Charles Malloy Coit (1866 - 1895)

Born 25 Apr 1866 in Renner, Collin, TX, USA

Ancestors

Died 31 Jan 1895 at age 28 in Fort Victoria, Mashonaland Province, Southern Rhodesia

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Biography

Charles was born in 1866. He is the son of John Coit and Catharine Bunting. He passed away in 1895. ^[1]

Youngest son of John Taylor and Catherine Malloy Bunting Coit. A sensitive man, he decided a few years after graduating Austin College at Sherman, Texas that he was called to serve as a missionary to the Africans. After attending Washington & Lee University for religious instruction, he took a ship from New York to London and then on to Capetown. From the date of landing at Cape Town until he was discovered lying in the middle of the road between Victoria and Salisbury in an unconscious condition and delirious with fever, little is known of his movements. He had been in Mashonaland and Matabululand.

A letter from the US Consul in Beira said Charlie was found collapsed on the roadway about 8 miles from Victoria in a feverous condition. He was taken to hospital in Victoria where he died two days later. There was no inquest as it was believed he died from fever. The address on the Consul's letter dated 7 Nov, 1895 was Victoria, Mashonaland.

His last letter was from Capetown dated 20 Dec 1894. The family did not learn of his fate until many months later, although a letter dated Feb 4, 1895 from the Resident Magistrate in Victoria was sent to his sister Henrietta Coit Hamer. It regretfully informed her of his death and assured her of his Christian burial.

He was buried in the Victoria Cemetery as they felt it would be prohibitively expensive to return his remains to the US. The British South African Company covered the expenses of the hospital and burial.

Fort Victoria is now known as Masvingo, Zimbabwe.

No more info is currently available for Charles Coit. Can you add to his biography?

Sources

• 1870 United States Federal Census
• 1880 United States Federal Census
• Letters from British Company representative & US Consul in my possession
• Letter from Dr. William Anderson, District Surgeon for Fort Victoria
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103795942/charles-coit

1. ↑ Entered by Angela Fabry, Apr 12, 2012