Henry COATE

                   Notes from Linda Coate Dudick's Genealogy, "Ancestrees", [http://www.ancestrees.com], used with permission: Here are the facts that we do know about John Coate. John was married to Elizabeth (Humphreys?) in England and had the following children: John b. Sept. 6, 1665, d. April 4, 1681; Henry b. July 27, 1667; James, b. December 4, 1668; Samuel b. November 10, 1670; Elizabeth b. Sept. 13, 1672. Quaker records were only kept in their monthly meeting from 1665-1673. It is known that they had four small children and one on the way in 1672 when it was recorded that his house had been burnt down and his wife was expecting. This matches well with the birthdates of his children. However, he could have had more children from 1673 onward that were not in the records. One source lists him with a daughter named Ann. This fits well with info on descendants of an Ann Coate (1673-1762) married to a Roger Fort (1669-1749) in the United States. (E) He lived in Lambrook, England, which adjoins the town of Curry Rivel on the east. He is often listed in the Southern Division Monthly Meeting Minutes beginning in 1670. In 1670, he was imprisoned at Ilchester for refusing to pay tithes. The charge was brought by Samuel Tilly, priest of Kingsbury. (C-1347) In the Southern Division MM minutes on July 25, 1672, a request was made to other area meetings to aid and assist John Coate, whose "afflicted condition" had resulted from his imprisonment, the burning of his home and property, his indebtedness, his responsibility for his 4 small children, "one of them having been scalded near to death and his wife also being near her time." He was again in prison in 1678 and probably released shortly thereafter. In 1680, he was fined 10 lbs. and a warrant was issued against his goods. On Jan. 29, 1681, he again was fined 10 lbs. In this same year, when a stranger without warrant came to his barn and tried to take four oxen, John took the four oxen back. At this point, John and his wife were both charged with felony. When the evidence didn't support the charge, John was imprisoned for a "high misdemeanor" instead of "for not finding sureties for their good behavior." He was still in prison in March of 1682 when he was a signer of a remarkable petition to seek some relief from the deplorable conditions in which they lived. He and Marmaduke Coate both signed it, with 9 others listed in all. They supposedly presented an address to the judges at the Court of Assizes in March of that year. The entire petition is listed in "Besse's Sufferings." (C-1347) It is not known when he was released, but from 1682 on and off, he appears to have been in or conducted transactions in Pennsylvania. Back in England in 1698, John and his son Henry were brought to court for not paying tithes to the parson Joseph Horsey of Kingsbury. The judgement felt the parsons demands of 26 pounds for twelve years was unreasonable and lowered the fine to 14 pounds. However, John had still not paid these when he died a year later and the charges were dropped. John transferred land in Bucks Co., PA to his son Samuel in August 1699 via "an instrument in writing". In his later years, John became quite active in the Quaker church. His life makes very interesting reading, but in truth, was filled with many hardships. His last meeting to attend was Sept. 27, 1699. John Coate of Kingsbury died on December 29, 1699 according to Somerset Quarterly Meeting Records. John is likely to have been the John Coats who received a land grant of 1000 acres from William Penn 1682 in Bucks Co., PA. He is the only Coats listed in Wiliam Penn's original 1682 land grants. Plus, he is the only John Coats known to be in the Colonies in the 1680's. (C-1, 1979) In 1684, he was on a list of cattle owners in Bucks Co., PA. (C-2156) He purchased 250 acres of land in Newton Twp. in Bucks Co., PA in 1686 although this transaction does not show up in deed records until 1mo, 13th da, 1689 as being situate on Neshaminy Creek. It was orig inally owned by Israel Taylor. The transcription involving this land follows. (C-2119) Deed 13
