COTE, John Sr. ¹

  General Notes:

I believe he is the John Sr. in the 1790 census, 96th District, that has 3 males over 16, 2 males under 16, 5 females and one slave. He was living near John Cotes who lived with his wife and was his father, Gentleman John. I say this with a fair amount of certainty, because both Johns lived amongst neighbors in that census that correspond with the neighbors of these Johns in their deed records. In the 1800 census, he is one of three John Sr. Coates in the census. The first is his father who was an empty nester with just he and his wife, both over age 45. The second is a John Sr. Cote as being over age 45, with 3 sons between 0-10. His wife is over 45. He is probably living next to a son John (Jr.) Cote on p. 69. (I'm currently guessing that this is him and determining the ages of his children from it.) The last is a John Sr. Coats on page 70 where he and his wife were over 45, with sons ages under age 10, 10-16 and 16-26, and daughters 10-16 and 16-26. They owned one slave... (The fact that they owned one slave makes this a likely match too. It should be noted that this 3rd John is listed as Sr. in the original census, and simply as John in the typed up indexes.) He is listed on the same page where brother William is listed. I can see either of these last two applying to him. Because the 1800 census in Newberry was taken in alphabetical order, it is impossible to really determine who the neighbors were for each person. Therefore, we really don't know at this point which of the two this John Sr. is in the 1800 census. One of his son's age estimates would change if he is this third John Sr. instead. In the 1820 census, John Sr. is again listed in Newberry Co., South Carolina. He and his wife were over 45 at the time. They had a daughter from age 10-16 as well as 2 sons of that same age brackett. (C-2087) He was again living next to his likely son, John Jr.

There is a purchase of land by a John Coate for 400 acres on Bush River that later became a part of Laurens Co., South Carolina. It's adjoining land owners are: Andrew Rodger, Wm Thos Caldwell, John Mayson, Thomas Delrympele and George Delrympele. I suspect that this purchase belongs to this John Coates. The precept for it was dated Feb 4, 1772 and it was certified on March 6, 1772.

John purchased 28 acres next to Samuel Coate on Big Beaverdam Creek off Bush River in 1797. He would have been the right age to buy property. Samuel was his brother. This property would have been very close to his father, Gentleman John's land also based upon the description of neighbors in Gentleman John's administration. (C-2116)

He or his son or a 3rd John in Laurens Co., SC was the John Coate who was appointed Treasurer of Funds on Jan. 15, 1831 for the Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Laurens Co., South Carolina.

