Thomas A. COLEMAN

     Thomas A. COLEMAN, son of John Coleman Sr., was born circa 1787 in Halifax County, North Carolina.¹

Thomas married Martha BURT, daughter of Joseph BURT Jr. and Ann READ, circa 1811 in Halifax County, North Carolina.

Elizabeth BURT and her children sold a tract of land to Thomas A. COLEMAN on 1 May 1812 in Halifax County, North Carolina. This sale of the land inherited from her husband, Joseph Burt, involved all of their childen excepting Joseph, Jr. and Stephen, who was deceased. An abstract of the sale reads: The widow Elizabeth Burt and the devisees of Joseph Burt dec'd. John Burt Exr., William Burt, Stephen Marshall and Elizabeth his wife, Jesse Burt, Zacheus Burt, John Mathews and Nancy his wife, James Burt, Richard Burt, Eaton Fluellen, Taylor Fluellen, John Gibson and Fannie his wife, to Thomas Coleman of Halifax County on the west side of Rocky Branch, bounded by Rocky Swamp Bridge, Hill's road, Hynes Branch, Joseph Burt Jr.'s line, Pigpen Branch, Greens Branch, Vinson's line, Rocky Swamp, which the said Joseph Burt Deed devised to the above mentioned widow and devisees in his Last Will and Testiment. Signed: Eliz. Burt (her mark), Zacheus Burt, Jas. Burt, Richd Burt, Stephn. Marshall, Eliza. Marshall, John Burt, Eaton Fluellen, John Gibson, Fanny Gibson, John Mathews, Mary Matthews, Taylor Fluellen, Wm. Burt, Jesse Burt. Witnesses: James Hightower, Oren D. Carstarphen, Hope H. Hatten, Timothy Matthews, Nelson Hamel, H[enry] Perkins, February Court 1813. Court ordered three commissions directed to Justices in Baldwin, Putnam, and Jones Counties, Georgia for private examinations of Mary Matthews, Fanny Gibson, and Elizabeth Marshall, which was done... Fanny Gibson in Jones County, Georgia; Mary Matthews in Baldwin County, Georgia; Elizabeth Marshall in Putnam County, Georgia.²

Thomas A. COLEMAN moved from North Carolina to Autauga County, Alabama, 1822. Dr. Samuel P. Smith wrote a narrative in 1885 about the Burt and Coleman families. The Narrator was Mrs. Martha Mathews [daughter of John and Nancy Burt Coleman]. He wrote: "In January 1822 Mr. Joseph Burt [Jr.] moved into [Autauga] county from Halifax County, North Carolina together with two sons-in-law, John Coleman and Henry Hunt, and a young man by the name of Green Parker. The latter remained in the county only a year or two when he moved to Mississippi with Stephen Burt, a son of John Burt.

In the fall of 1822 another son-in-law [of Joseph Burt, Jr.] came into the county, viz., Thomas Coleman, and two of his unmarried brothers, Richard and Staton. Richard never married and died in 1832 and was buried in old Washington. Staton, married a daughter of Mr. George Deramus in 1839, died and was buried at Indian Hill Church in 1841." Dr. Smith recorded that Thomas Coleman, "married Martha, second child of Mr. Joseph Burt. Mr. Coleman settled in the woods about a mile from his father-in-law in the flat southwest of the Stephen Pearce place. Here he erected a small framed building, probably the first framed building ever erected in that neighborhood. His two brothers, with the assistance of Old Aunt Fannie, cleared a little land and farmed on a small scale. Aunt Fannie was a servant that Mr. Coleman brought from North Carolina with him and is still living August 30, 1885.

