George Coates (1643 - 1723)

Born 29 Sep 1643 in Lynesack, Durham, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 17 Apr 1723 at age 79 in Raby, Durham, England

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Biography

George was a Friend (Quaker)

George was born in 1643. George Coates ... He passed away in 1723.

George Coates was baptised on the 29th September 1643, in Cockfield.^[1][2]

He married Elizabeth Shaw on the 6th May 1674, at Cockfield parish church. He joined the Quakers on his marriage. The couple lived at Woodland in Lynesack, where George was a yeoman and blacksmith, and where their children were born: Michael (1675–1752), Henry (1679–1763), George (1682–1759), Sarah (1685–1748), Ralph (1688/9–1754), and Joseph (1691/2–1727).

In 1675, a resident of Woodland, he voted in the county election, for Sir James Clavering. In 1679 he voted for Milbanke, in the county election. In 1681 he was a resident of Hindon.

He was mentioned at a Monthly Meeting at Raby on 6.ii.1686 as "Representative to Durham next Sixth day with account of ye sufferings of their Meeting". He was also named as being on a Monthly Meeting appointment at Raby as early as 1699, and he was frequently mentioned on the Monthly Meeting books as representative and on other appointments from 1713 to the end of his life.

He used to allow his apprentice blacksmith Thomas Raylton to "read much by candle-light, my master and mistress allowing it, and were in the practice of themselves, being honest friends that feared God, with all their children, who were dutiful to their parents, and kept very much out of the evil communication of the world, so that we were a comfort to one another, as we kept to that which was good."

In some account of the Coates family by John Coates, of Darlington, solicitor, written in 1825, when he was about 20 years old he says that his ancestor George Coates was an upright member of the Society of Friends, was generally respected and beloved by his neighbours, and that once having refused to discharge some ecclesiastical demand and having been taken into custody and about to be imprisoned, a neighbour voluntarily paid the sum demanded saying that "George Coates should never go to jail for such a sum."

For some years prior to his death he lived with his daughter Sarah Grainger, at Raby. He settled his considerable property on his three sons (the farm of Case Lease in Hamsterley, Lynesack in Cockfield, and Smelt House in Witton-on-Wear). At his death he was said to be of West Pits, i.e. Cockfield. He was described as "a most excellent righteous man, and a consistent Friend."

His son George Coates the younger left this account of his father:

Seeing it hath pleased the Lord to remove from us my dear father George Coates, there being I thought an incumbent duty upon me to keep these his worthy Counsels unto us upon record; he was to me an affectionate and tender father and great was his care for us his children that we might be kept in the fear of the Lord, often repeating unto us the advice that Christ gave to his Followers, first to seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all other things should be added; and indeed what he advised others unto he practised himself, and the Lord blessed (him) both inwardly and outwardly.

He was well esteemed amongst his neighbours being often a Peacemaker. Although he had considerable concerns in the world I have heard him say that he never sued anybody at law in all his life. Great was his care for his Brethren and near Relations, he being very helpful unto them in several cases; when any by their disorderly walking lost truth, he used sorrowfully to say that if they lost truth they lost all.

He was often advising his children to keep themselves loose from the world; he had himself for some years left off all business, and went to live with his daughter at Raby, where he was near Meeting, which he constantly attended both first and week days, and when at Meetings a diligent Labourer for refreshment from the Lord; by his true breathings and fervent labour the Meeting I believe has reaped advantage, and glad he was when the power of God was over all, which was his wonted sensible expression.

A true lover of honest friends, it was just life to him to be in company with true Gospel labourers, it was his delight to hear of truth's prosperity and to be rehearsing unto others some Scripture passage, so that he might invite them to seek the Lord while he could be found; indeed it was his practice whilst he had his children with him at the night as we sat together by the fireside, to rehearse unto us some Scripture, telling us of the excellency of the fear of the Lord. I pray God, we his children may follow his example in our families and not forget his tender and fatherly advice.

My dear father was taken ill of an ague, which continued more than two weeks, and during that time much fatherly and tender advice he gave to his children, charging them to love one another, and to keep out of the inordinate love of the world. In the time of his sickness he was fully resigned to the will of God, being borne up on a very quiet frame of spirit, never complaining of the afflictions that attended his body. He alluded to the great nearness of God unto him during his Pilgrimage in this world, severally blessing his children and grandchildren, desiring them to be careful to live in the fear of the Lord, and then they need not doubt but (that) they would prosper. I sincerely desire that we his children may put in practice the many good advices he gave unto us.

Thus he continued his suitable admonitions unto us and most of young people that came to visit him, many times to the tendering of the standers-by, until growing weaker and weaker in body, he departed this life the 17th (day) of 2nd month, 1723, in the 80th year of his age . . .

Sources

1. ↑ Copied with permission from "The Watson family of Allendale and Staindrop": [1]
2. ↑ J.J. Green: History of the Coates Family. 1906 (Friends' House library, TS)

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NYGX-CWP : 30 December 2014), George Coates, 30 Jan 1647; citing ROMALDKIRK,YORK,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 468,127.

• "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NLZW-PY2 : 10 December 2014), George Coates and Elizabeth Shawe, 06 May 1674; citing Cockfield,Durham,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 0090788 IT 1.