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Randolph (Randal) McCoy

Randolph McCoy was born was born Oct. 30, 1825, as the son of Daniel McCoy and Margaret Taylor. He passed of burns on October 30, 1914. He married his cousin, Sarah McCoy, the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Davis. Randal and Sarah married in Pike County, Kentucky on December 9, 1849. McCoy researchers attribute several children to the marriage; Josephine, James, Floyd, Tolbert, Lilburn, Samuel, Alifair, Roseanna, Calvin, Pharmer, Bud, William and some with little information as Trinnie, Adelaide, and Fannie. Randolph is the brother of Asa Harman McCoy. Two younger sisters Vicy and Nancy McCoy. It might be that some of the others are listed among the summons provided below.

Randolph married once again to Hattie Steffey, a young girl of the age of 18, he being 73 years of age. This May-December romance was short-lived. Hattie was born October 17, 1881, and died January 9, 1957. The daughter of John W. Steffey and Hannah. They married July 30, 1899, at Randal’s home in the presence of William Phillips and Mel McCoy. Mel is Melvin McCoy who testified in the Johnson Hatfield trial in 1899, grandson of Randal. One birth was attributed to the marriage, daughter Ellen, who later married Irvin Gross. Ellen is said to be born April 12, 1901, some two years into the marriage. The divorce papers don’t speak of her.

Hattie McCoy filed for divorce in July 22, 1902, the first time, telling she had been living more than one year apart. She made claims that Randolph had abandoned her more than one year before the filing of the suit, and without the fault of the plaintiff Hattie. That suit must have abated.

In a second suit filed in 1905, she tells us in a second suit, she had married Randal in May 1900. They had lived together as man and wife about twelve months and living in the town of Pikeville. Sometime in the spring of 1901, the defendant (Randal) drove her from the home. Told Hattie is she did not go he would make her go. Hattie tells us that Randal was so ill and cross and contrary that she had no peace nor happiness whatsoever. His treatment towards her was so cruel and inhuman and his temper was so outrageous towards the plaintiff, that defendant had a settled aversion to her and complained of her permanently destroying her peace and happiness. They had been living apart without cohabitation, without support for more than three years. States that she and the defendant have had an actual and continuous residence in Pike County for more than the last five years, and for more that twelve months before the filing of this suit. She prays the Judge for a divorce, on January 13, 1905. Summons were issued for Sam McCoy, Thomas McCoy, Rennie Kendrick, Joe Williams, Mrs. L. D. Kendrick and Hiram Adkins.

Daniel McCoy, Randall’s father, and Margaret McCoy, his mother, had a turbulent marriage per their divorce in 1871, Logan County, West Virginia. Daniel was still living in Logan County when Margaret and he are divorced. Margaret is seen in the divorce records summoned to show in a deposition at Daniel’s home on February 25, 1870. Others summoned to testify was Nancy McCoy, Vicy McCoy, J. M. Jackson, and Evans Ferrell. Nancy McCoy, his daughter, testified that Margaret left, and Daniel tried to get her to come home, but Margaret refused. Vicy McCoy says Daniel treated her well as well as he was able. Ferrell Evans and J. M. Jackson both testified Daniel tried to get her to come home. James McCoy was called and refused to testify in deposition. “James McCoy of Long Botton, being of lawful age, just said he knew nothing in relation to the suit.” 

So what was Daniels complaint? The Bill of Complaint states Daniel was married about the year 1809. Since said marriage the defendant, Margaret, was treated kind and provided for her food and necessities. That sometime in the year of 1867, she left her bed without provocation. She refused to come home. In 1869, Jacob Phillips testified that he knew both parties. Jackson also testified he was neighbor to Daniel, and he being well acquainted with them and Margaret abandoned the home October 1867. Jackson testified that Vicy and Nancy McCoy are the daughters of Daniel and Margaret, that they remained in the home when she left. That they were the only children to remain in the home after 1867. The rest of the children are married or having committed life for themselves. This was sworn to April 6, 1871.

Margaret in 1869, instituted an order for alimony and that she wanted $500.00, because Daniel was selling their land, with intent to defraud her with the sale of their land. Where Margaret is relating she issued in 1868 a suit in Chancery in Logan for alimony, though she let that suit elapse, and witnesses refused to show or attend her depositions.

She spoke on her son James McCoy who is influenced by Daniel not to testify and refused the warrant to testify. She accused Daniel of promising James a cow not to attend. One summons in the case included; Jane Ferrell, Anderson Farley and wife, James McCoy, Asa McCoy, James McCoy, Wm. H. Maynard, Richard Maynard and his wife, and M. V. B. Maynard to appear in January 1871, in Logan.

Also included was a “note” written as such, “Abstract from the Assessors Book of All the Land belonging to the Heirs of Cymus Taylor (maybe Cyrus Taylor), Deceased, fifty-four acres on the Rockhouse Fork of Pigeon Creek valued at $56.70. Signed by Thomas Buchanan, Receiver.” Was this Margarets father or kin of some kind?

The story is old, but Margaret on October 1868 also had filed a Bill of Complaint (probably from her first suit), wherein she claims to have been from date of marriage a dutiful wife to Daniel. She accused Daniel of becoming callus, indifferent, derelict in duties and contrary and unequal as a companion, that he had left his bed, and failing as a provider. She even said that they were living on the charity of others, or they would have starved and gone naked. Margaret says she was driven away from home and from her bed and board and being without remedy at law asked that Daniel be made a defendant in this case.

Inside the case file we find the “Answer” to Daniel, the Plaintiff, on a motion of divorce where Margaret is the Defendant. “It is true as alleged in Plaintiffs (Daniel) Bill that she was lawfully wedded. For many years this defendant (Margaret), lived happily. That they had owned a small amount of property, and good lot of children. She denied emphatically that Daniel was good to her or that he always provided for her and the children. That she made their clothing, children’s clothes, as well as knitting, spinning up to the hours of midnight, trying to keep her family in good clothes, cooking, washing and working in the fields, helping to make support for her family. She tells the story of raising a snake-bitten colt with her own hands, which she sold for $60.00 and put toward the purchase of a piece of land. Daniel was accused of turning out a lot of pigs to die. She took them in hand and reared them up and sold them for $50.00 which was paid upon a certain piece of land which the plaintiff (Daniel) had purchased after the sale of the last-mentioned piece of land. Margaret says she would weave for others for fruit and selling her bed clothing to pay for the clearing of ground and splitting rails when the plaintiff was idle or asleep. She said, about eleven years prior, that Daniel went into the lumber business, illegally cutting and selling saw logs for market, belonging to the heirs of John Lawson deceased, well knowing the same, and did become a lawsuit, and he became very angry and ever since acted towards her with indifference. Not able to pay the suit, he wanted to sell land to J. M. Jackson and engaged him to pay off the execution. That she was bitterly opposed to the sale. She was told by Jackson that he wanted to make her right which she refused, not wanting to sell the land. Daniel told her privately he never intends to live with her anymore and called her an “Old Love”. Further, she had owned a horse worth $150.00, and that plaintiff told her “she can take her horse and git.” She left to stay with some of her children, and he followed her and took her horse, telling Margaret that if she would make title to said land she could keep her horse. Alleges she never left on her own that she was made to leave. This “Answer” was taken on March 1871. The man who delivered the summons to Daniel McCoy was then the Sheriff in Magnolia township in Logan County, James M. Vance.