Person:John Coate (5)

"Big" was listed as the head of household in Newberry County, South Carolina in the 1800 US Federal Census. His will was dated January 31, 1803 and it was probated August 7, 1809 in Newberry County, South Carolina.

"Big John" Coate, brother of Marmaduke, and son of Henry, was born about 1745. Big John was not a Quaker and even owned slaves. On July 4, 1769, Big John bought 150 acres on the Saluda River at Beaver Dam Creek in Newberry County, South Carolina. His sons settled on land around him. He died in 1802-1803, bequething his estate to his wife and children.

There has been a lot of confusion as to which John Coate/Coats/Coates was called Big John. From examination of a number of deeds involving John andRachel Coats, John and his son Wright and John and Jesse Coats (a slave that John manumitted in 1798), I confirmed that this John is the "Big John"mentioned in many of the discussions of the John Coatses in the vicinity of Newberry in the late 1700's. A big capital B was written after his name inmany places and in one place I found it written after his name where he madehis mark at the end of a document. Best of all, I found one document where in one place the capital B was used and later his name was written John Coats (BIG)!

The deeds I examined in Columbia clearly place Big John Coats and Rachel and his family on Beaverdam Creek which runs parallel to Bush River and empties into the Saluda River.

Source; William F. Medlin's "Quaker Families of South Carolina & Georgia."

Laurens and Newberry Counties South Carolina: Saluda and Little River Settlements 1749-1775, by Jesse Hogan Motes III & Margaret Peckham Motes; Published, 1994, Southern Historical Press, Inc., Greenville, South Carolina; Copyright, 1994, by Jesse Hogan Motes III and Margaret Peckham

1. ↑ Desaire Family Tree Rootsweb.com.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 number 209 Otto Albert Palfenier posted to kindred konnections.