Previous   |   Contents   |   Next  |   References   |   Site Index   |   Site Map

Descendants of Robert Coleman of Nansemond County Virginia 1684-1930

Chapter 15.  Colemans of Hamilton County, Tennessee

Colemans in the area of Walden's Ridge situated at the point where southern Bledsoe, eastern Sequatchie, and northern Hamilton County Tennessee come together were well researched and documented in a rare typed manuscript entitled The Colemans of North Hamilton County, Tennessee, originally authored by Cy Yarborough, and privately published circa 1985 to 1988, updated since 1999 by Wes Coleman.  It has been my intent to make this information permanently available on the web, and it is with his permission that it appears here.  [Yarborough, Cy, c1985]

CHARLES COLEMAN, FIRST ANCESTOR TO NORTH HAMILT0N COUNTY, TENNESSEE AREA

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

(213) Charles S. Coleman, according to all records available, was born in South Carolina.  The date of his birth is disputable.  In the Bledsoe County Tennessee census of 1830 "Charles Colman" was listed as being between 50 and 60 years of age indicating he was born between 1770 and 1780.  This hardly seems likely since his wife is also listed as being between 50 and 60 but they had seven children between the ages of 0 to 20.  In the 184O Bledsoe County census Charles Coleman and his wife were listed as being between 40 and 50 years of age.  This coincides with the 1850 census which listed Charles Coleman as 57 years old which would put his birth year around 1793.

I do not know when or how Charles Coleman came to Tennessee.  An old family legend which I've heard all my life and that has been conveyed to me by other Coleman descendants is that the Coleman's came to this area by floating down the Tennessee River on a flat bottomed boat or raft.  This I must emphasize is only legend and it has not been confirmed.  It is a fact that in 1818, Charles Coleman was living in Madison County, Alabama, as it has been proven that one if his children was born there in 1818.

The first record of Charles Coleman actually being in the North Hamilton County area is the 1830 Bledsoe County census.  There is some reason to believe he had lived in the state of Tennessee prior to this since various census records indicate his two oldest sons were both born in Tennessee.

An affidavit attesting to the service of James Varner, pioneer resident of Soddy, TN, in the war of 1812 was discovered as being signed by Charles Coleman as a witness.  Varner is known to have lived in the area around 1812 and he and Coleman obviously served together in the same outfit in the War of 1812.  So it is a possibility, if this is our Charles Coleman, he knew Varner since at least 1812-1814, and may have lived near Varner.

Even though he is shown as being in Bledsoe County in 1830 and 1840, this would be in an area that would now be in eastern Sequatchie County as Sequatchie County wasn't formed until 1857 from parts of southern Bledsoe, northern Clarion and western Hamilton Counties.  I believe he may have lived in the area of where the Lewis Chapel/Flat Top Mountain communities are now located.

Editor's Note:
Map inserted to depict the area being discussed.
 
Map of the Lewis Chapel, Flat Top, and Soddy-Daisy area of Tennessee, drawn by the author

The first record of a land transaction that has been found involving Charles Coleman was in the Hamilton County Entry Taker's book.  The entry is recorded as follows:

"Charles Coleman entered 640 acres on 9/20/1831, land on Walden's Ridge beginning on James Bunch's south corner of the place where he now lives, running North and East with said Bunch's line to Cany Branch, thence down Cany Branch and round."

The next land transaction found was also in the Hamilton Country Entry Taker's book:

"On 1/23/1841, Charles Coleman and William Bunch entered 5,000 acres in Hamilton County on Walden's Ridge.  Beginning on Southeast top of ridge near Poe's turnpike road on Northeast side thence North to 640 acres of Coleman's along his line to Northwest corner thence to Northwest top of ridge then North to extreme top and headwaters of Sale Creek, then down Sale Crock to Southwest top of ridge, then along Southwest top to include 5,000 acres of unappropriated land."

For reasons I have so far been unable to uncover, three months after Charles Coleman and Bunch first entered the 5,000 acres, Coleman then re-entered the land on 4/26/1841, in his own name only apparently taking sole possession of the property.  The property Coleman entered in 1831 was next to a James Bunch's property and the property entered in 1841 was with a William Bunch.  I believe this to be the same man or to be two men who were related and undoubtedly a neighbor of Charles Coleman's.

