Mother's side of the family lineage.....
COLEMAN’S HISTORY
In the early 1800’s three tribes of Indians moved from Kentucky to West Tennessee. These three tribes were the Tuckers, the Tuggers and the Graves. It is believed that these tribes were of Chickasaw heritage. During this time, many explorers were settling in Kentucky which caused severe battles between the white settlers and the Indians. After the Revolutionary War in 1775, Indians made repeated attacks on Kentuckians in defense of their land. It was during this time that Chief Tucker, one of the chiefs of the Indian Nation, was killed. It is thought that the state of Kentucky was originally named after Chief Tucker. The killing of Chief Tucker brought about the migration of these tribes. As the Tuckers, Tuggers and Graves moved west, they had to cross the Mississippi River which resulted in the death of many of the people. Their numbers were large and there tee-pees stretched for almost a mile.
Specific information on the Tuggers is not known at this time, but the Graves originated in Africa. Their ancestors had been kidnapped by the invaders and shipped to England. England later sent most of their slaves to the United States before the end of the Revolutionary War in the 1700’s. it is noted that the Graves were referred to as relatives of the Tuckers, in particular, “Will Graves, who was called Uncle Will. He was married to Aunt Sara and they had eight children.
It is the Tuckers of the Chief Tucker tribe that gave rise to the Coleman family. All of the Tuckers were described as being tall in statute, with long sharp noses and very black hair.
In the early 1800’s, Shack Rollins Coleman, the half-brother to Dr. Rollins –one of the first doctors in Fayette County, married Celia Tucker. Cely was one of the daughters of Chief Tucker. Shack and Cely lived in Fayette County and were the parents of eight children. Five of these children became Methodists, and three became Baptist. These children were Owens, Harvey, Pate (he would have been my grandmother’s father), Joe, Jim “Nig”, Mace, Sally, Anna, and Jane. Jim “Nig”, a Baptist, married Susie Sweet. Jim “Nig,” and Shack were often described as being unusually large blond-haired men.
Susie Sweet was also of the Tucker tribe. She was the granddaughter of Chief Tucker. Susie’s mother was also named Celia Tucker, and Jim “Nig’s” mother was named Celia Tucker too. They were two of Chief Tucker’s daughters by his seven wives, therefore making them half-sisters. Susie’s father was named Miriam Lyles Nelson. Miriam was a son of the well-know Lyles family of Fayette and Haywood counties. The Nelsons swapped two smaller boys for Miriam when he was quite young. Miriam was just the right size for climbing and picking fruits from the fruit orchards. Miriam and the three Nelson boys would pick and sell fruit from the nelson’s orchards throughout the counties. The Indians could not call Miriam’s name, so they would just refer to him as the “sweet” man. Later Miriam and on of the Nelson boys changed their last name to Sweet. This gave rise to the Sweet family’s name. The maternal grandparents of the Coleman’s. Susie Sweet’s parents, Miriam and Cely had ten children; Mace, Agnes, Rachel (my grandmother’s mother), Susie, Fannie, Judy, Ella, Henry, Louis, and Tim. Susie Sweet married Nig Coleman and lived in Fayette County. They had nine children. Three were born in Fayette in the late 1800’s. These were William, Ellis, and Robert. Nig and Susie then moved to Haywood County (Brownsville is in Haywood county) in the early 1900’s and the other six children were born there. They were Gilliam, Fanny Kate, Tim, Marshall, Jim and Bertha.
Gilliam married Josie Pruiett in the early 1900’s and they lived in Haywood County. They were the parents of six children: Curtis, Hester, Lela Mae, Fannie, Albertine and Josephine. Five of these children live in nearby areas. Only two descendants of Nig and Susie are now living, they are Gilliam and Bertha. Both reside in Memphis (Since the writing of this biography, Bertha has passed away).
After slavery ended and the Emancipation Proclamation was granted, the Rollins and the Lyles gave land to their offspring for the building of a family church. This land cost 50 cents an acre and was located on the east side of the road from today’s church, St. John’s Baptist Church. it was very poor land and had originally been a cemetery for slaves and Indians. A small log church was erected and was named St. John’s “across the river.” (That would have been the Hatchie River). The first seven deacons included the old grandfather, Miriam Sweet. As the congregation increased, seven more deacons were added. These included the relatives Uncle William Graves, Harvey, Pate, Tim Sweet, as well as Jerry Williams, Emmett Winters, Frank Wilkes, and Jeff Powell. The congregation continued to grow and another building was needed, so a new church was built across the road on the west side and seven more deacons were added. These included the relatives of Nig Coleman, Olley Graves, Will Dotson, and West Douglass. It was the practice that when a father or uncle died, a son or another relative would replace him as a deacon. This church eventually grew to have a very large membership in Haywood County and continues to serve the community until this very day.
Specific information on the Tuggers is not known at this time, but the Graves originated in Africa. Their ancestors had been kidnapped by the invaders and shipped to England. England later sent most of their slaves to the United States before the end of the Revolutionary War in the 1700’s. it is noted that the Graves were referred to as relatives of the Tuckers, in particular, “Will Graves, who was called Uncle Will. He was married to Aunt Sara and they had eight children.
It is the Tuckers of the Chief Tucker tribe that gave rise to the Coleman family. All of the Tuckers were described as being tall in statute, with long sharp noses and very black hair.
In the early 1800’s, Shack Rollins Coleman, the half-brother to Dr. Rollins –one of the first doctors in Fayette County, married Celia Tucker. Cely was one of the daughters of Chief Tucker. Shack and Cely lived in Fayette County and were the parents of eight children. Five of these children became Methodists, and three became Baptist. These children were Owens, Harvey, Pate (he would have been my grandmother’s father), Joe, Jim “Nig”, Mace, Sally, Anna, and Jane. Jim “Nig”, a Baptist, married Susie Sweet. Jim “Nig,” and Shack were often described as being unusually large blond-haired men.
Susie Sweet was also of the Tucker tribe. She was the granddaughter of Chief Tucker. Susie’s mother was also named Celia Tucker, and Jim “Nig’s” mother was named Celia Tucker too. They were two of Chief Tucker’s daughters by his seven wives, therefore making them half-sisters. Susie’s father was named Miriam Lyles Nelson. Miriam was a son of the well-know Lyles family of Fayette and Haywood counties. The Nelsons swapped two smaller boys for Miriam when he was quite young. Miriam was just the right size for climbing and picking fruits from the fruit orchards. Miriam and the three Nelson boys would pick and sell fruit from the nelson’s orchards throughout the counties. The Indians could not call Miriam’s name, so they would just refer to him as the “sweet” man. Later Miriam and on of the Nelson boys changed their last name to Sweet. This gave rise to the Sweet family’s name. The maternal grandparents of the Coleman’s. Susie Sweet’s parents, Miriam and Cely had ten children; Mace, Agnes, Rachel (my grandmother’s mother), Susie, Fannie, Judy, Ella, Henry, Louis, and Tim. Susie Sweet married Nig Coleman and lived in Fayette County. They had nine children. Three were born in Fayette in the late 1800’s. These were William, Ellis, and Robert. Nig and Susie then moved to Haywood County (Brownsville is in Haywood county) in the early 1900’s and the other six children were born there. They were Gilliam, Fanny Kate, Tim, Marshall, Jim and Bertha.
Gilliam married Josie Pruiett in the early 1900’s and they lived in Haywood County. They were the parents of six children: Curtis, Hester, Lela Mae, Fannie, Albertine and Josephine. Five of these children live in nearby areas. Only two descendants of Nig and Susie are now living, they are Gilliam and Bertha. Both reside in Memphis (Since the writing of this biography, Bertha has passed away).
After slavery ended and the Emancipation Proclamation was granted, the Rollins and the Lyles gave land to their offspring for the building of a family church. This land cost 50 cents an acre and was located on the east side of the road from today’s church, St. John’s Baptist Church. it was very poor land and had originally been a cemetery for slaves and Indians. A small log church was erected and was named St. John’s “across the river.” (That would have been the Hatchie River). The first seven deacons included the old grandfather, Miriam Sweet. As the congregation increased, seven more deacons were added. These included the relatives Uncle William Graves, Harvey, Pate, Tim Sweet, as well as Jerry Williams, Emmett Winters, Frank Wilkes, and Jeff Powell. The congregation continued to grow and another building was needed, so a new church was built across the road on the west side and seven more deacons were added. These included the relatives of Nig Coleman, Olley Graves, Will Dotson, and West Douglass. It was the practice that when a father or uncle died, a son or another relative would replace him as a deacon. This church eventually grew to have a very large membership in Haywood County and continues to serve the community until this very day.
Dictated by Gilliam Coleman, 1985
No comments:
Post a Comment