COFFEY SURNAME DNA PROJECT: HOLT CONNECTIONS

By Fred Coffey

UPDATE:

I recently exchanged notes with Bonnie Everhart, who reports she is “Membership Chairman of the Holt Association of America”. She had read an earlier version of this paper, and became interested in the mysteries. She gave me new information on the Holts, which is reflected in the following.

Bonnie gave me the genealogy of the relevant Holt line. Here’s a quick summary:

Robert Holt (1605-1661), Immigrant, born England

Richard Holt (1628-1693), Immigrant, born England

Plunkett Harroway Holt (1689-1785), VA

Ambrose Holt (1724-1834), VA

William F Holt (1748-1789), VA & Nelly/Elinor Heard (1752-1804)

John “Jack” Holt (1786-1863), Wilkes Co NC

(Note: Elinor (Heard) Holt is clearly Jack’s mother. But his biological father is likely a “Coffey”, not a “Holt”.)

DISCUSSION

The COFFEY/COFFEE Surname Project for y-DNA testing, has two lines of people with the HOLT surname that test as an excellent match to those COFFEY Cousins that descend from Edward COFFEY. While we have a general idea how this came about, there are a number of loose ends. In the hope that some of the COFFEY Cousin researchers can help tie up those loose ends, we offer this discussion and invite comments.

We do not know if the two HOLT families are connected to each other via their HOLT genealogy. However, given shared geography and time, it is quite possible. We do, however, believe their COFFEY Connection resulted from two SEPARATE events.

I will describe the two COFFEY connections separately. I will not spend much time on the HOLT part of their genealogy - any researcher will have little difficulty finding more information on ancestry.com or other sources. Our focus will be on how they might tie to the COFFEY/COFFEE family tree.

Our group descends from Edward COFFEY, who is found in Virginia by 1699, as an indentured servant of William MOSLEY.

In talking about DNA matches, I will refer to the "DNA of Edward". No, of course we do not have a sample of Edward's DNA – he died in 1716, more than 300 years ago! But we have sampled a large number of his descendants, and given the degree and nature of the matches we can confidently say that several of the tested people have Edward's EXACT DNA profile.

HOLT FAMILY #1: DESCENDANTS OF JACK HOLT, BORN 1786, NORTH CAROLINA:

Our tested HOLT man from this line matches the DNA of Edward on 36 out of 37 markers. This match was a surprise to all parties, but given the opportunities for COFFEY relationships, this leaves little doubt. This HOLT line has COFFEY DNA.

This family traces their ancestry back to Jack HOLT, born 1786 in North Carolina. Beyond the year and place, they have no solid information on Jack's ancestry. On 21 Sep 1816 Jack married Elizabeth POGUE in Wilkes Co., NC – and Elizabeth was born about 1800 in Wilkes Co. Jack and Elizabeth moved a lot, with children born in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The tested man descends from Jack's son Leonidas HOLT, born 1838 in Tennessee. Leonidas married Mary Sixkiller from Indian Territory and settled in Oklahoma.

Now, Jack's birth in NC, and his marriage in Wilkes Co. NC, tells us where to look for a COFFEY connection. And a search shows there were several COFFEY families living in very close proximity to HOLT families, in the Kings Creek area of Wilkes County. (This is now in modern Caldwell County, but was part of Wilkes until 1841.) So the opportunity for an undocumented family relationship certainly existed.

Further, the DNA probability statistics tell us something. We do not believe there was an opportunity for a COFFEY/HOLT relationship in the last six generations since Jack's birth. Given that, then FTDNA's "Time Predictor" says there is a 75% probability that the connection occurred within the 4 generations prior to Jack HOLT's birth.

Also, there is a large Holt DNA Project on FTDNA.com, and that includes a group of 23 members who descend from the immigrant Robert Holt (1605-1681). They all have DNA consistent with each other, and NOT consistent with “Coffey”. This supports the idea that the origin of Jack’s “Coffey DNA” is a one-time event, and not an earlier event that affects multiple branches of the family.

HOLT SUSPECTS: The earlier version of this paper did not know Jack’s presumed Holt ancestry, and based on proximity of Holt and Coffey families in Wilkes County, NC, we speculated it might be the family of William HOLT, including William's wife Nelly (Nelly would be a nickname for Eleanor, Ellender, Elender or Elener). I particularly favored Nelly as possibly Jack's mother. In the 1790 census she was a widow with a son of about the right age, and some sources said her husband William died before 1785. (Jack was born in 1786.)

