To Date Research Results Into The Parentage of Lilburn Coffee

Prepared by Jack K. Coffee – jkcoffee@yahoo.com

Tuesday, June 1, 2004

Lilburn Coffee, born between 1822 and 1824 was apparently a descendant of William Mills and his wife Sarah Ellis. William was born c1740 in Virginia; Sarah was born c1742 in Surry Co., VA. DNA testing of two male descendants of different sons of Lilburn shows that they are descendants of William and Sarah.

All that remains is to determine which of the male descendants of William and Sarah were of the proper age, and in the proper place to have been the father of Lilburn.

William and Sarah had at least 8 children:

Isham Mills, born 1761, died Dec 16, 1832. Isham married FNU Gideon and sired at least 6 children: William Isham, Giddeon, Henry, Polly, Nancy, and Elizabeth. Isham died in Hawkins Co., TN

Mary Judith Mills, born Jun 1, 1763 in Wilkes Co., NC, and married George Hayes, 14 May 1785 in Wilkes Co. They had at least 9 children: Mary, Wiley, Thomas, Isum, Ransom, James, William, John, and Harmon. She died in Bledsoe Co., TN.

Hardy Mills, born 1763, married Dec 3, 1785 Francis Carpenter. They had at least two children: James, and Henry. Hardy died in 1841 in Greencastle, Putnam Co., IN

Elizabeth Mills, born c1765, married Shadrick Owens c1818. No known children.

Nancy Mills, born after 1765; no other information

Martha “Patsy” Mills, born c1767, married Feb 1, 1787 James Isham Giddeon. They had at least 7 children: Edward, b1787; William Carrol, b1791; James, b1793; Isham, b1795; Elizabeth, b1798; Sarah, b1808, and John A., b1810. Martha died in 1834 in Hawkins Co., TN.

William Mills, bc1780; death date, place not known.

John Mills, bc1788; death date, place not known.

We know that John Mills bc1788 married Alice (Ally) Coffey on 19 Mar 1804 in Wilkes Co., NC. Alice was the daughter of Ambrose Coffey and wife Mildred “Millie” Moore, and was also born c1788 in Burke Co., NC.

John and Alice were the parents of William, born 1805; Hiram, born 1808; Elizabeth, born 1810; America, born 1814; John, born 1818; Perry Commodore, born 1823; and Thomas, born 1828.

William Mills, brother of John, married Sallie Strutton Jun 30, 1802 in Wilkes Co., NC. Their children were Joseph (Joel), born 1803; John F., born 1805; Hezekiah, born 1809; Nancy, born 1811; Mary “Polly”, born 1812; William Riley, born 1814; and Cecilia, born 1817.

Although none of John or William’s children were (apparently) born in KY, I presume that the various families made their way from Burke Co to Hawkins Co., TN and then to Pulaski Co., KY, where Ambrose died in 1818.

A census search in Pulaski County revealed the following:

1810 – Only 2 Mills present; John and William, Somerset Twp.

John Mills, page 32, 2 males under 10 (William born 1805 and Hiram born 1808); 1 male 16 to 26 (John born 1788); 1 female under 10 (Eliza born 1810); 1 female 16 to 26 (Allie born 1788).

William Mills, page 32, 3 males under 10 (Joseph born 1803; John born 1805; Hezekiah born 1809); 1 male 26 to 45 (William born 1780); 1 female under 10 (haven’t found one; perhaps one died young?); 1 female 16 to 26 (haven’t found one; perhaps a mother or a sister?); 1 female 26 to 45 (Sallie born 1778)

1820 – Only 3 Mills present: John, and 2 Williams, Somerset Twp.

Jno Mills, page 46, 3 males under 10 (William born 1805; Hiram born 1808; John born 1818); 1 male 26 to 45 (John born 1788); 1 male 45 up (a parent?); 3 females 16 to 26 (Elizabeth born 1810; America born 1814; third perhaps died young?); 2 females 45 and up (parents?)

William Mills, 3 males under 10 (William Riley born 1814; possibly Hezekiah born c1809; third isn’t found); 1 male 10 to 16 (John born 1805); 1 male 16 to 18 (Joseph born 1803); 1 male 16 to 26 (possibly John born 1805); 1 male 26 to 45 (William born 1780); 1 female under 10 (possibly Mary born 1812); 1 female 10 to 16 (Nancy born 1811); 1 female 26 to 45 (Sallie born 1778)

William Mills, 3 males under 10 (Wm Riley, born 1814; Hezekiah, born 1809; Possibly Joseph, born 1803); 2 males 10 to 16 (possibly Joseph; John F., born 1805; third not found); 1 male 16 to 18 (possibly Joseph; possibly John); 1 male 16 to 26 (possibly Joseph; possibly John); 1 male 26 to 45 (possibly Joseph; possibly John); 1 male 26 to 45 (William born 1780); 2 Females under 10 (Mary born 1812; Nancy born 1811); 1 female 10 to 16 (not found); 1 female 26 to 45 (Sallie born 1778)

Given the age spread used when enumerating this census, it becomes difficult to sort out the children. I believe however, that the first William is the one that married Sallie Strutton.

We know that Ambrose died in 1818, and that in 1826 his wife Polly was married to a John Mills. This John Mills is not believed to be the same one that married Alice Coffey. But, he could be from the same Mills family.

