Congressman Isaac Coles^{[1, 2, 3]}

1747 - 1813  (66 years)

• Name	Isaac Coles
  Title	Congressman
  Born	25 Feb 1747	Richmond, Henrico Co., Virginia
  Gender	Male
  Died	3 Jun 1813	Chatham, Pittsylvania County, Virginia
  Buried	Coles Family Cemetery , Java, Pittsylvania County Virginia
  Person ID	I15743	My Reynolds Line
  Last Modified	14 Oct 2018

  
  

  Father	Major John Coles,   b. 1706, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland ,   d. 1747, Hanover County, Virginia  (Age 41 years)
  Mother	Mary Ann Winston,   b. Est 1706, Hanover, Colonial Virginia ,   d. 1758, Hanover County, Virginia  (Age ~ 52 years)
  Married	Bef 1739
  Family ID	F5557	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Elizabeth Lightfoot,   b. Est 1750, Charles City Co., Virginia ,   d. 27 Jul 1781, Halifax County, Virginia  (Age ~ 31 years)
  Children	1. Isaac Howell Coles, II,   b. 12 Dec 1777, Hanover, Virginia ,   d. 9 Sep 1820, Halifax County, Virginia  (Age 42 years)
  Last Modified	14 Oct 2018
  Family ID	F7730	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Catherine Thompson,   b. 1768, New York ,   d. 17 Jul 1848, Pittsylvania County, Virginia  (Age 80 years)
  Children	+ 1. Walter Coles,   b. 8 Dec 1790, Halifax County, Virginia ,   d. 9 Nov 1857, Chatham, Pittsylvania County, Virginia  (Age 66 years)
  Last Modified	14 Oct 2018
  Family ID	F7728	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Isaac Coles p15743IsaacColes.jpg

  
  

  Documents

  Catherine Thompson Coles-Obit Richmond Enquirer Oct 13, 1848

  
  

