Person Page - 144

     Martha Elizabeth COLEMAN, daughter of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, was born on 25 December 1877 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

Martha Elizabeth COLEMAN died on 24 October 1884 in Weogufka, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 6.¹ She was buried in Weogufka First Baptist Church Cemetery, Weogufka, Coosa County, Alabama.

     Sarah W. COLEMAN, daughter of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, was born on 27 August 1879 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

Sarah W. COLEMAN died on 23 August 1881 in Weogufka, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 1.¹ She was buried in Weogufka First Baptist Church Cemetery, Weogufka, Coosa County, Alabama.

     Mary Lidie COLEMAN, daughter of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, was born on 3 March 1876 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

Mary Lidie COLEMAN died on 2 September 1902 in Weogufka, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 26.¹

     Vincent COLEMAN, son of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, was born in 1900 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

     James Jackson COLEMAN, son of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, was born on 13 July 1881 in Coosa County, Alabama.^1,2

James married Kate R. Pate circa 1901.¹

James Jackson COLEMAN and Kate R. Pate appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 23 January 1920 in Jordan, Coosa County, Alabama. The household was listed as James Coleman, 37-year-old farmer, and Kate, his 36-year-old wife. Living with them were their children: Belle, 10; Clifford, 8; Grover, 6; Paul, 4 3/12; and James, 1 10/12. Living next door was James' mother, Susan Coleman.³

James Jackson COLEMAN died on 3 March 1963 in Stewartville, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 81.¹ He was buried in Macedonia Cemetery.

     Kate R. Pate was born on 12 November 1883 in Alabama.^1,3

Kate married James Jackson COLEMAN, son of Richard Stephen COLEMAN and Laura Susan Nelson, circa 1901.¹

Kate R. Pate and James Jackson COLEMAN appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 23 January 1920 in Jordan, Coosa County, Alabama. The household was listed as James Coleman, 37-year-old farmer, and Kate, his 36-year-old wife. Living with them were their children: Belle, 10; Clifford, 8; Grover, 6; Paul, 4 3/12; and James, 1 10/12. Living next door was James' mother, Susan Coleman.⁴

Kate R. Pate died on 28 October 1960 in Stewartville, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 76.¹ She was buried in Macedonia Cemetery.

     Grover Clanton COLEMAN, son of James Jackson COLEMAN and Kate R. Pate, was born on 8 October 1913 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

Grover Clanton COLEMAN died on 6 December 1987 in Stewartville, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 74.¹ He was buried in Macedonia Cemetery.

     James R. COLEMAN, son of James Jackson COLEMAN and Kate R. Pate, was born on 26 February 1918 in Coosa County, Alabama.¹

James R. COLEMAN died on 13 April 1980 in Stewartville, Coosa County, Alabama, at age 62.¹ He was buried in Macedonia Cemetery.

     Elizabeth ABNEY, daughter of William d'Abney, was born in 1405 in Derbyshire, England.

William Fox, yeoman, of Dalby upon the Wolde, Leicestershire, for £21. 13. 4. to Roger Foliambe, esquire, of Lynykre Hall, county Derby, all the lands, etc. which Fox holds or takes the profits of as the heir of his mother Elizabeth in Hope and Castleton. The property had descended to Fox as son and heir of Raufe Fox and Elizabeth, his wife, one of the sisters and heirs of Richard Abney, deceased, of Hope.¹

     Dory Ann Louisa GRAVES, daughter of Young William GRAVES and Mary C. Youngblood, was born on 11 September 1837 in Lowndes County, Alabama.¹

Dory Ann Louisa GRAVES died on 9 January 1838 in Lowndes County, Alabama.¹ She was buried in Graves Cemetery #2, Lowndes County, Alabama.

     James Madison ABNEY, son of John Rutledge ABNEY and Alesey Lindsey, was born on 10 August 1827 in Edgefield County, South Carolina.¹ He was a planter. He became a medical student with his uncle, Dr. James Madison Lindsey, at Claiborne, Monroe county, Alabama, but left off that study and returned to his plantation in South Carolina, preferring to lead the life of a planter like those who had gone before him.

James married Martha Livingston on 21 December 1848 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. She was the daughter of Daniel and
Karen Happuch Smith Livingston.¹

James Madison ABNEY was listed as Jacob Pope ABNEY's and Eliza A. Martin's neighbor in a census on 19 December 1850 in in Edgefield County, South Carolina. He was listed as the next household.

James Madison ABNEY and Martha Livingston appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 19 December 1850 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. The household was listed as James Abney, 24, farmer, with real estate valued at $1,000. His wife, Martha, was 26. They had one child, John R. Abney, one year old. All were born in South Carolina. Living next door was Jacob Pope Abney.

