Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/101

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

IZ

Coffman benefitted by the "petition of George Washington in behalf of himself and the officers and soldiers who first embarked in the service of this colony, praying that the 200,000 acres given to them by Gov- ernor Dinwiddie by proclamation, 19th Feb- ruary, 1754, may be allotted in one or more surveys on the Monongahela, at a place commonly called Nicholas Knotts on the New river, otherwise called the Great Can- hawa from the great falls to Sandy Creek, otherwise Great Tatraroy." This petition was granted by order of council, December 15. 1769, and William Cofl:'man's name ap- pears in the list of privates in the letter of George Washington, December 23, 1772, giving public information as to the distri- bution of the said lands.

(I) Dr. Milton Buell Cofi'man is a grand- son of Jacob ColTman, born in Augusta county in 1825, and died in Newport News, Virginia, in 1912, at the age of eighty-seven years. His family dated in Virginia from 1716, resident for most of the time in Au- gusta county, where Jacob Coffman was a farmer during his active years. He and his wife, a Miss Funk, were the parents of ten children, of whom five are living at this time : Charles, lives in Vi'est Virginia ; George, a resident of Mexico; Edward, re- sides in Virginia ; Aldine, lives in Virginia ; and Anna, married Alexander Wallace, and lives in Seattle, Washington.

(H) Cyrus Milton Coffman, son of Jacob Cofifman, was born in Augusta county. Vir- ginia, and met an accidental death in 1884. one year after the birth of his second child. He was the proprietor of a saw mill, and it was in the pursuit of his business that he encountered the accident that caused his death. He married Alice Virginia Cocke, born in Richmond, Virginia, now living in Richmond with her son. Dr. Milton Buell Coffman. She is a daughter of Benjamin Cocke, born in Surry county, Virginia, in 1831, died in 1891, his American ancestor having come to Virginia with a royal grant to land in Surry county. Cyrus Milton Cofif- man had two sons : Benjamin, a mechanical engineer, associated with the Southern rail- way, and Dr. Milton Buell. of whom further.

(HI) Dr. Milton Buell Cofifman, younger of the two children of Cyrus Milton and Alice Virginia (Cocke) Cofifman, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, January 28, 1883, ^"<^ when he was four years of age his

mother moved to Richmond, Virginia, his father's death having occurred when he was but one year old. In this city Dr. Cofifman was educated, graduating from the high school in 1898, and after spending three years in business entered the Medical Col- lege of Virginia, afterward changing the scene of his professional studies to the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago (Philadelphia). He was graduated Doctor of Medicine in the class of 1906, having pur- sued, besides the general medical course, studies that qualified him as a specialist in diseases of the nose, throat and ear. Re- turning to Richmond, in this city Dr. Cofif- man became' a general practitioner, and so continued with excellent success for five years. Since 191 1 Dr. Cofifman has devoted himself to specialized efifort in treatment of ailments of the nose, throat and ear, in which he is recognizedly proficient. He has attained to reputation and position in the medical world of his city, is identified with \arious medical associations, and has ex- perienced favorable results in general and special practice. He is a professional man of deep learning, wide interests, and many friends, and is appreciated socially in Rich- mond as well as professionally. He fra- ternizes with the Masonic order, and is a communicant of the Leigh Street Baptist Church.

Dr. Coffman married, in Richmond, Au- gust 17, 1910, Mary Virginia Ryall, born in Richmond, daughter of John M. Ryall, an attache of the revenue department of the United States.

James Caskie. The Caskies of Chester- field and Henrico counties, Virginia, are of .Scotch origin. John and James Caskie, their common ancestors, came to America in the early part of the eighteenth century as representatives of a commercial house at .Stewarton, county Ayr, Scotland, and for many years exported tobacco to manufac- turers of the same in their native country. John Caskie settled in Lynchburg, and James Caskie in Richmond. In time James Caskie became identified with the business and commercial interests of Richmond, Vir- ginia, and was president of the Bank of Vir- ginia at Richmond. He resided at Manches- ter. Chesterfield county, during his early married life, this being a suburb of Rich- mond, but afterwards moved to Richmond.