Fourth Generation

60. Lewis Russell Coffey¹⁷⁹ was born on 18 November 1772 in Amherst Co., VA. He was a Private in the Kentucky Militia during the War of 1812. He made his will on 13 April 1850 in Wayne Co., KY.

In the will, he named his children Betsy, Rachel, Polly, James, Henderson, Shelby, Benjamin F.,Thomas, and Edward. He mentioned his deceased son Jesse and named Jesse's daughter Sophronia as a legatee. Son Cleveland may have been deceased without descendants as he is not mentioned. Lewis died on 29 September 1850 at the age of 77 in Wayne Co., KY and was buried at Elk Springs Valley Cemetery in Oil Valley, Wayne Co., KY.^144,180 He had his estate probated on 25 November 1850 in Wayne Co., KY.^181,182
"Reuben and Lewis Russell Coffey were Revolutionary soldiers. Reuben came to Wayne County in 1800 where he settled in Elk Spring Valley. He received a pension for his services. His application states that he was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, September 16, 1759. He moved to Amherst County where, in 1777, he volunteered for "as long as my country needs my service," with Captain Moses Guess [sic], under Major Joseph Winston, Colonel Benjamin Cleveland. He also served with Colonel Isaac Shelby. He was at the Battle of King's Mountain. After the war, he went to Wilkes County, North Carolina, and thence to Wayne County, Kentucky.

Reuben, Lewis Russell, and James Coffey were sons of the Rev. James Coffey and Elizabeth Cleveland, sister of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, who was with Shelby at King's Mountain.

James Coffey, who had obtained land in Wayne County, returned to North Carolina, exchanging his Wayne County land for Lewis' North Carolina tract. Lewis Russell Coffey married Biddy Moore in North Carolina. Their children were: Elizabeth married Richard Cullom (former Senator Cullom was their son); Rachael married Jefferson Jones; Mary married Joshua Oatts; James married Sally Strange; Henderson married Minerva Alexander; Cullom married Rachael Isaacs; Jesse married Eliza Griffin; Shelby married Emerine Meadows; Cleveland married Sophronia Oatts; Franklin married Mary Ann Worsham; and Coleman married (1) Polly Havens, (2) Jane Miller, (3) Sarah Havens, (4) Amanda Hudson Stone.

Lewis Russell Coffey founded the family of that name in Wayne, a numerous and highly respected family. He is buried just east of Monticello in the Elk Spring Valley Cemetery, where a shaft erected by the family is in a fair state of preservation. His is one of the Revolutionary soldiers' graves that is easy to locate, thanks to the foresight of his descendants."

Lewis was a representative from Wayne Co. to the KY State Legislature in 1815.

Lewis Russell Coffey and Bidant "Biddy" Moore were married on 10 December 1795 in Wilkes Co., NC.^183,184,185 They^183,184,185 appeared in the census on 10 September 1850 in Wayne Co., KY.¹⁸⁶ Bidant "Biddy" Moore, daughter of Jesse Moore and Alley Johnson, was born on 3 May 1775 in Albemarle Co., VA. Biddy died on 13 January 1857 at the age of 81 in Wayne Co., KY and was buried at Elk Springs Valley Cemetery in Oil Valley, Wayne Co., KY in January 1857 .^144,187,188

Although Lewis had a land grant in Elk Spring Valley, Wayne Co., KY in 1799 (then Green Co.) he and Biddy apparently did not move there until 1807. The 1799 grant may have been originally to his brother James and is the land traded to Lewis.

Many of their children settled around them so that the area became known as "Coffey Settlement." The area was located on the east side of a mountain known as "Coffey Mountain," just a few miles from Monticello. The cemetery where Lewis and Biddy are buried in nearby.

Lewis was a large land-holder, and quite prominent in Wayne Co. He had 11 children, and is probably the best known family descended from James and Elizabeth Coffey.

Lewis did not participate in the Rev. War as he would have been too young to have served. There may have been a still unidentified Lewis who was in that war. Our Lewis was in the War of 1812, and served as a private in Capt. Micah Taul's company from Wayne Co.

Lewis also served in the House of Represesntatives of the KY legislature in 1815.

Lewis Russell Coffey and Bidant "Biddy" Moore had the following children: