Person:Thomas Coats (9)

From History of Waukesha County Wisconsin (1880), p. 967: Thomas Coats, deceased; born Nov. 5, 1809, in Yorkshire, England; came to America about 1830, his family being one of hte first to settle on White Pigeon Prairier, Mich; in 1835, the brothers, Thomas and John came to Wisconsin, reaching what is now Sec. 7, Mukwonago, via Southport (Kenosha), making a claim to several hundred acres here; they then returned to Michigan for provisions and stock; Mr. Coats made many a trip after this to the same State for supplies, the bachelor settlers meeting him, in a half-starved condition, at the Indian village of Mukwonago; the old wagon used for these trips is still kept as a relic on the farm. Among the first settlers here, were the Sugdens, widow and six children; part of hte family located on Sec. 17, now the Hill farm; entirely destitue of means, this historic pioneer family saw, perhaps more of hte actual suffering and privations incident to that early day, than any other in this county; a scant supply of potatoes, eaten without even salt, was their only sustenance for some time. On the 23rd of March, 1840, Jane, the second daughter married Mr. Coats, they beginning housekeeping in teh log house of John Coats who lived with them; in May, 1842, having built a part of hte present house, they removed, living ofr years in what is now the front parlor, doing the cooking in a shanty under a noble burr oak, which still spreads its branches over hte family roof. Mr. Coats died in 1865, leaving eight children--Mary (Mrs. Amos Patterson), Richard and George, farming in Mukwonago, Andrew J., Ellen, Charles H. and Emma, all on the homestead; Ada J. is now Mrs. T.E. Swan of Heart Prairie; John, the eldest son, died in 1861; the 280 acres of improved land, on Secs. 7 and 8, with its large and substantial house and barns, are hte result of hte energy and pluck of Thomas Coats, who is missed by a host of warm friends, as a man ever open handed to the needy and always ready to encourage any enterprise that gave promise of good; he was a stanch Repubilcan (sic), as are his sons. A.J. and C.H. Coats are breeding the best of stock. (http://ia700408.us.archive.org/35/items/cu31924028871627/cu31924028871627.pdf)

Family cemetery: http://www.linkstothepast.com/waukesha/90.php

Maybe (only Thomas b. Eng): 1850 Waukesha Co, WI: Thos Coats 40 Eng, Jane 29, John 9 WI, Mary 8, Richard 5, G.T. (m) 3, A.S. (m) 8/12 (Mukwonago, p. 313, 9/7/1850)

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Church of England. Parish Church of North Newbald (Yorkshire). Bishop's transcripts, 1601-1864. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977).