  Headstones

  Headstone Isaac Coles hs15743IsaacColes.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S32] Find-A-Grave.com, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=47208052&PIpi=98840208. Isaac Coles Birth 2 Mar 1747 Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia Death 3 Jun 1813, Chatham, Pittsylvania County, Virginia Burial: Coles Family Cemetery Java, Pittsylvania County, Virginia Isaac Coles is buried in Pittsylvania County, Virginia on the Chalk Level Road north east of Chatham. [S40] Will. 1810, April 8 - Will of Isaac H. Coles. "It is right that all has to dispose of their property by Will, life is uncertain, God gave us existence and the time of its discontinuance is at His will, which is hidden from human eyes or knowledge; I therefore give to my three nieces, Nancy Carrington, Lightfoot Carrington, and Mildred Bruce, to my nephew James Bruce, my cousin Isaac Coles, Jr. &c. "I give my Dan River estate to my nephew Edward Carrington, with all the negroes that are working on the land, and stock of every kind on the plantation. "I give my nephew Walter Carrington, the Buck Skin Tract, with all negroes, horses and stock on the plantation. "I give my nephew William, the home tract with all the negroes, stock on the plantation. "I give my "Cub Creek" Tract to my nephew Paul Carrington all my land in Charlotte, negroes, stock, and bonds. "I wish my estate kept together until all special legacies are paid, and then divided. "I will mention so far from feeling small for every neice and nephew, children of my Bruce, as expressed by the same, all proportion given of my estate, my sentiments are the reverse, but my friend Bruce, whom I am sincerely attached to must know his wealth is sufficient for their happiness, and friendship to all my relations is the best will of "I. H. Coles" 1814, Feb. 8 - Administrator appointed by court, Isaac Coles, Jr. Securities: Paul Carrington, Henry E. Coleman, Howson Clark, Edward D. Carrington. Bond in penalty for four hundred thousand dollars. 1814 - Memorandum from Act of sales of Isaac H. Coles estate. All the personal estate of Isaac H. Coles has been disposed of agreeable to a "Decree" of the High Court of Chancery for the Lynchburg District. Edward Carrington, 69 negroes valued at 6224 pounds, horses, mules, cattle, sheep, wagon horses, household and kitchen furniture, books, blacksmith's tools, carpenter and plantation tools, provisions, carriages &c., (valued at 1912 pounds) attached to the Dan River plantation. To Edward Carrington, guardian of William A. Carrington, 49 negroes, (valued at 3673 pounds) horses, mules, cattle, hogs, sheep, wagon horses, household furniture, blackmith and carpenter's plantation tools, provisions carriage gears, &c., (valued at 576 pounds and 20 shillings) attached to the "Mildendo" plantation. "To Walter C. Carrington 30, negroes, (valued at, 2275 pounds) horses, mules, cattle, sheep, hogs, (valued at 248 pounds and 14 shillings), corn, oats, &c., (valued at 148 pounds) attached to the Buck Skin plantation. Walter C. Carrington, guardian of Paul T. Carrington, negroes, stock &c., attached to Cub Creek plantation. To Dr. Charles D. Fontaine, sales valued at 108 pounds taken from Dan River, and Evilina, valued at 96 pounds, from "Mildendo." Detained heavy and specific legacy value 160 pounds, taken from Dan River. Hannah valued at 90 pounds, Peggy 90 pounds, (devised to my wife,) taken from Mildendo. "To Mrs. Mildred Carrington, all the Bonds, each amounting to 508 pounds - 1-8. "To Dr. Charles D. Fontaine, in right of his wife." Dec 1820 - Estate of Isaac Coles, Jr. In Account with Edward C. Carrington. Doctor Tuck - Medical account. Benjamine Anderton - crier at the sale. Mrs. Powell - services as mid-wife. Robert Chappell - Blacksmith account. Henry Elliott - services as overseer, for 1820. Dr. Senn - Medical account. Adam Toot - Tannery account. Cash to messenger to Mr. Ravenscroft, (twice), to Mecklenburg to preach the funeral. Mrs. Fontaine - for money paid by her. To shoes for the children. Bruce & Williams - for bedticking for the children in Charlotte. Mrs. Mildred H. Carrington, - for money paid by her. Ferriage of articles to Charlotte. William Hughes - for shoemaking for the negroes. Walter Coles - for two bushels of clover seed, bought in Lynchburg. Mrs. Anne Fontaine - for expenses of children. To the 6th Instalment of 6 shares of Roanoke Stock. [S100] Internet Source, http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000624. COLES, Isaac, (1747 - 1813) COLES, Isaac, (father of Walter Coles), a Representative from Virginia; born in Richmond, Va., March 2, 1747; educated at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.; served as a colonel of militia during the Revolutionary War; member of the State house of delegates 1780-1781 and 1783-1788; member of the convention which met in Richmond, Va., in June 1788 to ratify the new Federal Constitution, which he opposed; during his political career lived on a plantation on Staunton River at Coles Ferry, Halifax County; moved to Pittsylvania County in 1798; elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the First Congress (March 4, 1789-March 3, 1791); elected as an Anti-Administration candidate to the Third Congress and reelected as a Republican to