Occupation Lawyer, judge Name John Coalter | Role Lawyer | |
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Born August 20, 1771
Rockbridge County, Virginia ( 1771-08-20 ) Spouse(s) Maria Rind, Margaret Davenport, Ann Frances Bland Tucker, and Hannah Williamson Alma mater College of William and Mary Died February 2, 1838, Richmond, Virginia, United States | ||
Education College of William & Mary | ||
John Coalter (August 20, 1771 – February 2, 1838) was a Virginia lawyer and judge, serving almost twenty years in the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Biography
Coalter was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, where he worked on the family farm. He later became a tutor in the family of Judge St. George Tucker in Williamsburg, working without pay in exchange for legal education from Judge Tucker. He then continued his legal training by studying law at the College of William and Mary in 1789. Upon graduation, he settled in Staunton, Virginia and began his legal practice there. After serving as the Commonwealth's Attorney for several years, Coalter was appointed to the General District court for Staunton in 1809. On May 11, 1811, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia.
Coalter married four times; his wives were Maria Rind (died 1792), Margaret Davenport (died 1795), Ann Frances Bland Tucker (died 1813), and Hannah Williamson, who survived him. His first two wives died in childbirth, and his only children came from his third marriage. Around 1821, Coalter moved his family to Richmond, Virginia, and also purchased the plantation home "Chatham Manor" near Fredericksburg, Virginia. He died in Richmond on February 2, 1838, and was buried at Chatham Manor.