The 1820 Pulaski Co., Somerset Twp. Census lists only one Polly Coffee. She has in her household 1 male under 10; 1 male 10 to 16; 1 female under 10, 1 female 10 to 16, and one female, 26 to 45. I have not attempted to identify the children. After Ambrose died Polly married John McHenry in 1821 and would have been between 27 and 46 years old. We don’t know when she lost McHenry. In 1826, in documents created at the sale of property left to her by Ambrose, she was listed as the wife of a John Mills. A record showing marriage date of Polly to Mills would be helpful.

1830 – There are 6 Mills in Pulaski County: George, Jonathan, John, William, John, Jr., and William.

I haven’t been able to identify any of these men with the possible exception of Johnathan.

Jonathan Mills, 2 males under 5 (Thomas, born 1828; second not sure); 1 male 5 to 10 (Perry born 1823); 1 male 20 to 30 (William born 1805. Hiram was born 1808); 1 male 70 to 80 (not known, perhaps a parent?); 1 female 20 to 30 (Elizabeth born 1810); 1 female 60 to 70 (not known, perhaps a parent?)

This could be the John Mills family found in 1810, and 1820 census.

There is also a Polly Ann Coffee, age 20 to 30 in this census, and has 1 male under 5, 1 female 5 to 10, and 1 female 10 to 15. I doubt that this is Polly, wife of Ambrose, McHenry and Mills.

1840 – There are only 2 Mills families in the county, and no Coffee/Coffey families.

John Mills, 1 male 15 to 20 (Perry born 1823); 1 male 60 to 70 (John born 1788); 1 female 15 to 20 (America born 1814); 1 female 60 to 70 (Alice born 1788)

William Mills, 1 male 10 to 15 (not found); 1 male 15 to 20 (not found); 1 male 20 to 30 (William Riley, born 1814); 1 female 15 to 20 (none found); 1 female 50 to 60 (Salley born 1778)

1850 – There are 5 Mills families in Pulaski Co: William, Samuel, Richmond, James, and Bowen. Additionally, there is a Sophia Mills, age 63, residing with the John Cundiff family, and a John Mills, age 72, residing with the David Roper family.

Page 3B, dwelling/family 45: William Mills, age 32, constable, born KY; Pamela, wife, age 26; George B., son, age 6; John, son, age 5; Martha, dau., age 1

Page 11B, dwelling/family 159: Samuel F. Mills, age 24, farmer, born KY; Mary, wife, age 20. Census indicates they were married within the previous one year.

Page 19A, dwelling/family 241: David Roper, age 25, farmer, born KY; Sarah, wife, age 27; Lucy J., dau., age 4; Martha, age 1; and John Mills, age 72, born NC

Page 19B, dwelling/family 254: Richmond Mills, age 26, farmer, born KY; Sarah, wife, age 22; John S., son, age 2

Page 19B, dwelling/family 255: John Cundiff, age 22, farmer, born KY; Mary, wife, age 17, born KY; Sophia Mills, age 63, born VA. The census indicates that John and Mary were married within the previous one year.

Page 32A, dwelling/family 436: Bowen Mills, age 29, farmer, born KY; Jane, wife, age 23, born KY; Nancy, dau., age 8; Joseph, son, age 6; Sarah, dau., age 4; John, son, age 2; Charity, dau., age 1. All children were born in Kentucky.

Page 40B, dwelling/family 560: James Mills, age 34, farmer, born KY; Eliza, wife, age 24, born KY; Samuel, son, age 2, born KY.

I have been unable to identify any of these families with the John and William Mills families.

So!

It seems logical that either Polly Coffee, who married a John Mills, or Alice Coffee, who also married a John Mills, was the mother, or step-mother of Lilburn.

More research needed:

Pulaski county orphan and apprentice bonds need to be researched.

A marriage record for John and Polly needs to be located.

Did John Mills marry Ambrose’s widow in 1826, and die shortly thereafter, leaving Polly with a 2-3 year old male child to care for? If so, why did she change his name from Mills to Coffee?

Did a Mills have an affair with a Coffee woman that produced a child? Perhaps bastardy bonds also need to be researched in Pulaski Co.

More research effort put into the Pulaski county census records to determine if the John and William Mills families from 1810 to 1840 are indeed the same people.

Polly Coffee may have been a Garner, and her father Vincent, born 1771 in NC. He died 22 May 1851 in Somerset, Pulaski Co. He had two wives (m1 Susannah Howard 21 Mar 1793 in Surry Co., NC; m2 Parmenthis Dulin 2 Jan 1834 in Pulaski Co. Between the two wifes he fathered at least 11 children, including a Mary “Polly” Garner in 1803 in Pulaski Co.

There is a 7 Feb 1820 marriage record for Mary “Polly” Garner, age 17, to Andrew Lynch, age 21, in Pulaski Co.

The IGI shows Polly Coffee marriage to James McHenry in Pulaski Co. on 7 Jul 1821.

The IGI also shows Ambrose Coffey married Polly Gomer in Sep 1818. Ambrose died shortly after that.

Another IGI entry shows a marriage for a John Mills to a Polly Neely on 27 Mar 1826 in Pulaski Co. This could be the Mills-Coffee marriage record that we need, and Neely was a transcription error. Needs research, probably in Pulaski Co. courthouse.