Fifth Generation

466. Judge Richard L. Coffey^1790,1791 was born on 7 May 1835 in Monroe Co., IN. Richard registered for the draft on 10 July 1863 in Owen Co., IN. He was 29 years old, unmarried and a lawyer by profession.¹⁶⁷⁸ Richard died in Washington, Brown Co., IN on 1 May 1901 and was buried at Southview Cemetery in Nashville, Brown Co., IN in May 1901 .^1792,1793

Obituary, Indianapolis Journal, Fri., May 3, 1901, Indianapolis, IN, Vol. 51, Page 6

Ex-Judge R. L. Coffey.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal

Nashville, Ind., May 2.--Ex-Judge R. L. Coffey, prominent in county and state politics, died last midnight, after a brief illness, of heart trouble. He was born in Monroe county, Indiana, on May 7, 1835, his parents being natives of North Carolina.

He was reared on a farm and received the rudiments of a common-school education, later entering Franklin College. In the spring of 1858 he entered the law office of Governor Paris C. Dunning; was admitted to the bar and graduated from the law department of the State University. He served as district judge, marshal for the Third congressional district, member of the state Democratic central committee and senator for the district composed on Brown and Bartholomew counties.

"Judge Richard L. Coffey was born in Monroe County, Ind., May 7, 1835. He is the eldest son and the fourth child of the seven children born to Lewis and Harriette E. (Powell) Coffey, natives of North Carolina.

"He was reared on a farm three miles west of Ellettsville, and received the rudiments of his education in the district schools. In the fall of 1850, he entered Franklin College, at Franklin, Ind., studied two years; then clerked for Helton & Dodds, general merchants of Bloomington, Ind. From the fall of 1853 to the fall of 1854, he taught school in Owen County, and in November, 1854, married Margaret, daughter of Lorance Lytton, a pioneer of Spencer, Ind. This this union was born one child - Annie E. He then farmed in Monroe County until the death of his wife, which occurred in January, 1857.

"Soon after this event he traded his farm for land in Iowa; at once went there; remained a short time and then went to Gentry County, Mo., where he taught school one term, returning to Monroe County, Ind., and teaching during the winter of 1857-58. In the spring of 1858, he entered the law office ofGov. Paris C. Dunning; was admitted to the bar in the fall of the same year; enter the Law Department of the State University, and graduated March 1, 1859. He immediately went back to Gentry County, Mo.; taught school until the spring of 1861, and the entered upon the practice of law in what was known as Smithville, Mo., where he was soon appointed Commissioner of Worth County, to settle the affairs between it and Gentry County, the two having just been divided.

"In the fall of 1861, he returned to Owen County and taught school until the spring of 1864, when he married Martha F., daughter of E. F. Faulkner. During the winter of 18665, he taught school in Nashville, and also entered in legal practice. In the spring of 1865, his wife died. December 7, 1865, he married Julia M., daughter of Dr. William M. and Lucy J. Mason, early settlers of Nashville. By this marriage, he became the father of four children - William, J. Hill, Lucy and Richard.

"He was shortly appointed by Gov. Baker Common Pleas Judge of the district composet of Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Monroe and Brown counties, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge Wollen; at the general election, in 1870 was elected in and 1872 re-elected to fill said office, which he filled until it was abolished by the Legislature.

"In 1878, he was elected Senator for the district composed of Brown and Bartholomew Counties; served four years, and then resumed the practice of the law. In 1876, he was commissioned, by Gov. Hendricks, Marshal, in and for the Third Congressional District, Indiana, and charged with the duties required by an act entitled 'An act to provide for electing Electors for President and Vice President of the United States,' approved May 20, 1852. He also served as a member of the State Democratic Central Committee, from June, 1870, to June, 1872.

"He is at present Town School Trustee, and has filled the position eight years. While Senator, in 180, he was on the following committees: Elections, Organization of Courts, Banks, Phraseology (Chairman), Arrangement, Enrollment of Bills, Unfinished Business, and also on the Joint Standing Committee of Entolled Bills; in 1881, on Organization of Courts, Banks, Federal Relations, Right and Privileges of the Inhabitants of the States, and on Legislative Apportionment. Judge Coffey is a Freemason, an Odd Fellow, and a member of the Presbyterian Church."

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Margaret Litton¹⁷⁹⁴ were married on 5 December 1854 in Owen Co., IN.¹⁷⁹⁵

Children and their spouses named by Laurence Coffey. Margaret Litton was born on 4 March 1833. Margaret died on 5 January 1857 at the age of 23 in Monroe Co., IN and waas buried at Coffey Cemetery in Ellettsville, Monroe Co., IN.¹⁷⁹⁶

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Margaret Litton had the following children:

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Martha F. Falkner were married on 26 April 1864 in Owen Co., IN.¹⁷⁹⁷ Martha F. Falkner, daughter of Emanuel Ford Faulkner and Lucinda Coffey, was born on 6 January 1840 in Spencer, Owen Co., IN. Martha died in Indiana on 15 May 1865 and was buried at Faulkner Cemetery in Spencer, Owen Co., IN in May 1865 .¹⁷⁹⁸

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Martha F. Falkner had the following children:

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Julia Mattie Mason were married on 7 December 1865 in Indiana.¹⁷⁹⁹ They¹⁷⁹⁹ appeared in the census on 21 July 1870 in Brown Co., IN.¹⁸⁰⁰ They¹⁸⁰⁰ appeared in the census on 4 June 1880 in Brown Co., IN.¹⁸⁰¹ Richard and Julia¹⁸⁰¹ appeared in the census on 1 June 1900 in Brown Co., IN.¹⁸⁰² Julia Mattie Mason, daughter of William M. Mason and Lucy J. Clark, was born in November 1839 in Lawrence Co., IN. Julia died in Brown Co., IN on 28 January 1907 and was buried at Southview Cemetery in Nashville, Brown Co., IN in January 1907 .¹⁸⁰³

Judge Richard L. Coffey and Julia Mattie Mason had the following children: