"Ancestrees"

Reverend William COATS Sr. ^{1 3 4 5 6 7}

  General Notes:

This is likely the Rev.William who married Nancy Baker and moved with his brothers Benjamin and Wilson from Kings Creek, SC to Bedford Co., TN. He is possibly the William Couts/Cook listed in an indenture to Eli Jones in Robertson Co., TN in 1797 instead and likely the William Coats who was a juror along with his brother, Barton, in Robertson Co., TN in Jan. of 1797 according to court minutes. He was a juror along with brother Barton in July 1797 in Robertson Co., TN. He was also a juror on Oct. 1797, Oct. 1798, Jul 1799. He bought land in Robertson Co., TN in 1797. He sold land to Eli Jones in 1798. He also sold 320 acres of land to John Baker in 1800 in that same county. The last record of him in Robertson Co., TN is in a court case where he was versing John Robbins on the administration of John Tucker's estate.

Reverend William Coats birth date is estimated and could be off by as many as 15 years too early. A history of Calloway Co., MO states that Williams was born in South Carolina. We know that he next lived in Sumner Co., TN. By 1802, he and his family are listed in the Baptist Church records for Smith Co., TN. He or his wife was originally a Quaker, but they converted to the Baptist faith. He founded the First Baptist Church in Calloway Co., MO and was the preacher there known as Rev. Coats. Calloway Co., Missouri records state that he moved there with James Coats in 1817. An obituary for his son, John, states that they moved to Calloway Co. with Daniel Boone's party. (C-1388, 1697, 1799, 1804, 1829)

All of Rev. William's children's birth dates are listed in a family bible currently in the possession of Marcia Sonnenberg in San Jose, CA. (C-1869, 1985)

"Pioneer Families of Missouri", pg. 318 includes this about Rev. William Coats' family: "Coats - Rev. William Coats was born South Carolina. When grown he removed to Smith County, Tennessee, where he married Nancy Baker, by whom he had -- James, William, John, Wilson, Hiram, Lemuel B., Rachel, Frankie, Tabitha, Mahala, Nancy, and Laodocea. In 1817 Mr. Coats removed with his family to Callaway County, Mo., and settled on the prairie which has since borne his name. There was no minister in that part of the country at that time, and his neighbors appointed him to preach, which duty he performed at stated intervals until his death. He organized most of the Old Baptist Churches in that region. His son James married Polly Callaway, of Tennessee, by whom he had two children--Matthias S. and Laura A. William Coats, Jr. was married first to Patsey Tracy, and second to the widow McLaughlin, whose maiden name was Celia Callaway. John married Nancy Smith. He was Sheriff of Callaway County for several years, and was a good auctioneer. Wilson married a Miss Phillips and moved to California. (Linda Lee's note: They are buried in Dublin Cemetery, Dublin, CA in the Coats family plot.) Hiram married Permelia Walker, and was afterward killed by lightning. Lemuel B. married Elizabeth Maddox. Rachel married Robert Reade, and is now a widow. Frankie married a Mr. McLaughlan. Tabitha married William Callaway. Nancy married Joseph P. Callaway. Laodocea married Daniel Phillips."

