The Foy's of Craven, Jones & Onslow Counties, NC, and Their Descendants.
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Frederick Foy

(1767 - 1838)

FREDERICK FOY, was born Abt. 1767 in Jones Co., NC, and died January 29, 1838. (Source: Amos Simmons Foy Family Bible, Cooperstown, NY; 1843.). Frederick was the son of Jacob Foy and Elizabeth Simmons. He married MARGARET ROBERTS, daughter of HOUSTON ROBERTS and MARGARET UNKNOWN.
Children of Frederick and Margaret include:

     
  1. John R Foy 1804 - ?)
  2. Elijah Foy (1806 - ?)
  3. James M Foy (1808 - ?)
  4. Amos Simmons Foy (1810 - 1861)
  5. Elizabeth Foy (1814 - ?)
  6. Margaret Jane Foy (1815 - ?)
  7. Francis Amanda Foy (1823 - ?)
Notes for FREDERICK FOY:
        His place of death is currently unknown. One of his daughters, Margaret Jane Foy Walton was still living in Tennessee in 1838 as her oldest child was born there in that year. The is a record in the Carroll Co. courthouse concerning the administration of his estate but no reference to a will in that county.
        Frederick Foy was the father of Amos Simmons Foy. Amos recorded his father's name and date of death in the family bible which Amos started. This bible was printed in 1843. Amos did not provide any other information regarding his father and none regarding his mother. To establish a framework: Amos tells us that he was born in Craven Co., N.C. Other sources identify Jacob as Amos's grandfather, born in Maryland; identify a brother of Jacob as Frederick, born in N C in 1751; confirm another Frederick as Amos' father; tell us that Jacob was brought to North Carolina from Maryland. Thus both Amos and his father, Frederick, were born in North Carolina. And we have two persons named Frederick Foy to segregate:
Jacob's younger brother who was born in 1751 and
Jacob's son whose birth year is yet to be determined.
        Numerous records exist referring to FF Sr and FF Jr; a few even recording transactions between Sr and Jr. Jacob's brother Frederick, in his will drawn 1 Nov 1813 named and signed himself Frederick Foy Senior and his domicile as Craven County. Jacob's son became known as Fredrick Foy Junior and so identified himself in numerous documents. The terms "senior" and "junior" obviously were used in the root sense of "elder" vs "younger".
        Frederick Foy Junior was probably born in Jones Co since Jacob's plantation was in that county; FF Jr inherited those lands. Yet his son Amos was born in Craven Co in 1810. But in the 1820 census FF Jr reported in Jones Co again. Then between 1823 and 1825 he moved to Dyer Co Tennessee. He reported there in the 1830 census. He died in 1838.
        Since your scribe's grandfather, one of Amos' sons, was born in Elysian Fields, Harrison Co., Texas in 1860 we go to the 1860 census for that county and for Amos' family. There we found that most of Amos' children were born in Mississippi, so we moved on to the records of that state. We find deed records in Mississippi which give the names of Amos' three sisters as Elizabeth, Margaret Jane and Amanda. The 1840 census records that the sisters had children; younger ones born in Mississippi, older in Tennessee. Other sources confirm Amos and Elizabeth Bishop Trotter, who was born in Tennessee, being married in Mississippi in 1835. Amos did record his father's death date as 29 Jan 1838.
