Charles Caffey

Charles Caffey

Confirmed

Father of Hooper Van Caffey · about 1789–1860

Born

about 1789

Died

in 1860

Parents

Mary Buchanan

Married

Nancy (Lewis) Caffey

Children

Hooper Van Caffey

Sources

9

Images

2

Research status

Research status: CONFIRMED as Hooper’s father since 26 September 2026. His estate file has been read: on 11 March 1868 his administrator swore that “H. V. Caffey” was one of his nine heirs at law S663, and in 1850 Hooper V., 17, was living in his home, dwelling 19, with Charles, 61, and Nancy, 59 S484

Life in the order the records give it

Birth1789

Born about 1789, North Carolina; died in 1860, before 21 November, when his estate was appraised in Montgomery County, Alabama S663

Record1811

🆕 His marriage bond survives. On 27 November 1811, with John Hill as bondsman, Charles Caffey gave bond in North Carolina for his marriage to Nancy Lewis, and signed it himself S647. It is the first record to give Nancy's maiden name. It does not by itself show that Hooper was their son; the 1868 heirs list does. added 26 September 2026.

Census1830

🆕 In 1830 a Charles Caffey in Montgomery County, Alabama, headed a household of a man aged 40–49 and a woman aged 30–39, which fits Charles, born about 1789, and Nancy, born about 1791, with eleven children under 20 and one enslaved man. An Elizabeth Lewis, Nancy's maiden surname, headed a household on the same page S742 Probable confirm or correct →. What is weak: the census names only the head, and the page has no county header, so the county comes from the index. added 26 September 2026.

Census1860

🆕 In October 1860, the year he died, Charles Caffey, 72, farmer, real estate $2,500, was in the 2nd District of Montgomery County (P.O. Ramah) with Nancy, 60, born Maryland, Jane, 28, Mary Stoudenmire(?), 30, and James, 14, Hooper, 12, Charles, 10, and Mary, 8. H. V. Caffey, 28, and his young family lived next door Confirmed S1151. The census gives his birthplace as South Carolina, against North Carolina elsewhere.

Census1840

🆕 In 1840 Charles Caffey was still heading a household in Montgomery County, Alabama, with one enslaved person and five people working in agriculture Confirmed S1154. The tallies are faint; the oldest man and woman fit Charles and Nancy, and the boys fit Hooper and his brothers.

Family parents, marriages, children, siblings

Children—

Father of Hooper Van Caffey; husband of Nancy (Lewis) Caffey

Children1868

🆕 His heirs at law in 1868, all of full age: Lindsey R. Caffey (the administrator), H. V. Caffey, Jane Caffey, Polly Stoudemire and Sarah Eylands of Montgomery County; Dorcas Green of Columbus, Georgia; John L. Caffey of Autauga County; Sophia Owens of Pike County; and Drucilla Eylands of Coffee County S663. A petition for dower was still before the court in 1862, so his widow outlived him. The file does not name his own father. added 26 September 2026.

Parents1923

🆕 His mother: probably Mary Buchanan Probable confirm or correct →. A 1923 SAR application gives her as John Caffey Sr.'s wife, married about 1780 S849. What is weak: the SAR papers are compiled, and by 1821 John's wife was Sarah S848, so she may have been a second wife. added 28 September 2026.

Marriage1868

🆕 A compiled surname card in the Alabama surname files also makes him “Charles&sup4; Caffey (John³, Michael², John¹)”, married to Nancy Lewis, with children John, Monroe, Wm. Hooper, Jane, Parylee, Philadelphia and Lindsay S667. Probable confirm or correct → It is a second, independent compiled account of the same chain, and its Jane, John and Lindsay match the 1868 heirs. What is weak: it is compiled and cites nothing, so it does not upgrade the “probably a son of John Caffey Sr.” line above. Its 1786 birth year conflicts with his 1850 age, and its “Wm. Hooper (m.

Vance)” may or may not be Hooper Van. If you know more, use “Add to this record”. added 26 September 2026.