James began military service at age 34 on 5 December 1861 in Edgefield County, South Carolina, as corporal in company D, 19th South Carolina Infantry. He surrendered wiith the regiment 26 Apr 1865 at High Point, North Carolina. He was paroled 1 May 1865 at Greensboro.²

James Madison ABNEY and Martha Livingston appeared as head of household on a census enumerated 11 August 1870 in Saluda, Edgefield County, South Carolina. The household was listed as James Abney, 45, farmer, with real estate valued at $600 and personal property $350. His wife, Martha, was also 45. Living with them were their children John, 20; George, 18; Laura, 15; Berryman, 12; and Ursula, 9.

James Madison ABNEY died on 20 June 1889 in Edgefield, South Carolina, at age 61.³ He was buried in Edgefield Village Baptist Church Cemetery, Edgefield, Edgefield County, South Carolina.

     Isabella Van Lear was born circa 1751.

Isabella married John Key ABNEY, son of Abner ABNEY and Anne Key, on 10 July 1769 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia.

Isabella Van Lear died on 6 February 1828 in Virginia.

     Margaret ABNEY, daughter of John Key ABNEY and Isabella Van Lear, was born circa 1771.

     William ABNEY, son of John Key ABNEY and Isabella Van Lear, was born on 8 August 1772 in Augusta County, Virginia.

William ABNEY was named an heir in the will of his father, John Key ABNEY, on 14 June 1788 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia. John requested that William carry on his trade of hat maker and left him his shop.¹

By 21 June 1791 William was working as a hat maker in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia. On that date James Kirk, orphan of James Kirk, aged 18 years, consented to serve him as an apprentice until seven months after he came of age.

On 19 Jan 1795 William took on another apprentice when James Keith, aged 8 years, was bound to him to "learn the mysteries of a hatter."

These young apprentices were not always as reliable as William might wish. In October 1803 he sued Robert Garland when "Robert Christian, apprentice to the plaintiff, went to Amherst Court, where he lost the money and hats of plaintiff, which he was there to sell, at cards to defendant. Christian was afterwards a soldier in the United States Army."²

William saw military service on 25 March 1793 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia, when he was named 2nd Lieutenant of a cavalry company commanded by Capt. Robert Gratton. He again qualified as 2nd Lt. of a cavalry troop in the 3rd division on 16 Apr 1794. That year he was sent to Pittsburg against the Whiskey Rebellion insurgents.

The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794. The excise tax on distilled spirits had been imposed by the federal government. Throughout western Pennsylvania protesters used violence and intimidation to prevent officials from collecting the tax. Resistance came to a climax in July 1795 when a US marshal arrived to serve writs on distillers who had not paid the tax. More than 500 men attacked the fortified home of tax inspector general John Neville. President George Washington responded by sending peace commissioners to western Pennsylvania to negotiate with the rebels, while at the same time calling on governors to send militia to enforce the tax. Washington himself rode at the head of an army of 13,000 militiamen provided by the governors of Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to suppress the insurgency. The rebels all went home before the arrival of the army. About 20 men were arrested, but later acquitted or pardoned. The whiskey tax proved nearly impossible to enforce and was repealed in the early 1800s.³

William married Elizabeth Parks McClenachan on 23 December 1794 at Wilson Presbyterian Church in Old Stone, Augusta County, Virginia. Her father was Col. Alexander McClenachan of Ireland who served in the Revolutionay War. Her mother was Eleanor "Sallie" Shelton.^4,5,6

William ABNEY a candidate to represent Augusta county in the House of Delegates in April 1812 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was a Democrat, or Republican, and lost to the Federalist candidate.⁷

William saw military service on 4 July 1812 in Greenville, Augusta County, Virginia. The Fourth of July was celebrated at Staunton by a salute in the morning from field pieces of the artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Sowers, and a dinner at McDowell's Spring; and at Greenville by a parade of Captain Abney's and Captain Doak's infantry companies, and Captain Dodd's cavalry, and a barbecue on Thomas Jackson's land.⁸

William ABNEY died on 25 August 1828 in Augusta County, Virginia, at age 56.

     Martha ABNEY, daughter of John Key ABNEY and Isabella Van Lear, was born in 1780 in Augusta County, Virginia. She was also known as Patsey.

Martha ABNEY died on 24 April 1846 in West Columbia, West Virginia.

     John Key ABNEY II, son of John Key ABNEY and Isabella Van Lear, was born on 20 March 1780 in Augusta County, Virginia.

