Chapter 06: Thomas Coleman.

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The Robert Coleman from Virginia to Texas, 1652-1965

Chapter 06:  Thomas Coleman.

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     CHAPTER 6

     THOMAS COLEMAN
     by J. P. COLEMAN (Written January 4, 1964)

     In the chapter on Robert Coleman, who died late 1795, we have seen
     that on February 21, 1770, he conveyed to Thomas Coleman lands in
     Halifax County, North Carolina, on the west side of Rocky Swamp,
     acquired from William Roberts in 1761.
        On December 7, 1779, Thomas Coleman and Sarah Coleman, his wife,
     sold the same lands to his brother-in-law, Christopher Pritchett.
     Eleven years later, November 29, 1790, in Fairfield County, SC,
     Thomas Coleman bought 250 acres, on the waters of Beaver Creek, 
     from William Con. On March 31, 1795, Robert Coleman
     conveyed to "his son" Thomas Coleman, a Negro boy named Moses.
        In the study of Coleman family history, we had, for many years,
     been quite curious as to what eventually became of Thomas Coleman. In
     1963 we employed a professional researcher to compile a list of all
     Colemans appearing in the early census records of Kentucky.  When she
     reported the presence of a Drewry Coleman in the Warren County census
     of 1820, our interest was doubly aroused because Robert Coleman, the
     elder, patented lands in Halifax County, North Carolina, in 1756,
     adjoining Drewry Coleman.
        At the 1820 Census, in Warren County, the Drewry Coleman family
     consisted of one male age 26 to 45, two males under 10, a female age
     26 to 45, and a female under 10. The age of the children would
     indicate that Drewry Coleman and his wife were born between 1785 and
     1790.
        This clue led us to Bowling Green. We went there on August 30,
     1963, where we found an abundance of Coleman family records at the
     Courthouse.
        According to the Revolutionary War Record of Clement Moberley,
     at National Archives, he was born in 1746 in Bedford County, VA.
     He moved to South Carolina, then to Madison County, Kentucky, shortly
     after the Revolutionary War. He then moved to Warren County,
     Kentucky, and from there to Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1831.
        According to his Revolutionary War Record, Isaiah Moberley was
     born in South Carolina in 1754 or 1755, moved to Warren County,
     Kentucky, in 1807, thence to Crawford County, Arkansas, in 1830.
     Isaiah Moberley married Nancy Coleman, sister of Thomas.

        Here, we were able to pick up the post 1795 thread on


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     THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY

     Thomas Coleman. On January 12, 1807, Land Deed Book Q, Page 326,
     Fairfield County Deeds, Thomas Coleman sold to Wiley Coleman (son of
     Robert who died in 1809) the same 250 acres of land which he had
     purchased from William Con in 1790. D. R. Coleman, likewise a son of
     the aforementioned Robert, and Isaiah Moberley were witnesses to the
     deed.
        Then, in Warren County, Kentucky, on November 16, 1808, Book 4,
     Page 100, Landon Key and Katy Key sold to Thomas Coleman, "of
     Warren County," 200 acres on Bay's Fork.
        On December 12, 1811, Frederick Barnes and Elinor Barnes, Book 5,
     Page 519, sold to Thomas Coleman 50 acres originally patented to
     Abner Chapman.
        On July 16, 1814 (Book 6, Page 376) Thomas Coleman sold to
     Isaiah Moberley 400 acres on McFaddin's Fork of Gasper River. This is
     in western Warren County, near the Logan County line.
        At Page 377 of Book B of Warren County Wills is found the will of
     Thomas Coleman. It was dated February 23, 1816, but not proven until
     October, 1821, which indicates the year of his death. Since we have
     already shown that he was born not later than 1745, he was at least
     near eighty years of age at his death. His will names his wife,
     Polly; sons, William, John, Thomas and Benjamin; also a daughter,
     Betsy Fraker.
        From that excellent Coleman historian, Mrs. Etta Rosson, I first
     learned that Charity Coleman, daughter of Thomas Coleman, married
     Stephen Crosby. He was born November 10, 1782 and died March 20,
     1856. She was born January 22, 1772 and died July 29, 1855. They
     were married in 1801. On July 25, 1964, I visited the Crosby family
     cemetery in the Cool Branch Neighborhood of Fairfield County. The
     directions to this cemetery are as follows: Driving south on South
     Carolina Highway 215, immediately south of the Chester-Fairfield
     line, turn right, or west, on a rural road. Go 8/10 of a mile and
     the cemetery is to the left, on top of a beautiful knoll. It cannot
     be seen from the road. It contains many expensive monuments, many
     Crosby graves, but is in poor repair. One of the graves is that of
     Coleman Crosby, son of Stephen and Charity. Of course, Charity
     Coleman Crosby did not move to Kentucky.
        As to the children of Thomas Coleman, we found the following from
     the Bowling Green Records.
        On December 8, 1814, Book 6, Page 424, Thomas Coleman sold to
     John W. Coleman the 50 acres adjoining Abner Chapman.
        Thomas Coleman, son of the Thomas who died in 1821, died some

