Robert Franklin Coleman Letter to his daughter, 1975 - Annotated by Wesley D. Coleman

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Robert Franklin Coleman Letter to his daughter, 1975

Courtesy of Tom Littleton, personal correspondence dated Aug 2008

As written by Robert Franklin Coleman (1937 - c2004)
Annotated by Wes Coleman [WC], March 2009

Our earliest Coleman ancestor arrived in Virginia from Wales in 1638. His passage was paid by another Robert Coleman, who was probably an uncle. Our ancestor Robert had to work for the other Robert Coleman for five years to pay back the money paid for his passage. This ancestor Robert acquired over 3000 acres of land in Nansemond and Isle of Wight counties Va before his death.

Robert had two sons, one named Stephen who moved to Bertie County, NC and one named Robert, Jr. who died a bachelor with over 5000 acres of land in the Isle of Wight Co. Va. in 1715. Stephen had several sons, some of whom returned from NC to Va. in 1715 to claim their uncle's estate, however Stephen's son Robert remained in Bertie County where he died in 1721.

This Robert had several sons who moved from Bertie County to Edgecombe county prior to 1740. One of these was Charles Coleman, Sr. who was of our direct line. Charles Sr. had several acres of land on the Tar River near what is now the village of Leggett. His brother and other relatives settled along the Tar and its tributaries between Leggett and Lawrence in Edgecombe County. Within two years several of Charles, Sr.'s relatives had moved to the south western part of Edgecombe County and settled although Charles Sr. remained on the Tar River until his death in 1760.

Charles Sr.'s son Robert Sr. moved into southwestern Edgecombe County in 1759 with his other relatives because of a serious disagreement with his father, which led to his father disowning him. Charles Coleman Sr. was loyal to the King of England. In 1759 Robert Sr. who was in his mid-thirties participated in a riot at Enfield, NC protesting taxation on goods sent to this country from England. Because of this Charles Sr. disowned Robert, Sr.

When Robert Sr. moved to Southwestern Edgecombe County he settled near the town of Hickory Grove. Hickory Grove grew into what is now Wilson. Robert Sr. lived to be over eighty and was married three times. He had a son by his first wife. This son was named Charles. The son Charles was an officer in the continental army and was later one of the earliest lawyers in this area. At the age of 73 this Charles with his children and grandchildren moved to Alabama. One of his descendants is named James Samuel Coleman and is a member of the Alabama State Supreme Court today. The man in this generation that we descended from was Robert Coleman Jr. who was half brother of this Charles. Robert Jr. was not born until 1765 and was not old enough to participate in the Revolutionary war. Robert Jr. owned over 1500 acres of land in the area around what is now Wilson. According to old records it took over 70 people to perform the work on this plantation. The center of this plantation was located on Hominy Swamp in what is now Forest Hills sub-division (in the city of Wilson).

Robert Jr. had a son named John Robert Coleman. He was given 657 acres of this plantation when he became 21 years of age in 1825. One year later John married Sally Jordan who was a distant cousin. They had 10 children. The eldest son was Wiley who was born in 1828.

Wiley owned land in the Wilson area, but in 1850 he married Smithy Boykin and moved into the Rock Ridge area of what was then Nash county. (Wilson County was formed from a portion of Edgecombe, Wayne, Nash and Johnston Counties in 1855)(Hickory Grove became Wilson City in 1849) Wiley participated in the Civil war as a sergeant serving under his father-in-law Stephen Daniel Boykin who was a Colonel. Wiley was wounded in his right leg and suffered problems with this until his death in 1888.

His son Dempsey Daniel Coleman was born in 1858 and was my great grandfather. Dempsey was a farmer and owned the farm on which I now live. The great plantation at Wilson grew smaller due to being divided among John's children, but when John died in 1868 at the end of the Civil war it was still in tact but by 1900 it was totally out of Coleman hands. In 1880 John's grandson Dempsey married his cousin Watie Boykin, who was a daughter of Council Boykin, who was a first cousin of Stephen Daniel Boykin. Stephen Daniel was Dempsey's Grandfather. This means that Watie was second cousin to Dempsey's mother, Smithy.

Dempsey and Watie were the parents of 8 children. Their second son was Robert born in 1899 and was my father. Robert married Martha Lula Wiggins in 1924. They were the parents of seven children. Their only son was born in 1937. His name is Robert Franklin Coleman. He married Ruby Raye Stancil on March 15, 1959. They are the parents of five children."

