Chesley COFFEE was born 19 November 1755 in Virginia, and died 18 September 1818 in Maury Co., Tennessee. These dates taken from the gravestone at the cemetery located in Maury Co., Tennessee, which is located on Screamer Road, about 1 mile above Ebenezer C. P. Church.

Chesley was most likely from Prince Edward Co., Virginia. He was married in 1780 to Margaret BALDWIN. She was still living in 1820 in Maury Co., Tennessee and is buried in an unmarked grave next to her husband Chesley COFFEE.

In the late 1770’s Chesley COFFEE went with the great migration of COFFEE families from Virginia into North Carolina and in particular in Wilkes Co., North Carolina. Chesley’s son Nathan was born in 1780 and gave his birthplace as North Carolina. This is from “Biographical Sketches of Ballard Co., Kentucky.” “Col. W. M. COFFEE was born 23 August 1823 in Maury Co., Tennessee; he was the twelfth of fourteen children born to Nathan and Elizabeth (GILBREATH) COFFEE. His paternal grandparents were Chesley and Mary (Margaret) (BALDWIN) COFFEE; on his mother’s side were Hugh and Nancy (CLEVELAND) GILBREATH.

Chesley COFFEE was in Wilkes Co., North Carolina in 1782 by proof of the tax rolls and that he signed as a witness to a deed.

These COFFEE families of Wilkes Co., North Carolina seem to have all been related. They multiplied in great numbers and with each family they seemed to carry on the naming of sons to John, James, Nathan, Joel and Cleveland. Many other names were also used over but these stand out. This with the fact that the COFFEE families of Virginia were so intermarried makes it almost impossible to unscramble them.

The late 1770’s and early 1780’s land book of Wilkes Co., North Carolina shows that Archelaus COFFEE, James COFFEE, Sr. (Rev James), Joel COFFEE, James COFFEE, Jr., and Thomas COFFEE all lived in Wilkes Co., but by 1800 some of these families had moved on to Green Co., Kentucky. Green Co. was the parent county of Adair Co.,

By 1810 there were the following COFFEE families living in Adair Co., Kentucky; they were two John COFFEE’S, two Nathan COFFEE’S, two James COFFEE’S, Rich COFFEE, Newton COFFEE, Osburn COFFEE, Sale (Salathiel) COFFEE, Eli (Elijah) COFFEE, Field (FIELDING) COFFEE, Joel COFFEE, Cleveland COFFEE, and Chesley COFFEE, all living near “Columbia Town”.

Of the above names we know that the younger Nathan was the son of Chesley and the older Nathan was a brother to Chesley. It is also known that the Joel Coffee was a brother to Chesley.

From “Lost Links” by Francis and Moore, is found on the older Nathan. “Nathan COFFEE, Rev. Soldier of Virginia, and wife, had the following children: Joel, Appleton, William, Gracie, Polly, Katherine, married __ Baxter. Elizabeth married her cousin, James COFFEE.” We know this is the same Nathan, because the marriage of Elizabeth COFFE and James COFFEE is recorded in Adair Co., Kentucky. They were married 4 March 1804.

We know of these family members from the many county historical writings from the places they lived. Many don’t seem to think records exists from long ago but in many instances our ancestors kept good records.

We find the first mention of the TURNBOW’S with the COFFEE’S in January 1806 when George TURNBOW of Adair Co., Kentucky buying land on the fork of Reynolds’s Creek , a branch of Russell’s Creek, from Nathan COFFEE.

Chesley COFFEE lived near the mouth of Cabin Fork of Russell’s Creek, Adair Co., Kentucky in 1802. We know this because of the book “The Stray Book of Adair Co. KY., 1802.” This “Stray Book” is a collection of notices that were posted to the public about stray livestock to be picked up.

In Nov. of 1818, Margaret COFFEE, widow of Chesley COFFEE, held a sale of his property. Among those listed as buying at the sale were; James TURNBOW, Andrew TURNBOW, Jacob COFFEE, Joel COFFEE, Landon COFFEE and Nathan COFFEE. (Maury Co. Wills and Settlements)

Chesley and Margaret (BALDWIN) COFFEE had the following known children

1. Nathan COFFEE, born 13 Aug 1780, died 3 June 1858. Married Elizabeth GILBREATH, born 1783, died 18 June 1846. Both are buried at Recess Chapel Cem. In Maury Co., Tennessee. Buried with then are three of their children: Nancy, born 1806 that married George ALEXANDER, and died in 1827. Mary, born in 1810 and died in 1826 and Jacob born 1817 and died in 1844.