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                                              THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY

     time prior to 1825. In that year, John W. Coleman, a brother to and
     executor of the latter Thomas (Book 12, Page 220) conveyed to
     Larkin P. Coleman all of the right of the said Thomas Coleman in and
     to the estate of Thomas Coleman, Sr. in 55 acres of land.
        On January 14, 1825, Book 12, Page 306, John W. Coleman, executor
     of Thomas Coleman, deceased, conveyed to Thales Morrison 48 acres of
     land belonging to the late deceased, and David Chapman was a witness.
        On October 14, 1826 (Book 12, Page 250) John W. Coleman, executor,
     sold to James Weatherspoon 115 acres of the lands of Thomas Coleman,
     deceased.
        On the same date (Book 12, Page 264) James Weatherspoon sold land
     to Daniel Coleman, adjoining land "formerly belonging to
     Thomas Coleman, deceased."
        On December 14, 1826, Book 12, Page 264, Daniel Coleman sold to
     yet another Thomas Coleman 115 acres.
        The thread continues. On June 4, 1834, Daniel Coleman sold to
     Larkin P. Coleman, land formerly belonging to Thomas Coleman,
     deceased, adjoining land "where Larkin P. Coleman now lives," book
     15, Page 389.
        On October 28, 1842 (Book 19, Page 130) John Coleman, of Allen
     County (adjoining Warren), sold to Daniel Coleman, of
     Warren County, KY 107 acres on Drake's Creek, where Daniel now lives,
     once owned by Thomas Coleman, now deceased.
        John W. Coleman, the son of Thomas who died in 1821, died
     intestate. On August 28, 1848, his heirs conveyed lands belonging to
     him. The deed was signed by Margaret Doyel, Edward F. Coleman,
     Susan S. Coleman, Mitchell H. Coleman, John W. Coleman and
     James W. Coleman.
        Reverting to Drewry Coleman, on November 30, 1818 (Land Deed Book
     9, Page 12), Drewry Coleman bought 250 acres on the East fork of
     Gasper River from Thomas Proctor.
        In Land Deed Book 16 1/2, Page 217, March 14, 1839, the heirs of
     Drewry Coleman sold to William Covington the 250 acres "in the
     barrens," on which Drewry Coleman lived at his death, subject to
     dower rights of the widow. The deed was signed by Emily Coleman
     Dillon, William S. Coleman, Joseph Coleman, Robert Coleman,
     Elizabeth Coleman, Nancy Coleman, and Susan Coleman.
        We still do not know the exact relationship of this Drewry Coleman
     to