the Fourth Congress (March 4, 1793-March 3, 1797); died on his plantation, ?Coles Hill,? near Chatham, Pittsylvania County, Va., June 3, 1813; interment in the family cemetery on his plantation. [S150] Photograph, http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/coles/isaac/sler/. Portrait of Catherine Thompson (Mrs. Isaac) Coles, by John Ramage. Notes The portrait of Edward Coles is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois, Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887 (see associated article, and a further biographical sketch hosted by Illinois Periodicals Online). Apparently author Wharton is incorrect in her statement concerning Edward Coles' position as secretary to Jefferson. According to Nocholas Gordon, The Man Who Freed His Slaves: A Narrative of the Life of Edward Coles, Isaac Coles was secretary to Presidents Jefferson and Madison from 1805-1809; and Edward Coles was secretary to President Madison from 1810 to 1815. (Research assistance was provided by Melly Scofield.) The miniature portraits by John Ramage (see biography, which includes his portrait of Elbridge Gerry) of Mrs. Isaac Coles and her sister Mrs. Elbridge Gerry are from Anne Hollingsworth Wharton, Social Life in the Early Republic, J. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1902, facing p. 65. The same images are also found facing p. 200 of Maud Carter Clement, The History of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, 1929. Mrs. Clement states that the Thompson sisters were English, and notes that their brother Jacob Thompson was a member of the Queen's Guard. The names Elbridge Gerry and Jacob Thompson have been given to male offspring in the Coles family of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, down to the present era. On p. 201 of her History (see previous note), Mrs. Clement observes that ?when the question of slavery came before Congress, Col. [Isaac] Coles of Virginia voted to abolish the practice of slavery, while his brother-in-law Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts voted to retain the same.? Dolley Madison's mother Mary Coles Payne was a double-first-cousin of both the abovementioned Col. Coles brothers of Virginia: Col. John Coles of Albemarle County, and Col. Isaac Coles of Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties. The double-first-cousin relationship occurred because brothers William Coles (Mary's father) and John Coles (Col. John and Col. Isaac's father) had married sisters Lucy Winston and Mary Ann Winston. A third Winston sister Sarah married John Henry, and thus their son the patriot Patrick Henry was also a first cousin of Mary Coles Payne, Col. Isaac Coles, and Col. John Coles. (See a Winston and Coles genealogical website.) Edward Coles (mentioned in the Wharton text above), secretary to Jefferson and Madison and governor of Illinois, was a son of Col. John Coles of Albemarle County, and thus a brother of Sally, Emily, and Eliza. A third Coles brother (of Col. Isaac and Col. John), Walter, married Mildred Lightfoot, and therefore their children were also Dolley's double-second-cousins. Among them was Sarah ?Sally? Coles (not to be confused with her above-mentioned first cousin Sally), who married James Bruce of Halifax County. Their son James Coles Bruce expanded his father's home into the famed Greek Revival edifice Berry Hill along the Dan River in Halifax County. When Sarah Coles Bruce died, her husband married Elvira Cabell Henry, widow of Patrick Henry, Jr. (Sarah Coles Bruce's second cousin). James and Elvira Henry Bruce had a son Charles Bruce (therefore half-brother of James Coles Bruce) who built the also well-known Gothic ?castle? Staunton Hill along the Staunton River in Charlotte County. (See further discussion of the Bruces and Berry Hill.) Many of the given names of the Coles family are used in multiple generations, and multiple times within the same generation, a practice not uncommon for the era, but leading to many temporary puzzles for the modern researcher. The Dolley Madison Project at the University of Virginia discusses the various family relationships of individuals appearing in Madison White House documents; for example, Isaac Coles is listed as Dolley Madison's uncle. The designation ?uncle? is not necessarily in error, as it is often colloquially used in recognition of the fact that a double-first-cousin relationship is genetically similar to that of a sibling. Maud Carter Clement's ?Antrim Parish, Halifax County 1752-1767? seems to call into question author Whartons' assertion regarding the ?first? Episcopal Church in Halifax County. For more regarding Mrs. Madison, see ?Dolley Payne Madison: A Belle of a Washington Hostess?. Further information regarding Col. Isaac Coles is found in an article about Coles Ferry. Four of the homes of the children of Isaac and Catherine Coles still exist in Pittsylvania County: The Oaks (home of son Dr. Robert Coles) in Chatham; The Columns (its early portion was the home of daughter Mary Coles Whittle) in Chatham; Coles Hill (home of son Walter Coles) east of Chatham; and Elkhorn (home of son Jacob Thompson Coles) east of Chatham. Editorial notes are by Henry Mitchell. Research assistance was provided by Sarah E. Mitchell. Digital formatting is by Jonathan Mitchell.