 |
| Photo courtesy TN 1850s working farm |
To review the Coleman side of my family tree from a previous post:
Joseph (born 1770 - Amelia County, VA)
—-> Daniel (born 1794 - Amelia County, VA)
—-> —-> Joseph C (born 1824 - Rutherford County, TN)
—> —> —> James P (born 1853 - Rutherford County, TN)
—> —> —> —> William L (born 1877 - Rutherford County, TN)
—> —> —> —> —> Walter A (born 1909 - Oklahoma City, OK)
—> —> —> —> —> —> Gleason W (born 1928 - San Antonio, TX)
Joseph Coleman
I am reasonably certain that Joseph Coleman (born 1770 - Amelia County, VA) is the father of Daniel (born 1794 - Amelia County, VA) my 4x great-grandfather. At the time of his son’s birth, Joseph was 24 years old - so the ages make sense.
I am less certain of the identity of Daniel’s mother. Temperance Rogers is an unlikely possibility since she was only 14 years old at the time of Daniel’s birth. In addition, records for Temperance and Joseph indicate they were married in 1824 - nearly 30 years after Daniel’s birth. It is more likely that Joseph was married to another woman first. This woman bore six children, including Daniel. Then after her death, Joseph married Temperance.
It appears Joseph and his family moved from Virginia to Rutherford County, TN sometime between 1803 (his daughter, Rebecca, was born in VA) and 1808 (his son, William Field Tanner, was born in TN) although I have no official birth certificates for any of these ancestors to prove their birthplace (or relation).
However, I do have a copy of a Divorce/Probate/Other Record dated 1831 that indicates Joseph and Temp were the parents of Daniel, Rebecca, and William (as well as other children).
I also have tax records indicating that Joseph lived in Rutherford and William counties in 1836 and 1841. It’s interesting to note the long list of Colemans living in the area at that time.
The record indicates that in 1836 Joseph owned 193 acres in Rutherford County, TN valued at $1,000. It also seems likely that his son, Daniel, lived on a nearby farm.
If others’ research is accurate, Joseph died on 06 APR 1857 in Williamson County, TN (approximately forty miles from Rutherford Country) - although I have no records to prove this claim.
Daniel Coleman
As indicated above, Daniel Coleman (my 4x great-grandfather) was born in 1794 in Amelia, VA but moved to TN with his parents and siblings sometime before 1808. His wife, Rebecca Beasley, was ten years younger and born in North Carolina. I am not sure when or where Daniel and Rebecca met.
Some research indicates Daniel and Rebecca were married in 1823 in Clark, IN. Since I have no record to validate this claim, I have to ask: Why Indiana? I find this particularly interesting since the couple gave birth to their first child in Rutherford County, TN the following year. And they lived their remaining lives in the area.
The non-population census of 1850 shows Daniel and his father Joseph lived near one another. Each of their family farms included one horse, one milking cow, and several swine. In addition, they grew Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and sold about 30 pounds of butter a year.
Daniel was still living in the area twenty years later. At this time, according to the 1870 non-population census record, he was farming near his son, Joseph C.
They farmed approximately 25 acres. Joseph C had an additional 57 acres of woodland which helped increase his land value to about $2,000.
The farm produces much of the same products as in the 1850s except Daniel has added about 25 sheep (and wool) and they both manufactured about 100 gallons of molasses.
It is unclear when Daniel died. While there is an 1880 AG census listing a Daniel Coleman, I’m not certain it is the same Daniel in my ancestral line. I have no record of his death or burial site.
Joseph C Coleman
Joseph C Coleman (my 3x great-grandfather) was the first-born child of Daniel and Rebecca. He was born in Rutherford County, TN approximately a year after his parents married. Joseph was likely named after his paternal grandfather. He had six younger siblings.
Records indicate that in 1840 when Joseph was sixteen years old, he obtained a license to marry Margaret Haley who was fourteen at the time. They eventually had ten children from 1844 to 1858. Our direct line descendant, James P. Coleman, was eighth in line.
As indicated in the above census record, Joseph C was a farmer like his father and grandfather before him. We know he purchased more land in 1873 as indicated by this newspaper article from the Murfreesboro, TN Daily News Journal dated 03 JAN 1873.
Sometime between the mid 1870s and 1880, Joseph C moved to Davidson County, TN which is now the greater Nashville area. He lived there with his wife Margaret and his four grandchildren ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old. His occupation was still listed as a farmer.
It is unclear when Joseph C. Coleman died. I have no record of his death or his burial site. It appears that his wife, Margaret, died sometime after 1900 as she is listed on that census as widowed and still living in Davidson County.
Up next... I will delve into the lives of my great-great-grandfather, James P. Coleman, and my great-grandfather, William L. Coleman. I discovered a surprising branch in the family tree that raises more questions than I can answer.