        We find a series of entries in PROBATE COURT MINUTES 1834-1841 VOL A CARROLL COUNTY MISSISSIPPI pertaining to the activities of John R Foy as Administrator of the Frederick Foy Estate; dates range from 6 March 1838 to the May 1840 term of the court. The WILL RECORDS VOL A 1834-1839 CAROLL COUNTY MISSISSIPPI do not include a will for Frederick Foy. Since the estate was not settled until March 1840 perhaps the will was filed in a later WILL RECORDS volume which includes the year 1840. However another document does shed some light on the situation. It was processed in the Carroll Co., Mississippi Probate Court 12 June 1838. While we have not yet found a copy of the original filing in Mississippi, the document was also recorded in the 1837-1841 Deed Book of Jones Co., North Carolina, and has been abstracted as follows:
        June 12,1838. John R. Foy appoints Lemuel H. Simmons to collect from Benjamin Ward, executor of Margaret Newton, deceased, of Onslow Co., N.C., all money due me and also negroes or other property which is due me as executor of Frederick Foy, deceased, or as a purchaser from said Frederick Foy, deceased, in his lifetime, since Frederick Foy was entitled to same ..... in right of his wife, who was Margaret Roberts, daughter of Houston Roberts Sr., deceased, and former husband of Margaret Newton, deceased, ......or from the estate of Houston Roberts Jr., deceased, who was a brother of Margaret Roberts, afterwards wife of Frederick Foy, deceased. Wts: Thos. Rhodes, M.D. Kimbrough. Carroll Co., Mississippi - Thomas Rhodes of said county, Clerk of Private Court of Carroll Co., Mississippi attests to transaction above, June 12, 1838.
        Note that this document originated in Carroll Co., Mississippi, the same area where Amos' sisters lived. Since it was prepared only six months after the death of Amos' father Frederick Foy, we conclude that the Fredrick Foy herein was Amos' father and that Margaret Roberts was a wife of Frederick.
        More insight is provided by a deed found in the records of Onslow Co., N.C., Deed Book 6 (1814-1816): "Frederick Foy, Jr., and wife, Margaret, of Craven Co., N.C. sell to Richard Roberts of Jones Co., for $24, 1/6th part of a lot that was allotted to Gracey Roberts, deceased, which is the manor plantation where Houston Roberts lived. Supposed to be 12 acres. Sept., 17, 1814. Tests: Daniel Newton, A.W. Simmons."
        In another deed involving Richard Roberts, two Jones Co deeds covering land purchases from his brother-in-law, Frederick Foy, husband of Margaret Roberts: April 1, 1814 . Frederick Foy, Jr., to Richard Roberts for $4000, 291 acres at mouth of Gravelly run where it enters Whiteoak River....at Dudley's line........April 1, 1814. Frederick Foy, Jr., to Richard Roberts for $500, 150 acres... and another tract granted by deed to Foy from Jacob Dudley containing 166 acres.....and also a patent to John Collins, deeded to Dudley and by him to Foy.....and the latest record we have found, dated September 14, just two weeks before Richard drew his will, is in the RECORDS OF ONSLOW COUNTY, DEED BOOK 6 (1814-1816): Fredrick Foy, Jr., and wife Margaret, of Craven Co., N.C. sell to Richard Roberts of Jones Co., for $24, 1/6th part of a lot that was alloted to Gracey Roberts, deceased, which is the manor plantation where Houston Roberts lived. Supposed to be 12 acres. Sep 17 1814. Tests: Dan'l Newton, A.W. Simmons." (Gracey was Margaret's brother; Houston, her father)
        Daniel Newton married Margaret Roberts, the wife of Houston Roberts, Sr., in 1799, after the death of Houston in 1793. A.W. Simmons was a nephew of Elizabeth Simmons, mother of Frederick Foy. Gracey Roberts was a brother of Margaret Roberts, so the Margaret Foy above is obviously Margaret Roberts Foy, who was Frederick's wife in 1814. Note that Amos' father Frederick was identified as a "junior" and a resident of Craven Co., N.C., on 17 Sep 1814. This was the birth year for Amos' oldest sister Elizabeth.
        Another Onslow Co., deed: "Feb. 27, 1807. Received of Richard Roberts 24 dollars for our right that I have to land that fell to us by death of G. Roberts, my brother. Signed Peggy and F Foy"
        The 1814 and 1807 documents establish that Frederick Foy and Margaret Roberts were married during those years, at least. Frederick's youngest child was born in 1822, so we can conclude that their married years encompassed 1807 to 1822. Unless or until we find that Margaret was not Frederick's first wife, their marriage date can be pushed back to about 1803, since Frederick's eldest child was born about 1804. None of the North Carolina marriage bond records and indices found to date pertain to a marriage of these two people.
