Letters to Elizabeth J. Coman

Collection

Identifier: W-0047

No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a series of letters to Elizabeth J. Coman of Athens, Alabama, from her husband and sisters and dated between 1834 and 1843. Letters from Coman's husband, James Coman, describe his trips to Florence and Bellefonte, Alabama, and Louisville, Kentucky. A letter from Coman's sister, S. A. Martin, describes college entrance examinations, while letters from Coman's sister Rebecca Mason describe daily life in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dates

Creation: 1834-1843

Creator

Mason, Rebecca A. (Correspondent, Person)
Williams, A. S., III (Collector, Person)
Coman, James (Correspondent, Person)
Martin, S. A. (Correspondent, Person)
Coman, Elizabeth J. (Correspondent, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Biographical / Historical

James Matthew, son of Robert and Jane Wade Prout Coman, was born on 22 October 1808 in Wadesboro, North Carolina. Elizabeth Jordan Mason, daughter of William Mason, was born on 13 February 1815 in Greenville County, Virginia. The couple married on 27 March 1833 and lived in Limestone County, Alabama. Sometime in the late 1840s they moved to Tishomingo County, Mississippi. They had seven children: Mary Gilliam; Robert Mason; Sara Jane; Margaret Louise; James William; Rebecca; and John Joshua.

James was a merchant, and the 1860 Federal Census listed his personal estate valued at $20,000. In 1870 they were living in Iuka, Mississippi, where James was a chancellor clerk; the 1870 Census shows his estate valued at $1,000. Elizabeth died on 29 December 1875; James died ten years later on 28 December 1885.