Notes:

In the 1850 census, he is listed as a miller by trade. In the 1860 census for Greene Co., IL, he and his brother, William B., lived next to each other and were both listed as merchants.

Leonidas married Emaline COTTER on 30 Nov 1854 in , Greene, IL, USA. Emaline was born in Apr 1836 in , , Illinois, USA; died after 1900 in Of District 23, Patterson, Greene, IL, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

This John is related to my Marmaduke through DNA evidence of a descendant, but is off by two markers out of 37, meaning they probably have a common ancestor back further than South Carolina.

John Coate was the executor for his fathers will in 1817 in Edgefield District, South Carolina. (C-1570, 1571) He has to be the John Coate who makes several large land transactions in Edgefield Co., SC beginning in 1821 on Turkey Creek, where his father had lived. His spouses name was Martha in several of the later deeds of sale. There is no other John that fits the right age of the two Coate families that sired children in Edgefield District, SC other than this John. (C-1719)

His land transactions in Edgefield include probably all of the following: John Coates bought 212 acres from William Partain on Mar 6, 1821 on Rocky Creek, another 140 from Abram Anderson adjoining his property on Jul 9, 1821, 860 acres from Moor Johnson in 1824, 264 acres from David Nicholson in 1828 on Rocky Creek, 808 from William & John Raiford in 1832 on Turkey Creek, 240 more from Abner Landrum in 1832, and 233 more on Rocky Creek from Belcher in 1833. He sold several pieces of land also. He sold 300 acres to Eliza Bland in 1821 on Turkey Creek, possibly land he inherited from his father. He sold 240 acres to John Wright, Jr. in 1837 and another 837 to Jonathan Weaver on Turkey Creek in that same year. Again, this might include land he inherited from his father. He made $5,500 on his last land sale, which was a very good price at the time. His wife was listed as Martha in both 1837 land sales. He appeared to have no wife in the 1821 land sale. (C-912)

After he sold land in 1837 Edgefield S. C., he moved his family to Ill. and settled around the Schutz mill area (or Hurricane Creek Mills, Patterson, Ill.?) in Greene County. He was one of the first lenders in the area and a very large one at that. Here is the information gleaned from the 1850 census for this family. 1850 Greene Co., IL census, John Coats, age 52, M, Farmer $2000.00 b. S.C. Martha Coats, age 43, F, b. S.C. Leonidas Coats, age 21, M, Miller, b. S.C. John S. Coats, age 18, M, Miller, b. S.C. James, age 16, M, Student, b. S.C. William B., age 15, M, b. S.C. Milton, age 11, M, b. Illinois Mary Jane, age 9 F, b. Illinois Chester, age 6, M, b. Illinois Elizabeth, age 5, F, b. Illinois Jasper, age 2, M., b. Illinois

John was a well respected, honest man according to his obituary and his death even at an elderly age brought shock to his neighbors. He was hard of hearing at the time, and took to walking on the railroad tracks. He was caught nearly unaware by a train engine, unable to hear it until it was too late. (C-2605)

John married Elizabeth Martha OWDEM about 1828 in , Edgefield, SC, USA. Elizabeth was born about 1807 in , , South Carolina; died in 1852 in , Greene, IL, USA; was buried in Wilmington Cemetery, Greene, IL, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was born in South Carolina according to her son, John Coates 1880 census records. She is living on Dec. 2, 1850 when the census was taken in Greene Co., IL but is deceased by the 1860 census. I have seen her death date as 3/1849, but this obviously has to be wrong as she was on the census in December of that year as well as having another son in 1852.