Bonnie Everhart conforms this is the right family. (However she seems to think that William was still alive when Jack was born.)

COFFEY SUSPECTS: The census indicates a number of COFFEY families hanging around. Working with Jack Coffee’s “Edward Project” and other sources, here is a list of suspects:

SUSPECTS MUST BE: MALE, BORN BEFORE ABOUT 1774 AND ALIVE IN 1789, LIVING IN OR NEAR WILKES COUNTY, NC.

(1) Edward Coffey (ca1670 - ca1716) & Anne Powell (~1683 - ~1744)

(2) John Coffey (~1699 - ~1775) & Jane Graves (ca1708 - 1792)

(3) Rev. James Coffey (1729 - 1786) & Elizabeth Cleveland (1727 - ~1826)

(4) John Coffey (1753 - ) & Mary Hall (Hull?) (Harbord?) (1755 - )

HAD SONS BORN IN WILKES 1784-86

(4) Archelaus Coffey (ca1755 - ~1783) & Eleanor Wade (ca1755 - )

IF HE DIED IN WILKES ABOUT 1783, HE IS UNLIKELY SUSPECT

NAMED IN WILKES LAND ENTRY BOOK, KINGS CREEK, NEAR HOLT

(4) James Coffey Jr. (ca1757 - ca1795) & Mary Moore (1766 - )

PROBABLY IN WILKES, DAUGHTER ELIZABETH MARRIED “ESTES”

(4) Reuben Coffey (1759 - 1842) & Mildred Morris

HAD DAUGHTER ELIZABETH BORN IN WILKES ABOUT 1786

(4) Ambrose Coffey* (ca1762 - 1818) & Mildred Moore (1770 - ca1812)

NOT SURE, BUT MAY HAVE SETTLED IN BURKE COUNTY, NOT WILKES

(4) Eli Coffey (1764 - 1847) & Hannah Allen (ca1762 - 1849)

HAD A SON BORN IN WILKES

(4) Rice Coffey* (1766 - 1853) & Elizabeth (Fields) Berry (1755 - 1824)

(5) Mary Coffee Berry (1789 - )

(5) William Coffee Berry (1796 - )

(4) Rice Coffey* (1766 - 1853) & Sarah Bradford (1770 - 1840)

(5) Jerusha Coffey (1792 - 1810)

(5) Elvira Coffey (1794 - 1849)

RICE HAD 4 CHILDREN BORN IN WILKES, TWO BASE BORN

(4) Joel Coffey (ca1770 - 1826) & Martha

NOT CLEAR IF THIS JOEL SETTLED IN WILKES

(4) Lewis Russell Coffey (1772 - 1850) & Bidant Moore (1775 - 1857)

HAD DAUGHTER BORN IN WILKES IN 1797

(2) Edward Coffey JR.* (ca1701 - >1774) & Unknown???

(3) Joel Coffey (ca1730 - ~1789) & Martha Stepp (Sealey?)

A PRIME SUSPECT

NAMED IN WILKES LAND ENTRY BOOK, KINGS CREEK, NEAR HOLT

(4) Joseph Coffey

AN UNKNOWN?

(4) Cleveland Coffey (ca1768 - 1814) & Jane Witherspoon

A PRIME SUSPECT?

NAMED IN WILKES LAND ENTRY BOOK, KINGS CREEK, NEAR HOLT

(4) Joel Coffey Jr. (ca1772 - 1836)

PROBABLY TOO YOUNG?

(4) James Coffey (1774 - ) & Elizabeth Coffey (ca1791 - 1837)

REALLY TOO YOUNG?

(3) Chesley Coffey Jr??? (1755 - 1818) & Margaret Baldwin

APPEARS TO HAVE HAD SOME CHILDREN BORN IN WILKES?

