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Coakley's on Anguilla 1717 and onwards

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Coakley's on Anguilla 1717 and onwards

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 12:38PM GMT
Classification: Query
The Coakley's appear on the 1716, 1717, and 1718 census' -- chiefly through Edward Coakley, Sr (recorded as having 5 children on this census) and Thomas Coakley (recorded with 9 children). There is also an Edward Coakley, Jr recorded as newly married without children.

Edward Jr, Thomas, and Ceasar Coakley petition to move to Vieques and go there without permission. There are recorded there for the 1717 census and the same shows Edward Coakely, Sr on Anguilla, now with 6 children.

The Coakley's are very mobile and are recorded as being on St Kitts, St Croix, St Bart, St Thomas, Tortola, and St John in the ensuing decades.

My question regards Coakley's who may have remained on Anguilla. I am descended from William Coakley of Anguilla ( he was the son of either Edward, Sr or Thomas of the 1716 census). Is there record of Coakley's residing on Anguilla between 1750 and 1850?

I am tracking the movements of Henry Coaklay (son of Benjamin Coakley (b~1750) and grandson of William Coakley of Anguilla). Henry was born on Anguilla in 1784 -- I have a copy of the attestation of his birth from his probate.

When Henry Coaklay passes away in 1840, his third wife, Catherine, along with his daughter (from his first wife, Eliza Woods), Henrianna, are reported by harbormaster Thomas Davis as leaving St John without permission in Oct 1841. There is no further record of either of them, or Henry's 5 year old daughter (with 3rd wife Catherine), Amanda Malvina Coaklay, on St John.

At the time of his death, Henry Coaklay was owner of Browns Bay estate on St John. In his probate, Thomas Davis is named curator for young Amanda Malvina Coaklay. It's interesting that Thomas Davis ultimately becomes the owner of the same Brown Bay estate following his marriage to an heir noted as being from Anguilla. I'm trying to determine who he married as I suspect he married into the Coakley/Brown relatives still on Anguilla.

Alternatively, I'm looking to see what became of Catherine Coaklay (3rd wife of Henry, age 36 in 1841), Henrianna Coaklay (age 28 in 1841), or Amanda Malvina Coaklay (age 5 in 1841)

Catherine Coaklay is reportedly from Jost Van Dyke. In Henry's probate, she mentions having a brother and a sister. A 1915 family history references Henry's third wife as being the sister of one of his overseers. We know from records that there were two overseers -- John L.R. Coakley and a Mr De Sany.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone with information on Coakleys in the BVI.

Chris

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