Descendants of Robert Coleman of Nansemond County Virginia 1684-1930

Chapter 36. Descendants of Benjamin Franklin Coleman IV of Bledsoe County, TN

By permission, the text below is excerpts from a book, The Colemans of North Hamilton County Tennessee by Cy Yarborough.
Editor's notes are my additions based on reports people have given me or I have researched - Wes Coleman

As previously mentioned, (412) Benjamin Franklin Coleman IV was not actually the son of Benjamin Franklin Coleman but his grandson. He was born 6/?/1869, in Bakewell, TN, the illigetimate child of Benjamin Carroll Coleman and Martha Gross. He was cared for by his mother and grandmother as a baby and just a few months before his 5th birthday his mother married his paternal grandfather. Frank was raised as his grandfather's son and brother to his grandfather's children by his mother. He was actually their half-brother and their nephew.

Frank grew up in Bakewell and was educated in the local schools. According to relatives in the 1980s, Frank was particularly bright. He was reported to have graduated from Friendsville Academy, a Quaker School that was located in Northeast Tennessee at that time.

Frank left the Bakewell area in the early 1900's and settled in Ft. Smith, Ark. I've been told two different versions of why he left Bakewell. One version was that he and his two younger brothers, Amos and Bill, had gone in together on farming some crops one year. When harvest time came the crops were sold, their was a disagreement between the brothers on how the profits should be divided. The disagreement became rather heated and Frank left Bakewell and went to Arkansas and Bill left and went to Chicago.

Another version is that upon graduation from Friendsville, Frank applied for a position with the U. S. Postal Service. He gave a local Bakewell resident as a personal reference on his application and when contacted he informed the Postal Service of Frank's illegitimacy, which cost Frank the job. It was said that after that, Frank soured on the Bakewell community and left. Regardless of why Frank left, he never returned to Bakewell to live. It isn't known exactly when Frank left but there was a land transaction involving Frank and his older half-brothers and sisters (they were also his aunts and uncles) in 1902 and in 1905, and that could have been when he left.

Little is known of Frank other than he remained in Arkansas most of the rest of his life, married a woman named Lyda and had 5 children. Frank lived in Eureka, IL at the time of his brother Amos' death in 1956. He was 87 years old at the time.

Frank Coleman, his brother Amos and Frank's children and grandchildren in Arkansas

(412) Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Coleman, IV and wife Lyda had five children:

(1087)  1.  Bill Amos Coleman,   b. c1918+/10? based on siblings
(1088)  2.  Martha Lee Coleman,  b. c1920 per marriage record
(1089)  3.  Frances Coleman,     b. c1927 per marriage record
(1090)  4.  Lebeda Coleman,      b. c1930+/-10? based on siblings
(1091)  5.  Franklin Coleman,    b. c1932+/-10? based on siblings

(1087) Bill Amos Coleman

(1088) Martha Lee Coleman married Loyd Hinesley on 03/19/1938 at the age of 18 years. Lloyd was 28. The marriage was recorded in book K, p. 405 of Greenwood District of Sebastian County and L. F. Thomas officiated the ceremony.
[Fort Smith, AR Library online, Marriages of Sebastian County. http://209.183.162.21/irgendbmenu.html]

(1089) Frances Coleman married Eun Brown on 09/21/1945 at the age of 18 years. Eun was 25. The marriage was recorded in book M, p. 115 of Greenwood District of Sebastian County and E. D. Hall officiated the ceremony.
[Fort Smith, AR Library online, Marriages of Sebastian County. http://209.183.162.21/irgendbmenu.html]

(1091) Franklin Coleman may be the Frank Coleman who married Susan Myrtle Nesmith on 12/23/1919 at age 19. Susan was 17. The marriage was recorded in book Q, p. 39201, Fort Smith Dist., of Sebastian County, AR. L. F. Fishback officiated.
[Fort Smith, AR Library online, Marriages of Sebastian County. http://209.183.162.21/irgendbmenu.html]

The 1910 U.S. Census for Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co., Arkansas lists only one Coleman family:

Pinkston, Robert Head Male White 22 mar   Tennessee  United States  United States
          Mary   Wife Fem. White 17 mar   Arkansas   Missouri       Missouri
Coleman, Lucy Sis-of-wife  White 28 widow Tennessee  United States? United States?      
          Aldois niece     White 3 single Arkansas   Missouri       Tennessee
          Borsey nephew    White 1 single Arkansas   Missouri       Tennessee

The 1920 U.S. Census for Ft. Smith, Sebastian Co., Arkansas lists only one Coleman family:

Coleman, Lucy    head  White 37 widow  Tennessee  Tennessee  Tennessee      
         Alorsie dau.  White 14 single Arkansas   Texas      Tennessee
         Bryce   son   White 12 single Arkansas   Texas      Tennessee

The Coleman's Listed in Sebastian County, AR in the 1920 U.S. Census were:

Surname GivenName 	Age S	R BP 	ST 	County 	    Location 	      Year
COLEMAN	A O	        33	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	3-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	ALLIE	      32	M	W	MO	AR	SEBASTIAN 	2-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	ALTON O	    19	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	EAGLE 	        1920
COLEMAN	BAILY M	    50	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	4-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	ELIZABETH	  72	F	W	IL	AR	SEBASTIAN 	ROGERS 	        1920
COLEMAN	FRANK B	    50	M	W	TN	AR	SEBASTIAN 	DAYTON 	        1920
COLEMAN	GEORGE E	  26	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	EAGLE 	        1920
COLEMAN	GEORGE	    52	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	EAGLE 	        1920
COLEMAN	GEORGE C	  67	M	W	OH	AR	SEBASTIAN 	UPPER TWP 	    1920
COLEMAN	HENRY	      25	M	W	MN	AR	SEBASTIAN 	2-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	J O	        25	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	UPPER TWP 	    1920
COLEMAN	JAMES H	    44	M	W	MO	AR	SEBASTIAN 	2-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	JESSE K	    35	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	GREENWOOD; CENTER 1920
COLEMAN	JOE	        45	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	BONANZA; MARION 	1920
COLEMAN	JOE	        13	M	W	OK	AR	SEBASTIAN 	BONANZA; MARION 	1920
COLEMAN	JOHN	      55	M	W	IL	AR	SEBASTIAN 	3-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	LUCY	      37	F	W	TN	AR	SEBASTIAN 	3-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	MAGGIE	    39	F	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	4-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	MARY	      29	F	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	GREENWOOD; CENTER 1920
COLEMAN	R C	        33	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	1-WD; FT SMITH 	1920
COLEMAN	TOM J	      63	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	EAGLE 	        1920
COLEMAN	W E	        28	M	W	AR	AR	SEBASTIAN 	1-WD; FT SMITH 	1920

The 1920 U.S. Census for Dayton Township, Sebastian Co., Arkansas lists one Coleman family that could be that of (412):

Coleman, Frank B  head  50  White mar
         Delilah  wife  20  White mar
         William A son   1  White single