Re: Butler Co., AL, Colemans - James Coleman who died 1831
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In reply to:
Re: Butler Co., AL, Colemans - James Coleman who died 1831
Annie Crenshaw 12/04/10
Dear Annie,
I once subscribed to Fred W. Field's Coleman newsletter.
He and I corresponded and even e-mailed years ago,
but I don't know if his e-mail that I have has changed.
Ancestry does have Terry has James's middle name,
but doubtless because of the junior sobriquet.
Richard Coleman is sometimes called James Richard Coleman, Sr.,
because of his son's death certificate giving JRC for both men.
Still, no independent record of Richard, in his lifetime, so named him.
It seems more likely (or as likely) that James was given to honor
James Burkett, Richard's father-in-law.
I should have mentioned also that my current working hypothesis is that
my other Coleman, Sarah/Sarah Elizabeth (1784-1850+), who married
William Germany, Jr. (1784-1858), may have been a sister of Philip's.
She was born in Richmond/Columbia County where John Coleman bought some other land in 1783 before settling near Devereux in Hancock County.
Sarah had a son named John C. Germany (1825-aft 11 Jun 1870)
The Germanys are oft cited as being from Columbia County.
Yet, William's sister, Mary (1786-1813), married William McDade in Milledgeville, Baldwin Co, Georgia, in 1799. Milledgeville is but a
couple of miles west from Philip Coleman, just over the Oconee River.
Sarah's line has two distinct stories of how (some of) her descendants had
Dutch ancestry (through her) and had been from Holland,
seemingly pointing to Savannah and/or Ebenezer with its settlements
of the Georgia Dutch, a few of whom (of record) were literal Dutch.
Most were German, Swiss, and the like. There was a Solomon
Colman who paid his passage to Savannah in about 1734.
He was not a part of the Portuguese Mickve Israel congregation.
However, my Family Finder has a cousin match for me with a
fellow whose only ancestry is Portuguese. Hmm. It's a mystery.
On to the next ... as for Nathan and David Bell being brothers.
All the circumstantial and DNA evidence points in that direction.
David's line has daughtered out but not Nathan's.
In Family Finder (Family Tree DNA), the two tested lines match autosomally
as cousins. The two of us men are fourth cousins, he through
Nathan and I through David.
Nathan and David took out a mortgage together to plant a crop.
Monroe County Circuit Court Docket Spring Term 1836
Note for $247.90 dated July 4, 1835, payable 5 months after date
(December 4, 1835) defendants Nathan Bell and David Bell.
One of them was surety for the other's marriage.
I can't seem to locate that specific detail right now.
Nathan Bell is of yDNA haplogroup I2b1.
Bazel Bell is of haplogroup R1b1b2 (not yet fully tested).
The late Richard Bell had told me that his grandfather, Willis C. Bell,
had named John Bell as the father of Bazel. However, another female
relative and researcher (he knew) had named Bazel's father as John David Bell,
being one of the sons of John Bell (and more likely the case).
Bazel is buried with his wife at Brushy Creek (marked),
along with at least one son (unmarked?).
It is thought that there were Bell siblings
John, Arthur, Mary, and unknown female:
John (abt 1763-abt 1825/bef Oct 1826);
Arthur (abt 1765-abt Mar 1825);
Mary (?-aft Jul 1819); and
Miss N. N. (?-aft Jul 1819).
It is thought that there were Bell siblings
Burrel, William, unknown male, David, Nathan Albert, and Mary:
Burrel (abt 1803-aft 1883);
William (abt 1805-aft 19 Jun 1880);
Mr. N. N. (abt 1808-by 1816);
David (1810-abt 1853);
Nathan Albert (1812-14 Oct 1885); and
Sarah (abt 1816-aft 13 Dec 1864).
William's line ultimately went extinct.
He became a blacksmith in Stockton, Baldwin Co., Alabama,
and purchased land in 1853 there seemingly upon the demise
of his brother, David (in late 1852 or 1853). Perhaps he helped
care for his brother's family.
Burrel ran the B. Bell Stage Stop by 1837 on the Federal Road.
This is picture on the LaTourrette map of 1837.
David traveled to collect his wife's inheritance in Georgia in 1838.
Burrel and David were running the stage stop together on
the 1840 Census, as was their mother, Mary (50-60), who had
Jackson (10-20) living with her. Jackson lived 1821 to 1881.
Mary was born about 1781 (1780-1790) in South Carolina.
Jackson and Nathan owned land both together and adjacent.
Also, Nathan's father-in-law helped Burrel pay his debts.
The 1816 Monroe County Census for the Mississippi Territory
showed Mary Bell, apparently widowed,
with four sons and one daughter.
She lived next to Ransom Dean later of the 1820 Conecuh County Census.
Nathan's war record (ADAH) indicated his birth in Edgefield,
as did his granddaughter Inez's recollection.
The 1810 Edgefield County, South Carolina Census,
indicated that Stephen Bell had four sons (Nathan not yet born)
and no daughters (Sarah not yet born).
Stephen sold his 1808 land in 1811, then bought land again and
later sold it, too, in 1815, with his wife, Mary, relinquishing her dower.
It is just my theory, but I think Jackson may be a brother to the others
only on Mary's side while still being conferred the Bell surname by her.
Future yDNA testing will tell. If the theory holds true, Jackson should
match neither Nathan nor Bazel.
Mary/Polly (Mills) Bell would likely have traveled with her husband, John Bell,
who was still in Georgia purchasing slaves in 1818. Soon, John Bell
was in the earliest records of Monroe and Conecuh counties in 1818(?),
1819, and 1820. It seems likely that this Mary would have been born
around 1763 as well, probably in Georgia or the Carolinas.
Daughter Elizabeth (Bell) Robbins was born abt 1785 in Georgia.
Son(?) Enoch Bell was born abt 1788, possibly in North Carolina or Ireland. Some things are just difficult to decipher with great certainty.
I hope this helps. Maybe we can generate interest.
Best regards,
John Ozment