| Notes |
- The John who is married to Susannah is called "Little John" in Medlin's "Quaker Families of SC and GA." and in Emma O. Collins Book on Coate history. He died c. 1802 in Edgefield Co., SC and probably had three sons, and six daughters. Two of his children were Captain/Esquire Henry Coate (d.1827) and Marmaduke II. (C-353, 556, p. 85)
He might be the John Coats who leased 232 acres of land on Feb. 7, 1763 in Rowan Co., NC from Robert Thompson. This same John Coats was named Constable in the Haw River District on July 16, 1767 in Rowan Co, North Carolina. He might have been in the process of purchasing land in Craven Co., SC as there is a John that had his platte certified (2nd step in obtaining land) in this same time range on June 6, 1769. (C-940, E)
Here is what we know about him from Summers book. "COATS--John (known as "Little John"), was the original settler on the lands on which the town of Newberry is located. He gave to the town and the county two acres on which to erect a court house and other public buildings, and it is the same where is now the public square and old court House. This grant was made September 8, 1789, seven(?) years after the county was formed, to James Mayson, Philemon Waters, Robert Rutherford, William Caldwell, and Jacob Roberts Brown, who were then the county judges, "a lot of two acres lying on a small hill West of the new dwelling house of John Coates...." John Coate's known wife was named Susanna. He died about 1802. Two sons, Marmaduke and Henry, lived in the village. Henry married Elizabeth Long, daughter of Benjamin Long, and after her death he married her sister, Polly Long.
A John (possibly him) and Marmaduke (brother) are listed in the Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778-1779, by Morn Lindsay as living in the lower part of Ninety-Six District which was in the fork of the Broad and Saluda Rivers. (C-1492) He was possibly the John Coats who sent a paper condemning his own actions on the 1st month of 1779 in the Bush River Monthly Meeting. Joseph Thompson and Robert Evans were sent to ascertain the sincerity of the apology and report back to a later Monthly Meeting.
He moved from Newberry District to Edgefield District, SC in 1779, both eventually areas in Newberry Co., South Carolina. This probably was on 100 acres of land that John of Scotch Creek purchased in 1779 (Deed book B, p. 255) from Henry Rugheley and 150 acres of land he purchased in that same year that was surveyed for Samuel Chapman. I believe this to be him, because a James Coate (his brother?) witnessed the deed of sale when it was entered in 1793. According to Gary Coats of Portland, Oregon, the area where he lived in Edgefield is now currently Saluda Co., South Carolina. (C-1542)
He is the John Coats often listed in the court minutes for Newberry Co., SC starting in Sep. 1786 as showing the court meeting being held at his home through Sep of 1789. (C-1531, 1541) He and his wife Susannah offered 2 acres of their land to the town in 1786 which was not accepted until 1788 for court meetings. In 1789 the construction of the first courthouse took place and was located in the center of the town of Newberry which John laid out. As such, he was the original proprietor of the town of Newberry and called it's first real estate developer. (C-1489, 2494)
He developed a plan to divide the town into nearly 100 lots of 1/4 acre each with the street widths at what is now a very narrow 33 feet wide. He and son Henry laid off the first village in Newberry but did not live in it. It was not until after his son Henry's death that his land was included in the town. The first settlement was below the present "Old Village Cemetery" and near what was known as "Cedar Spring" where Little John dwelled. The court house was positioned at Coate's shop (blacksmith shop) and the town square was also part of the land he donated. It appears that he also was allowed to run a Tavern at his house and he and wife, Susannah are mentioned as being given court permission for that in the October Term of 1797. (C-930, 1531, 2084)
In "The Annals of Newberry" it states he was a "very skillful mechanic, capable of executing almost anything, as a blacksmith, or as a silversmith. He left many children, two of whom, Henry Coate (Deputy of Sheriff John Speake) and Marmaduke (called Duke) Coate, lived at different times in the village, and had much to do with its prosperity." (C-930)
He was listed as John Cotes Sr., 3 males over 16, 2 under 16, 5 females, 1 slave in the 1790 census for Newberry Co., SC. This fits his known children, plus next door to him was what looks like a newly married John Cotes who is probably his oldest son that we never knew about. I believe this to be true after studying all the land records that involved Gentleman John and his children's spouses in close location to him in the 1790 census. For instance: His daughter Sarah married a Summers. There were 3 Summers families living within a dozen homes of him. He sold land to a Peter Buffington who lives within houses of him. His father, Henry, bought his original land from John Brooks, possible relative to Thomas Brooks who lived within houses of him. Daughter Hannah married a Mills. There are at least 4 Mills families on page 56 of the census also where he is listed. Son Henry married Benj. Long's daughter. Benjamin was on page 57 of the census, the next page. He's within a dozen houses//farms of his brother Marmaduke Coate at the top of page 57. (C-1906)
