Leven COLE

  Noted events in his life were:

• Biography. LEVEN COLE 1745 - 1816
Leven was probably partially of English decent. He probably descended in some manner from the COLES of southeastern England. I believe, he was probably well educated based on the names of some of his children, mainly Plato, Vespasian, and Basheba (Vashti, Bashte). I have researched this family for 7-8 years and have never found the names Leven, Plato or Vespasian in any other COLE family except this one. The name Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) does, however, appear in the Elisha COLE line from England. Leven was quite possibly a Melungeon. Melungeons were a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese, Turks, Berbers of Africa and American Indian. They had English surnames and often claimed to be Portuguese. There was nothing to document their claim, however. They did not seem to have any written history and are very difficult to trace. Wilkes County, North Carolina, Madison County, Kentucky and Grayson County, Virginia were some of the areas Melungeons lived in large numbers. The darker skinned Melungeons lived in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, while the lighter skinned went to Kentucky and melted into the white majority. Leven is known to have lived in Wilkes County, North Carolina and Madison County, Kentucky. He was associated with ADAMS and GIBSON families, both known to be Melungeon surnames.
Leven appears on the North Carolina State Census of 1784-1787 living in Wilkes County. He is also shown on the 1787 Wilkes County, North Carolina Tax List. The 1790 Federal Census enumerated a Lenvil COLE in the same county and state. I feel certain that Lenvil is a misspelling of Leven. In 1780 Leven COLE was appointed Justice of the Morgan District, Wilkes County, NC. Leven purchased land at Nathan's Creek in Wilkes County, NC in 1786 and sold the same property in 1790. On October 27, 1787 he was granted permission to build a public grist mill on the property at Nathan's Creek.
Leven appears on the 1794 Tax List of Madison County, Kentucky and on January 1, 1799 he purchased land at Silver Creek in Madison County. He sold this same property on August 6, 1804.
He purchased land in St. Andrew, Bonhomme Township, St. Louis County, Missouri on March 8, 1805. He lived on this land until his death in 1816. Leven died without a will. William COLE, Leven's eldest son was appointed administrator of his estate.
Leven's place of birth is unknown. His birth date is based on several things. Leven had two daughters by his first wife, whose name is unknown. The ages of both of these girls are uncertain. There are many individuals researching this family and their descendants, therefore there are a lot of different theories.
Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) COLE, daughter of Leven and his first wife, I believe was born about 1773. I estimate Basheba (Vashti, Bashte)'s birth date based on the following:
Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) married Archibald GIBSON (no documentation of the marriage has been found) and had her first child about 1793 and her last child in 1811. If she was born in 1773, she would be about 20 when giving birth to thir first child and 38 when her last child is born.
Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) picks up 12 years on census records between 1820 and 1850. I believe it is unlikely she lived to be 93 as stated on her tombstone. Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) died in 1855. Also the Hendricks County, Indiana 1850 census Indicates she was 92 years of age. If this were true, she would have been 31 when she had her first child and 49 when the last child was born. I belived she was born closer to 1773. I have no documented proof of her age.
Nancy Agnes COLE, daughter of Leven and his first wife, I believe was born about 1775. Some researchers have her birth date as early as 1760. My theory is based on the following.
Nancy married George EOFF March 6, 1793. She had her first child in 1794 and her last child in 1819. If Nancy was born in 1760, she would have been 33 when she married and 59 when she gave birth to her last child. This is highly unlikely. My theory is she was born about 1775, putting her age about 18 when she married and 44 when her last child was born. I found no documented proof of her age.
Leven married first: Unknown
Children of Leven COLE and first wife:
1. Basheba (Vashti, Bashte) COLE born ca 1773 possibly in Pittsylvania County, VA 2. Nancy Agnes COLE born ca 1775, possibly in Wilkes County, NC It is unknown if other children were born to Leven and his first wife.
Married second: Sarah FRANCIS on November 10, 1783 in Wilkes County, NC. Sarah FRANCIS is probably the daughter of Matthew FRANCIS of Wilkes County, NC.
Children of Leven COLE and Sarah FRANCIS:
3. William COLE born ca 1785 in Wilkes County, NC 4. Mathew COLE born ca 1791 in Wilkes County, NC 5. Vespasian COLE born ca 1795 in Madison County, KY 6. Mary E. COLE born ca 1795 in Madison County, KY 7. Martha (Patsy) COLE born ca 1800 in Madison County, KY 8. Plato COLE born ca 1802 in Madison County, KY 9. Elizabeth COLE birth date unknown, possibly in St. Louis County, MO 10. John COLE, birth date unknown, possibly in St. Louis County, MO Leven COLE fathered a female child by Jane ADAMS in Wilkes County, NC while married to Sarah FRANCIS. Leven posted a "Bastardy Bond" in 1784 in Wilkes County, NC to insure the child would not become a ward of the state.
http://members.aol.com/bvmundy/Pubpage.html

• Tax List, 1781, Wilkes County, NC. Captain Nall's District
Name No. Acres No. Polls
Collins, Ambrous - 1
Cole, Levin 100 1
Collins, Samuel - 1
Collins, George - 1
Dixon, Thomas 150 -
Fips, John 100 1
Fugit, Randol 200 1
Fips, Samuel - 1
Gambill, Martin 200 1
Gibson, Thomas - 1
Goodman, Peter 100 1
Gipson, Jordin - 1
Gipson, Andrew - 1

http://www.newrivernotes.com/nc/wilk1787.htm

• Tax List, 1794, Madison County, KY.

• See also. http://members.aol.com/bvmundy/Pubpage.html
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/u/n/Earl-W-Mundy/GENE2-0001.html

Leven married.