Thomas was the seventh of eleven children born to William Coffey and Margaret "Polly" Robbins. The Coffey and the Robbins families had lived in the upper Yadkin River Valley (also known as Happy Valley) since the late 18th century. Thomas was born on the William Coffey farm in the Buffalo Creek area of the Yadkin Valley in Caldwell Co., NC. On October 18, 1871 he married his cousin Rachel Minerva Coffey (1850-1910). The couple had five children: Louis McWill (b. 1874), James Larkin (b. 1875), Carrie Elizabeth (b. 1877), Clarence Columbus (b. 1880), and Mary L. (b. 1882). Thomas worked a small farm near Patterson in the upper Yadkin. According to his obituary notice, he was a "highly respected citizen" and "was for many years keeper of the old toll-gate above Patterson, on the Blowing Rock turnpike" [The Weekly News (Lenoir, NC), June 14, 1901, 4].

Thomas was the seventh of eleven children born to William Coffey and Margaret "Polly" Robbins. The Coffey and the Robbins families had lived in the upper Yadkin River Valley (also known as Happy Valley) since the late 18th century. Thomas was born on the William Coffey farm in the Buffalo Creek area of the Yadkin Valley in Caldwell Co., NC. On October 18, 1871 he married his cousin Rachel Minerva Coffey (1850-1910). The couple had five children: Louis McWill (b. 1874), James Larkin (b. 1875), Carrie Elizabeth (b. 1877), Clarence Columbus (b. 1880), and Mary L. (b. 1882). Thomas worked a small farm near Patterson in the upper Yadkin. According to his obituary notice, he was a "highly respected citizen" and "was for many years keeper of the old toll-gate above Patterson, on the Blowing Rock turnpike" [The Weekly News (Lenoir, NC), June 14, 1901, 4].