This John could be the John living next to James Coate when James (his brother?) purchased additional land in 1771. He purchased land from Henry Righley on Feb. 23, 1779 in Newberry County. He was the John who sold 2 acres to a group of neighbors on Sept. 8, 1789. He is listed as an adjoining land owner to Henry Coats when he purchases 57 acres on Scotts Creek in 1793. This is probably his son, Henry, buying his first land. If it's his son, Henry was already married to a Mary. He is listed by name in a 1796 recording of land in the 96th District Plats on the North side of the Saluda River, Book E pl 234. This was 231 acres on Scotts Creek. His only neighbor appears to be Robert Jones. "Little" John Coats apparently bought 33 acres on Jan. 4, 1802 in the 96th District shortly before his death. (C-692) He was called John Coate of Edgefield District when he sold land on two different occasions to Henry Coate (likely son) in the spring of 1801 and 1802. (C-896)
In the administration of his estate dated Dec. 7, 1802, he names wife, Susannah, and son Henry who were his administrators. He lists no other children. Susannah and Henry Coate, Benjamin Long, and Frederick Nance were listed as bondsman. His personal estate was ordered sold on Feb. 3, 1803. Purchasers were Benj. Watson, Capt. Benj. Long, Joseph Howel, William Chapman, William Norwood, George Coyser, Henry Coate, Moses Brooks, Joseph Buffington, Robert Davis, John Harvin, William Hogan, Polly Coate, John Barnz, Juliuz Necholz, and Samuel Abney, (C-598b, 886, 1913b)
A deed in which his land was sold listed the following heirs of this John Coate: Henry Coate, Thomas Dixon, Jesse Summers, Hardy Flucker, (these last three being son-in-laws), William Coate, Marmaduke Coate, Hannah Coate, and Nancy Coate. All named Coates were his children or son-in-laws. (C-1831)
The reader should be aware that this John who married Susannah is sometimes confused with "Big John" Coate who was a blacksmith in Bush River. This "Big" John married Rachel Wright, daughter of John and Rachel Wells Wright, in 1788. His will was written Jan. 3, 1803 and proved on Aug. 7, 1809. (C-253c)
Most descendants believe him to be the son of Henry and Esther Willson. I fully concur. His children have the correct names if he was the son of Henry and Esther Willson Coate. The other Johns in the area of the same age, do not maintain the naming patterns of this family. He lives in the appropriate spots and arrives in SC in a time period that father Henry and brothers Marmaduke and James do. When father Henry dies, Henry does not will or deed out his 200 acres that he purchased in 1765. However, this same parcel of land is sold by Little John in 1792 proving the descent from my point of view. More specifically, Henry Coate purchases 200 acres from John Brooks on July 29, 1765. It was on Scotts Creek with no adjacent families. John Brooks had purchased it on Aug 26,1757. It consisted of some buildings and pasture lands. Then, (Little) John Coate and his wife Susannah sell to Peter Buffington 200 acres on Nov. 14, 1792. The land was on Scotts Creek, and was originally purchased by John Brooks on Sep. 19, 1758 (when transaction was completed). The filing of the deeds clinches it. Henry's purchase of 1765 was not filed until 1792 (years after Henry's death) and is filed directly before this John sells the same property to Peter Buffington according to one set of South Carolina deed records. In a recopied set, Henry's first deed is listed in the 1765 deed book, but it's original placement appears to be filed by probable "son" Little John in 1792.
YDNA evidence is also concurring in our Coates YDNA FTDNA group. Little John's descendants have an 88% likelihood of having a common father with Marmaduke whereas they only have a 56% chance of having the same father as Big John to be their first common ancestor (2009). Even better, when I analyzed the YDNA results at FTDNA in 2018 against all of his cousin matches, this Henry had a 97% chance of being related within 8 generations to Little John. This was way higher than any of his other cousin matches. What this indicates is that if Captain Henry Coate is also the son of Little John, than Little John likely married twice and named his first sons by each of these marriages, Henry. No wonder it took so long to place his first son Henry in the tree. (C-1325, E)
It should be noted that this John, though called Little John in a historical context, was called by various names in the court and deed records depending upon where he lived at the time. Here's a time line of those names: 1779 Deed - John of Scotch Creek (He moved to Edgefield District in 1779 from Scotch Creek which eventually became a part of Newberry Co., SC) 1784 Father's Probate - John of Newberry (Co.) (The town of Newberry was not established until 1789) 1789 Deed of 2 acres for courthouse - John Coates 1801 and 1802 Deeds - John of Edgefield.
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Bef 1752 - Bef 1802 (~ 50 years)
[11, 12] 