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     THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY

     the 1756 Drewry Coleman of Halifax County, North Carolina. Yet, he
     lived in the same community in Kentucky with Thomas Coleman, the
     Moberleys, and the Chapmans. His children bore the given names so
     common to all the other Colemans. Since the Kentucky Drewry Coleman
     was born about 1785, it is reasonable to assume that he was the son,
     grandson, or nephew of Thomas Coleman.
        The will of C.htm#N002771">Larkin P. Coleman appears at Page 361 of Will Book C,
     Warren County, dated June 19, 1858. His widow was named Jane. He
     had sons named James P. and Thomas.  The daughters were named
     Melcena Dempsey and Mary M. Weatherspoon.
        From the old Survey Records and Marriage Records of
     Warren County we found the following:
        Survey Book A, Page 296, July 29, 1800, 200 acres surveyed for
     William Chapman, three miles north of the Barren River. From Land
     Deed Book K, Page 124, Fairfield County, we know that William Chapman
     was the son-in-law of Robert Coleman who died in 1795. His wife,
     Sarah, was a sister of Thomas Coleman
        At Page 13() of the same book we find a survey of 200 acres for
     George Chapman on the north side of Barren River, and 
     Thomas Chapman was one of the surveyors.
        Over thirty Chapmans appear on the marriage records for the first
     few years following 1800.
        We now revert to the Moberleys.
        On May 10, 1799 (Deed Book 1, Page 108) the Trustees for the town
     of Bowling Green sold to Clement Moberley lot 17 in said town,
     one-half acre in size. On June I, 1807 (Deed Book C, Page 3)
     Clement Moberley sold this lot to Samuel Campbell.
        On August 19, 1799, Survey Book A, Page 231, 200 acres were
     surveyed for Clement Moberley on McFaddill's Fork, adjoining
     Elisha Moberley and John Moberley. John Moberley and Charles Moberley
     were chainbearers. Previously, Page 165, 200 acres had been surveyed
     for John Moberley on a branch of Gasper River, in which Clement was a
     chainbearer.

        I was advised in Bowling Green that all of these 200 acre tracts
     were for Revolutionary soldiers and that the land between the
     Green River and the Barren River was originally set aside for land
     grants to Revolutionary soldiers.

        On February 9, 1810, Book 4, Page 230, Isaiah Moberley, sold 200
      acres on Casper River to Anthony Turney, evidently the same land
     which had been surveyed for Isaiah Moberley back in 1799 while he
     was still a

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                                            THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY

     resident of Fairfield County, South Carolina. In this deed
     Isaiah Moberley referred to himself as a resident of
     Bedford County, Tennessee.
        On October 17, 1828, Book 13, Page 183, Clement Moberley sold to
     Benjamin Hampton 71 1/2 acres on McFaddin's Ford of Gasper River.
     Burwill Cox, who had married Rebecca Moberley on March 14, 1820, was
     a witness to the deed.
        On the same date, David A. Moberley and David R. Moberley sold 100
     acres to Benjamin Hampton at the same location.
        In Marriage Register A, Warren County, we find the following
     marriages:
        Page 262. October 27, 1818, Vashti Moberley to Daniel Turney.
        We here remember that Robert Coleman who died in 1795,
     Charles Coleman who died in 1788, and Francis Coleman, who died in
     Alabama in 1824, all had daughters named Vashti.
        Page 166. Edward Moberley to Sarah Simons, May 29, 1824.
        Page 134. Sicily Moberley to William Johnson, October 9, 1826.
        Page 163. James Moberley to Betsy Cox, December 3, 1800.
        Page 197. Nancy Moberley to Harvey O'Neal, June 15, 1804.
        Page 261. Polly Moberley to William Taylor, August 15, 1809.
        Page 35. Sallie Moberley to Elmon Covington, October 12, 1802.
        It is evident from the foregoing that there was an extensive
     colony of Colemans, Moberleys and Chapmans on the Gasper River in
     Warren County, Kentucky; that Thomas Coleman moved from
     Fairfield County, SC, with Isaiah Moberley, to Warren County, KY
     in 1807.
        The writer is unable to understand why many of them later left
     Warren County. It is as beautiful a country, particularly from an
     agricultural standpoint, as one could ever see. Possibly it became
     too thickly settled to suit them.


 


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