Octavius Coke Sr. was born 1840 in Williamsburg, James County, VA, one of 10 known children born to John Coke Jr. and his wife, Eliza Hankins.
He was the paternal grandchild of John Coke & Rebecca Lawson of Williamsburg, and a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Coke (1704-1767) a silversmith and tavern keeper who immigrated to Williamsburg ca. 1738 from Derbyshire, England and there married Sarah Hogge/Hogg. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandchild of Archer Hankins & Alice Browne of New Kent County, VA.
Octavius was educated at the College of William & Mary, and studied for the law, opening his first practice in Williamsburg in 1860. When the civil war began, the 21-year old enlisted with the 32nd Virginia Infantry earning the rank of 1st Sergeant, and later rising in rank to Captain. Although he was severely wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg and of Five Forks, he continued in service until war's end.
After the war, the young lawyer moved to Edenton, Chowan County, where his brother George had already established himself. It was there he met and married Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Wood, daughter of Edward Wood II and Caroline Moore Gilliam, wealthy planters who owned and operated Hayes Plantation on the Albemarle Sound near Edenton. The couple would have two known children: Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1845) and Octavius Coke Jr. (1876). His wife of only a few years died soon after giving birth to their son, and was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Edenton.
Octavius, active in Democratic politics, had been elected as State Senator in 1875, and would soon leave Edenton for the capital city of Raleigh. It as there in 1881 that the the 41-year old widower met and married 28-year old Catherine "Kate" Clark, only surviving child of wealthy businessman Jefferson Fisher and his wife, Julia Clarke.
The couple would reside in Raleigh where Octavius practiced law, and they would become parents to 6 known children: Unnamed infant (1882-1882), Jefferson Fisher Coke (1883-1944), Katie Fisher Coke (1887-1944), Julia Fisher Coke (1890-1984), Richard Coke (1894-1951), and John Coke (1896-1920).
After his term in the Senate, Octavius continued to successfully practice law in Raleigh and later elected as Secretary of State for North Carolina from 1891-1895. His years in politics earned him the nickname, the "Old Warhorse of Democracy".
Octavius Coke died in 1895 at age 55 after a 5 week battle with typhoid fever. His body lied in state at the Capitol building and he was then buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
His wife of 14 years survived him 24 years, passing in 1919 at age 66. No evidence has been found by this researcher that any of their children ever married. His daughter, Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1945), never married either and is buried in St. Paul's Cemetery in Edenton, NC. His son, Octavius Coke Jr., left NC around 1897 for a position with the American Tobacco Company in Cincinnati, but in 1899, he served with the 1st NC Volunteer Infantry in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
He was the paternal grandchild of John Coke & Rebecca Lawson of Williamsburg, and a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Coke (1704-1767) a silversmith and tavern keeper who immigrated to Williamsburg ca. 1738 from Derbyshire, England and there married Sarah Hogge/Hogg. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandchild of Archer Hankins & Alice Browne of New Kent County, VA.
Octavius was educated at the College of William & Mary, and studied for the law, opening his first practice in Williamsburg in 1860. When the civil war began, the 21-year old enlisted with the 32nd Virginia Infantry earning the rank of 1st Sergeant, and later rising in rank to Captain. Although he was severely wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg and of Five Forks, he continued in service until war's end.
After the war, the young lawyer moved to Edenton, Chowan County, where his brother George had already established himself. It was there he met and married Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Wood, daughter of Edward Wood II and Caroline Moore Gilliam, wealthy planters who owned and operated Hayes Plantation on the Albemarle Sound near Edenton. The couple would have two known children: Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1845) and Octavius Coke Jr. (1876). His wife of only a few years died soon after giving birth to their son, and was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Edenton.
Octavius, active in Democratic politics, had been elected as State Senator in 1875, and would soon leave Edenton for the capital city of Raleigh. It as there in 1881 that the the 41-year old widower met and married 28-year old Catherine "Kate" Clark, only surviving child of wealthy businessman Jefferson Fisher and his wife, Julia Clarke.
The couple would reside in Raleigh where Octavius practiced law, and they would become parents to 6 known children: Unnamed infant (1882-1882), Jefferson Fisher Coke (1883-1944), Katie Fisher Coke (1887-1944), Julia Fisher Coke (1890-1984), Richard Coke (1894-1951), and John Coke (1896-1920).
After his term in the Senate, Octavius continued to successfully practice law in Raleigh and later elected as Secretary of State for North Carolina from 1891-1895. His years in politics earned him the nickname, the "Old Warhorse of Democracy".
Octavius Coke died in 1895 at age 55 after a 5 week battle with typhoid fever. His body lied in state at the Capitol building and he was then buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
His wife of 14 years survived him 24 years, passing in 1919 at age 66. No evidence has been found by this researcher that any of their children ever married. His daughter, Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1945), never married either and is buried in St. Paul's Cemetery in Edenton, NC. His son, Octavius Coke Jr., left NC around 1897 for a position with the American Tobacco Company in Cincinnati, but in 1899, he served with the 1st NC Volunteer Infantry in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
Octavius Coke Sr. was born 1840 in Williamsburg, James County, VA, one of 10 known children born to John Coke Jr. and his wife, Eliza Hankins.
