COLEMAN Family*
Earliest Colonial Colemans
The Coleman name is a prominent one in history books. A Thomas Coleman and his wife were listed as members of the lost colony of Roanoke. This is the English colony that mysteriously disappeared shortly after its beginnings in 1587. Thomas Coleman’s brother, Robert, was part of a resupply party from England that discovered ‘all’ of the original Roanoke settlers gone by 1590. However, it appears this Robert Coleman drowned in rough seas trying to make a landing to search for his brother. The only clue to the missing Roanoke settlers was the word “Croatan” carved on a tree. The Croatans were neighboring Indians and it was never discovered whether they attacked the settlement, or the settlers themselves gave up and went to live among the tribe.
A Robert Coleman settled on the south side of the Appomattox near the James river in 1652. His relationship to Roanoke Colemans is unknown (if any at all). However, this man's probable descendant, also named Robert Coleman, settled in Halifax County, North Carolina in 1756.
South Carolina Colemans
Related Surnames:
Finklea, Gibbs, Hanna, Hyman, Keefe, Munn, Myers, Poston, Turner
The Colemans in South Carolina may or may not be from the same progenitor. There are several early 19th century Coleman families mentioned in Sellers’ History of Marion, including:
- A John Coleman who had sons John Jr, Edward, and Moses (whose daughter married William Martin).
- Griffin Coleman married a Miss Dozier and had four sons named Griffin Jr, John D, Jacob, and James.
The earliest South Carolina Coleman family this researcher has substantial information about is that of Robert and Prudence Coleman of Georgetown District. They owned thousands of acres on Big Swamp near the Great Pee Dee and were part of the Georgetown District census in 1790.The following is the family of Robert and Prudence Coleman:
Husband: Coleman, Robert
Born: South Carolina or North Carolina
Died: About 1825, South Carolina
Wife: Scott? Coleman, Prudence
Born: South Carolina?
Died: 1841, South CarolinaChild 1: Coleman, William Benjamin
Born: About 1788, South Carolina
Died: Before 1825, South Carolina
Child 2: Coleman, Mary
Born: 1795, South Carolina
Spouse: Dew, William (marriage uncertain)
Child 3: Coleman, Prudence
Born: 1797, South Carolina
Spouses: Poston, Josiah
Child 4: Coleman, Jane
Born: 1800, South Carolina
Spouses: Finklea, Willis (c1790-1845)
Child 5: Coleman, Elizabeth
Born: 1803, South Carolina
Spouses: Poston, Samuel (c1805-?)
Child 6: Coleman, Ceclia
Born: 1806, South Carolina
Spouses: Turner, Benjamin W. (1807-1879)
Child 7: Coleman, John Scott
Born: 1808, South Carolina
Died: South Carolina?
Spouses: 1. Turner, Mary; 2. Myers, Frances Caroline (1838-)
Child 8: Coleman, Margaret
Born: About 1809, South Carolina
Note: If you would like to share or exchange information on the Keefes or related
surnames, please use my email on the main page.