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- 74 - . CHAPTER 9 CHARLES COLEMAN, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SC (Died 1788) by J. P. COLEMAN Charles Coleman was a brother to Robert Coleman, who died 1809. Robert Coleman was a witness to Charles' will, and Francis Coleman was his Executor. He married Polly Mobley, daughter of Clement Mobley and Mary Fox. His children were Isaiah, who was dead by 1791, and the following daughters: Nancy, who married her first cousin, Robert Roe Coleman; Sarah, who married her first cousin, Allen Coleman, (Robert and Allen being brothers), and Vashti, who married Reuben Manning (1772-1848). S he had a son, Simpson Manning (1800-1863). Mrs. Paul J. Anderson, of Anniston, AL, is a descendant. Robert Roe Coleman and Allen Coleman are to be found in their appropriate chapters herein. It might be pointed out, however, that since the sons of Robert, who died in 1809, married the daughters of Charles, many Colemans are descended from both Charles and Robert. This is true, for example, of J. P. Coleman, the author of this chapter. In his Last Will and Testament Charles Coleman bequeathed unto his son lsaac Moberly, alias Coleman, "200 acres of land known by Welches Fork of Sandy River to him and his heirs, but if he should die without issue that it is my Will and desire that his Legacy be equally divided between his three sisters, Sarah Coleman, Nancy Coleman, and Vashti Coleman, or any of them that may be surviving." N003019" href="namendx_A.htm#N003019">At Page 15 of Land Deed Book N, of Fairfield County Records, we find that on February 5, 1791, Francis Coleman, who calls himself "lawful attorney for Charles Coleman" sold to John Coleman 200 acres in (Chester County on the South side of Sandy River on a branch called Welcheses Fork, land originally granted to Charles Coleman. David Coleman, Robert Coleman, Sr., and Robert Coleman, Jr., were witnesses to this instrument. On February 5, 1800, David Coleman, son of Robert, made oath that he saw the within named Francis Coleman sign this deed and that he also saw Robert Coleman, Sr., and Robert Coleman, Jr., subscribe their names to the deed. - 75 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY This instrument, beyond all reasonable doubt, again proves the existence of Robert, the elder, and Robert, his son, in Fairfield County on February 5, 1791, and it further proves that Isaiah Coleman died with no heirs, and the land was thus sold in conformity with the directions of the will. By the terms of his Will, we know that Charles Coleman was granted land on Beaver Creek, in Fairfield County, on October 15, 1784. At Page 279 of Land Deed Book C of Chester County, SC, we find the deed dated July 1, 1786, in which Solomon Peters sold Charles Coleman 400 acres of land on a branch of Sandy River previously granted to Peters in May, 1774. John Coleman was a witness to this deed. As to Amelia Gwin, also mentioned in the Will, we know that one John Gwin was granted land in Fairfield County as early as December 11, 1766. He later got 100 acres on Sandy River in 1784, as well as 416 acres on Beaver Creek in 1787, the year before Charles Coleman died. However, the exact relationship, whatever it may have been, between Charles Coleman and Amelia Gwin, at this day remains a mystery, as will later be explained. It is very likely that she married Charles Coleman after he made the will. WILL OF CHARLES COLEMAN "IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN I Charles Coleman of Fairfield County in the State of South Carolina being at this present of sound and perfect mind and memory praised be Almity God and I well considering the uncertainty of this mortal life I do therefore make and ordayne this my present last will and testament in manner and form Following, that is to say first and principally I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merrits death and passion of my savour Jesus Christ to full pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherrit everlasting life; and my body I committ to the Earth to be decently buried at the discression of my executor named or otherwise as providence shall order it. And as touching the disposeal of all such temporal estate as hath pleased God to bestow upon me I give and dispose of as followerth first I will that all my debts be paid and funeral charges be discharged. ITEM I lend unto Amelia Gwin one hundred acres of land lying in the county aforesaid on a branch of Beaver Creek Granted by his Excellency Benjamin