In the 1850 census Charles Coleman is found living in Hamilton County while his three sons were still living in Bledsoe County.  This should most likely indicate a change in residence since Sequatchie County had not yet been formed from Bledsoe, Marion and Hamilton Counties.  Even though the 5,640 acres of land entered by Coleman were entered in Hamilton County, it is likely that some of the land overlapped into what was then Bledsoe County.  In 1849, Charles Coleman traded 320 acres on Walden's Ridge to Col. William Clift for 200 acres on Opposum Creek in the valley between Soddy and Bakewell.  This land is supposedly the land Charles Coleman moved onto when he was shown living in Hamilton County in the 1850 census after living in Bledsoe County in the 1830 and 1840 census. It was 50 Acres of this tract that Jackson Coleman received from his father in 1852 (which he later deeded back to his father in 1855).  50 acres that Benjamin Franklin Coleman received from his father in 1859 was reportedly from this same tract of 200 acres.  This entire tract was later owned by Charles Coleman's grandson, Lewis Washington (Lute) Coleman and was known as the Lewis Coleman farm until his departure to Texas.

The 1850 Hamilton County census was the last census in which Charles Coleman was found in this area.  [Editor WDC: Charles appears in the Census Death Rolls for Hamilton Co. Tennessee showing his death occurred in January 1860.]

Charles Coleman no doubt did some farming throughout his life but census records in 1830 and 1840 list occupation as being in manufacturing and trade.  In 1850 his occupation was listed as being a carpenter.  I would suspect that being a carpenter could be construed as being in manufacturing and trade.

According to census records available, Charles Coleman had 7 children, 3 sons and 4 daughters.  In the 1850 Hamilton County census, which is the only census he appears in where other family members are listed by name, his wife is named Elizabeth Unknown, however the census also indicated she and Charles were married within the year so she is not the mother of his children.  The identity of his first wife is not known.  The identity of all his 7 children aren't known either but a list as complete as presently possible along with approximate dates of their birth is as shown below.

(213) Charles S. Coleman and his first wife had these children:

(383) 1.  Charles Washington Coleman,       b. c1815
(384) 2.  Jackson Coleman,                  b. c1817, in TN
(385) 3.  Benjamin Franklin Coleman,        b. 8/24/1818, in AL
(386) 4.  Mary Polly Coleman (McClure),     b. 1820 or 1822, in TN or GA
(387) 5.  Rachael Coleman (Brown),          b. c1823, in TN
(388) 6.  Sara Coleman,                     b. c1824, in SC
(389) 7.  dau. Coleman,

Editor's Note:
As stated above, Charles S. Coleman was the first Coleman ancestor in the Walden's Ridge area situated at the juncture of Bledsoe, Sequatchie, and Hamilton Counties of Tennessee.  His descendants are outlined below for those born up to 1930.  For web posting, the names of those born after 1930 were removed for the privacy of those who may still be living.

Editor's Note:
The following table outlines the descendants of Charles S. Coleman providing links to those chapters that discuss the family of each.

Chapter	Child	Chapter	Grandchild
==============================================================================================================
16	Charles Washington Coleman (1816-)	23	Elizabeth Coleman McClure (c1837)
		24	Thomas Jackson Coleman
		25	Barbara Coleman Harvey
		26	Mary E. Coleman Tucker (c1844)
		27	Zachary Taylor Coleman
		28	Eliza Coleman (c1849)
		29	Benjamin Franklin Coleman (c1850)
		30	Susan Coleman Starnes (c1852)
		none	Mary Coleman Martin
==============================================================================================================
17	Jackson Coleman (1817-)		Nancy J. Coleman (c1839-)
			Eliza A. Coleman (1841-)
			Cassy E. Coleman (1848-)
			Rachel M. Coleman (1850-)
==============================================================================================================
18	Benjamin Franklin Coleman (1818-)	31	Margaret Jane Coleman (1840-)
		32	Benjamin Carroll Coleman (1842-)
		33	Lewis Washington Coleman (1844-)
		34	Millie America Coleman (1846-)
		35	Nancy Easter Coleman (1862-)
		36	Benjamin Franklin Coleman IV (1869-)
		37	Amos Leroy Coleman (1875-)
		38	Alameda (Alma) Coleman (1877-)
		39	Margaret (Maggie) Coleman (1879-)
		40	William Casper Coleman (1882-)
==============================================================================================================
19	Mary Polly Coleman McClure (1820 or 1822-)
==============================================================================================================
20	Rachael Coleman Brown (1823-)
==============================================================================================================
21	Sara Coleman (1824-)
==============================================================================================================

 

Previous   |   Contents   |   Next  |   References   |   Site Index   |   Site Map