| Biographical Note |
- HISTORY OF THE COY FAMILY This note is from Florence Cecelia Estabrooks (Florence C. Estabrooks), compiler of the book, 'Genealogy of the Anglo-Dutch Estabrooks of the Saint John River, New Brunswick.', states the following; 'I am indebted for the following history of the name MacCoy to Mr. W. J. Watson, Professor of Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh, F.C.E. Note: Florence Cecelia Estabrooks is listed in this family tree, her parents are: Leander M. Estabrooks and Henrietta Rebecca Hoben. ' The name Mac Coy is Irish and is an anglicized form of Mac Aodha or MacAoidh, the former (Aodha) being the older form of the Genitive sing, of Aodha, the latter (Aoidh) being a later form used mostly in Scotland. Aodh appears in Adamman’s Life of Columba in the Latin form of Aidus, in old Irish it is Acd, Gen, Aedo; then Middle Irish it is Aed and Aedh; gen, Acda and aecfha: modern Irish Aodh, gen, aodh. Acd means fire. In early Celtic it appears in Acdui, the name of the Gaulish tribe.
Edward Coy, Sr., was born on the 6th of May, 1725 in Pomfret, Windham county, Connecticut, and was interred Aft 19th of Sep 1795 in Upper Gagetown, Queens County, New Brunswick. He was also known as J. Edward Coy and also as Edward Coy, Sr. Edward Coy, grandfather of Nancy and Mary Coy, came from Pomfret in Connecticut to New Brunswick in 1763 and settled on the banks of the Saint John River in that part of the country now called Canning (then Waterborough) Queens Co., N.B. He and his family spent their first summer in a cave which he dug in the bank of the intervale but which he was obliged to relinquish for a camp on the high land on the approach of winter and autumn floods. During the first few years in their wilderness home Mr. Coy and his family experienced the severest hardships, living chiefly on fish, manly bass, which at that time abounded in the river, and ground nuts which grew plentifully on the intervale. The latter, when roasted, is not unlike the sweet potato. During the second year he was obliged to dig out the potatoes which he had planted in order to keep his family from starving, and on one occasion, after the children had retired for the night, Mrs. Coy approached their emaciated forms to discover whether or not they were living. In the following winter food became so scarce that he was obliged to travel on snowshoes with a toboggan or hand sled to the mouth of the Saint John -- where there were a few French houses -- in search of provisions. All he could obtain was half a barrel of eels. With these he set out on his homeward journey, but on coming up the river to a certain point, he mistook an inlet for the main channel, and darkness setting in, was obliged to make his bed on the snow. From this circumstance the Mistake derived its name.
Mr. Coy was a member of the first Presbyterian church organized in Sheffield. Edward Coy married Amy Titus in Connecticut, they were married by Pastor David Ripely. Edward was the first born to Jonathan Coy, but at this time, his mother is not known. Edward Coy, Sr. died 19 Sep 1795 in Upper Gagetown, New Brunswick. Township of Gage, Queens County, Yeoman. His Will dated 22 January 1795, proved 11 December 1795 in the Township of Gage, Queens Co., N.B. reads as follows: 'Wife Lot 7 in Waterbough and half the improvements on the high Land in the Township of Gage during her life while my widow. Sons Amasa, John, Edward, David, and Benjamin the remainder of my real and personal estate, they to pay their sisters Sarah 10 pounds, Lavine 12 pounds, Hannah 15 pounds, Mary 12 pounds and Anna 10 pounds.' Son Amasa and son-in-law Thomas Turney executors. Witnesses: Zebulon ESTY, Benjamin NEWCOMB, Jr., Elijah ESTABROOKS, Jr. Inventory, dated: 'March ye 19' 1796, valued at 605 pounds by Thomas HARTT and Silvanus PLUMMER included a note of hand of Eleaser SLOCUM and Andrew JOSLIN to Amasa COY, Lots 6 and 7 in Waterbough, land in Gagetown and livestock. Edward Coy,Sr. and Amy Titus were married 02 JAN 1755 in Pomfret, Windham County, Conn. Edward and Amy were married in the Abigton Congregational Church. Some information from Florence Cecelia Estabrooks; 'The name was originally McCoy but the Mc was dropped by Edward Coy's grandfather owing to some mistake in registering property.' Note: See his daughter, Mary Coy's comments about her family in her 'more notes'. Note: Elder William Brewster, born 1567 and died 1644, who led the Mayflower Pilgrims, married a Miss Coy. At this time, it is not known what connection she was to Edward 'McCoy', Sr. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++ Below is a E-mail received on the date stated: From: 'Lorna Burke' To: 'Donald R Coy' Date: Sat, 30 Jan 1999 15:41:50 -0400 Subject: Re: Miss Coy Hello Don & Evelyn: I have been reading a book entitled, 'The Mayflower', by Kate Cuffrey and it gives Elder William Brewster's wifes name as Mary but does not give her last name. It states that they had a son Jonathan born 1593, a daughter Patience born 1600 and another daughter Fear born 1606. He also states that he died April l8, 1643, but that is all the information that I have. It would be interesting to know more about her. Lorna -----Original e-mail Message is below. From: Donald R Coy To: lburke@nbnet.nb.ca Date: Tuesday, January 26, 1999 9:04 PM Subject: Miss Coy Elder William Brewster, born 1567 and died 1644, who led the Mayflower Pilgrims, married a Miss Coy. At this time, it is not known what connection she was to Edward 'McCoy' Coy, Sr. who was born 06 May 1725 in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut, and was interned Aft 19th of Sep 1795 in Upper Gagetown, Queens County, New Brunswick. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOTE: The following statements about Edward is stated in the book, 'The St. John River and It's Tributaries', by Esther Clark Wright, copyright 1966 .... ' Edward was one of the original grantees of Maugerville, his lot being opposite the head of Gilbert's Island. He was an active member of the Congregational Church and one of the signers of the original Church Covenant. In 1770, he settled at Upper Gagetown under arrangements with Col. Wm. Spry. He sold his land at Maugerville to Moses Coburn. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he moved his family again to Sheffield, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, but returned to Gagetown in a few years and his section of the place became known as Coytown. At times enduring all hardships connected with settling in a new country, then very new, it is related that, at one time when they were at the point of starving, their lives were saved by an Indian, who, when passing their tent in his canoe, threw into it a fat beaver's tail and hence the friendly relations between the Coys and the Indians ever since. ' Edward received a large grant of intervale land.' +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [NOTE: These statements are found first on page 99 in the book, 'The St. John River & Its Tributaries'., by Esther Clark Wright, © 1966, Canada: 'When Beamsley Glasier came to the much talked-of St. John River to pick out lands for his fellow officers, he chose sites for five townships, Gage, Burton, Sunbury, Conway and Newton. 'The intervale lands on the St. John are wonderful' he said, 'not a stone and black mold six feet deep, no underwood, large hardwood; you may drive a coach though the trees, we can cut what grass we please and we may approve the land immediately.' Then on Pages 82-83: 'At the head of the Long Reach there are three openings. The one on the right is Belleisle, in a continuation of the trough parallel to the Kennebecasis. The middle opening is the main St. John River. The one on the left was the Mistake. It is related, that as the first settlers were obliged to row to the mouth of the river or what is now St. John City for supplies, that while rowing back, a certain Captain Coy sailed up inside the Mistake Point, instead of the main river and soon found the green grass growing all around the sailed back again. 'Coy's Mistake,' old river men chuckled as they passed by, and the name stuck. Although the Topographical Survey marks it as Mistake Cove.
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- Township of Gage, Queens Co., Yeoman. Will dated 22 January 1795, proved 11 December 1795. Wife Lot 7 in Waterborough and half the improvements on the high Land in the Township of Gate during her life while my widow. Sons Amasa, John, Edward, David and Benjamin the remainder of my real and personal estate, they to pay their sisters Sarah 10 pounds, Lavine 12 pounds, Hannah 15 pounds, Mary 12 pounds and Anna 10 pounds. Son Amasa and son-in-law Thomas TURNER executors. Witnesses: Zebulon ESTEY, Benjamin NEWCOMB Jr., Elijah ESTABROOKS Jr. Inventory, dated 'March ye 19' 1796, valued at 605 pounds by Thomas HARTT and Silvanus PLUMMER included a note of hand of Eleazer SLOCUM and Andrew JOSLIN to Amasa COY, Lots 6 and 7 in Waterborough, land in Gatetown and livestock. Edward 'came to New Brunswick in 1763 and settled on the banks of the St. John in that part of the country now called Canning. He and his family spent their first summer in a cave which he dug in the bank of the intervale but which he was obliged to relinquish for a camp on the high land on the approach of winter and the autumn floods. During the first few years in their wilderness home Mr. Coy and his family experienced the severest hardships, living chiefly on fish, mainly bass, which at that time abounded in the river, and the groundnut which grew plentifully on the interval. The latter, when roasted, is not unlike the sweet potato. During the second year he was obliged to dig out the potatoes which he had planted in order to keep his family from starving, and on one occasion, after the children had retired for the night, Mrs. Coy approached their emaciated forms to discover whether or not they were living. In the following winter food became so scarce that he was obliged to travel on snowshoes with a toboggan or handsled to the mouth of the St. John--where there were a few French houses--in search of provisions. All he could obtain was half a barrel of eels. With these he set out on his homeward journey, but on coming up the river to a certain point, he mistook an inlet for the main channel, and darkness setting in, was obliged to make his bed on the snow. From this circumstance the Mistake derived its name. Mr. Coy was a member of the first Presbyterian church organized in Sheffield' (History of Queen's County, N.B.).
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1725 - 1795 (70 years)
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