The Story of Michael Smith and Catherine Coffman, 4th Great Grandparents

Michael Smith, our great grandfather was born in Germany in 1764 and came to the United States sometime before 1797.  He was a late teen or was in his twenties.  Can you imagine yourself moving so far away from family without a cell phone?  The lure of living in this bounteous land was a huge draw to many European people as so many came here in the 1700’s. Two major groups arrived in the 1700s; the Germans and the Scots-Irish.  Catherine Coffman’s father Jacob is included in Edward E. Sampson’s research “The Coffman Family”.  He states that three Coffman brothers came from Holland early in the 17th century.  It appears the original spelling of the name was Kaufman which means trader in German.  The early Kaufmans are believed to be Mennonites.  These earliest Kaufman people lived in Switzerland moving to Germany because of religious persecution.  Then from Holland the three brothers migrated to America settling in Pennsylvania. One of the brothers, Jacob anglicized his name to Coffman.  A court case in Hardy Co., VA identifies Jacob as the parent of Abraham and of Catherine, our grandmother. A third child Susannah was too young to be listed in this case.  This court case sought to gain the rightful share of their father’s estate. By 1788, Michael had met Catherine and married her in Bourbon County, Kentucky.  This story holds interest for me because it takes place in the South.  Our ancestors were predominantly from the northeastern corner of the United States.  Michael and Catherine soon moved to Bath County, Kentucky where their 4 children were born; Elizabeth, Magdalene our grandmother, Mary Catherine and George. Fast forward to 1830 and they are living with a young girl age between 5 & 9.  I tried to figure out if she was a granddaughter and did not.  By 1841 when Michael was 77, he sold for $225 what appeared to be most of his personal assets. ( About $6,500 in 2020 dollars) He sold a bay filly, sorrel coult, cow/calf, 15 sheep, 50 geese, 4 hogs, 2 cribs corn, bureau, table, clock, 2 beds/bedding, 2 bedsteads, 6 chairs, 2 10 gallon kettles, and sidesaddle.  Michael dies in 1844 at the age of 80.  Catherine lives two more years and dies in 1846.  A startling fact: listed in a record for Michael a record of death for a Dorothy Moore. A female age 57 that died of the flux.  On this Kentucky record she was listed a child.   Michael was listed as owner of Dorothy.  She was a slave.  This grandfather was a slave owner.