THE COLEMAN LINE Patronymica Britannica says of the Coleman name "An ancient Anglo Saxon personal name, mentioned by Body, Coleman and Colemannus in Doomsday. Probably derived from the occupation of charcoal burning and synonymous with Collier." Thomas Coleman was the original man of the name to be connected with the affairs of Nantucket. He came from Wittshire, England and landed in Boston June 3, 1635. He first settled in Newbury. According to the records of the town of Newbury he was engaged by Richard Saltonstall and others in England and America in November 1635, "for the keeping of horses and sheep in a general place for the space of three years." His work proved unsatisfactory, and each of the contractors was authorized to provide for his own. In the original purchase of the island of Nantucket, Thomas Coleman was chosen by John Swain as his partner. At what time he removed to the Island is not clear but evidently it was very early. It may be assumed that he was a resident as early as 1664. Thomas Coleman's house lot "was 1,000 feet square, bounded on the north by the lot of Christopher Hussey, on the east by the Long Woods and on the south by the lot of Capt. Pyke." On his decease, the house and lot descended to Tobias, his son. COLEMAN LINE - FIRST GENERATION THOMAS COLEMAN Born: 1602 probably Wittshire, England. Died: 1685 at age 83 Parents: Married 1st Susanna _____. She d. 17 Nov 1650. (our line) Married 2nd: Mary, widow of Edmund Johnson on 11 Jul 1651. She d. at Hampton 30 Jan 1663. Married 3: Margery Ashbourne Children of Thomas and Susanna: 1. Benjamin Coleman b. 1 May 1640 2. Joseph Coleman b. 2 Dec 1642 m. Ann Bunker. She b. 1654 3. JOHN COLEMAN b. 1644 (see below) 4. Isaac Coleman b. 20 Feb 1647 d. 6 Jun 1669 by drowning. Children of Thomas and Mary: 5. Joanna Coleman b. Children by Thomas and Margery: 6. Tobias Coleman b.----, m. Lydia Osborne COLEMAN LINE - SECOND GENERATION JOHN COLEMAN Born: 1644 Died: 7 Dec 1715. Parents: Thomas Coleman - Susanna _____ Married: in 1666 to Joanna Folger. She was dau of Peter Folger and Mary Morrill. Children: 1. JOHN COLEMAN b. 2 Aug 1667 (See below) 2. Jeremiah coleman b. 1668 m. Sarah Pratt 20d 11m 1714/15. 3. Thomas Coleman b. 17 Oct 1669 m. Jane Challenge 4. Isaac Coleman b. 6 Feb 1671 5. Phebe Coleman b. 15 Jun 1674 m. _____ Cathcart 6. Abigail Coleman m. James Tisdale 7. Benjamin Coleman b. 17 Jan 1676 8. Solomon Coleman b. ---, m. 1st Mary Macy 1711, She d. 27d 6m 1715. He m.2nd Deliverance Swett 1718 COLEMAN LINE - THIRD GENERATION JOHN COLEMAN Born: 2 Aug 1667 Died: 19d 1m 1762 Parents: John Coleman - Joanna Folger Married: 1694 to Priscilla Starbuck, dau of Nathaniel Starbuck and Mary Coffin. Priscilla b. 1676, d. 14d 3m 1762. Children: 1. Persis Coleman b. 7 Dec 1695 died young 2. Nathaniel Coleman b. 20 Dec 1697 d 19d 3m 1783. He m. Mary Folger (widow of Nathaniel Gardner) 4d 10m 1729. She b 10 Aug 1605 and d 3d 12m 1763. 3. ELIHU COLEMAN b. 1699 (see below) 4. Barnabas Coleman b. 24 Apr 1704, died in infancy 5. Jethro Coleman b 8 Jul 1706 d. Jun 1785 at Oblong, NY. He m. 1st Lydia Paddack on 6d 11m 1731. She d. 21d 1m 1747. He m 2nd Lydia Macy on 21d 1m 1748, she b. 1720 and d 1795 Nantucket. 6. Barnabas Coleman b 14d 9m 1708, d. 23d 6m 1781. He m. 1st Elizabeth Barnard on 3 Mar 1728, she b 1710, d 1729. He wed 2nd Rachel Hussey on 8d 9m 1733. 7. Phebe Coleman b. 10d 4m 1711, d 17 Feb 1791, m. 3d 10m 1730 to Barzillai Folger b. 4 Jan 1710/11, d 11 Apr 1790 8. Priscilla Coleman b. 28d 9m 1713 d. 11d 7m 1797. She wed 7d 11m 1731/2 to Samuel Bunker, b. 5d 9m 1711, d. 3d 9m 1786. 9. John Coleman b. 20d 11m 1715, d. ----, m. Ruth Pinkham 9d 9m 1738 10. Mary Coleman b. 30d 3m 1718 d 11d 1m 1767, m. 2d 10m 1741 to William Russell COLEMAN LINE - FOURTH GENERATION ELIHU COLEMAN Born: 12 Feb 1699 Died: 24d 1m 1789 He was a minister of the Society of Friends. While he was yet a young man, was one of the earliest avocates of emancipation in America, and wrote articles stating his displeasure of the keeping of slaves. The home of which Elihu built and in which he lived is still standing, and evidence of the thoroughness of its construction and the excellence of the Nantucket timber of which it was built. (Have photo.) Parents: John Coleman - Priscilla Starbuck Marriage: to Jemima Barnard, b. 14d 9m 1699 Nantucket, d. 25d 12 1779, dau of John Barnard and Sarah Macy. Married: on 6d 10m 1720 Children: 1. Ruth Coleman b. 9d 9m 1721 d 25d 5m 1763, m. 4d 12m 1741 to David Coffin. He b 25 Oct 1718, d 7d 6m 1804. They had 9 children. 