Guerard the fifteenth day of Oct. 1784 during her - 76 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY natural life and after her decease I Give unto her son Jesse Gwin & his heirs &c. ITEM I give and Bequeath Unto Amelia Gwin one feather Bed, bed stead and furniture, one cotton wheale and cards, one linnen wheale, one large chest, one iron pot & skillet one half dozzen pewter plates and one half of my cotton and all my flax one large black sow & seven pigs, seven hundred wt. of killible pork, ten barrels of corn, her choice of two of my cows and one heifer she called own. I.htm#N003097">I also give unto her my little sorrel mare. I also will that my manner (manor) plantation rented or leased out for four years after my decease and the money that may arise thereof be appropriated to the support of Amelia Gwin and her children at the discression of my executor. ITEM I give & bequeath unto my son Isaiah Moberly alias Coleman two hundred acres of land known by the name of Welches Fork of Sandy River to him and his heirs but if he should die without issue that it is my will and desire that his legacy be equally divided between his three sisters, Sarrah Coleman, Nancy Coleman and Vashtie Coleman or any of them that may be surviving. I also give unto Isaiah Moberly one sorrel colt known by the name of black and all black. ITEM I give and bequeath unto my daughter Nancy Coleman one feather bed, bed stead & furniture, one linnen wheale and one cotton wheale and one covered trunk and my loom. LASTLY it is my will and desire that after my decease that all the rest of my stock and horses, cattle, and hogs not before mentioned be collected; together with my smith's tools, one shot gun, two riffle guns, one feather bed, bed stead and furniture and the rest of my house hold goods and chattels not before named with all my plantation tools and utensils thereunto belonging of every kind whatever also ninety two acres of land adjoining my manner plantation and Daniel Malone may be sold to the best advantage as my Executor may think proper, and the debts due my estate may be collected as soon as possible and added to the money that may arise from my sale and my executor to make use of the money to the best advantage for the support of my four children Isaiah Moberly, Nancy Colman, Sarah & Vashtie Coleman, and soon either of said children arrives of lawful age or either of my dauters should marry that their be an equal division made among them of the money in the hands of my executor, but if either of the aforesaid four children should die before they arrive to the age of maturity then it is my desire that their legacy or legacys be divided among them surviving. - 77 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY Now I do hereby constitute and ordayne FRANCIS COLEMAN my full & sole executor of this my last will and testament hereby making void all former wills &c. heretofore made and have hereunto set my hand & seale this 31st day of December Anno. Dom: 1787. CHARLES COLEMAN (seal) Signed Seald and Delivered Proved 12th May 1788 in the presence of D. Evans C. C. H. W. Carson Recorded at Page 13 of Will Book 1 Daniel Malone Fairfield County Robert Colman. South Carolina" Document on file in the office of the Probate Judge, Fairfield County, South Carolina, in file #1, Package #41. (copied May 23, 1958). "State of So. Carolina, Fairfield County KNOW ALL MEN by these presents that we, Francis Coleman, Robert Colman and William Chapman, all of the said county and state are held and firmly bound jointly and severally unto Richard Winn, Robert Winn and John Buchanan, three of the sureties of the said county in the full and just sum of five hundred pounds sterling to be paid to the said John Winn, Richard Winn and John Buchanan, or their successors in office, for the time being, or their certain attorney or assigns for which payment to be well and truly made we bind ourselves and each of us by himself and every of our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents sealed with our seal, dated this twenty-sixth day of May in the year of our Lord, One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty Eight and in the Twelfth year of American Independence. WHEREAS (obliterated), the goods and chattels, rights and credits of Charles Coleman, late of the County of Fairfield, deceased, were lately granted to Francis Coleman, now the condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound, Francis Coleman, shall well and truly administer all and singular the goods and