We know that John Sr.'s long-time wife was named Catherine from an 1826 divorce suite in the equity court records. He apparently took to drink in the later years of their marriage and became quite violent. "Trancribed from LDS microfilm #24,229 Newberry Equity Court Records Book B-2 p. 305 by Charlotte Coats-Siercks The state of South Carolina, Newberry District- In equity - To the Honorable the ? of the said State. Honorably complain of thee one to your Honors your Oratria Catherine Coate, by her next friend Samuel Coates. That your Oratria and John Coate ? were many years ago intermarried, that by their joint exertions they raised a large family of children and lived together in harmony until about four or eight years ago when the defendant the said John Coate, Senr. ? himself to a most ? use of ardent spirit without any or provocation on the part of your Oratira commences abuse of your Oratriz by personal violence that from that time up to Nov ? 1824 he frequently beat and abused your Oratria and compelled her to fly from home and claim the protection of her neighbors after all witnessed to shoot your Oratiriz and has more than once actually hunted for your Oratria with his gun threatened to shoot her if he could find her that on Nov or Dec 1824 his cruelties had proceeded to such extrimities (?) that she found it was no longer possible to live with im - that they then mutually agreed to separate and live aprat and therefrom the said John agreed to give (?) to your Oratria one third part of his whole estate by way of separate maintainence - that ? order to ascertain the value of his estate and t permit your Oratiria to acquire such part of his property as she wishes on account of the third part so agreed to be ?. The said John at public auction sold his personal estate ? and at the said sale he became the purchaser of such parts as he wished to ? and your Oratria purchased one negro woman, Mary for $404, a mare for $57.00, some cattle for and 2 hogs for $15.00, clepboard (?) for $5.00, a bed and furniture for $15.00 and some other household furniture for all of which he permitted to take unto her possession low and behold as her separate property and on account of her one third part of his estate so by him agreed to be settled on your Oratrix. That immediately after the said agreement to separate the said John Coate, senr. removed to Laurens and your Oratrix has ever since lived separate and appart from her husband the said John Coate and has by great exertions supported herself and her youngest daughter. That within a few days the said John has returned from Laurens and taken your Orabrix the negro woman, Mary, and refuses to comply with the agreement made upon their separation that your Oratrix knows from his habits and disposition she can never live with him in ? or safety. That during the time of their intermarriage of your Oritrax discharged all her duties of a wife and in every respect ? herself in the most proper manner, but yet fir the last seven or eight years the said John has exercised over (?) her the most brutal and shameful violence and that too after your Oratrix's inferminties would have claimed the ptiy and forbearance of savage (?) Your Oratrix would state to your Honors that she is now a woman pretty well advanced in life, nearly blind and very often afflicted with sickness - that she is wholly unable to support herself. That the said John Coate, senr is possessed exclusive of the property purchased by yoru Oratrix of the following property to wit: one tract of land containing 150 acres lying in Newberry District adjoining lands of Berry or Benj Neal, George Myers, Israel Chamler (might be Chamber ? not sure of that last name) and Robert Evans of the value of $1,000.00, a negro fellow, Jake of the value of $700.00, two horses of the value of $190.00, cow and calf of the value of $25.00, one bed and furniture of the value of $25.00 and outstanding debt to the amount of $180.00. In tender corse (?) where of and for as (bunch of legal stuff) a sum of money as your Hornors may direct by way of Alimony and that Samuel Coates may be approved trustee for your Orbitrix and that your Honors would grant to your Orbitrix such other and further relief as to your Honors shall the nature of the case may require and to your Honors shall seem most agreeable to equity and good conscience. May it please your Honors to ? your Orbitrix the writ of subpina to compell the said John Coate senr to answer the premises and to stand to and abide by such order and decorum in the premises as to your Honors shall deem merit and your Orbitrix will pray - O'Neal and Johnston Coupe Soler - ? June 19, 1826 F. B. Higgins ? (I think Higgins is a commissioner) (Orbitrix or Orbitria was just a formal way of address the court apprently, has no bearing on the document or who Catherine Coate was) _________________ South Carolina - Newberry District - In the court of Equity John Coates, senr at the ? of ten days from the service hereof ? to appear in this court at Newberry Court House to answer a bill of complaint exhibited against you in the court for the district and state aforesaid by Catherine Coates, sueing by her next friend Samuel Coate and further to abide and perform the ? of this court on the premises and to file your plea answer or demurrer to the said bill with the commissioner of the said court within thirty days of that appointed above for your appearance ? of the said bill ordered ? against you ? for ? Witness F.B. Higgins, Comm ? Equity for the District and State aforesaid, the thirteenth day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twenty six and fifteen of the soveriegn and Independence of the United States of America. - F. B. Higgins Comms - _________________ Catherine Coates by her next friend Samuel Coate vs John Coate, senr In equity ? the defendant to this case by his deed dated the 4th day of March 1826 conveyed to Samuel Coate in trust for the separate use of Catherine Coate the complainant during her natural life and after her death for the use of such person or persons as she by her will may have appointed and in the event of her failure to make such appointment then for the use of the children of the said Catherine Coate. One negro woman named Mary, about twenty three years of age, a black mare about 14 or 15 years of age, a black horse colt about one year old, a red cow with a white face and her calf, a bundled heifer, a sow and five pigs, four shoats, one bed and furniture, a cupboard or ?, two pots, the provisions of the said deed and the property contained in lieu of alimony and by way of settlement of their case. It is therefore ordered and decreed tha the complainant be protected ? separate and apart from the defendnat and that Samuel Coate be appointed trustee for the separate use of the complainant and that he do hold the property herein before mentioned and described and contained in the deed of 4th March 1826 for the separate use of Catherine Coates during her natural life and at and after her death for the use of such persons as she by her will may hereafter appoint and in the case of her failing to make such appointment then for the use of the children of said Catherine Coats and that the defendant do pay the costs of the suit. Henry M ? June 28, 1830 Ordered from confess the 19th June 1830 - F. B. Higgins, Comm. _____________ transcribed by Charlotte Coats-Siercks coats@hotmail.com (I'm not a professional transcriber and this has not been proofed but the original as best could be copied from the microfilm should be consulted for further info)"

If one studies the neighbors and persons named in Gentleman John's will, they match closely with the likely fathers of persons adjoining the 150 acres John Sr. is described as owning in 1826 bill of suit above. Gentleman John's neighbors include: Robert Evans, Benj. Neal, John Myers, and a Jacob Chandler. All these names are surnames of neighbors that John Sr. has in his 150 acres named above making it highly likely to me that John Sr. is Gentleman John's son.

