William Coates, as a young
married man of 22 years, was found in the 1782 Spotsylvania County tax
records. He had just completed several war
tours and was starting a family in post-Revolutionary Virginia shortly after
the Siege of York in October 1781.
Living nearby, or possibly on the same or adjoining lands, was John
Coates (names side by side in the tax records).
There were no other Coates families in Spotsylvania at this time. This John Coates (from hence forward called
John Coates the elder) was certainly the father of the Spotsylvania County
Coates clan. William had a brother
(almost certainly) named John who was in Spotsylvania County in 1780 and was
born in 1762. The John Coates in the
1782 tax record was obviously more established as a male Virginia colonist – he
owned 9 slaves compared to 1 slave owned by William. The younger John is believed to have been
living with the elder John Coates (as a titheable in 1782).