Beth: Most of the COKERs that you listed are mine, and I'll try and show you how I have them fit in - I do have source info, which I'll share later in the email. Benjamin F. Coker b. ca. 1830 is a brother to Joel Marshall Coker b. ca. 1822, and both are sons of William B. & Leana Brazile (various spellings) Coker both b. SC. There are other children and they may fit into what you've found: Descendants of William B. Coker 1 William B. COKER b: 1786 in NC .. +Leana BREAZEALE b: 1794 in SC .... 2 [1] Joel Marshall COKER b: Abt. 1822 in AL d: March 09, 1888 in Monroe County, MS ........ +Sarrah Jane WILKERSON b: in GA d: Bef. 1850 .... *2nd Wife of [1] Joel Marshall COKER: ........ +Nancy MASSENGALE b: Abt. 1819 m: Bef. 1854 d: Bef. 1880 .... 2 Sarah COKER b: 1822 in TN ........ +Unknown TISDALE .... 2 William COKER b: 1827 in AL .... 2 Mandy COKER b: 1829 in AL .... 2 Benjamin F. COKER b: 1830 in AL .... 2 Robert COKER b: 1832 in AL Joel Marshall Coker married Sarah Wilkerson first and after her apparent death, married Nancy J. Massengale (dau. of Reddick & Francis Massengale). I have that Joel & Sarah had 4 children (Columbus Washington "Lum" Coker b. 21 July 1844, Frances Marion, Laura & Sarah) - Lum Coker is "my" guy and he married Mary Melinda Nancy Jane Wright, dau. of Robert Roper Wright and Nancy T. Cody. Lum's daughter, Nola Leana Coker married Ellie Oliver Massengale, son of John T. Massengale, son of Alfred Massengale, son of Reddick & Frances Massengale. Alfred W. is the brother to Nancy J. Massengale that married Joel Marshall Coker, so I'm related twice, I guess! Joel & 2nd wife Nancy J. had 3 more children - Joel Lafayette, William Franklin & Thomas Benton. I have Joel M. Coker in the 1860 Itawamba Co., MS census and the 1880 Monroe Co., MS census, but haven't yet located him in 1870. His children are living with his parents in 1850 Monroe Co., MS census, and I don't know where he was then, either. Here is the census info on William B. Coker that I have found so far (with my "working thoughts" from my notes): 1840 Monroe Co., MS census William B. Coker HOH Males: age 5-10: 1 (Robert) age 10-15: 1 or 2??? (William & Ben???) but totals at bottom of page indicate this is "1" not "2" ??? If "1" then I must have dob for Wm or Ben wrong???? age 15 - 20: 3 (Joel Marshall & ??????? & ????) age 50-60: 1 (father William) Females: age 10-15: 1 (Mandy) age 15-20: 2 (Sarah & ???) age 40-50: 1 (mother Leana) so that's 6 known children but 1840 shows 8 (or 9) - 5 (or 6) boys and 3 girls. My conclusion is that there ARE other children - especially when you consider that William Coker was about 36 when Sarah (the oldest kid I know about) was born, and Leana was about 28!!! ---------------------- 1850 Monroe Co., MS census PG 56 Dwelling 760, Family 792 William Coker age 64 M Farmer, $500 real estate, b. NC Leana Coker age 56 F...b. SC Wm. Coker age 23 M b. AL Mandy Coker age 21 F b. AL Ben F. Coker age 20 M b. AL Robt. Coker age 18 M b. AL same dwelling, next family #793 Tisdale, Sarah age 28 b. TN Helen Tisdale age 9 F b. MS Columbus Coker age 6 M b. AL Marion Coker age 4 b. AL Laura Coker age 2 F b. AL (This is enumerated oddly - Columbus, Marion & Laura are not Sarah's children but are Joel Marshall Coker's children - where is Joel Marshall Coker, father of the last 3 children?) --------- 1860 Monroe Co., MS census dwelling 23 Coker, W. B. 76 M Farmer SC ", Leander 65 F SC ", W. T. 30 M Ala ", M. A. 24 F Ala ", Robert 21 M Ala I hope this is of some assistance - let me know what you think! Allison Massengill