John Sr. and his son John Jr. sell 100 acres of this land on Feb 3, 1830. It included the 28 acre track John Sr. purchased in 1797 on Big Beaverdam along with 2 other tracks he'd obtained throughout the years that was originally owned by Christian Kinsler. Both he and his son had moved to Laurens Co., SC by the time of this deed transaction. It apparently was sold to finally help support his ex-wife of many years.

You will note that the bill of divorce above mentions that they had a large family. Taking the patterns in the census, he had about 13 children, all but one of whom is not yet known by name. We are hunting for children in his family by the following data: Two males, b. before 1775; a male born between 1774 and 1790; four females born before 1790; three males born between 1790 and 1800; two males born between 1804 and 1810 and one female born before 1811. We know that John Jr. was the second or third born child from his census info as an adult. Charlotte Coats Sierks has strongly suggested that a second of the sons of John Sr. and Catherine was named Samuel. That is because he was the spokesperson and trustee for her in the divorce proceedings. I find it to be likely too, as when Catherine ran away from her abusive husband, it was much more likely that she'd go live with a child than a neighbor. There is a Samuel in the Baptist church records that is likely to be this Samuel. He was born in the 1780's by my estimate. In 1823, he is in the Bush River Baptist Church Records. His probable wife Nancy joined on May 13, 1825 and he a month later. Because he and Nancy both were dismissed by letter on Feb. 10, 1827, I suspect that they are husband and wife. There are several single females that join and dismiss in a time period close to them that could be daughters. Sally Coate joins 2 months after Samuel Coate on Aug 25, 1825. A Caty and Mary get dismissal letters in Aug. and Dec. of that same year. I suspect that they possibly only moved to a church closer to them if this Samuel is the son of John Sr. and Catherine that is assisting Catherine in settling the divorce.

As for the others, there are some Coates that show up in Laurens Co., SC that need checked for ages to see if they could be some of his children. A Catherine Coat (p. 222), a John Coats (p. 236) and a Thomas Coats (p. 223) lived in Laurens Co., SC in the 1830 census. Coates' list members have suggested the following by location and age might also be some of the missing children of John Sr. Coates: James Robert Coate, b. 1786; Gabriel Coats, b. 1795-1801; Harwell Coats b. between 1775 and 1794 (of Kershaw Co., SC in 1820); Reverend William Coats, b. before 1773. There is also a James Coats in the 1800 census b. before 1775 who is not accounted for by the other James's I know of in the area. Determining the children's names is obviously going to be difficult work.

To make matters more complicated, there were at least 2 Coate families living in Laurens Co., SC prior to John Cotes Sr. There was also a Bethsheba Coats living there with 3 daughters in 1790. In the 1800 census there is a John Cotes who was between 26 and 45 years of age. His wife was the same age. They had an elderly mother living with them, over age 45. They also had one son under age 10 and 4 daughters under age 10. That is likely the John Cotes living there in the 1820 census also on page 19. (C-2085)

The last mystery in John's life is about how many wives he had. If Catherine were the mother of all his children, she would have been having children for almost a 40 year period, from the early 1770's through 1810. That is highly unusual and could suggest he had a first wife before Catherine though her divorce decree would suggest that she was the mother of all his many children over a long period of years. Then in John's life after he moved to Lauren's Co. SC, it also suggests the possibility that he married possibly one or two other woman because of the following. There is a John Coats who was received in Laurens Co., SC on 2/15/1823 in Poplar Springs Baptist Church along with a Sarah Tierce along and her slave, Mary. A Sarah Coats was named in the Aug 18, 1827 meeting. She is probably the Sally Coats who was dismissed along with her slave Mary from the Poplar Springs Church on Mar 14, 1829. Then a Mary Coats was received by experience on 3/20/1830 and John is mentioned with his wife Mary on 11/14/1835 on letters of dismission. Mary could be an additional wife for this John Sr. Coats or the wife of the other John Coats living in Laurens Co., SC in the 1800 and 1820 census.

John married Catherine UNKNOWN before 1772. (Catherine UNKNOWN was born before 1755 and died after Jun 19, 1830 of Newberry, SC.)