        The North Carolina State Archives files on marriages, record number 028-01-115, bond number 000026209, shows that a Frederick Foy posted bond to marry Alice Fulford on 26 May 1801; John C Bryan and John Stanly were the bondsmen. The "028" in the record number signifies Craven County. The Frederick Foy of the 1800 census in Craven County was the elder Frederick, brother of Jacob, not the younger. Several records relate that the elder Frederick served on various commissions with John C Bryan, one of the bondsmen herein. And John Stanly, the other bondsman was the executor of Frederick Foy Senior's will..... Alice Fulford may have married Frederick Foy Senior, Jacob Foy's brother, not Frederick Foy Jr.
        July 1996 Note: (There were numerous Frederick Foys and there may have been more than our F.Foy in Tennessee. The following notes regarding FF, Jr. and Sarah Foscue have been left in for information only (they were written by Egan D. Foy)... there is no concrete evidence that these are accurate facts. I believe that Margaret Roberts Foy and Frederick Foy remained married and she died between 1836 and 1838 as she was mentioned in her mothers 1836 will and was apparently deceased when Frederick died and his brother John made his petition in 1838.) **** None of the surviving documents indicate that Frederick Foy Junior had any wives other than Margaret until he married Sarah Foscue in 1828. Since his youngest child was born in 1822 it is evident that Margaret Roberts was the mother of all his children.
        Frederick moved from North Carolina to Dyer Co., TN before 1825. (the records are silent regarding a wife). He returned briefly to Jones Co., in 1828 to marry Sarah Foscue and take her back to Tennessee. Sarah was a 42 year old spinster. There is no indication that their marriage resulted in any offspring. Her marriage is simply noted here for the record.
        Margaret Roberts Foy was named in the will of her mother, Margaret (Roberts) Newton, drawn 5 Jan 1836. Thus Margaret was still alive at that time. Frederick & Margaret divorced before Frederick married Sarah Foscue in 1828 or, possibly, even before he moved to Tennessee in 1825. The Henry F. Foy Family book records Margaret's date of death as 1823. The source for this information has not been established.*****
        April 1998: Further information on Sarah Foscue Foy. The following is most likely the Sarah discussed above.
        COOSA COUNTY, ALABAMA 1850 CENSUS
        COOSA DISTRICT ONLY 797
        Foscue, Frederick F. 31 AL attorney
        Mary J. 20 AL
        Augustus 6/12 AL
        Foy, Sarah A. 61 AL(?)
        Developing the history of Frederick requires care since there were several persons named Frederick Foy; variously called Esquire, Senior, and Junior. We also find attempts to distinguish one from the other by phrases like " of Craven Co.,"; "of Jones Co.,"; " of Onslow Co.,". We must deal primarily with two persons; Amos' father (frequently called Jr) and Amos' uncle (frequently called Sr or Esq).
        First we note that Thomas Foy is the ancestor who settled in Craven County, North Carolina in 1749. Thomas brought four son's who had been born in Maryland: John, Thomas, Jacob and James. Frederick the fifth son, was born in Craven County in 1751 (some researchers say 1740 in Maryland) and is the first of several Frederick's to appear in the records. He was listed as a taxpayer in District 1 of Jones County in 1779, holding 1/6th as much property as his older brother Jacob. Frederick was age 28; Jacob about age 48.
        Frederick's holdings changed from Craven to Jones because that portion of Craven was used to create Jones Co in 1779. Because so many of the landowners continued to buy and sell land throughout Jones and Craven counties, it is difficult to identify the current domicile unless specifically stated in a deed by a phrase such as "of Craven County". Sometimes the same person is attributed to different counties in different years, so the attribution is not conclusive.
        This Frederick was the executor of brother Jacob's estate in 1786 and of brother John's estate in 1791. In later years he became known as "Sr" or "Esq". He died in 1815 in Craven Co North Carolina.