Mr. Coleman, like his brother, was a jack-of-all-trades. Here he erected a large shop and went into the business of wagon making. He also manufactured cotton gins-but only on special orders. If a neighbor wanted a gin he made it for him. While living here Mr. Coleman made for himself a gig; a vehicle with shafts, large enough for two persons to ride. This was no doubt the first vehicle of the kind manufactured in Autauga County. It was the wonder and admiration of the whole county in its day. Mr. Martin Burt rode in this gig when he got married [to Miss Delilah Griffis] and in which he brought his bride home after their marriage. Mr. Henry Horne married Alethia, the oldest daughter of Mr. Coleman. The Sunday after, he borrowed the gig to make a bridal tour to Indian Hill Church. I am told by a friend who witnessed the scene of the gig and the bride and groom that it created more excitement than a Barnum's circus would in this day.

Mr. Coleman remained here until the fall of 1826, when he sold out to Mr. Charles Graves and moved early in 1827 to a place owned by his brother-in-law, Martin Burt, one and one-half miles northwest of Prattville. Here he erected a shop and continued his old business of wagon making, and it is thought made at least one cotton gin-as he soon afterward erected a water ginery and probably ran a gin of his own make. In 1829 he moved down on the west bank of Breakfast Creek, near its junction with Autauga Creek. Here, as has been stated, he put up a little water gin- the second ginery ever erected in the neighborhood, Mr. Thomas Smith having established one in 1827 on a little creek about four miles west. Mr. Coleman was a screw builder and made running gear for gins whenever his services were called for in that line. Mr. Coleman buried his five children at this place, viz., Alethea, James, Harriett, Caroline, Thomas and his wife, Mrs. [Martha] Coleman, and her father Joseph Burt; also Mrs. Wright, a sister of Mr. Thomas. Coleman.

Mr. Coleman erected at this place a large comfortable building, but being sickly, in 1842 he built on the hill a half-mile north where he continued to reside until his death in 1865. [House still remains on Lower Kingston Road in 2004]. He was buried on the hill east of his residence, one and a half miles west of Prattville.

Mrs. [Martha] Coleman died in November 1850. Two years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Coleman married Miss Sylvia Ramsey of Coosa County. After Mr. Coleman's death she returned to Coosa County, where she still resides. Mr. Coleman joined the Methodist church early in life and remained in its communion about thirty years. He then changed his views and joined the Primitive Baptist. His first church relations with this order, was at Old Union Church-one mile above Montgomery mill on the east bank. In 1848 the old Union Church was broken up and Mr. Coleman built another church just east of his residence on the Prattville and Independence Road. This church still retained the name Union. Mr. Coleman was a leading member of this church.

Mr. Coleman was a hardworking industrious man, just and upright in all his dealings and maintained to his death the confidence of all who knew him. After the death of Mr. Coleman, this church was abandoned, as all the people of this faith had either died or moved off and there were none left to keep up the organization. The heirs sold it and it was torn down and moved to Prattville and converted into a store.

Mrs. [Martha] Coleman had only three children who lived to be married, viz. Alethia, who married Mr. Henry Horne in the fall of 1830. She died in 1835, leaving two children, Alpheus and Benjamin. They went out to Arkansas with their father in 1847. Thomas Coleman [the second child] married Miss Margaret Foreman. They both died in a few years with consumption, leaving one child, James, who moved to east Texas in 1855 with his Grandmother Foreman. Stephen W. Coleman married Miss Elizabeth McQueen of Lowndes County February 16, 1848. Stephen died in November 1878, leaving a large family; six died young, two are married. Ellen Coleman married Abraham Doster, a nephew of Col. C. S. G. Doster. She has three children, all sons. Janus Doster married Miss Catie Lee, and has three children- Hattie, Claude, and Catie are with their mother, at the old homestead of their father.

