John Choate was my 4th great-grandfather. I believe he was born around 1844 in Tennessee; it is said that his father was born in Tennessee and his mother was born in North Carolina. I have no concrete information about his parents, but JASON SHOAT looks like a pretty good match. Jason married Matilda (possibly Mathews or Pressley) and lived in Monroe and McMinn Counties, Tennessee. They had 11 children: William, John, Jason, Isaac, Samuel, Nancy, Mary, Luthena, Louisa, Michael, and James. These same names repeat in my lineage. John's children were: Matilda A (Went by Tildy - my 3rd great-grandmother), Samuel Alexander, James Walter, John Jr., Isaac, and Martha Elizabeth. I have no death records for John, and cannot locate any records for him prior to 1860. If anyone has any information on this JOHN or JASON Choate/Shoat/Shoate/Choat, please reply or email me at proudmommy22807@gmail.com.