(3) Nebuzaraden Coffey (1757 - 1797) & Elizabeth Hayes (1760 - 1830)

NAMED IN WILKES LAND ENTRY BOOK, KINGS CREEK, NEAR HOLT

(3) Nathan Coffey (1760 - 1823) & Mary Saunders

MAYBE – HIS SON-IN-LAW WAS BORN IN WILKES

(3) Benjamin Coffey (ca1763 - ) & Leah (ca1760 - )

NAMED IN WILKES LAND ENTRY BOOK, KINGS CREEK, NEAR HOLT

(3) Martin Coffey* (1765 - 1867) & Elizabeth Bronson (ca1762 - <1798)

(3) Martin Coffey* (1765 - 1867) & Nancy Phelps

(3) Martin Coffey* (1765 - 1867) & Nancy Herriford (1795 - 1875)

UNCLEAR - NOT MANY DETAILS AVAILABLE ABOUT MARTIN

My favorite suspects are Joel COFFEY (born circa 1730, died about 1789), his son Cleveland (born about 1768), or Joel's brother Nebuzaraden (born about 1757). (Joel had sons Joel Jr. and James, born in 1772 and 1774, who seem a bit too young to be Jack's father.) Most important, land records suggest Joel and his son Cleveland had a property line shared with the Holt family, as follows:

The "Wilkes County Land Entry Book 1778-1781", and "Wilkes Co. NC Deed Abstracts Book B1 1782-1797", both abstracted by W. O. Absher, are sources. One entry, dated 7 Sep 1778, shows William HOLT had 200 acres on Kings Creek. Even more telling, on 2 Aug 1779 Joseph HOLT had 100 acres on "waters Kings Creek near county line along Joel COFFEES line". Similar "Kings Creek" entries for the same time period show holdings by Archilus, Jesse, Benjamin and Cleveland COFFEY. A later entry dated 24 Sep 1788 refers to 100 acres adjacent "to Joel COFFEY and Wm. HOLT Line". Finally, tax records for 1789, 1791 and 1794 show Elener HOLT (William's Widow) living in the same tax assessor's district as Martha COFFEY (Joel's Widow) and Nebuzaraden COFFEY.

However I can’t solidly rule out any of the other “suspects” in the above list.

HOLT FAMILY #2: DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM MARION HOLT, BORN 7 APR 1837, WHITLEY COUNTY (NOW MCCREARY COUNTY), KENTUCKY:

Now, keep in mind that many of the COFFEY families from Wilkes County, NC, soon moved to the area of Kentucky that includes the modern day adjacent counties of Adair, Russell, Wayne, Pulaski, Whitley and McCreary. And this is where we find our next COFFEY/HOLT connection. We do not know that we are talking about members of the same HOLT families, but it must be a distinct possibility that the HOLTS were also making a similar migration?

William Marion HOLT was born 7 Apr 1837 in Whitley County (now McCreary County), Kentucky. His mother was Mary (Polly) HOLT. She married Jackson STRUNK in August of 1839, when W.M. was 2 years old. Most HOLT genealogists have long believed that W.M.'s father was one Cole COFFEY. And the DNA test on a descendant of W.M. does indeed match the Edward Group DNA (perfect match 12 of 12 markers, match 35 at the 37-marker level).

Now, the most common claim is that William Marion HOLT's father was one "Cole COFFEY", And we do have a prime suspect, suggested by Bonnie Culley.

I now think it highly likely that William Marion's father is Thomas Coleman COFFEY. He was born in about 1819 in Wayne Co., KY. And in his early years he clearly went by the name of Coleman: He is found in the 1840 census of Wayne County as "Coleman COFFEY". And there is a record of death from Typhoid Fever in April 1855 for his second wife, Patience Jane COFFEY, wherein he is named as "T. Coleman COFFEY". However in the census for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 he is going by the name of "Thomas C". So he appears to have used Coleman, or Cole, only in his earlier years.

His ancestry is as follows:

(1) Edward Coffey (ca1670 - ca1716) & Anne Powell (~1683 - ~1744)

(2) John Coffey (~1699 - ~1775) & Jane Graves (ca1708 - 1792)

(3) Rev. James Coffey (1729 - 1786) & Elizabeth Cleveland (1727 - ~1826)

(4) Reuben Coffey (1759 - 1842) & Mildred Morris

(5) James Coffey (1790 - 1892) & Sarah Emerline Sumpter (1792 - 1869)

(6) Nelson N Coffey (1811 – 1878) & Keziah Watters (1810 – 1885)

(7) John Coffey (1837 - ) & Elizabeth Telitha Strunk (1839 - )

(6) Joseph Coffey (1829 - 1882) & Beth Ada Strunk (1835 - 1920)

(4) Lewis Russell Coffey (1772 - 1850) & Bidant Moore (1775 - 1857)

(5) Thomas Coleman Coffey* (ca1819 - 1890) & Mary Holt (1821 - 1899)

(6) William Marion Holt (1837 - 1929)

(5) Thomas Coleman Coffey* (ca1819 - 1890) & Mary Heaven (Havens?)

