Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/319

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COE
COFFIN

the close of the Indian troubles he organized the Wild West show and first exhibited in Omaha, Neb., May 17, 1883. In 1887, after visiting every principal town in the United States, he took the show to England and played in connection with the American exhibition company. He was patronized by the royal family, including the queen. He then played with success in France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany and Belgium. He subsequently made a second tour of Europe, meeting with equal success. His European tours enabled him to add to his attractions and his wild riders included representatives from all the semi-barbarous tribes of the old world.

COE, David Benton, secretary, was born in Granville. Mass., Aug. 16, 1814; son of Oliver and Ahinoam (Hayes) Coe, and descended on his father's side from Robert Coe, who came from Suffolk, England, to Boston, Mass., in 1634. and a descendant of Alexander Phoenix, who came to New York from Holland in 1643. He attended school at Westfield and Monson and was graduated at Yale in 1837 and from the theological seminary in 1840, remaining at Yale as tutor, 1839-40. Ordained to the ministry, he preached at Milford, Conn., 1840-44, and in the Allen street Presbyterian church, New York city, 1844-49. He served as district secretary of the A.B.C.F.M., New York, 1849-51, and as corresponding secretary of the American home missionary society, 1851-82, and honorary secretary, 1882-95. He was a trustee of Robert college, Constantinople. He was married .Jan. 6, 1841, to Rebecca, daughter of the Rev. Alexander and Elizabeth (Tappan) Phoenix of New Haven, Conn. Their son, Edward Benton Coe, became a celebrated clergyman in New York city. Middlebury college conferred upon Dr. Coe the honorary degree of D.D. in 1857. He published Record of the Coe Family (1856); Origin and Work of the A.H.M.S. (1881); Results of Home Missions (1887), and numerous official reports. He died in Bloomfield, N. J., Feb. 13, 1895.

COE, Edward Benton, clergyman, was born in Milford, Conn., June 11, 1842; son of the Rev. David Benton and Rebecca (Phoenix) Coe. He was prepared for college in a private school in New York city and was graduated at Yale in 1862. He studied at Union theological seminar}-, 1862-68, was a private tutor, 1863-64, and studied in France and Germany, 1864-67. In 1864 he accepted the newly established Street professorship of modern languages in Yale college, and held the chair until 1879. He was licensed to preach by the Manhattan Congregational association in 1877, and on Oct. 2, 1879, was ordained by the Classis of New York (Reformed church in America) and installed pastor of the (Collegiate) Reformed Protestant Dutch church on the corner of 5th Avenue and 48th street. New York city. He became senior minister of the Collegiate churches, Feb. 3, 1896. He was elected a trustee of Rutgers college in 1887; of Robert college at Constantinople in 1894; of Leake and Wattsorphan house in 1896; of Columbia university in 1896, and manager of the Presbyterian hospital in 1896. On June 11, 1874, he was married to Mary Jenks, daughter of the Rev. Richard S. and Mary (Elwell) Storrs. He received from Yale the degree of S.T.D. in 1885, and from Rutgers that of D.D. in 1881, and that of LL.D. in 1893. His published writings consist chiefly of sermons and addresses, and include: The Dignity of Human Nature (1882); Church Unity (1891); Washington, the Man (1893); Discourse Commemorative of the Rev. Talbot Wilson Chambers, S.T.D., LL.D. (1896); The Church and the Popular Discontent (1896).

COFFEEN, Henry Asa, representative, was born in Gallia county, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1841, son of Alvah P. and Olive E. (Martin) Coffeen, grandson of John and Diadaura (Richardson) Coffeen and a descendant of John and Susana (Goldsmith) Coffeen, whose descendant, Henry H. Coffeen, was the first settler on the present site of Watertown, N.Y. Susana Goldsmith was a sister of Oliver Goldsmith, the poet. While an infant he was taken bj- his parents to western Indiana, and in 1853 the family removed to Champaign county, 111. He was graduated from Abingdon (afterward consolidated with Eureka) college. 111., with the degree of B.S. in 1864 and for the seven years following devoted himself to teaching, holding^ the chair of natural sciences in Hiram college, Ohio, from 1866 to 1868. He removed to Sheridan, Wyo., and in 1889 was a member of the convention that framed the constitution of that state. In 1892 he was elected as a Democrat the representative from Wyoming in the 53d congress.

COFFIN, Charles, educator, was born in Newburyport, Mass., Aug. 15, 1775; son of Dr. Charles and Hepzibah (Carnes) Coffin; grandson of Col. Joseph and Margaret (Morse) Coffin, and of John Carnes; great-grandson of the Hon. Nathaniel and Sarah (Brocklebank) Dole Coffin; and great2 grandson of Tristram Coffin, who was born at Brixton, Devonshire, England, about 1632, immigrated to New England with his parents, Tristram and Dionis (Stevens) Coffin, in 1642, and settled in Newbury. Mass., in 1648, where, in 1653, he was married to Judith, daughter of Edmund Greenleaf and widow of Henry Somerby. Charles was graduated at Harvard in 1793 and began to study medicine, but abandoned that profession for the ministry. In May, 1800, he went to Greenville, Tenn., and taught in the Greenville