        Brother James moved from Craven County to Onslow County in 1796 where his son Frederick was born 28 March 1785 at the family plantation "Sugar Maple" in Onslow Co., and died there 20 Sep 1833. Jacob was one of the Jones Co taxpayers of 1779. Jacob's family was enumerated in Jones Co in the census of 1784-1786 and he died there in 1786. We quote a Jones County deed shown on page 131 of ABSTRACTS OF THE RECORDS OF JONES COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA by Zae Hargett Gwinn (929.3 N8JONN): Dec 12, 1788.
Elizabeth Foy of Jones County gave her son, Frederick Foy, all land whereon she lives which is now in his possession and possession of John Simmons, executors of Jacob Foy, deceased, reserving to Elizabeth Foy her lifetime estate in land and if Frederick Foy die without legal issue then to return to heirs of Elizabeth Foy. Wts: A. Simmons, Edmund Hatch, Jr. (Jacob's wife was Elizabeth Simmons, sister of John Simmons and A. Simmons)
        By 1802 a few legal documents begin to appear using the suffix "Sr." or "Jr." We believe that "Sr." was being used to identify Jacob's brother, Fredrick, and "Jr." to identify Jacob's son, Frederick. Thomas, brother of Jacob, in his will proven in Dec 1789, includes "my brother Frederick Foy" and "my nephew Frederick Foy, son of Jacob" in his bequests. We find no evidence of any other "Frederick's" in the Craven-Jones neighborhood.
        Another deed on page 290 of the above book strengthens identities: Sept 30, 1805. Frederick Foy, Esq., of Craven Co., N.C., to Frederick Foy, Jr., of Jones Co., 300 acres for $3000.00, at fork of Mill Creek in Jones Co., N.C., at Joseph Sanderson's, Thomas Pollack's lines, which Frederick Foy, Sr., holds by deed from John Granade, Dec 10, 1764. Wts: Thomas Foy, Ivy Hatch. (Note that Frederick Foy Sr. is called "Esquire").
        The Raleigh (N.C.) Register of 26 October 1809 records the marriage of an Elizabeth Foy to Edward Mumford in Craven Co., and identifies her as a daughter of Frederick Foy, Esq. She is so acknowledged in the will of Frederick Foy Sr.
        The next "Frederick Foy" significant records appear in 1814, just the year before Frederick Foy Sr., died. We find nine records in that year all referring to Frederick Foy Jr; none to Frederick Foy Sr. Another document in the above book, on page 603 reveals that Frederick left North Carolina before 16 Sep 1825: Sept 16, 1825. Frederick Foy of Dyer County, Tennessee, appoints Jno. R. Foy his attorney. Wts: Jno. Miller (Daniel Miller attests to handwriting of Jno. Miller) (Later documents will establish the premise that Jno. R. Foy was born in 1804 as the first child of Frederick Foy. John did move to Dyer Co., Tennessee and, later, to Mississippi, as did Frederick. Amos Simmons Foy and his sisters Elizabeth, Margaret Jane and Amanda, accompanied their father Frederick, on these travels.) and on page 611: Nov. 4, 1826. Frederick Foy of Dyer County, Tennessee, appoints L. H. Simmons attorney to transact all business in North Carolina for him. Wts: Jno. R. Foy (This November document indicates that Jno. R. Foy was transferring his responsibilities to L. H. Simmons in anticipation of a move to Tennessee, since he appears in the 1830 census of Dyer Co., as does Frederick. Lemuel H. Simmons was a son of Needham Simmons, a brother of Frederick's mother Elizabeth Simmons.)
        On page 671 we find: June 12, 1832. John R. Foy of Dyer Co., Tennessee, appointed guardian of estate of Bryan Becton and Mary Becton of this county, with Frederick Foy and John Miller as security for bond of $4000.00. John Rutherford, chairman of Dyer Co., court. In the 1790 Census of Newbern District Jones county, NC there are 3 Bectons: Name Males >16 Males <16 Females Slaves Michael Becton - 1 male >16; 3 males < 16; 4 females; 14 slaves John Becton - 2 males > 16; 2 males < 16; 4 females; 34 slaves George Becton - 1 male > 16; 2 males < 16; 4 females; 10 slaves We believe that John Miller had married Frederick's daughter, Elizabeth, in 1830. Also on page 671: Sept 15, 1832. John R. Foy of Dyer Co., Tennessee, guardian of Bryan Becton and Mary Becton, children of Bryan Becton, deceased, of Jones Co., N.C., nominated L.H. Simmons to represent him in Jones Co.