Thomas Coleman and his wife were both members of the M. E. Church South and held their membership at Indian Hill Church. Mr. Coleman was an active and zealous member, and maintained a character as a Christian that won the confidence and esteem of all his brethren."³

Thomas was clerk of the Autauga County Court between 1825 and 1827 in Washington. On 15 Dec 1827 he was appointed as justice of peace.⁴

Thomas A. COLEMAN sold a tract of land to Charles GRAVES on 22 November 1827 in Autauga County, Alabama. Graves for $500 purchased the east half of the southeast quarter of section 35, township 17, range 15 containing 80 acres. This land would be located between Prattville and Autaugaville, most likely along the Washington-Vernon Road. On 30 Nov 1827 Martha Coleman sold her share to Charles for one dollar. The transaction was witnessed by Waid H. Cox JP, John A. Whetstone and James B. Mathews, clerk of the court.⁵

Thomas A. COLEMAN appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Capt. Huddleston's District, Autauga County, Alabama, One male under 5 [???], one male 5-9 [Stephen], one male 10-14 [???], one male 20-29 [Thomas W], one male 40-49 [Thomas], two females under 5 [Mary, ???], one female 10-13 [Letha], one female 30-39 [Martha], and 6 slaves.⁶

Thomas A. COLEMAN bought land from Joseph May on 11 February 1830 in Autauga County, Alabama. For $1000 Thomas purchased a tract of land discribed as half of the SW quarter containing 75 acres, also NW quarter containing 159 acres, and the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter containing 32 acres, all of section 6, township 17, range 16. It was witnessed by John Stone and James Wooten.

Indian Springs Post Office was a community off the Doster Road which was then part of the old Prattville to Washington road. It was located near the site of Zack and Nell Abney's home, which was built on the site of Thomas and Rebecca Hill. Gov. Wyatt Bibb once spoke there under an oak tree. This was also the site of the original Union Baptist Church.

In 1836 the church congregation split. The Missionary group built a church in Prattville near the Masonic Hall. It was known as the Unity Baptist Church and later moved and became the present First Baptist Church. The Hard Shells of the Union Church, led by Thomas Coleman, built a church on Lower Kingston Road, about one mile out of Prattville on land owned by Thomas. This was also known as Dink Booth Hill. This church retained the name Union Baptist Church. It was probably located across from the Martin Burt home at the site of the Coleman Cemetery.⁷

Thomas A. COLEMAN appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Autauga County, Alabama, One male 5-9 [Andrew], one male 10-14 [Stephen], one male 15-19 [Thomas W], one male 50-59 [Thomas A], one female 10-14 [Mary], and one female 50-59 [Martha]. They had 19 slaves.⁸

He bought land from Daniel and Esther Pratt on 30 November 1844 in Autauga County, Alabama. For $625 Thomas bought the west half of the southeast quarter and east half of southwest quarter of section 6 and a fraction of the west half of the southeast quarter of section 7, all in township 17N, range 16E lying north of the road running from Prattville west to Coleman's Mill. It included 100 acres more or less. Witnesses were L. Speigner and Lot Parker. This land would have been on either side of present day Lower Kingston Road northwest of Prattville, just south of the Martin Burt house.⁹

Shadrack Mims, about 1850 in an early history of Autauga County, mentions Thomas Coleman and some of his neighbors: "...Now Reader I will pass on to Prattville, some twelve miles east... The next place is Thos. Coleman's, who had a mill on a little creek two miles west of Prattville. Mr. Coleman was a Hardshell Baptist-- he had considerable property, was very liberal, social, and hospitable. He had two sons, both of who joined the Methodist Church. Further along we come to Martin R. Burt's, who married Miss Griffis, and she being a Methodist the whole family became members of that denomination. Mr. Burt was an industrious, thrifty, moneymaking man of good character. His children all did well. The next house is that of Mrs. Mathews, the mother of Jesse W. and Jimmie Mathews-- the first named a citizen of Prattville, the other of Georgia..."¹⁰

Thomas A. COLEMAN and Martha BURT appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 25 June 1850 in Huddleston District, Autauga County, Alabama. The household was listed as Thomas Colman, a 62-year-old farmer with real estate valued at $2200, and Martha Colman, his 60-yea-old wife. Also in the household was their son, Stephen W. Colman, a 24-year-old farmer, his wife Elizabeth, age 19, and their daughter, Mary E. Colman, age 1. Living next door was their son Andrew J. Coleman who ran his father's mill. Nearby was Henry and Sarah Hunt.¹¹

