Barbara (Bley) Koontz (abt. 1752 - abt. 1799)

Born about 1752 in Pennsylvania, British Colonial America

Ancestors

Wife of Philip (Kunz) Koontz — married 1774 in Shenandoah County, Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1799 at about age 47 in Rockingham County, Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Daniel Bly [send private message]

Biography

Barbara Bley was born in Pennsylvania about 1752, married Philip Koontz in 1773 or '74 and lived in the Smith Creek area of northeast Rockingham County, Virginia, where she died in 1799 or early 1800.^[1] The marriage of "Philip Kunz" and "Barbara Blei" is found on a list of marriages performed by Rev. Peter Muhlenberg in 1773-74 but a specific date is not given.^[2] Philip Bly identified his daughter Barbara, wife of "Philip Coons," in his will.^[3] In May 1798 Philip and Barbara brought suit against her brother, George Bly, for failure to abide by the provisions in their father's will, but she apparently died before the suit was heard. The last activity on the suit was filed in February 1799 and from that point on was postponed and eventually dropped.^[4] Philip remarried in December, 1800 and no further steps were taken to recoup Barbara's legacy.

Sources

• Will of Philip Bly, Shenandoah County Court House, Woodstock, Virginia.
• Notes of Rev. Peter Muhlenberg, for year 1773-74, with "Ministers Returns" Shenandoah County, Marriage Records, microfilm #1, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia.
• Shenandoah County, Virginia Chancery Causes, Philip Koontz and wife vs. Exr Philip Bly etc, 1850-024. Local Government Records Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Daniel W. Bly, A History of the Bly Family, Baltimore, (1992), pp. 10-11.
2. ↑ From the Notes of Rev. Peter Muhlenberg, for the years, 1773-74, filed with "Ministers' Returns," Shenandoah County Marriage Records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. A microfilm copy of these records, Roll #1 (old #39), can be found in the Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia.
3. ↑ Will of Philip Bly, probated June 1786, Shenandoah County Will Book, "B," p. 383.
4. ↑ Shenandoah County Chancery Causes; Philip Koontz and wife, vs. EXR Philip Bly ETC, 1850-024, Local Government Records Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Note: There are 10 DNA matches at the 4-6th cousin level between Daniel Bly, manager of this profile (a descendant of Barbara's brother, George) and four of the children of Philip and Barbara Bley Koontz at AncestryDNA (as of Oct 2023).