Robert Coleman Jr (abt. 1656 - bef. 1713)

Born about 1656 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Ann (Spilsby) Hunter — married about 1678 in Gloucester, Virginia [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 13 Aug 1713 before about age 57 in South Farnham Parish, Essex County, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Bob Carson [send private message], Warren Coleman [send private message], and Carista Dougherty [send private message]

Biography

Robert Coleman Jr was a Virginia colonist.

Robert Coleman Jr has English ancestors.

"Robert Coleman, a Tappahannock merchant planter around 1700, owned a plantation extending from present day Coleman’s Island through the St. Margaret’s School campus. Coleman, an Essex Co. justice and sheriff, owned a tavern at the northwest corner of Prince & Water Lane, and built a wharf at the end of Marsh St."^[1]

Capt. Robert Coleman was born 1655 in Abington Parish Gloucester, Virginia, USA. He married Ann Spilsby about 1678 in Gloucester, Gloucester, Virginia, USA. Their home became known as the Scots Arms Tavern but was Robert Coleman's home in Tappahannock Virginia....

RECORDS AND PATENTS OF ROBERT COLEMAN: 20 Apr 1684 530 acres on the west side of Reedy Marsh being a branch of Chuckatuck. 400 acres part there of formerly granted to Richard and Miles Lewis 29 Jan 1667. (LOP 7, p. 378, Reel 7)21 Apr 1695. 80 acres in the lower parish of Isle of Wight County. (LOP 8, 1689-95, p. 422, Reel 8)28 Oct 1697 450 acres near Wickham swamp adjoining land of Thomas and John Milner. (LOP 9, 1697-1706, p. 109 reel 9) there is record of land patent 530 Acres-Wt side Reedy Marsh (Chuckatuck branch). There are several mentions of the profession of Capt. Robert as Attorney at Law, Justice., Sheriff, Captain of Colonial Militia. On pg 17 of Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. II in 1712 there is mention or Robert's oath regarding the will of James Boughan. Robert passed away in 1713, leaving a will.

After his marriage, Robert lived first in New Kent County, then the part of Old Rappahannock that became Essex County. He was a signer of the 1688 "New Kent Petition."^[2]

A deed dated 22 Jan 1688 states that he and Leonard Chamberlain, as joint tenants, acquired a tract of land in Old Rappahannock County.^[3]

Robert was licensed to keep an Ordinary at Hobbs Hole (now Tappahannock) on 10 Apr 1693, and operated the Ordinary until his death in 1713.^[4]

On 11 Apr 1700, he was appointed a member of the County Court (Essex Co VA Deed & Will Book 10, p 45) and kept that position until he was appointed Sheriff of Essex County on 27 Apr 1710.^[5]

After 1704, he was referred to in the records as Captain Robert Coleman. While a member of the county Court, an order was entered on 10 Feb 1704 that states, "On motion of Capt. Robert Coleman, it is considered that the old Prison at Hobbs Hole be appropriated to use as a schoolhouse and to no other use whatsoever".

A deposition given by Robert in 1712 says he was then about 56 years old.^[6]

Robert died before 13 August 1713, presumably in Essex County, Virginia.^[7]

Children

Their children, listed in his Will and/or her Will, include:

1. Thomas
2. Robert
3. Elizabeth, m. Brown
4. Edward
5. Grissel or Grisell or Grissell, m. Chamberlin
6. Anne, m. Covington
7. Spilsbe or Spilsbee, m. Mary

Will & Death

Last Will and Testament of Robert Coleman^[7]
Essex County, Virginia.
not dated.
13 August 1713 (proved).
8 October 1713 (proved).
8 April 1714 (proved).

In Ye Name of God Amen I Robert Coleman of ye County of Essex in ye dominion of Virginia considering how frail men is & being in a low Estate of body but of Sound mind & memory have thought fit to make this my last wil & Testament in maner and form following Revoking all other wills whatsoever

First I bequeath my soule into the hands of Almighty God whoe gave it me. My body I desire to be Christian Like buried at ye descretion of my Executrix hereafter named.

Secondly I desire that all my debts be payd by my Executrix.

Thirdly I give unto my son Thomas my son Robert & my Daughter Elizabeth Each of them twenty Shillings to be paid to them within one year after my death.