Thomas married Sylvia RAMSEY on 29 April 1852 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹²

Thomas A. COLEMAN was allowed five dollars by the Autauga county commissioners' court for plank furnished to build a bridge across a wash in the road from M. R. Burt's Mill in August 1853.¹³

Thomas A. COLEMAN and Sylvia RAMSEY appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 25 August 1860 in Prattville, Autauga County, Alabama. The household was listed as Thomas Colman, a 73-year-old planter. He had real estate valued at $7,000 and personal estate $35,000. Silvia Colman, age 47, was his wife. Also in the household was overseer James [Tarpley] Hunt, 20, and M. A. Ramsey, 7, most likely Sylvia's daughter from a pervious marriage. Living next door was Thomas' son Andrew J. Coleman, 20, a miller, and five houses further was Martha Mathews, 44.¹⁴

Thomas A. COLEMAN died on 26 April 1865 in Prattville, Autauga County, Alabama.

Thomas A. COLEMAN appeared in a newspaper article 9 November 1865 in the The Autauga Citizen, published in Prattville, Alabama. A legal notice was posted by the Probate Court 23 Oct 1865. It stated that Stephen W. Coleman had filed a paper said to be the Last Will and Testament of Thomas A. Coleman, deceased. 20 Nov 1865 was set for hearing testimony as to validity of the document. It listed the next of kin of the decedant residing out of state including: James E. Coleman of Cherokee County, Texas; Alfeus M. Horn of California; and an infant son of Benjamin Horn, deceased, name not known [Samuel Horn], of Union County, Arkansas. They were given notice to appearat the hearing.

Thomas A. COLEMAN appeared in a newspaper article 5 December 1867 in the The Autauga Citizen, published in Prattville, Alabama. The State of Alabama, Autauga County. -- Special Court of Probate, Nov. 9, 1867 -- Thomas Coleman, deceased, Estate. This day came S. W. Coleman, Executor of said decedent, and filed his accounting and vouchers for the annual settlement of his said administration.

It is ordered by the Court that the 30th day of November, 1867, be appointed a day on which to make settlement. It is further ordered that notice of the same be given to all parties interested by publication for three successive weeks in the Autauga Citizen, a newspaper published in this county, notifying them that they can appear on the day appointed for making said settlement and contest, the same if they think proper. G. W. Benson, Judge. Nov. 21.

Thomas A. COLEMAN appeared in a newspaper article 11 September 1885 in the The Southern Signal, published in Prattville, Alabama. Mr. Editor-- The following scrap of "ancient history" may not be of interest to some of your readers. Mr. Thos. Coleman, an old and venerable citizen who died a few years ago at his old homestead near this place, moved from North Carolina and settled in this county in the fall of 1822. He located a half mile west of Nolan's Creek, on the Washington and Vernon road, on the right hand side going west, several hundred yards from the road in what is now known as the old Gardner field, now owned by Mr. M. S. Wadsworth. This was then an unbroken forest, no sign of a habitation except a small log cabin with dirt floor, whether erected by Inidans or some straggling pioneers is not known. In this pen he stowed all his earthly goods and immediately commenced the erection of a small frame building, one of the first, if not the very first framed dwelling erected in the county outside the little town. This house finished, he put him up a little shop in which he manufactured wagons, he also made a few cotton gins, on special orders. The next year he put up for himself a gig, a small, double-seated, two-wheeled vehicle with shafts. This was no doubt the first vehicle of the kind manufactured in the county. This little carriage was the wonder and admiration of the day, as in those primitive days families went to church on horseback, or in ox carts. Mr. Martin R. Burt rode in this gig when he got married and in which he brought his bride home. A Mr. Henry Horne married Alithia, the oldest daughter of of Mr. Thomas Coleman. The Sabbath after he borrowed this gig for a bridal tour to Inidan Hill church. I am told by a friend who witnessed the arrival of the bride and groom at church that morning, that it created more excitement than a Barnum's circus would in this day. --- S[amuel] P. Smith.