chattels, rights and credits of the said Charles Coleman, deceased, pay his debts and funeral expenses, and make distribution of all that shall remain and likewise in all things abide by the will of the said deceased and letters testamentary then the above obligation to be void otherwise to be and remain in full force and virtue. FR COLMAN ROBERT COLMAN WILLIAM CHAPMAN Sealed and delivered in the presence of John Winn." - 78 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY In Package #41 of File #1, Office of the Probate Judge, Fairfield County, South Carolina, is found the inventory of the Estate of Charles Coleman, deceased, as "sold by Francis Coleman." "June 1, 1788. One set of Blacksmith tools One set of gun tools One rifle gun One beehive One beehive One beehive One feather bed One rifle gun One grindstone One sifter One dutch oven One iron pot One bare shear plow One ditto One cutting knife One steel trap One black horse One bay horse One dish and six plates One dictionary One sorrel mare and filley One sorrel horse One cow and calf and heifer One cow and calf One cow and calf Seven head of young cattle One white gelding One shotgun One rifle barrel 30 head of hogs One cow and calf One saddle The estate was appraised by Robert Colman, John Guin, and William Chapman." - 79 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY From the contents of the will it may be seen that the deceased had a special interest in Amelia Gwin (which might also have properly been spelled Guin), as he made special provision for her. The longtime, highly experienced, and well versed genealogist of the Coleman-Feaster- Moberly Family Association, Mr. Donald B. Clayton, of Birmingham, Alabama, has given intensive study to the exact identity of Amelia Gwin, but he has been unable to solve the mystery with documentary evidence. The will itself specifically identifies Jesse Gwin as Amelia's son. On October 13, 1810 (Fairfield Deed Book 2, Page 298), Jesse Coleman conveyed to Thomas Means land granted to Charles Coleman in 1784 and devised in his will to "Milly" , now Milly Lemly. So, the son referred to as Jesse Gwin in 1787 had come to be called Jesse Coleman by 1810. The Last Will and Testament of this Jesse Coleman, dated July 27, 1839 is to be found at Page 226 of Book A of the Wills of Marengo County, Alabama. In this instrument he names his wife, Elizabeth, and sons, Nathanial, Isaiah, and William, as well as daughters, Sarah and Vashti. Charles Coleman had a son, Isaiah, as his Will shows, as well as daughters who were named Sarah and Vashti. In the History of Bolivar County, Mississippi, compiled by Mrs. Florence Warfield Sillers (1948) Page 439, is found the biography of Moses W. Coleman. lt is there stated that he was the seventh of eleven children born to Franklin J. and Lucinda Adams Coleman, and stating that Franklin's parents were Jesse and Elizabeth Jordan Coleman, "South Carolinaians; who moved to Alabama where they spent their last days." In this work by Mrs. Sillers there follows this significant statement, "The Coleman's were of English and Welch ancestry." Of course, this ties in with the statement in Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman's Little Black Book that the Coleman's came from Wales. I am very much intrigued by the fact that the Bolivar County History, above referred to, states that Jesse Coleman's wife was a Jordon. This more nearly ties in with the big family of Jordans who went with the Nansemond Coleman's to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Both the Jordons and the Colemans of Nansemond were very prominent in Edgecombe County History from about 1745 to 1800. There were plenty of Charles, Roberts and Moseses in this family as will be seen in the Appendix. I draw the rather inescapable conclusion from many items such as this that the Robert Coleman who owned land South of the Appomattox in 1652, the Robert Coleman of Isle of Wight, and the Robert Coleman of Nansemond were very closely related to each other, and that this was - 80 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY recognized and kept alive by similar family names for over a hundred years. The same line of reasoning, of which could quote multitudinous examples, indicates that they were also related to Robert Coleman of Mobjack Bay, Gloucester County, the ancestor of so many Virginia Colemans described by Honorable S. Bernard Coleman in his excellent work to be found at the Virginia State Library. - 81 - .
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