4th I give unto my son Edward Coleman half ye tract of land that I purchased of Capt. Thomas Pettet ye whole tract being four hundred eighty eight acres & my wil & desire is that my son Edward above named have that part next & adjoining to Bolens Line to him and his heares for ever.

5ly I give unto my daughter Grissel Chamberlin & to ye issue of her body Lawfully begoten or to be begoten the other half o ye land that I purchased of Capt. Thomas Pettet & for want of such issue to my daughter Anne & ye issue of her body Lawfully begoten or to be begoten & for want of such issue to the next in blood.

6ly I give & bequeath to my Loving wife Anne Coleman all that my tract or seat of land that I have in possession at the place whereon I now live during her natureall Life and at her death my wil is that my son Spilsbe Coleman have the land whereon I now live with all ye Rites & prevelidgs to it belonging to him & the issue of his body Lawfully begoten or to be begotten & for want of such Issue to the next heair in blood. All ye rest of my lands yt I is not already given away be they of what nature or quality soever I give unto my daughter Anne Coleman & to her heairs for Ever.

all ye rest of my Estate both reall & personal or be it of what nature soever I dooe give & bequeath unto my Loving wife Anne Coleman whoo I dooe appoynt to be my whole and sole Executrix of this my Last Wil & Testament. And it is my wil & desire yt my Estate be not brought to an appraisement but that my sd Executrix doo Enter into bond to pay all my debts & Legacies.

Ack: Robert Coleman (Seal).
Wit: Edward Faulkner (his mark "EF"), Elizabeth Faulkner (her mark "E"), Samuel Dry.
Exe: my loveing wife Ann Coleman, sole executrix.

Robert died before 13 August 1713, when his Will was recorded in Essex County, Virginia.^[7]

The Will was proved by the oaths of Elizabeth Faulconer (13 August 1713), Edward Faulconer and Samuel Dry (8 October 1713), and Ann Colemen, executrix (8 April 1714).^[7]

1714 Apr 8 - Bond. £100 Sterling. Ann Coleman Extrx Est. of Robt. Coleman, deceased. Signed Ann Coleman, Edward Coleman, Daniel Brown, John Pickett. Wit: Thos Henman, Ja Alderson. Rec. 8 Apl. 1714.^[8]

Research Notes

Duplicated

I suspect this is a duplicate of the sibling Capt Robert Coleman. The only problem is that Robert Coleman was born in 1656, which would be too late to be the father of Elizabeth Frances Coleman Pettipool.

Sources

1. ↑ Settlers, Southerners, Americans: The History of Essex County, Virginia 1608-1984 , by James B. Slaughter, Essex County Board of Supervisors, 1985 p. 36:
2. ↑ VA Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 44, p 196
3. ↑ Old Rappahannock Co VA Deed Book 9, p 70
4. ↑ Essex Co. VA Order Book 1, p 176
5. ↑ Essex Co. Deed and Will Book 13, p 314
6. ↑ Essex Co VA Order Book 3 p 147
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} County Court, Essex County, Virginia, Deeds, wills, etc., 1656-1901; general indexes, 1656-1936, Deed books, v. 13, 1707-1711, 1713-1714 -- v. 14 (p. 1-358), 1711-1715; database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-K9DL), images 231-232.
8. ↑ Beverley Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. II (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1988), p32; digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/2037770?mark=4a83970d4c23e3eaaf560db39e08a9c9ec3b6c190a24825bba91334db335ba45), image 36.

See also

• Rootsweb

• Link, The Coleman Family of Mobjack Bay, Virginia, by Sherrianne Coleman.Nicol. 1998

• Family Data Collection - Births

• Family Data Collection - Deaths

• Family Data Collection - Individual Records

• U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900

• Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. II

• Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850

• VA Magazine of History & Biography, Vol 41, p 196

• S.A.R. Membership Applications, 1889-1970 (Military)

• https://warrclmn.wordpress.com/tag/sherrianne-coleman-nichol/

• Darnell, Ermina Jett, "Coleman Cousins: Descendants of Captain Robert Coleman", Franfort:KY: private, 1970, Archive.org, p.2

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L8Z8-MR9 [moved here from son Thomas]