Reverend William's will is transcribed by Curte Rowe as follows: 1st - After my just debts is paid I will and bequeath to my daughter Polly Agee, 1 bed and furniture, 1 cow and calf, two head of sheep and ten dollars in cash the whole amounting to forty dollars which money has been received.-- 2nd - I will and bequeath to my son James Coats one hundred acres of Land, one horse and saddle, one cow and calf, two head of sheep the whole amounting to tow hundred and ninety fore dollars which money has been received 3rd -I will and bequeath to my daughter Rachel Reed one bed and furniture,one cow and calf, 2 heard of sheep and ten dollars in cash amounting to forty dollars, which money has been received. 4th -I will and bequeath to my son William Coats, 1 horse and saddle,one hundred dollars, one cow and calf and 2 heard of sheep, amounting to one hundred and ninety four dollars which money has been received.-- 5th - I will and bequeath to my daughter Nancy Callaway one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, ten dollars in cash 2 head of sheep, amounting to forty four dollars, which money has been received. 6th - I will and bequeath to my son John Coats one horse and saddle, eighty dollars, one cow and calf, tow head of sheep, amounting to one hundred and seventy fore dollars, which money has been received. 7th -I will and bequeath to my son Wilson Coats one horse and saddle and one Hundred Dollars, one cow and calf two head of sheep, amounting to one hundred and eighty fore dollars which money has been received. 8th -I will and bequeath to my daughter Dicy Phillips one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, two head of sheep and ten dollars in cash, amounting to forty four dollars which money has been received. 9th -I will and bequeath to my daughter Tabitha Callaway one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, two head of sheep, ten dollars in cash amounting to forty four dollars which money has been received. 10th - I will and bequeath to my daughter Franky Laughlin one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, tow head of sheep, ten dollars in cash amounting to forty four dollars which money has been received. 11th - I will and bequeath to my daughter Mahala Dodds one bed and furniture, one cow and calf, two head of sheep, and ten dollars in cash amounting to forty four dollars which amount has been received. 12th - I have gave unto Polly Agees heirs one hundred dollars since her decease which makes the whole of her amount one hundred and forty dollars. 13th - I have gave unto Rachel Reed fifty dollars making the whole ninety dollars. 14th - I have gave unto Tabitha Callaway one hundred dollars making the whole amount one hundred and forty four dollars. 15th - I have gave unto Mahaly Dodds one hundred dollars making the whole one hundred and forty four dollars, one hundred dollars not yet received. 16th - I have gave unto Dicy Phillip one hundred dollars making the whole one hundred and forty four dollars. 17th - There is one hundred and sixty acres of land that I own lying south of Fulton, MO. The Southwest quater of section twenty nine, in township forty seven of range nine west, which land I wish to be sold when they may think best and the money divided equally among all my living children with the exception of Hiram Coats and Lemuel Coats they are not to have any share in the money that the land is sold for. Rachel Reed is to have fifty dollars more of this money than the rest of the children to make up her equal share. 18th - I will and bequeath to my wife Nancy Coats the two quarter sections of land where I now live also my household and kitchen furniture with as much of the stock as she may see proper to keep and at her death I will and bequeath the said tract of land to my two youngest sons, Hiram Coats and Lemuel Coats, the said land to be equally divided between these two. that stock my wife don't see proper to keep, I wish Hiram Coats to have one third of it and Lemuel Coats one third and the balance to be sold and my wife to have the money, this stock that is to be divided is the hogs and valves that we raised lately. 19th - I bequeath unto Nancy Callaways heirs, one hundred dollars making the whole one hundred and forty four dollars which money has not been received. 20th - I bequeath to Franky Laughling heirs ten dollars, which money has not been received. April 18th 1836. 21st - At my wife's death I want her things sold or equally divided among all my living children likewise the money if any. I do hereby constitute and ordain William Thornton and William J. Gilman my Executors to my last will and testament. Attest Isaac Agee John Morrow William Coats (seal) (C-1981)

Reverend William and possibly his wife, Nancy are buried on what is now the current site of a Nuclear Power Plant in Calloway Co., MO. One stone called the "Tennyson Stone" recognizes that this cemetery is on the property of the power plant. No other stones mark the places of burial of these Coats family members.

There is a Coats family in Illinois in 1850 that has similar names to this family that might eventually tie into this one. He could be a grandson of William through his son James or a gr.nephew through his brother James. CENSUS 1850 STATE IL COUNTY Greene REEL NO 108 PAGE NO 287
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LN HN FN LAST NAME FIRST NAMEAGE SEX RACE OCCUP.
VAL. birth placeMRD. SCH. R/W DDB
=======================================================1850
Census of Greene County, IL p.85
36 571 571 COATS George 41 M Farmer 1,000 Ky
37 571 571 COATS Celia 42 F Ky
38 571 571 COATS Rachel F 15 IL
39 571 571 COATS Sylvester 13 M IL
40 571 571 COATS Mary 11 F IL
41 571 571 COATS Francis M. 9 M IL
42 571 571 COATS George W. 9 M IL ¹

William married before 1790 in , Wilson, TN.¹

William next married Nancy BAKER, daughter of John BAKER and Unknown, in 1788-1790.² (Nancy BAKER died in 1849 in , Calloway, MO ¹ and was buried in Peter Garret Farm, Calloway, MO ⁸.)