GEORGE W. COFFEY. That Scotland has furnished the United States with many of her best and most loyal citizens has never been disputed, and in this respect no section has been more favored than Washington county. Prominent among such is the Coffey family, of whom the subject of this memoir is a worthy member. He is a son of George R. Coffey, who was born in 1801, in Ayrshire, Scotland, where he learned the trade of wheelwright, which he followed in his native land. In 1836 he emigrated to America, landing in New York on the Fourth of July, our great national holiday. From New York he proceeded westward, and landing in Washington county took up his residence near the borough of that name, at what was then known as "Rankin," but is at the present day called "West End." After a brief sojourn here, he moved to Buffalo township, same county, where he put up a dwelling and workshop on the then famous National pike, and where he continued to industriously work at his trade. Saving his earnings, he was at last enabled to purchase a tract of land containing seventy-two acres, where he resided until four years prior to his death, when he moved into the borough of Washington. Before leaving Scotland Mr. Coffey had married Agnes, daughter of Alexander Dickey, and her he brought with him to his country, together with the following named children: Alexander (who died September 13, 1892), Margaret (deceased) and Ann (now in Washington county, Penn.). The children born to them on this side the Atlantic were: Jane, William (deceased April 4, 1875), George W. And Agnes (who died October 4, 1888). On June 30, 1886, the father passed from earth, the mother having preceded him to the silent tomb some ten years before. George W. Coffey was born September 7, 1841, at his parents' first home in buffalo township, which, as above stated, stood by the National pike, and he received a good common-school education. On November 16, 1865, he was married to Narcissa A., daughter of William McCoy, and the young couple afterward, for twelve years, made their home in West Virginia, where Mr. Coffey followed with success the business of contractor. In 1879 they returned to this county and took up their residence on the old Coffey homestead, where they now reside. The following named children have been born to them: George R., Martha R., Earnest Lester, Grace, Bessie, Clark and Chester, all yet under the parental roof. In 1890 Mr. Coffey erected his present handsome and commodious residence, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, at the station known as "Coffey's," and the building and grounds are considered to be among the finest in the county, his farm covering 138 acres of the most fertile land. Here, in addition to general farming, he pays considerable attention to the breeding of blooded stock, including Poland-China hogs and Oxford-Down sheep. Politically, he is a Democrat, and has filled numerous township offices with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He affili ates with the United Presbyterian Church.

Text taken from page 1175 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Julie Jolly of Knob Noster, MO as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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