Captain John Geoffry Coe

NOTE: John Coe was born in 1626 (sic) and went to Long Island with his father. During his whole life he was a prominent citizen, being a member of the convention in 1665. He also held the offices of sheriff and county judge. ,, from History of Rockland County, New York, by David Cole, D.D.

Note: ....from NYGBR, v. X, p. 10, "The Early History of Hempstead, New York":1663, Delegate from Hartford to Hempstead; at the head of a force; called Junr.; 1664, magistrate for Newtown appointed at Hartford; 1665, Member of Convention frm Newtown; 1665, "Miller of Middleburg"; 1685, 150 acres, Hempstead: 1689, Sheriff of Queens; 1699-1710, Judge of Queens County.

Note: Abstracts of Wills Vol III 1730-1744, page 179:

Page 348.--In the name of God, Amen. "I, JOHN COE, of Newtown, in Queens County, being indisposed in body, and being mindful of my mortality, and that it is the irrevocable decree of Heaven that all men shall dye." I leave to my brothers, Jonathan and Samuel Coe, all my lands and rights of land in Hempstead, and 4/5 of my meadow in Jamaica. I leave to my nephew Robert Coe, son of my brother Robert, deceased, all my house and homestead of lands I now live upon, and 1/2 of the Grist mill and bolting mill, with the utensils; and he is to pay all debts. I leave to my nephew, Samuel Coe, son of my brother Robert, deceased, all my out lands in Newtown. I leave 1/5 of my meadow in Jamaica to my nephews, John Coe and Robert Coe. I leave to Rebecca Furman, who now lives with me, 5. I leave all movable estate to Benjamin Hinchman, Abigail Coe, Mary Denton, and Hannah Wood, my nieces; and to my sisters Mary and Hannah; but Abigail Coe is to have 10 more than the rest. Benjamin Hinchman is to have the care of my sister Mary's part, for her children. I make Benjamin Fish and Benjamin Hinchman, executors.

Note: June 17, 1735. Witnesses, Timothy Wood, Edward Howard, Jonathan Wood. Proved, June 27, 1735.

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The son of ROBERT COE and his first wife, Mary COE and brother of ROBERT COE, JR. and Benjamin Coe, he was baptized at Boxford, Suffolk Co., England on August 2, 1625. The family immigrated (with a step-mother) and moved frequently.

He is first found in records in 1648 in Hempstead, Long Island, NY where he appears in a list of grantees. He eventually owned 150 acres of land in Hempstead. John removed to Middleburg (Newtown) LI with his father in 1652 as original settlers. He sold his land in Hempstead on May 2, 1659 and he signed his name "Robart Coo" on the deed. He was a farmer and operated a gristmill on Flushing Creek, a job that was carried on by his descendants for several generation.

He was appointed magistrate for Newtown by the Dutch government in 1658, 1661, and 1662. John Coe was instrumental in an attempt to break away from the Dutch. In August, 1663, he sent a letter to Hartford concerning annexation of Long Island to Connecticut. In October, 1663, he was made Captain and Commissioner at Newtown and represented Long Island at the General Court in Hartford. He marched through the English towns in the western part of L. I. and overturned the Dutch government. On Feb. 28, 1664/5, he was deputy for Newtown at a meeting at Hempstead called by Gov. Nichols to reorganize the government of Long Island. In April 1666, he was an overseer of Newtown. His name appears on the list of patentees (freeholders) of Newtown. From December 13, 1689 to January 19, 1690/1, he was sheriff of Queens Co., Long Island.

When the regime to overturn the Dutch government failed, John Coe was arrested & indicted for treason and imprisoned in New York for over a year in 1692. No further record appears of him and the exact date of his death is unknown but estimated at 1693. There were no probate records of his estate. He was the father of several children, but the name of his wife is not known by me.

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