He was the paternal grandchild of John Coke & Rebecca Lawson of Williamsburg, and a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Coke (1704-1767) a silversmith and tavern keeper who immigrated to Williamsburg ca. 1738 from Derbyshire, England and there married Sarah Hogge/Hogg. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandchild of Archer Hankins & Alice Browne of New Kent County, VA.
Octavius was educated at the College of William & Mary, and studied for the law, opening his first practice in Williamsburg in 1860. When the civil war began, the 21-year old enlisted with the 32nd Virginia Infantry earning the rank of 1st Sergeant, and later rising in rank to Captain. Although he was severely wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg and of Five Forks, he continued in service until war's end.
After the war, the young lawyer moved to Edenton, Chowan County, where his brother George had already established himself. It was there he met and married Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Wood, daughter of Edward Wood II and Caroline Moore Gilliam, wealthy planters who owned and operated Hayes Plantation on the Albemarle Sound near Edenton. The couple would have two known children: Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1845) and Octavius Coke Jr. (1876). His wife of only a few years died soon after giving birth to their son, and was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Edenton.
Octavius, active in Democratic politics, had been elected as State Senator in 1875, and would soon leave Edenton for the capital city of Raleigh. It as there in 1881 that the the 41-year old widower met and married 28-year old Catherine "Kate" Clark, only surviving child of wealthy businessman Jefferson Fisher and his wife, Julia Clarke.
The couple would reside in Raleigh where Octavius practiced law, and they would become parents to 6 known children: Unnamed infant (1882-1882), Jefferson Fisher Coke (1883-1944), Katie Fisher Coke (1887-1944), Julia Fisher Coke (1890-1984), Richard Coke (1894-1951), and John Coke (1896-1920).
After his term in the Senate, Octavius continued to successfully practice law in Raleigh and later elected as Secretary of State for North Carolina from 1891-1895. His years in politics earned him the nickname, the "Old Warhorse of Democracy".
Octavius Coke died in 1895 at age 55 after a 5 week battle with typhoid fever. His body lied in state at the Capitol building and he was then buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
His wife of 14 years survived him 24 years, passing in 1919 at age 66. No evidence has been found by this researcher that any of their children ever married. His daughter, Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1945), never married either and is buried in St. Paul's Cemetery in Edenton, NC. His son, Octavius Coke Jr., left NC around 1897 for a position with the American Tobacco Company in Cincinnati, but in 1899, he served with the 1st NC Volunteer Infantry in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
He was the paternal grandchild of John Coke & Rebecca Lawson of Williamsburg, and a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Coke (1704-1767) a silversmith and tavern keeper who immigrated to Williamsburg ca. 1738 from Derbyshire, England and there married Sarah Hogge/Hogg. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandchild of Archer Hankins & Alice Browne of New Kent County, VA.
Octavius was educated at the College of William & Mary, and studied for the law, opening his first practice in Williamsburg in 1860. When the civil war began, the 21-year old enlisted with the 32nd Virginia Infantry earning the rank of 1st Sergeant, and later rising in rank to Captain. Although he was severely wounded at the battle of Sharpsburg and of Five Forks, he continued in service until war's end.
After the war, the young lawyer moved to Edenton, Chowan County, where his brother George had already established himself. It was there he met and married Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Wood, daughter of Edward Wood II and Caroline Moore Gilliam, wealthy planters who owned and operated Hayes Plantation on the Albemarle Sound near Edenton. The couple would have two known children: Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1845) and Octavius Coke Jr. (1876). His wife of only a few years died soon after giving birth to their son, and was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Edenton.
Octavius, active in Democratic politics, had been elected as State Senator in 1875, and would soon leave Edenton for the capital city of Raleigh. It as there in 1881 that the the 41-year old widower met and married 28-year old Catherine "Kate" Clark, only surviving child of wealthy businessman Jefferson Fisher and his wife, Julia Clarke.
The couple would reside in Raleigh where Octavius practiced law, and they would become parents to 6 known children: Unnamed infant (1882-1882), Jefferson Fisher Coke (1883-1944), Katie Fisher Coke (1887-1944), Julia Fisher Coke (1890-1984), Richard Coke (1894-1951), and John Coke (1896-1920).
After his term in the Senate, Octavius continued to successfully practice law in Raleigh and later elected as Secretary of State for North Carolina from 1891-1895. His years in politics earned him the nickname, the "Old Warhorse of Democracy".
Octavius Coke died in 1895 at age 55 after a 5 week battle with typhoid fever. His body lied in state at the Capitol building and he was then buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
His wife of 14 years survived him 24 years, passing in 1919 at age 66. No evidence has been found by this researcher that any of their children ever married. His daughter, Caroline Wood Coke (1870-1945), never married either and is buried in St. Paul's Cemetery in Edenton, NC. His son, Octavius Coke Jr., left NC around 1897 for a position with the American Tobacco Company in Cincinnati, but in 1899, he served with the 1st NC Volunteer Infantry in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
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