George Loy (died 1799 Orange County NC)

George Loy (born [unknown year, estimated around 1745] probably PA—died between 18 October 1799 will date–November 1799 when will proven in Orange Co., NC court)
md.
Catherine Tillman (born ca. 1740-1750 [unknown birth place]—died between ca. 1830-1842, likely in AL, if not East TN or KY)
d/o John and Mary Elizabeth Tillman.

George was son of Martin Loy (to America 1741) and wife Catherine (Foust) Loy.

Note: George and Catherine’s daughter Margaret’s Wednesday, 28 September 1842 LDS baptism for the dead names her sister “Rachael Allbright” and grandparents Martin Loy and Catherine Loy. Then on Friday evening, 30 September 1842, Margaret gave baptism for deceased uncle John Loy, aunt Barbara Thomas, cousin Mary Sharp, and grandmother “Mary Elizth Tilman.” Prior to these, she had also given a baptism for her father George Loy. In 1842 Margaret’s son Benjamin would give proxy baptism for his deceased brother William Clapp, then on 6 August 1843 did another baptism for him, along with paternal Clapp and maternal Loy relatives. His maternal baptisms included grandmother Catherine Loy, great-uncle Henry Loy and great-aunt Margaret Loy.

George and Catherine would have only spoke German, as did their children who only learned English as they got older and in all likeliness some may have never learned English.

According to written records of George and Catherine’s daughter Margaret’s descendants, Margaret’s mother lived to a very great age, as did Margaret’s maternal grandfather (“Grandfather Tillman”) who was a Tory during the Revolutionary War. This aligns with tradition that Margaret’s brother Jacob Loy and wife Phoebe Tillman (daughter of Tobias Tillman) were first cousins. Tobias’ father John Tillman was a Tory during the Revolutionary War and lived to a great age. As Tobias Tillman’s family have record of Tobias’ mother being Eva Dryden, Catherine must have been an older half-sister. As far back as early 20th century, Tobias’ family had no information of Catherine being a sister, nor of any other siblings except for sister Elizabeth, Tobias’ full sister. It is my theory that George Loy’s brother Henry’s wife Margaret (my ancestors) was another sister of Catherine. But only future research may someday reveal proof, as well as more siblings.

George Loy’s will was dated 18 October 1799, proven November 1799, Orange Co., NC.

George and Catherine’s children:

Born Where Died Where
#1 Elizabeth Loy ca. 1768 St. Asaph’s District, Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC ca. 1807 Anderson Co., TN
md. Nicholas Moser 8 August 1761 Berks or Northhampton Co. PA 1815 Madison Co., AL
#2 Catherine Loy 12 May 1771* Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 22 September 1856 Alamance Co., NC
md. Daniel Albright ca. 1757** Unknown 13 February 1831 Guilford Co., NC
#3 Margaret Ann Loy 15 August 1773 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 15 December 1855 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT
md. Ludwig ("Lewis") Clapp ca. 1760 Orange Co., NC 1836 Calloway Co., KY
#4 ("Fisher") John William Loy 15 August 1775 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 22 October 1840 Anderson [now Union] Co., TN
md. (#1) Sally/Polly Miller Unknown Unknown by 1805 or by 1807*** Anderson [now Union] Co., TN
md. (#2)*** Nancy Miller 1792 NC [per 1860 census] or TN [per 1850 and 1870 census] 1875 Union Co., TN
#5 Rachel Loy 1779 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC between November 1799–1842 "proxy" by sister Margaret (Loy) Clapp Possibly Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC
md. by October 1799 Joel Albright ? ? ? ?
#6 Jacob Loy 20 February 1783 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 16 February 1858 Page Co., IA
md. July 1804 Campbell Co., TN Phoebe Tillman 15 July 1787 Anderson Co., VA [now TN] 11 August 1873 Page Co., IA
#7 Sarah Loy 1785 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 1 October 1855 Graves Co., KY
md. ca. 1806 John Isaac Clapp 7 June 1783 Guilford Co., NC after 1860 Unknown
#8 George Loy, Jr. 1 [January, June or July]**** 1789 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 3 November 1847 Honeycomb Valley, Marshall Co., AL
md. 10 August 1809 Madison Co., AL Elizabeth "Barsheba" Massengale 1792 TN after 1870 census Marshall Co., AL
#9 Henry Loy 23 July 1790 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 31 August 1873 Jackson Co., IL
md. 23 July 1809 Madison Co., AL Martha ("Patsy") Greenwood 9 February 1794 Rowan Co., NC 10 March 1861 Jackson Co., IL
#10 William Loy 31 May 1794 Orange [now Alamance] Co., NC 22 January 1879 Page Co., IA
md. 26 September 1822 Anderson Co., TN Duly Hill 1 May 1805 Knox Co., TN 24 June 1887 Page Co., IA

*Family records gave Catherine (Loy) Albright’s birth as 12 May 1771. Her gravestone gives 13 May 1772 birth and 23 September 1856 death. However, this gravestone also gives her death at age 83 years, 4 months, 16 days. For her to be that age at time of death, her birth would calculate to 7 May 1773.

**D. I. Offman’s “Albright Family Records” has Daniel with 24 June 1765 birth. This may have been derived from gravestone. Offman also has A for his middle initial. Daniel has three Find a Grave memorials: 10994389 with dates 24 June 1757 Berks Co., PA–13 February 1831 with burial in New Garden Friends Cemetery, Greensboro, Guilford Co., NC. 28202267 with name as Daniel A. Albright and dates 24 June 1765 Berks Co., PA–13 February 1831 with burial in New Garden Friends Cemetery, Greensboro, Guilford Co., NC. 31498630 with name as Daniel A. Albright and dates 24 June 1765–13 February 1831 with burial in Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Burlington, Alamance Co., NC. This last memorial includes a photo that is apparently of Daniel, despite that he died before photos were popular. The first still-in-existence photograph was taken in France in 1826/1827. One of the oldest photo portraits known was taken in 1839 or 1840 by John William Draper. Thus, I find it unlikely this Find a Grave memorial photo is actually of Catherine’s husband Daniel Albright.

***Early 20th century researchers, such as Genevieve Peters (author of “Know Your Relatives”) gave Fisher’s first wife as “Sally/Polly Miller.” It’s my opinion it was written this way due to an original, illegible, handwritten source. Present-day researchers just have “Polly.” In her book Genevieve Peters gave "all children [of "Fisher" Loy] by second marriage," despite the closeness of age between Nancy and eldest son Jacob. "Goodspeed’s History of E. Tennessee" (1887) gives Jacob born 1807, instead of 1805, to make his mother Nancy about age 15, instead of about 13, at time of his birth.

****I was told by George and Barsheba’s descendants the family Bible, which Barsheba possessed, recorded George’s “bearthdate” with month written “Jny” or “Juy.” This illegible handwritten month has been interpreted by other researchers as “June or July ” instead of including “January.” In my opinion, “January” seems just as likely, as omitting only one letter in “June” or “July” would not be much of an abbreviation. In those days, at least in many census records, “Jny” was the abbreviation used for “January” while “July” was just spelled out.