2. EUNICE COLEMAN b. 18 Oct 1724 (See below) 3. Phebe Coleman b. 10d 6m 1726, d. Dec 1797, m 14d 9m 1745 to Seth Folger, b 8d8m 1726, d 17 Nov 1807 4. Anna Coleman b 24d 12m 1728, d 3d 11m 1769. She wed 1st John Coffin, b 1727, lost at sea in 1755. She wed 2nd John Gardner 29d 11m 1764 5. Priscilla Coleman b. 15d 8m 1731, d 4d 10m 1770, m. 13d 10m 1750 to Peter Coffin, b. 3 Nov 1729, d 1817 in New Garden MM, NC 6. Mary Coleman b. 25d 7m 1733, d.___, m 3d 1m 1760 to Shubael Pinkham 7. Abigail Coleman b. 21d 9m 1735, d___, m 6d 1m 1757 to Micajah Coffin, b 18d 8m 1734 d 25d 5m 1827. Had 4 children. COLEMAN LINE - FIFTH GENERATION EUNICE COLEMAN Born: 18 Oct 1724 at Nantucket Died: 28 Dec 1768 at Nantucket Parents: Elihu Coleman - Jemima Barnard Married: John Macy, b. 1721, d. after 1795 in NC Married: on 13 Aug 1743 See the Macy line for the children and descendants. Line of Descent: THOMAS COLEMAN, JOHN COLEMAN, JOHN COLEMAN, ELIHU COLEMAN, EUNICE COLEMAN, BETHIAH MACY, PAUL MACY, THOMAS MACY, JOHN MACY, LORETTA MACY, JAMES PARISHO, WAYNE PARISHO, SUSANNE PARISHO While researching the subject of slavery on the Island, I came across the following story of some interest. It doesn't pertain to just the Coleman line, but many of our ancestors were involved in the incident. It seems in 1822 a runaway slave from Alexandria, VA named Arthur Cooper had taken up residence on Nantucket and lived peacibly with the inhabitants. In that year, his owners obtained his whereabouts and set out to secure him and his family, and return them to slavery. (The law at that time allowed men from the south to go north to procure their "property.") An agent and a Marshal came to Nantucket and the news of their presence spread rapidly on the island. A large group of our ancestors gathered around the negro's home, and met the marshal at the door. They stalled him with alot of talk. During the delay, a Mr. Gardner and Thomas Macy stepped quietly around to the back window, and beckoning to the trembling victims, indicated that they were prepared to help them escape. Disguised in Mr. Gardner's coat and Thomas's broad brimmed hat, Arthur Cooper and his family escaped to Oliver Gardner's house. Tradition says that among those who assembled when the United States Marshal had gone to Cooper's residence to take him into custody was Sylvanus Macy, one of the magistrates. Mr. Macy was not by any means in sympathy with Marshal Bass, but his duties as a Town Justice compelled him to uphold the law. The only thing he could do was to delay the Marshal and enable the hunted man to escape. Tradition says that he demanded to see the Marshal's warrant. The Marshal had left it at his lodging house and Macy would not allow any action to be taken until it was produced. When it had been precured it was handed to Mr. Macy, who deliberately read it over, word after word, from beginning to end, using all the time he could. Having finished the reading, Mr. Macy knocked on the door and said, "I don't see but the writ is all right Mary, and I guess thee'll have to open the door and go with the officer. But the fugitives had long since escaped out the back window and were successfully hidden. Macy then turned to Marshal Bass and in the same suave, easy tone told him that as a people they were very quiet, law abiding communisty, but there were a large number of men assembled who had passed a large part of their time on the ocean, and were very impulsive and inclined to be a little reckless. He advised the Marshal and the agent that since he had little control over such a reckless mob, should anything happen to them, he thought they had better leave the Island as quickly as they could. The next morning, Bass and his deputies left, but without the intended prisoners they came in quest of. Arthur Cooper and his family hid out for some six weeks. The townspeople assured him that they would protect him from future dangers. Cooper lived and died in the little home where he was discovered by the officers. NOTE: I also have a website named "Genealogy Graphic Sets by Tristram." Please come visit! SURNAME INDEX BG's/Images by "Daze of Our Lives"