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Coffey family papers

 Collection — Folder: S2475
Identifier: S2475

Scope and Contents

This collection contains various papers of the Coffey family, including a December 1, 1851 land grant for property in Owen County, Indiana issued to Joshua Kelly, a private in Captain Miller's Company of the Kentucky Volunteers during the War of 1812; a certificate issued December 31, 1946 by the Indiana Adjutant General's Office certifying Edward R. Bladen's service with Company H, 10th Indiana Regiment during the U.S. Civil War; and a certificate of Joel A. Coffey's appointment as postmaster for the town of Spencer, dated September 11, 1882 and signed by President Chester A. Arthur.

The collection also includes a January 9, 1862 letter sent by "Aunt E. Matheny" of Bainbridge, Indiana to her nephew, possibly Edward Bladen, who was serving in the Civil War; one handwritten page of Edward Bladen's obituary that he wrote for himself several years prior to his death in 1924; copies of typewritten pages of genealogical information regarding the Dyer and Coffey families compiled by Abby Dyer Griffin in 1944; and newspaper clippings of family obituaries and other articles ranging from 1883 to circa 1983.

Dates

  • 1851-circa 1983

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Elijah Coffey (1779-1863) was born in Burke County, North Carolina. He married Mary Abby (Polly) Dyer (1787-?) in 1803 and they had 11 children. The family moved to Owen County, Indiana around 1822 and settled in Clay Township. Their son, Joel Anderson Coffey (1818-1901), married Charity McDonald (1818-1904) in 1847 and they had 3 daughters: Mollie B. (1860-1932), Laura A. (1851-1946), and America E. (1849-1922). Laura Coffey married Edward R. Bladen (1836-1924) in 1869 and they had 4 children: Minnie (1869-ca. 1871), Blanche (1872-1895), Earl R. (1875-1946), and Mary C. (1877-1963). Mary Bladen married Homer L. McGinnis (1867-1953) and they had one daughter, Mary Alice (1904-1995), who married John R. Nusbaum, the donor of the collection.

Sources:

Information found within collection.

Ancestry.com. "Mary Alice Nusbaum." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011. Accessed October 24, 2022. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Blanchard, Charles, ed. Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Chicago: F.A. Battey and Company, 1884.

FindaGrave.com. "Elijah Coffey." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed October 24, 2022. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/221647404/elijah-coffey.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as donations from John R. Nusbaum on 2018/08/21 and 2018/08/27.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2022/10/25 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2022/10/25 by Laura Eliason.
Title
Coffey family papers
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671