Notes:

It is this James of Edgefield, son of Gentleman John, that is related to Marmaduke Coate (1738-1822) although the match is not exact. They have a varience of 2 points out of 37 DNA points. We do not know their first common ancestor with certainty at this time, though a theorectical ancestral lineage is presented here. The ages of James and his children come from his family bible in the possession of a descendant. The James who married Elizabeth Scott made his will in 1817. (C-1544, 1550, C-1555, 1560) It is abstracted herewith. Edgefield Co., SC, Will, p. 389 James Coats proven Nov.7, 1817. Legatees; son John Coats, land where I live, granted James Scott, 13 May 1786. One tract conveyed to me by Armstead Hall. April 24, 1805. Son James Coats a tract originally granted William Mazyek, 1775, on Turkey Creek. Another tract Jacob McDaniel February 3, 1806. Daughters, Elizabeth and Hannah. Daughter, Gracey who married James Smiley. My daughter Mary who married Marmaduke Coats. My single daughter. Executor: my son John Coats Box 6 Package 213. John Coats executor Recorded in book B page 389 Nov 7, 1817. John Simkins OEC. Paid Marmaduke Coats $646.00. Paid Thomas Hart $737.00. Paid Hannah Coats $958.00. paid James Smyly in full $1082.00 1821 John Coats Executor. James is not in the 1790 SC census records. He first appears in the 1800 census in Edgefield Co., South Carolina. In it, he and his wife are listed between ages 26 and 45. They have 1 son under age 10 and 3 daughters under age ten. (p. 186). (C-1568, 1638) James, husband of Elizabeth Scott, is the James who bought 300 acres of land from Stephen Williams on Mar 12, 1800 on Turkey Creek in Edgefield District, South Carolina. The land had originally been owned by Jones, Hall and Scott. In Apr. of 1805 he bought 6 additional acres adjoining his land from Armstead Hall. In 1806, he purchased another 50 acres on Turkey Creek from William Partain. In 1807, he is given additional land on Turkey Creek by his father-in-law, James Scott, in his will. His last purchase of land appears to have been on Sep. 1808. He added 199 more acres on the Turkey Creek waters of the Savannah attached to his property from George Wilson (his wife's nephew). (C-912) By 1810 James is again in the Edgfield Co., SC census. One of his sons is under age 10, one is between 10 and 16, and he is over age 45. He has two daughters under age ten, 2 from 10 to 16 and 1 from 16 to 26 years old. His wife appears to be deceased by 1810. Note that he has one more daughter listed here than is named in his will. According to his family bible, that would be Sarah. (C-1569, E) James was of Edgefield at the time and married to an Elizabeth. For years, it has been thought that he was James Roberts married to Josephine Elizabeth Webster, but a bible transcription for them lists James Robert's birth date at 1786 and his marriage date to Elizabeth Webster as 1807. How did he have a wife named Elizabeth in the 1805 deed? If he were James Robert, he would have been born very late compared to his oldest brother Samuel being at least 30 years apart. John W. Coats suggested that James, husband of Elizabeth Scott Coates, of Edgefield was instead the son of Gentleman John. This fit is solid. The James of Edgefield on Turkey Creek is purchasing land there by 1800. He inherited 41 acres from his stated father, Gentleman John which he then sold to his brother, William. "NEWBERRY COURT RECORD: 15 Aug 1805: James Coats of Edgefield District to William Coats of Newberry for $101.00, a tract of 41 acres in Newberry on waters of Bush River called Mathew Creek, which was originally granted to Christian Kinder for 250 acres, and by him to John Coate, deceased. Bequeached by John Coate deceased, to his son James.Signed 15 Aug 1805Recorded 25 Jan 1806Witness: J. B. Mitchell, John Coate. James of Edgefield was born between 1755 and 1765 according to census records and would be the correct age to be Gentleman John's son, James. He married an Elizabeth before the 1805 deed, and he is the only James that can be verified as living in Edgefield at the time. James, Mary and John were three of James and Elizabeth Scott's Coate's children's names that are the same as this family. Lastly, it is verified that James is married to Elizabeth Scott in Edgfield County records according to descendant and researcher, Gary G. Coates of White Hall, Greene Co., Illinois. (C-1549, 1953) This James has also been connected to be the son of William Sr. who died in St. George's Parish, SC near Charleston in 1753. This absolutely doesn't fit with this James who was born in 1765 according to his bible and census info.

James married Elizabeth SCOTT in 1792. Elizabeth (daughter of James SCOTT and Hannah BEALE) died before 1817. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]