Fifth Generation

296. Jesse Coffey¹⁰⁵⁰ was born on 25 May 1784 in Amherst Co., VA. Jesse died in Middleburg Twp, Casey Co., KY on 15 July 1850 and was buried at Middleburg Cemetery in Middleburg Twp, Casey Co., KY.^1051,1052

Jesse was a Colonel in the War of 1812*, a state senator in 1834, and a member of the delegation that wrote the Kentucky state constitution in June 1850, a month before he died.

"Probably the most prominent of the early settlers was Colonel Jesse Coffey, a soldier of the War of 1812, who fought in the Battle of Thames in Canada, in which the famous Indian chieftain, Tecumseh, was slain, as was also the noted pioneer Kentuckian, Colonel William Whitley, who founded Whitley's Station near Crab Orchard."

"Colonel Coffey owned a large boundary of good land in and around Middleburg and it was he who built the old watermill, so long a landmark in the little town, on the site occupied by the modern water-power mill now owned and operated by Mr. L. F. Young. Colonel Coffey's mansion, built at about the same time as the old water-mill, stood on the hill just behind the home now owned by Mr. J. W. Short, and was the scene of the famous wedding of Polly Coffey as related in Peter B. Riffe's History of Casey County."

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The following was extracted from The Men, Women, Events, Institutions & Lore of Casey County, Kentucky, Watkins, W. M., c1939

Casey County was formed Nov. 14, 1806, taking part of Lincoln. Osbern Coffee, among others, was appointed early in 1897 to a commission referred to as Commission of the Peace and County Court. Benjamin Dawson was appointed sheriff.

After making several appointments and directing numerous county residents to various committees to design and lay out roads, and deciding on several citizens charged with felonies and other crimes., the court adjourned until the November, 1807 term. Benjamin Dawson resigned as sheriff of Casey county.

The court met next in Jan. 1808, with Osborn Coffey [sic] present. Osbern [sic] was appointed with others to "view the most convenient way for a road from the seat of justice to intersect the road leading from Stanford to Columbia at Riffe's Mill and make report."

"On motion tavern license was granted to Abraham Riffe to keep a tavern at his home on Green River upon his executing bond with this court according to law with Jesse Coffey his security."

"Jesse Coffey produced a commission from Cristopher Greenup, Esq., Governor of Kentucky, appointing him sheriff of Casey County whereupon the said Jesse had the oath of office administered to him, he having taken the other oath required before and with Osbern Coffey and Christopher Riffe, his sureties, executed bond conditioned as the law directs."

[*Jesse became a colonel in Kentucky's 74th Regiment under the command of his father-in-law, Christopher Riffe.]

Jesse Coffey and Tabitha Elizabeth "Betsy" Riffe were married on 16 February 1805 in Pulaski Co., KY.^{1053,1054,1055} Betsy, daughter of Christopher Riffe and Mary Agnes Spears, was born on 3 July 1785 in Lincoln Co., KY now Casey Co., KY. Tabitha died on 29 September 1842 at the age of 57 in Middleburg Twp, Casey Co., KY and was buried at Middleburg Cemetery in Middleburg Twp, Casey Co., KY.^1056,1057

Jesse Coffey and Tabitha Elizabeth "Betsy" Riffe had the following children:

Jesse Coffey and Sally Sims were married on 8 May 1846 in Casey Co., KY.¹⁰⁵⁸ They¹⁰⁵⁸ appeared in the census on 25 July 1850 in Casey Co., KY.¹⁰⁵⁹ Sally Sims was born (date unknown).