My paternal grandfather, Edward Milam COULTER, is a true genealogist's nightmare --- apparently a product of spontaneous generation. Born 22 Feb 1855 (according to a family bible record created after his marriage) he appears first in contemporary records in the 1880 federal census for Gibson Co., TN, working on a farm, aged 25 and single. He married Julia Frances CARR, 22 Feb 1882, in that county, and died of pellagra 29 Dec 1914, at Henderson, Chester Co., TN, survived by his widow and several children, of whom the eldest was my father, Edward H. COULTER, Sr. The marriage record of Julia CARR and Edward Milam COULTER shows him as "of Louisville," but no record of any family that could have produced this male can be found in census records, land records, probate records, or city directories, for a period of 20 years before his birth date up to and including the date of his marriage. We have made an exhaustive search of records for Jefferson Co., KY and all neighboring counties in KY and IN to no avail. Federal census records show his birthplace sometimes as KY, sometimes as TN. He doesn't fit in any COULTER household of either state from 1840 through 1870 census records. We (my late father and I) have researched all of those families in enough detail to know the composition of each household in both states. According to his children, Edward Milam never spoke of his childhood, or of his parents, or of any siblings. Detail shown on his death certificate was given by a younger son, and has been proven false in nearly all particulars other than date, place, and cause of death. An oral tradition that held him to have been born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to a man surnamed MURRAY, also has been proven false.
Can anyone provide any information that could establish the identity of his parents and/or the place of his birth?