Tom Littleton added this information:

First:

 Emily Bahma Coleman is daughter of Robert Charlie Coleman (1899-1972)
 and Lula Wiggins (1908 - 1985). Robert Charlie was the son of Dempsey
 Daniel Coleman (01 NOV 1858 - 02 MAR 1915) and Waity Boykin (01 JUL 1867
 - 01 JUL 1950). Both were born in Wilson Co, NC. Now is where it starts
 to get fuzzy. Dempsey Daniel is the son of Wiley Coleman and
 Smithie Boykin. Smithie Boykin is the daughter of Stephen
 Ransom Boykin and Sallie Davis, both of Nash Co. NC. Wilson Co. was formed
 in 1855 and incorporated this portion of Nash Co. I have a hand written 
 summary that was written by my Mom's brother Robert Franklin Coleman in the 
 1970s. The source of this genealogy summary is unknown. He claims a connection 
 back to Charles Coleman Sr (1702 - 1761), brother of Robert and son of 
 Stephen Coleman. Stephen had a brother named Robert and both were sons of 
 yet another Robert Coleman. All were originating out of Isle of Wight and 
 Nansemond counties of Virginia. 
 

Second:

Dad emailed my uncle's list of our Coleman Lineage:

Robert Coleman (?-?)
+Stephen Coleman (?-?)
++Robert Coleman (?-?)
+++Charles Coleman Sr (? - c.1760)
++++Robert Coleman Sr (c.1720 - c.1800)
+++++Robert Coleman Jr (1765 - ?)
++++++John Robert Coleman (?-?), married (1826) to Sally Jordan
 (1804-1868)
+++++++Wiley Coleman (?-?), married Smithie Boykin (?-?)
++++++++Dempsey Daniel Coleman (01 NOV 1858 - 02 MAR 1915), married to
 Waity Boykin (01 JUL 1867 - 01 JUL 1950)
+++++++++Robert Charlie Coleman (22 JUL 1899 - MAY 1972), married to
 Lula Wiggins (APR 1908 - DEC 1985)
++++++++++Emily Bahma Coleman (b.16 NOV 1939), married Thomas Earl
 Littleton (b. 03 JUN 1941)

Notes from the U.S. Census for Wilson County:

1860 (M653 Roll 918) p 237, House 967
Jessie C*    29 (b c1831)   Making Turpentine
Sallie       26 (b c1834)
Martha        4 (b c1856)
William       3 (b c1857)
Mary A.       2 (b c1858)
Sallie       2/12 (b c1860)

p 206 House 499
John [Robert?] C*      54 (b c1806)  Farmer
Sallie [Jordan?]       56 (b c1804)
Mary         22 (b c1838)
Priscilla    18 (b c1842)
Stephen      23 (b c1837)  Farm Laborer
John, Jr.    19 or 17 (1841/3) Farm Laborer
Sallie       14 (b c1846)
Henry        12 (b c1848)
William      11 (b c1849)

p 206 House 503
Willie C*    32 (b c1828)
Smithy       31 (b c1829)
John A.       7 (b c1853)
Timothy       5 (b c1855)
Caroline      3 (b c1857)
Dempsey       1 (b c1859)
Willie     2/12 (b c1860)

1870 (Series M593, Roll 1166)

p 600 House 1
Henry C*    20 or 30? Moulder in Foundry

p 517 House 101
Jessie C*    39 (b c1831)   Farmer
Sallie       35 (b c1834)   Keeping House
Martha       15 (b c1856)   At Home
William      13 (b c1857)   Works on Farm
Mary A.      11 (b c1858)   At Home   
Sallie        9 (b c1860)   At Home
Simon         7 (b c1863)   At Home
Louisa        3 (b c1867)
Nancy         1 (b c1869)

p 516 House 77
Josiah C*    35 (b c1835)   Farmer
Sallie       34 (b c1836)   Keeping House
Betsy        11 (b c1859)   Works on Farm
Edmin         9 (b c1861)   Works on Farm
Nancy         9 (b c1861)   Works on Farm
Sallie        4 (b c1866)
Jno Wm        6 (b c1864)
Penelope      2 (b c1868)

p 523 House 191
Willie C*    42 (b c1828)   Farmer
Smithy       41 (b c1829)   Keeping House
John R.      17 (b c1853)   Farm Laborer
Caroline     13 (b c1857)   At Home
Dempsey      10 (b c1860)   Farm Laborer
Mary          8 (b c1862)   At Home
Stephen       6 (b c1864)
Zillie        1 (b c1869)

p 523 House 192
William Calman 55 (b c1805) Farmer
?illah         54 (b c1806) Keeping House
Jane           14 (b c1856) At Home

p 523 House 193
Neverson? Calman 22 (b c1848) Farmer
Zilpha           21 (b c1849) Keeping House
infant         3/12 (b 1870)

Henry Calman    21? (b c1849) Farmer
Mary            21  (b c1849) Keeping House
Mary             2  (b c1868)
Lucinda       4/12  (b 1870)