Open questions what is probable, weak or missing — confirm or correct it

Probable

🆕 Probable confirm or correct → Probably a son of John Caffey Sr. Evidence: on the same 1850 page, Thomas Caffey, 66, and Michael Caffey, 68, both born in North Carolina, lived two doors either side of Charles, in dwellings 18 and 21 S484. Thomas, Michael and Charles are three of the seven children named in John Caffey Sr's 1821 will, and each is of an age to be his son. What is weak: neighbours are not a record of parentage; the will names a son Charles but nothing yet shows he is this Charles. His 1860 Montgomery County probate would help. added 26 September 2026. 🆕 On 28 September 2026 the original will-book entry was read: it names “my Seven Children (Viz) Thomas Caffey Elizabeth Caffey Henry Caffey Michael Caffey John Caffey Charles Caffey and Hooper Caffey” S848, confirming the abstract's wording but adding no age or residence for Charles; Earl accepted the link as probable that day.

Photos & documents 0 photos · 2 documents

Documents (2)

Documents · 2 page images all documents

Retrieved from the UNT Libraries' Portal to Texas History, or — for the University of Texas Cactus yearbooks — from Texas ScholarWorks. Each thumbnail opens the full page scan, which can also be downloaded. The quoted text is the OCR that ships with the scan, copied verbatim; the page image is the authority.

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1850 United States Federal Census — 2nd District, Montgomery Co., Alabama, p. 152 (Ancestry record 15675750) · **S484** — page p. 152

Federal census schedule · 1850

Probable because Image read. Hooper V., 17, farmer, b. Alabama, in Charles & Nancy Caffey's household — the rare given name and middle initial match Hooper Van Caffey (1832–1901, b. Alabama). 1850 records no relationships, so parentage is inferred, not stated. The same page lists Thomas Caffey 66, Charles Caffey 61 and Michael Caffey 68, all b. North Carolina, in dwellings 18, 19 and 21 — three of the seven children named in John Caffey Sr's 1821 will (Thomas, Elizabeth, Henry, Michael, John, Charles, Hooper), each of an age to be his son (b. 1782–1789; John Sr b. 1751). No record yet *states* Charles's father..

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Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records — Montgomery Co. estate case file, Caffey, Charles (Ancestry record 3383818, image 007652336_02679) · **S663** — page 02679

Probate estate file · 11 March 1868

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In the record Generation 6 — Kristin's 3rd-great-grandparents