Other children of Nathan and Elizabeth COFFEE, date of birth not known for all

1. Calvin COFFEE, born 1805. A note from “They Passed This Way” Vol. 11, Page 40, says, “Calvin Coffee died 22 January 1889, age 84, near Campbellsville. Buried yesterday. Died an upright man.” He was married to Elizabeth FINE/FIND. In the 1850 census of Maury Co. Tennessee, they had these children: Isaac H., age 21; William F. age 20; Nancy, age 18; Catherine, age 15; Mary, age 9; Martha, age 7 and Sarah E., age 5. The William F. of this family married Priscilla HOWARD. A Lieut. In the Confederate Army; he was murdered by renegades during the war. (Confederate Soldiers and Patriots of Maury Co.) By Garrett.




2. Isaac COFFEE, born 1807





3. Margaret COFFEE, born 1809, married John DAVIS





4. Hugh Coffee, born 1812, married Elizabeth.





5. Lucinda COFFEE, born 1813, married Morgan Ross.





6. Jane COFFEE, was born 1815, married Hillman WILLIAMS.





7. Nathan COFFEE, Jr., born 1819 and died in the Mexican War of 1847.





8. Sarah COFFEE, born 1820, married Franklin B. HACKNEY.





9. Caroline COFFEE, married John TODD.





10. William M. COFFEE, born 1823. He married in 1849 to Betty Ann OAKLEY. He studied law at Jackson College, Columbia, Tennessee. Later lived in Ballard Co., Kentucky, where they reared a big family. He was a member of the Kentucky Legislature.





11. Frank COFFEE, married Mariah GRUNDY.

Now to continue with the children of Chesley and Margaret COFFEE.

2. Landon COFFEE, born 1794 in Kentucky, married (1) in Maury Co., Tennessee on 15 March 1821 to Polly Tate. Married (2) on 6 May 1848 to Martha Meece. In 1850 he was in Giles Co., Tennessee with all children of his first wife. The were; George B. W., age 20; Harrison, age 18; Lucinda, age 17; Cleveland, age 12; Clarinda, age 10 Felice, age 8; James K. P., age 5 McCord, age 3 and Mary, age 1.





3. Isaac COFFEE , born ??. He was murdered by robbers near Knoxville, Tennessee in 1799. On 1 April 1799, the Louisville, Georgia Gazette, printed an account of the “finding of the bodies of William BALLARD, James BRASEL and Isaac COFFEE, near Knoxville, Tennessee, in Stockton, Valley.” “Evidence indicated the three were killed by the Harp brothers.” On 7 August 1799, Louisville papers (Ga.) printed excerpts from the Knoxville papers concerning a reward of $2,000.00 offered “for murderers of Isaac COFFEE, son of Chesley COFFEE, killed near Knoxville.”





4. Jacob COFFEE





5. Joel COFFEE, married Sarah MACKAY in Maury Co., Tennessee on 21 March 1818. After his wife died he took his children and moved to Oregon.





6. Felicia COFFEE, born 3 March 1787, died 18 May 1865. She was married in Maury Co., Tennessee on 2 August 1811 to James TURNBOW, born 22 March 1780, in South Carolina, and died 19 August 1826 in Maury Co., Tennessee. These dates are from the gravestones and given in “Maury Co. Cemeteries” by Lightfoot. James TURNBOW, was a brother to Andrew TURNBOW, although some of his descendants no spell the name without the “W”.

Children of Felicia COFFEE and James TURNBOW.

1. Margaret TURNBOW, married 14 December 1840 in Maury Co., Tennessee to Paris L. SIMS. One of their sons wore the grey and was killed at the battle of Chickamauga.





2. Andrew J. TURNBOW, born 1817, married 17 April 1848 to Sarah A. SPAIN, born 1825 in Virginia. Andrew J. Turnbow was a double cousin to Chesley TURNBOW, who died in Tarrant Co., Texas in 1887 and buried at White Chapel Cemetery. His wife died in Oklahoma.





3. Elizabeth TURNBOW





4. Gracie M. TURNBOW, born 15 February 1819 and married in Maury Co., Tennessee on 14 September 1842 to Martin Harrison JOHNSTON. They had 9 children. Gracie and Martin Harrison JOHNSTON, went from Tennessee to Taney Co., Missouri and from there to Texas. He died while in the Confederate Army.