da 1mo 1689, 250 acres on Neshaminy Creek from Israel Taylor to John Coate, Bucks Co. Deeds Vol I p310-11. Source: Penn.Archives Second Series Vol XIX: The property by lease and release dated________ granted 5,000 acres to Christopher Taylor &c., who by deed of sale dated 7 Jan 1683 convey'd a certain parcel thereof to his son Israel Taylor,&c. Who by deed poll dated 13 Mar 1689, granted a certain part thereof, lying in New Town in the Co. Bucks, then reported to contain 200 acres to John Coat, &c. who, by an instrument in writing dated some time in August, 1799 assigned the said reputed 200 acres to his son Samuel &c. W.M.R.T. and J.G., by a certain Patent dated 13 Feb 1692 granted 250 acres lying in the said County to the said Israel &c., who sold the same by deed dated 14 Apr 1693 to James Yeats &c., who by deed dated 16 Nov 1696 granted 23 acres thereof to the said Samuel Coat &c. Who by deed dated 10th Mar 1702, granted the said 2 parcels of 200 acres and 23 of land to Shadrack Walley, of New Town aforesaid, Yeoman who requests a resurvey on the said tracts, containing together in all, by the above Min's, 723 Acres and a patent. (C-2107E) As can be seen, John gave his land to his son Samuel in 1699. Samuel sold it to Shadrack Walley who sold it to John Walley. In 1724, John Walley sold five acres of this land to the town for a courthouse and prison to be built. (C-1051, 1542) There is controversy over whether or not John in PA was the same John married to Elizabeth Humphries in England. I am personally convinced they are one and the same person for the following reasons. Both John's had sons of the same names, ie. Samuel and James and possibly Henry. Several family lineages state that he was the John Coate who came from Somersetshire, England to Newtown, PA. (C-693) John is listed in the Neshanning Meeting, Bucks Co., PA, as early as 1685. He later became a member of t he Middletown Meeting in Langhorne. On 12/3/1686, John was granted a certificate to Friends in England, and is listed as clear of marriage engagements. This is where the controversy develops. Our John was supposedly married at the time and his wife didn't die until 1720. This note might be explained by the death of his first wife and a second marriage occuring after 1686. Mendenhall in his Coate manuscript states that he had 2 wives. Charlotte Coates Siercks gives his wife's name as Elizabeth Ann Wilkins instead. It is entirely possible that the Elizabeth Coate who died in 1720 in Curry Rival, England was actually a second wife, Elizabeth Ann Wilkins instead. The main reason why we are certain that he is the John of Somersetshire, England is that whenever John is listed in Pennsylvania Quaker or civil records, he is missing from English Quaker and civil records. The years of his absense from English Quaker records are 1673-1677, August 1685--end of May of 1687, July 1688, and 1691. One of his trips back to England appears to have been in 1690 shortly after his brother, Marmaduke died in Apr. of 1689. This likely occured to help care for his brother's family, possibly help with the estate. All of his absenses from English records conincides perfectly with Pennsylvania records and visa versa. We know that John was living in here from the land, cattle and Quaker records. We know that he bequethed his land that he had purchased in PA from a letter he wrote at his deathbed in England to his son Samuel in PA. His son's Samuel or James' records in Pennsylvania also coincide with their absences in England. It's a controversy that should be put to rest. (C-1:p.36,103,105,108-116,127,179,180, 197,198; C-198). There are several theories as to the parentage of John Coate. One as presented here is that he was the son of Henry Coate and the grandson of the original Marmaduke Coate ( -1624) and wife Mary ( -1631). This is the theory presented by Park in "The Ancestors and Descendants of Marmaduke Coate of SC and OH" and supported with wills and birth records. The second is suggested by Prof. Dornan's Quaker research and also fits by timeline and Quaker records. In 
this theory, John is the son of John Coate of Curry Revell (who might be the son of Marmaduke of same and Philippe Buffine) This John married Julian Stone on July 27, 1628 and had at least John and Marmaduke. (I have not chosen this theory over Park's because none of the known grandaughters are named after these women.) The third possibility is that he was the Johnathan listed in his grandfather, Henry's will as the son of Henry or John. Lastly, several family members believe that this John is the brother to Thomas who came to PA in 1683, by way of London, England. If so, John's parents would be the same as Thomas's. This Thomas's parents are Henry and Elizabeth Coates of the old Leicestershire and Derbyshire family of that name. (C-1055) The supporting evidence for this last theory from Pat Moran is that they came to PA about the same time and Thomas used a Coat of Arms that was a derivation of the Somersetshire Coates. (C-655)