p 35 -
... [The Colemans] came from Wales to Virginia. I do not know how long ago.
They moved into North Carolina, Halifax County, from which they came
to this neighborhood in 1775. There was a large family of them, but I
know of only three brothers, Robert, William, and Charles. They soon
acquired large tracts of land. Robert, I imagine, was the eldest,
and he bought up land that had been granted by King George in 1772 to
William Mazyck, also to Joseph Verree, and John Winn, on the
headwaters of Beaver Creek. He settled on uncleared land in a quarter
of a mile of this home, and lived and died within a mile of the first
settlement. He must have had money to have so soon acquired the large
area around him. He must have been a man of strong character, and
industrious, thrifty habits. His descendants generally have these
characteristics, preferring a plain style of living, abhorring show
of any kind.
He was a Major in the British Army [we have found no documentary
proof of this], and I do not know whether he changed before the close
of the Revolution. His sons were Whigs. We have a coat of his, in
good state of preservation, homespun woven, and made over a hundred
years ago.
Robert Coleman was born about 1745, and his wife, Elizabeth Roe,
was born in I747. They had several children when they came to this
State, David Roe Coleman the eldest. ...
p 37 -
... Robert Coleman and his wife, Elizabeth, are buried very near where
they lived, at what is known as the "Coleman" graveyard. Their small
children were the first to be buried there (lie at the foot of
parents graves). The first house they built, as near as I can locate
it, was on the hill near the Rocky Knoll, above Bonny's Fork Branch.
I've heard my grandfather say that when they reached the place to
camp (on getting to where they settled) a large chip was cut from a
hickory tree, and bread was baked on it for their supper. The fields
then cleared have been cultivated most of the time since, and yield
fairly good crops. They built another home half mile south of the
graveyard; all trace of that is gone. I know living persons, tho, who
have been in the last house-Cousins Elitia Coleman Jeffares and
Julia Feaster Coleman say they have been in it. I think some parts of
it were used in building a home for Cousin David Roe Feaster.
Nine years ago we put up a small monument to mark the graves of
these two pioneer ancestors, Robert Coleman and Elizabeth Roe. 'Twas
paid for by small contributions from many of their descendants to the
7th generation, and from 14 states. I am exceedingly glad that tis
done, for I think they deserve to be so remembered. Only one, David
Roe, of their grown sons was buried with them. ...