(5) Thomas Coleman Coffey* (ca1819 - 1890) & Patience Jane Miller (ca1828 - 1855)

(6) Margaret Coffey (ca1841 - )

(6) John Coffey (ca1843 - )

(6) John Marshal Coffey (1850 - 1908) & Mary Elizabeth Jones (1857 - 1930)

(6) Elizabeth Coffey (1853 - 1895) & Benjamin Franklin Hayden (ca1842 - )

(6) Mary Coffey (1855 - 1906) & Henry F. Newland (1853 - 1935)

(5) Thomas Coleman Coffey* (ca1819 - 1890) & Sarah Havens

(5) Thomas Coleman Coffey* (ca1819 - 1890) & Mrs. Amanda Jane Hudson Stone (ca1819 - )

(6) Amanda Coffey (ca1851 - )

(6) Alley Coffey (ca1853 - )

(6) Mary Coffey (ca1856 - )

Now, one hesitation may be that the relevant COFFEY families are found in Eadsville, in Wayne County. And William Marion was born in what is now McCreary County. They are maybe 30 miles apart, which is a fair bit in horse and buggy days. However I think I can offer some indirect evidence that there were connections between the HOLT and COFFEY families.

After William Marion was born in 1837, his mother Mary (Polly) HOLT married Jackson Strunk in August of 1839. And in the above genealogy, I’ve highlighted that a nephew of Thomas Coleman Coffey married (in 1853) a Beth Ada Strunk. And this Beth Ada was a nephew of the Jackson Strunk who married Mary Holt. See the following:

(1) Daniel Strunk (1775 - 1851) & Abigail (1775 - ca1820)

(2) William Strunk (1795 - 1870) & Charlotta Sellers (1798 - ~1861)

(3) Beth Ada Strunk* (1835 - 1920) & Joseph Coffey (1829 - 1882)

(3) Beth Ada Strunk* (1835 - 1920) & Burell King (1826 - 1917)

(2) Jackson Strunk (1814 - ) & Mary Holt (1821 - 1899)

(3) William Marion Strunk (Holt/Coffey) (1837 - )

(3) Demcy C. Strunk (1839 - 1917)

(3) Mahudah Strunk (ca1842 - ) & John Frank Sellers (1842 - )

(3) Armelda Strunk (1844 - 1908)

(3) Artimisey Strunk (ca1850 - 1885) & George W. Sellers

(3) Noah Strunk (1851 - 1907)

(3) General Jackson Strunk (1855 – 1934)

Further, as highlighted earlier, another Coffey in this line married one Elizabeth Telitha Strunk. The Strunk genealogy I explored showed this marriage, but the source did not seem to know who were Elizabeth Telitha's parents. But with a name like Strunk, there has to be a connection?

So I conclude the HOLTs, the STRUNKs, and the COFFEYs of Wayne County, were almost certainly hanging about together.

RESEARCHERS:

The "HOLT" researcher I am working with is Renee' Furukawa. She descends from William Marion HOLT's son "General Sherman HOLT". (Yes, "General" appears to be his actual first name!) She persuaded her uncle Richard Asby HOLT to be tested.

But if you start digging into the genealogy of William Marion HOLT, you're going to find another name all over the place! Joyce HOLT Taylor, born 1933, was a descendant of W.M.'s son Leo Hollie HOLT. She posted MANY inquiries directed to the COFFEY Cousins, trying to establish that W.M.'s father was a COFFEY, and to determine who was this "Cole COFFEY". Unfortunately she died in 2006, without seeing this DNA test confirming her belief, and without finding any COFFEY Cousin who might have made the connection to Thomas Coleman COFFEY.

Joyce left one more clue I haven't figured out yet: She said "Cole COFFEY is said to be the brother of Mary Ann COFFEY who married Henry Sellars in Whitley Co., 1842." I can find said Henry Sellars, and his wife Mary Ann, but can't connect this Mary Ann to any known COFFEY ancestry. Thomas Coleman COFFEY did have a sister named Mary. And his first wife was Mary, who may have had the nickname "Polly Ann". (Actually, nearly every family at the time seemed to name one daughter Mary (nickname Polly) so it's a tough connection!)

Comments or suggestions? Send to:

FredCoffey@aol.com