Saxman (William B. Coker>Joel Marshall Coker>Columbus W. Coker>Nola Leana Coker m. EO Massengale>H.C. Massengill>D.L. Massengill>me) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beth Gay" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 3:34 PM Subject: [Coker] Coker-Benjamin Franklin, Joel Marshall, Columbus - Alabama-1820-1880 > Hello list, > Hoping to find someone who can identify the parents' of these Coker's and > confirm or dispute information. I have some more Alabama Cokers' that I need > assistance with. > > Benjamin F. Coker was born in Alabama @ 1833 and married Martha J [Martha > Jane Wright per Eppley] In 1880 Benj. and Martha J. are enumerated in the > census in Clay County Miss. Benj. F. 's parents' were born in SC according > to the census. This census names W. J.[or T] Coker, age 55, also born in > Alabama as his brother, he is single and it names A. M. Coker, 45, AL, > single, as his sister. This enumerator only used initials for the sons who > are L. D., 19, AL; L.B, 18, AL; A. M. 8, MS; R. L., 6, MS; and the daughters > are Loretta, 12, MS and Mattie Bell, 2, MS. Census info from the Family > Search 1880 U. S. Census, FHL Film: 1254644 and NARA Film T9-0644, p. 235D. > > Then we travel to Smithville, Monroe, MS in 1880 and find on the census J. > M. Coker who is Joel Marshall Coker from individual source. He was born in > Alabama in 1820 and his father and mother were born in SC according to the > census. He is a widow. From undocumented sources I have that his wife was > named Sarah Jane Wilkerson and they had one son named Columbus Washington > Coker and another undocumented source that his wife was named Nancy and > known children were Columbus, Francis M., Laurie J., Sarah C., Joel L, > Thomas Benton, and William L. Coker. > On the 1880 census in Monroe the children enumerated are Laura, single, 30, > AL, Fa: Al Mo: GA; Joel L., single, 24, MS; Fa: AL Mo: GA; Franklin > single, 22, MS, ditto; Thos. B., 21, MS, ditto. From Family Search 1880 U. > S. Census, FHL Film 1254658, NARA film T9-0658, p. 19B. > J. M. Coker's neighbor is a J. W. McKisic, 29 born in Ga and family. > > Then traveling on to Marion County, Alabama. In the 1880 census Columbis W. > Coker is enumerated. From data from Eppley, I have Columbus Washington Coker > born on 31 Jul 1844 in Alabama and died on 22 Mar 1917. That he married Mary > Jane Wright [but the 1880 census says Nancy J. Coker] daughter of Robert > Ropor Wright & Nancy Talitha (Ross) Cody. Born on 5 Jun 1851 in Marion Co., > Alabama and died in Monroe County, MS on 19 Oct 1929. They had the following > children: Victoria Clementine (1867-1952), married W. B Lon Thompson; Robert > Marshall Cooper, born 19 Feb 1869 in Marion Co., Al and died in Bonham, TX > 20 Feb 1893; Nancy Ellen (1873-1954), married Howard Quincy Brook; Helen > Marzella, born 6 Mar 1875 in Marion Co, Al and died in 1960, m. Floris L. > Brook; Sarah Jane (Sally), born on 23 Oct 1878; Henry Myrtis (Myrt), born on > 16 May 1880; Hillard Loren Hill, born 21 Dec 1882; Dessie Mozell, born 26 > Mar 1886; Infant male & female born on 3 Mar 1888; and Nola Lee, born on 5 > May 1890. > On the 1880 census for Marion, Alabama K. F McKinzie, age 40 born in Ga, and > family are living next door. The census information can be found in the > Family Search 1880 U. S . Census, FHL # 1254023 and NARA film # T9-0023, p. > 76A. > > In conclusion is Joel Marshall Coker the brother of Benjamin Franklin Coker, > W. T. [or J.] and A. M. Coker and who were their parents? > > Beth Gay > [email protected] >