5. William Claiborne TURNBOW, married in Maury Co., Tennessee in 1851 to Sarah Jane MATTHEWS.





6. James Coffee TURNBOW, born 1820 and died 14 June 1870 in Marion Co., Arkansas. Married in 1841/2 in Taney Co., Missouri to Eliza ONSTOTT. James and Eliza TURNBOW had 10 children all born in Taney Co., Missouri or in the neighboring county of Marion Co., Arkansas. Of their 10 children the first born was Silas Claiborne TURNBOW, born 6 May 1844 and died 1925. He married Matilda HOLT. He was famous for writing the “Turnbow Manuscripts”. He traveled around all the Ozarks writing down the stories and history of the people that lived in the Ozarks. He was also a Confederate soldier in the 27th Arkansas Infantry.





7. Nancy A. TURNBOW, born 20 March 1824 and died1899 in Maury Co., Tennessee. She was married to Frank BAILEY.





8. Nathan TURNBOW married 26 November 1833 to Elizabeth BUCKNER. This was the oldest son of James and Felicia (COFFEE) TURNBOW.

7. Chesley COFFEE, From the “memoirs of Mississippi”, Vol. 1 page 565, by Goodspeed, “ Chesley COFFEE, notice of Maury Co., Tennessee, went to Mississippi at age 15 and became apprentice shoe maker; later was a successful business man and plantation owner. Served as Captain in the Mexican War of 1847, and also in the War of 1861. He married Miss M. S. Davis in 1849 and died at his home in Fayette, Mississippi in 1869. He had a son, Charles C. COFFEE , who was educated at the University of Mississippi.





8. Fannie COFFEE married Kenneth McKENZIE. It was their grandson, Rev. J.W.P. McKenzie (John Witherspoon Pettigrew McKenzie) born in 1806 who came to Texas, early and organized McKenzie College near the town of Clarksville. Established in a log cabin in 1841, McKenzie College was, for a long time, the largest college in Texas.

There were many descendants of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky that came to Texas at an early date. Some of the names were William COFFEE was in Lavaca Co.., Texas in 1860 (son of Nathan)

Living next to William was Logan COFFEE and wife Mary and their children Mansel, Fanny, William, Cleveland, Robert, and Thomas. In the household with Logan COFFEE were William COFFEE and Cleveland COFFEE

Joel COFFEE born 1790 in Kentucky was a brother to the above William of Lavaca Co.; Texas was living in Titus co., Texas in 1850. A note was found of Joel that read; “Joel COFFEE and Mary KNOX were married in Somerset Co., Kentucky, in 1818. Joel received a land grant in Alabama for service in the war.

The colourful Rich COFFEE, who came to Texas in 1855, and later established Pickettville, the first settlement in Runnels co., was a descendant of the Kentucky, Tennessee Coffee’s. (See Pioneering in the Concho Country, by Bishop Powell, West Texas Historical year Book, 1974)

Holland COFFEE, grandson of James COFFEE, Sr., of Wilkes Co., North Carolina, established a trading post called “COFFEES STATION” on the Texas side of Red River in 1837, in what is now Grayson Co., near a place called “Preston Bend.” He married in Texas to Mrs. Sophia Auginbough, and built the elegant plantation home called “Glen Eden”. Here they were known, far and wide, for their hospitality. The site of “Glen Eden” is now covered by the waters of Lake Texoma. Holland COFFEE served as a member of the 3rd Congress of the Republic of Texas and was killed by an Indian at his trading post in 1846. His widow, Sophia, was married twice more and has been called the “Scarlett O’HARA of Texas”, and “a woman Paul Revere” because of her activities during the Civil War. (Texas handbook, Vol. 1, pg. 369-695, and Dallas Morning News, April 11, 1942)

Jessee COFFEE was born 1796 in North Carolina; brother to Holland COFFEE was living with three of his sons and their families in Red River Co., Texas in 1860. The sons were: John T. COFFEE and wife, Martha and children Elizabeth, William, James and Susan.

Ashby COFFEE, wife Eliza with children Robinson, America and Margaret.

Joel COFFEE and wife Polly.

America COFFEE, born 1801 in North Carolina, sister to the above Holland and Jessee COFFEE married Samuel LUSK, and they were in Texas as early as 1835. Samuel Lusk was a member of the convention that ratified the annexation of Texas to the United States. The Lusk family lived in Washington Co. Texas. (Austin Colony Pioneers, by Worth Ray)

The above family history was made available by our cousin Delma Turnbow FREEMAN. In my entire search I have not found any member of the family that served in the Union Army during Lincolns War. Many served faithfully in all wars since then for the US. Many served in the conflict to gain independence of Texas to become the Republic of Texas.