        Backing up a bit: The New Bern Sentinel of 16 Aug 1828 reports " Married on Wednesday evening last (i.e., 13 Aug) by Rev Erasmus Hill; Frederick Foy, formerly of Jones Co., but now of Dyer Co., Tennessee to Miss Sarah Foscue." (She was a 42 year old spinster at this time) IGI# 7227211,73 records the marriage of Frederick Foy to Sarah Foscue on 27 Aug 1828. (We believe 27 Aug was newspaper date not event date). Another IGI entry more accurately identifies her as Sarah Ann Foscue and gives the event date as 13 Aug 1828. Sarah Ann (RIN 272) was a daughter of Simon Foscue Sr (RIN 273) & Nancy Mitchell (RIN 274). She was born in 1786 in Craven Co. The book ONSLOW REGISTER RECORDS of ONSLOW & JONES COUNTY CITIZENS records a a marriage on 13 August 1828 in Jones Co and gives her name as Sally. The newspaper note also states that Frederick "now lives in Dyer Co Tennessee" . This Frederick is obviously the same one who noted in a Jones Co legal notice dated 16 Sep 1825 that he "is now a resident of Dyer Co Tennessee"
        Sarah, in a Jones Co deed dated 6 Oct 1817 in which she sold land to Needham Simmons (a brother of Frederick Foy's mother), identified herself as "Sally Foscue (Sarah)". "Sally" being used as a nickname for "Sarah".
        Page 353 of the 1830 census of Dyer Co TN (p. 353) records Frederick Foy having a family as follows (your scribes' comments are in parentheses): 1 male 20-30 (Amos, 20); 1 male 40-50 (Frederick); 2 females 10-15 (Margaret Jane, 14 & Amanda, 7); 1 female 15-20 (Elizabeth, 16) 1 female 30-40 (Sarah Foscue, 2nd wife); 1 female 70-80 (Elizabeth Simmons Foy Mumford, Frederick's mother). This interpretation results in the reasonable situation of Frederick taking all three of his daughters, his mother, and his youngest son to Tennessee. We believe the census-taker put a mark in the "male 40-50" column when it should have been in the "male 60-70" column since notes given under Jacob Foy derive Frederick's birth date as 1767 making him 63 in 1830. By a similar mistake Sarah is classified as 30-40 when she was 44 at that time.
        Page 356 of this same census records a family headed by a John Foy consisting of: 2 males under 5 (sons); 1 male 20-30 (John R Foy, son of Frederick was age 28); 1 female 15-20 (wife). The two sons in this family were born 1826-1829. The 1850 census of Carroll Co., Mississippi records a William Foy and wife, both born in Tennessee and being 22 years old; therefore born 1828. William could have been one of these 2 sons and a nephew of Amos.
        For the other son we move to Texas. The 1910 census of Texas records a John W Foy, age 46, born in Tennessee, living in Claude, Armstrong County, with wife Mary A, age 43, and 3 children. John W was born in 1864. If his father were one of John R's sons and, therefore born 1826-1829, John W's father would have been age 32-38 when John W was born. Note that Amos moved his family to Texas about 1857 and his offspring scattered a few years later. Page 354 of this 1830 census records a Jesse Simmons family consisting of: 1 male 15-20 (son); 1 male 30-40 (Jesse, slightly older than John R son of Frederick); 2 females 10-15 (daughters); 1 female 20-30 (wife); 1 female 60-70 (mother or grandmother of ...........?). Frederick Foy's mother was Elizabeth Simmons, member of a large North Carolina family, the sister of three brothers, and aunt to their numerous offspring. Jesse is likely to be a cousin of John R Foy. Frederick Foy, John Foy and Jesse Simmons were listed on nearly-adjacent pages of the census, indicating that they were neighbors, strengthening the probability of these relationships.

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