1. S4841850 U.S. Federal Census — Charles Caffey household, 2nd District, Montgomery County, Alabama, p. 152. Ancestry record 15675750. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Confirmed Dwelling 19: Charles Caffey, 61, born North Carolina, farmer; Nancy, 59, born North Carolina; Elizabeth J., 22; Hooper V., 17, born Alabama, farmer. Thomas (66), Michael (68) and Lindsey R. Caffey (34), all born North Carolina, live within four dwellings. The 1850 census names no relationships, so this is co-residence, not proof that Charles was Hooper's father. It is the first record for that link.
2. S647North Carolina marriage bond, [Orange County], 27 November 1811 (original). Ancestry record 6818539. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Confirmed Bond for the marriage of Charles Caffey and Nancy Lewis, signed by Charles Caffey; bondsman John Hill; witness J. Taylor, C.C.; £500 to Governor Benjamin Smith. The Orange County marriage-bond typescript abstracts the same bond.
3. S663Estate of Charles Caffey, Montgomery County, Alabama — administrator’s affidavit of the heirs at law, sworn 11 March 1868. Alabama, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1753–1999, Ancestry database 8799, record 3383818, image 007652336_02679. Image examined, read 26 September 2026. Confirmed Lindsey R. Caffey, administrator, swears that Lindsey R. Caffey, H. V. Caffey, Jane Caffey, Polly Stoudemire, Sarah Eylands, Dorcas Green, John L. Caffey, Sophia Owens and Drucilla Eylands, all of full age, are the heirs at law of Charles Caffey, deceased. The same file holds the appraisement and inventory of 21 November 1860 and a petition for dower set for 1862. The file does not name Charles’s own father.
4. S667Alabama surname files — compiled family card, Caffey. Ancestry record 234270. Image examined, read 25 September 2026. Probable A typed compiled card: “Charles&sup4; Caffey (John³, Michael², John¹) b. 1786; m. Nancy Lewis.” Children listed: John (m. Betsy), Monroe, Wm. Hooper (m. — Vance), Jane(?), Parylee(?), Philadelphia, Lindsay. A compiled card, not an original record, and it gives no sources. Its 1786 birth year does not fit his 1850 age of 61; “Wm. Hooper (m. — Vance)” may or may not be Hooper Van Caffey.
5. S7421830 U.S. census, Montgomery County, Alabama, p. 4. Ancestry record 1823343. Image examined, read 26 September 2026. Probable Charles Caffey: a man aged 40–49 and a woman aged 30–39, eleven children under 20, and one enslaved man. Elizabeth Lewis heads a household on the same page. A head-only census; the page carries no county header (the county is from the index).
6. S848Will of John Caffey, Montgomery County, Alabama, dated 2 August 1821 — original will-book entry, item 99, page stamped 35. Ancestry collection 8799, record 2448490 (image 007651670_00810). Image examined, read 28 September 2026. Probable “I John Caffey of the County of Montgomery and State of Alabama … unto my Loving wife Sarah Caffey the quarter Section of Land whereon I now Live being the North west quarter of number twenty Eight in Township Sixteen and Range Eighteen”; the enslaved man Jordan, the enslaved woman Rachael and her son Ems to his wife for life; the land afterwards to “my Son Hooper Caffey”; the personal estate “Equally divided amongst my Seven Children (Viz) Thomas Caffey Elizabeth Caffey Henry Caffey Michael Caffey John Caffey Charles Caffey and Hooper Caffey”. The original book entry behind the abstract in S61; it agrees with the abstract. It gives no ages or residences for the children, so it does not by itself show that its Charles is Charles Caffey (c. 1789–1860).
7. S849Sons of the American Revolution supplemental application, National no. 24618 (Illinois no. 2368), William Gorin Smith, approved 31 January 1923. Ancestry collection 2204, record 417410 (image 32596_242191-00051). Image examined, read 28 September 2026. Probable John Caffey, born 1751, Dorchester County, Maryland; died 19 August 1826, Montgomery, Alabama; wife Mary Buchanan, married about 1780; descent through Thomas Caffey (1784–1878) and Mary B. Patrick. A compiled lineage paper, not an original record. Charles is not named. Two more SAR applications (31209 and 30985, 1918), seen only in an index, also name Mary Buchanan but give death years of 1737 and 1837.
8. S11511860 U.S. census, 2nd District, Montgomery County, Alabama, P.O. Ramah, p. 127, dwellings 962 and 963 (13 October 1860). Ancestry record 12147200. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 26 September 2026. Confirmed Dwelling 962: Charles Caffey, 72, farmer, real estate $2,500, personal $340, born South Carolina; Nancy, 60, born Maryland; Jane, 28; Mary Stoudenmire(?), 30; James, 14; Hooper, 12; Charles, 10; Mary, 8; all born Alabama. Dwelling 963, next door: H. V. Caffey, 28, born Alabama; his wife, 26, born Alabama, whose name reads Al…a (Alia or Alva?); Fanny, 2; John, 6 months. No relationships are stated. The wife’s name does not read Amy or May on the image. The last four in Charles’s house carry no surname ditto; they may be Caffey grandchildren or Stoudenmires. The same image is filed under Ancestry record 12147198.
9. S11541840 U.S. census, Montgomery County, Alabama, p. 189. Ancestry record 1246266. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 26 September 2026. Confirmed Charles Caffey, head, with free white males and females of several ages, one enslaved person and five in agriculture. The 1840 census names heads only. The tallies are faint and not every column can be read; Ancestry’s index puts the oldest man and the oldest woman each at 50–59.