker meetings in TN, Smith
County in particular?
Also got the Dixon Springs Baptist Church Records...there was a Brush
Creek Baptist Church...not sure it was the Primitive Baptist
Church...at any rate, no Coats' named in the Dixon Springs or Peyton
Creek Baptist Church records...
This microfilm also included Smith County Court records from 1808 to
1811 I believe it was...it named Obed Baker in the index, although I
can't find him in the pages, Sylvester Baker is named, William Coats
is name on several pages...in the index in one place it names William
Coats but in the pages has it Wilson Coats....??? Don't know which
is right without the original documents...these are WPA records...
Char
----Original Message Follows----
From: "John Coates" <jdcoates(a)aa.net>
To: "Charlotte ~" <coats(a)hotmail.com>, <COATES-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Subject: Re: Rowan County NC
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 06:46:51 -0700
> Well, I found a microfilm today of an index to Rowan County
> deeds...it was so dark I couldn't get a copy of it...
Most of the deeds prior to 1800 have been transcribed and
fully indexed. I have posted these records to Coates-L and to
the archives. I have also tracked down most of the deeds from
1800 on that dealt with Coats and associated families. Not
much there but I have posted what little I found
>
> Coats were nil in the index but I did find:
>
> 1819 - Coat, Thomas to Robling, Peter, Bk 25 p. 41
> 1828 - Coat, Wile to Pinkston, Meshack Bk 30, p. 589
Thomas moved to Lincoln County, TN. He appears to be Wile's
(Wylie) brother and most likely the son of William. Wylie is
my 2nd greatgrandfather. I lost track of him after 1842. His
was in NC until then.
> There were a whole lot of Coles...now, that makes me
suspecious that
> maybe some of these Coles are Cotes...then again maybe
not...but I
> will check...
Been through most of these and found no connection. William
Temples COLES, the first of the clan, was a large land owner
and quite prominet in Rowan.
>
> Also found Sylvester Baker's deed he sold it sometime
between 1785-
> 1787 - Sylvester & wife ot Pinson, Joseph Bk 10 p. 481
> Obadiah Baker we think is his brother he also sold his land
1785-
> 1787 - Obadiah Bkaer & wife to Saunders Moses Bk 10 p. 473
Could PINSON be PINKSTON? The Pinkston family were neighbors
of the Rowan Coats group. See the deed from Wile Coats to
Meshack Pinkston above.
>
> There were a lot of other Bakers there as well...
>
> If Sylvester sold his land in 1785/87 that means he must
have gone to
> KY about that time...some that means Rev Will must have met
Nancy
We also have some Coats going to Mulenberg <sp> KY in the
early 1800s.
John Coates
jdcoates(a)aa.net
_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com