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:

*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.

***Some researchers have given “Fisher” John Loy with the middle name “William.” I had added this to my records, despite not having a documented source for this. (The “Fisher” nickname had been documented by early generations, of course.) In all contemporary sources I found (census, land records, will, early family records, 1800s county histories, etc.) he was simply “John Loy” or “John Loy, Sen.” In 2025 I realized I needed a source for this “William” so I began researching in depth to find a verification. I’ve come to the conclusion this “William” is incorrect. I was able to trace this “William” to a 1950 typewritten publication “Tennessee Cousins,” by Worth S. Ray. Studying it, I realized this book wasn’t focused on the Loys, nor primarily on East Tennessee families. Although the author hadn’t clarified this in his book, I discovered he had taken every biographical sketch from all the Tennessee counties found in all the volumes of "Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee" (1887) to rework in his own book. The biographical sketches in all Goodspeed’s volumes were only a small paragraph or two in length, which Ray condensed further for “Tennessee Cousins.” Goodspeed’s biographical sketch pattern usually featured one subject’s biography, then detailed it by mentioning the subject’s spouse, the spouse’s parents, his parents and sometimes his grandparents. When Ray reworked it for his book, he featured the subject’s father as the sketch subject, sometimes mentioning the new subject’s parents, and then named the subject’s child who was the original subject in Goodspeed’s volumes. What’s important to note: the only Loys mentioned in Goodspeed’s history that covered Union County, Tennessee was for John W. Loy, son of Jacob, son of John [“Fisher” John] Loy. The other was for John Stooksbury, son of Isaac and Sarah (Loy) Stooksbury. When Ray reworked these sketches for his book, he made the sketch on Jacob Loy, mentioning Jacob’s father John Loy and Jacob’s son John W. When Ray reworked the Stooksbury sketch, he made the sketch on John Stooksbury’s father Isaac Stooksbury. Goodspeed’s original, which mentioned Isaac’s wife Sarah (Loy) Stooksbury but didn’t name her parents, only that “The Loy family were pioneers from North Carolina.” But after mentioning Isaac’s wife Sarah (Loy) Stooksbury, Ray’s version added “daughter of William Loy” which is not in the Goodspeed’s sketch. Ray omitted the part “The Loy family were pioneers of North Carolina” but tried to condense it after “William Loy” as “who came from North Carolina.” What’s telling is, a few lines later in Goodspeed’s version, it mentions the wife of John Stooksbury (the original sketch subject) Sarah (Sharp) Stooksbury, “daughter of William Sharp.” It’s my theory that as this was being reworked into Ray’s book, the typist took the “daughter of William” from Sarah (Sharp) Stooksbury’s line and put it with Sarah (Loy) Stooksbury’s line.

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.

George’s wife has always been “Barsheba” (despite often misspelling of the name) in marriage, land records, census, and other records. Some researchers have added the name “Elizabeth” before her name, but no sources cited. In 2025 I’ve tracked down the apparent source of this “Elizabeth” to the 1931 book by Samuel Evans Massengill, M.D., “The Massengills, Massengales and Variants.” One page in the book refers to a 1914 letter by 83-year-old William T. Massengale of Birmingham, Alabama. “My grandfather, Solomon Massengale, was born, I think, in Virginia, and moved to North Carolina and then to Sevier (I don‘t know how to spell it) County, Tenn.; married Miss Tabitha Cobb. He was a farmer, raised stock, hogs and run a still. They reared five sons, Allen, John (my father), Alfred, Stokely and Farrar, three daughters, the eldest I think was named Elizabeth, who married a man by the name of George Loy. I don’t know any of their children’s names.” Twice in this he said, “I think,” implying he wasn’t completely sure of this. As I’m not finding any other source to confirm “Elizabeth” I’m no longer adding it with Barsheba’s name.