1880

p 299C House ?
Wiley Coleman       Self M  Male Wh  51 b NC  Farmer
Smithy Coleman      Wife M  Fem  Wh  50 b NC  Keeping House
Dempsey D. C*       Son  S  Male Wh  21 b NC
Caroline C*         Dau  S  Fem  Wh  22 b NC
Mary C*             Dau  S  Fem  Wh  16 b NC
Stephen C*          Dau  S  Male Wh  12 b NC
Sallie C*           Dau  S  Fem  Wh   8 b NC

1900 Series T623 Roll 1224

p 60
Dempsey D. Coleman Head   b 11/1855 44 M 17
Watey [Watie Boykin] C* Wife b 07/1864 35 M 17
Willie             Dau   b. 11/1889  10  S
Walter             Son   b. 10/1891   8  S
George             Son   b. 04/1892   7[8] S
Lettie?            Dau   b. 04/1895   5  S
Ester              Dau   b. 07/1898   2  S
Charley R.         Son   b. ?1900?  ?/12 S

p 76
Martha Coleman  boarder b. 05/1857  43  S

p 63 House 93
Smithy Coleman  Head  b. 01/1827  73  Widow

p 69 House 209
Edmon Coleman   Head  b 02/1861  39  M 10
Nancy C*        Wife  b 10/1856  43  M 10
Allie C*        Dau   b 11/1891   8  S

p 69 House 210
Sallie C*       Head  b 02/1836  64  Widow
Sallie C*       Dau   b 09/1863  36  S
John W.         Son   b 03/1866  34  S
Elisha          GSon  b 10/1833  16  S

p 71 House 250
Robert S. Coleman Head b 11/1852 48  M 25 
Liddie? Coleman   Wife b 11/1844 55  M 25
Catharine         Dau  b 05/1884 16  S

p 71 House 254
William H. Coleman Head b 04/1857 43 M 9 
April Coleman      Wife b 08/1866 33 M 9
William H. C*      Son  b 06/1892 07 S

1910 Series T624 Roll 1137

p 70 House 24
Dempsie Coleman   Head    51 M 26
Weighty [Watie Boykin] C* Wife 44 M 26
Willie             Dau   20  S
Walter             Son   18  S
Grover C.          Son   17  S
Lillie             Dau   15  S
Ester G.           Dau   12  S
Charley R.         Son   10  S
Smithie S.         Dau    8? S
Sallie             Dau    5  S
Dempsie            Son    3  S
Rexalin?           Son  ?/12 S

Cemetery Records:

Wilson County, North Carolina Cemeteries -- Volumes I, II, ...
Compiled by Joan L. Howell, ed. by Sue Evans Mitchell and Joan L. Howell
Wilson County Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 802, Wilson, NC 27894-0802

VOL I p. 16 George W. Barnes Cemetery, 025 H, 40' X 100', Black Creek Twp
loc on N.S. of Wiggins Rd. (SR 1103) c0.4mi E of Shirley Rd (SR 1164)

J. R. Coleman, b. 11/04/1852 d. 07/17/1914
Lydia Coleman, b. 1857, d. 1927
VOL I p. 148 Stancil Cemetery 005 N loc. N.S. of Stancil Town Rd (SR 1538) c1.1mi NE of Sand Pit Rd (SR 1539)
Elsie S. Coleman, b. 11/06/1914
VOL I p. 216 J. R. Williamson Cemetery, 028 H 20' X 30' Old Fields Twp
loc 500' E of Hwy 42 c0.35mi SW of Old Raleigh Rd (SR 1136), overgrown, not enclosed.
S. R. Coleman, b. 01/09/1862, d. 02/18/1892 - could this be Stephen Coleman, son
     of Wiley, brother of John Robert Coleman?

VOL II: CONTENTNEA P. B. CHURCH CEMETERY

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church Cemetery, Wilson County, NC

93. COLEMAN, E. D. Mar 1861 - Jun 22 1930
94. COLEMAN, Nancy Eviline 1855 - 1927
[
Pleasant Grove Methodist Church Cemetery Index on Wilson County GenWeb]

Marriage Records

Wilson County
GROOM:  	Wilson Simpson, age 48
BRIDE: 	Lila Woodard, age 45
ISSUED/PERFORMED 	W. R. Davis, JP
DATE1: 	10/14/1898
WITNESSES: 	W.H. Coleman, Uriah Moore and Henry T. Gay
COMMENTS: 	Both residents of Spring Hill. They were married at the home of Lila Woodard.
Marriage license was issued on 10/20/1898
Submitted by: 	Jane Randall


Groom:  	R. L. AMERSON, age 44
Bride: 	Sallie Ann COLEMAN, age 44
Performed by: 	J. F. FARMER
Date: 	March 15, 1911
Witnesses: 	Jno W. COLEMAN, Elisha BARNES, George AMERSON
[
Marriage Index on Wilson County GenWeb]

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Last Update: 03/14/2009