John Key ABNEY II was named an heir in the will of John Key ABNEY dated 14 June 1788 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia. It mentions "my lands in the western county...except...my lands on Green River which I allow for my son John as his part of the western lands."¹

John married second Tamar Ann Robinson on 4 April 1803 in Montgomery County, Virginia.²

John was the owner of Abney's Ferry over the Green River where the Nashville to Lexington Road crosses the Green River.³

John Key ABNEY II died in 1820 in Green County, Kentucky.³ He was buried in Greensburg City Cemetery.

     Rev. John ABNEY, son of John ABNEY and Tabitha Bennett, was born in 1692.

Rev. John ABNEY was baptised on 23 May 1692 at St. Martin's Church in Leicester, England, son of John ABNEY and Tabitha Bennett.¹

Rev. John ABNEY began college on 14 November 1710 at Lincoln College in Oxford University, England. He graduated there with a bachelor of arts degree in 1714. He received his ordination as deacon 13 Mar 1715 and priest 21 Dec 1717.²

On 14 Jul 1715 Rev. John Abney of Leicester, clerk, Rev. John Blayton [Clayton] of Leicester, and Anne [Abney] his wife, Tabitha Abney of Braunton, spinster, daughter of John Abney of Leicester, gentleman, released a messuage of land in South Gate, Leicester.³

On 1 Nov 1716 Tabitha Abney of Braunston, widow, and John Abney, her son and heir, leased to Edward Pollard of Braunston, yeoman, a close of pasture in Braunston called Hatt Slade containing 10 acres to hold from 25th March next for a term of 21 years at rent of 11 pounds per year.⁴

On 11 March 1718 a convocation elected Rev. John ABNEY the Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul church in Syston. In 1717 he had been Vicar of Thornton with Bagworth. He was the last male heir of Edmund Abney's branch left in England. A monument to his memory was erected in that church. His first position had been deacon at Leicester St. Nicholas on 14 Mar 1715.²

Rev. John ABNEY died in 1744 in Syston, England.¹ He was buried in Saint Peter & Saint Paul's Churchyard, Syston, England.

     William ABNEY, son of Azariah ABNEY and Mary Ann POPE, was born circa 1803 in South Carolina. He was also known as "Mad Bill" because of the glumness of his countenance, and not on account of any harshness, nor violence, nor irratability.¹ William was employed by Colonel Simpson Wilson to superintend his plantation in Mount Willing, Edgefield County, South Carolina. Colonel Wilson and his son-in-law, Mark McKaun, removed to Florida. Colonel Wilson was very wealthy, and had John Crouder and Mad Bill Abney employed to help superintend his business. Crouder went with him to Florida, but Abney remained at Mount Willing, then owned by Wilson, with a large number of negroes. The yellow fever raged in Florida from 1830 to 1832, with fatal effect. McKann and all his family died of it. Crouder, Wilson, and McKann died of yellow fever in the year 1832. Colonel Wilson died in Florida, and his family all returned to Edgefield.¹

William married Elizabeth Wilson in 1832 in Edgefield County, South Carolina. She was the widow Stevens, a daughter of Colonel Wilson, and was famous for her great beauty. Mrs. Stevens had gone to Florida, where her husband died of yellow fever, leaving her a widow with three little girls. A dashing young colonel, with a gaudy uniform, made her an offer of marriage; but she told him if a lady like herself, with three little daughters, ever married again, she ought to get a man like Mr. Abney, who knew how to how to make corn and potatoes. Bill Abney heard about the remark and afterwards courted and married her. It is said that when the time of the wedding came, his modesty overcame him in the yard and he could proceed no further. His mother-in-law discovering his embarassment, walked out to him and said very kindly, "Come in, Billy, the girls are waiting."¹

After 1832 William ABNEY sold the Mount Willing place to Jacob B. Smith, a grandson of Colonel Wilson moved from South Carolina to Barbour County, Alabama, where he prospered.¹

William ABNEY was named an heir in the will of Azariah ABNEY dated 1843 in Edgefield, South Carolina.²

     Susan Margaret Miller was born on 4 February 1837 in Sumter, South Carolina, the daughter of Col. Charles Wylds Miller and Elizabeth Haynesworth.¹

Susan married Col. Joseph G. R. ABNEY, son of Jonathan Bay ABNEY and Agatha GRIFFITH, on 4 February 1858 in Marion, South Carolina. Susan was the daughter of Col. Charles Wilds Miller and Elizabeth Haynesworth Miller of Marion. She was a beautiful and accomplished woman, a lovely and amiable wife. She was a talented writer of prose and poetry. The wedding service was performed by Rev. J. F. Peterson. After their marriage they returned to Joseph's home, Ivy Dale, in Edgefield.^1,2

Susan Margaret Miller died on 15 October 1897 in Lexington County, South Carolina, at age 60.^1,3 She was buried in Edgefield Village Cemetery, Edgefield, Edgefield County, South Carolina.