| Home Surname List Name Index Sources Email Us | Fifth Generation257. Thomas Jefferson Coffee was born on 16 February 1805 in Burke Co., NC. Thomas died on 1 November 1858 at the age of 53 in Brazoria Co., TX and was buried at Sandy Point Cemetery in Sandy Point, Brazoria Co., TX.848 Thomas Jefferson Coffey received only a common school education, but he rose to wealth and distinction as a lawyer and a politician. He served as a Whig in Mississippi as senator, representing the four counties of Rankin, Leake, Holmes and Smith in the Legislature. He became quite famous because he was the founder of the Mississippi Homestead law while in the Mississippi Legislature. S.S. Prentiss was asked by Judge William L. Sharkey, Chief Justic of the Supreme Court of the state, who he thought was the smartest man in the legislature. He at once replied: "Thomas Jefferson Coffey of Rankin County" . He ran against Henry L. Foote in a Whig nominating convention for Governor of Mississippi and was defeated by only one vote. Politics running high and being challenged to a duel in which the exchange shots were to be continued until blood was drawn, and not desiring to draw human blood, he took deliberate aim and shot his opponent through the arm and was carried off the field on the shoulders of his friends. At the earnest request of his wife, he retired from the political arena. He acquired large planting interests and slaves and built a home in Brandon, Mississippi. He also owned lands in Bolivar County, Mississippi, near Prentiss, the then county seat, now caved into the Mississippi River. He owned other Bolivar County land and on this ground is classed as one of the Delta pioneers. In 1837, Thoms Jefferson Coffey was appointed by President Andrew Jackson and commissioned as General to remove the Indians, the Cherokee and the Choctaws from northern Mississippi to the Indian Territory. Source unknown. Thomas Jefferson Coffee and Malinda Graves Haley849 were married on 17 July 1827 in Hinds Co., MS.850 They850 appeared in the census on 26 October 1850 in Brazoria Co., TX.851 Of the 7 Coffee children, only three lived long enough to have children and these three had only one or two children each who had children. Many of the descendants either had no children or their children died very young. None of these Coffee descendants carry the Coffee surname. Minerva Coffee Lobdell's son John V. Lobdell Jr. had 8 surviving children who left many living descendants. Aaron Coffee's daughter Julia Somerville Coffee Church had 3 children and only daughter Julia Morrow Church Gilmer had a surviving son, Julia's only grandson. Ellen Coffee Kyle's daughter Cassie Kyle Seay had one daughter who had no children, her son Rufus Coffee Kyle had two children and only his daughter Julia Kyle Curran had children. Malinda Graves Haley was born on 17 November 1808 in Tennessee. Malinda died on 24 December 1857 at the age of 49 in Brazoria Co., TX and was buried at Sandy Point Cemetery in Sandy Point, Brazoria Co., TX.852 Thomas Jefferson Coffee and Malinda Graves Haley had the following children:
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