Betsey McCoy (abt. 1797 - 1871)

Wife of Philemon Smith — married 13 Dec 1820 in West Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 23 Apr 1871 at about age 74 in Oxford, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States

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Biography

Betsey McCOY was born around 1797, probably in West Haven, Connecticut, which at that time was a part of the city of New Haven.^[1]

In 1818, Betsey became a member of the West Haven First Congregational Church "by profession."^[2] Two years later, in 1820, she married Philemon SMITH at that church. Reverend Stephen W. Stebbins, who was the minister there at the time, married them.^[3]

After 1840, Betsey and Philemon lived on the outskirts of Newtown, close to the Zoar Bridge, which connected Newtown with Oxford. In 1847, they signed a mortgage with Charles Tomlinson, and in 1864, they received deed to their eight acres, barn, and house. They likely remained there for their rest of their lives, near the banks of the Housatonic River, far from the center of either town, across the water from the families of some of their children.

Philemon and Betsey had five children: three sons and two daughters.^[4][5]

Their children were:

1. Eliza SMITH,^[6]
2. David SMITH,^[7]
3. Charles SMITH,^[8]
4. Mary Jane SMITH,^[9]
5. Pearl SMITH.^[10]

Betsey was listed as "keeping house" in the 1870 U.S. Census. ^[11]

On April 23, 1871, at 74 years old, she passed away. She left no will and there is no probate record. She is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Oxford, not far from her Newtown home where she spent much of his life. Her grave still stands today.

Uncertain Parentage and Surname

Some genealogists have concluded that Betsey is probably the daughter of William McCoy, who married Lois Bradley (daughter of Isaac & Lois Bishop Bradley) on March 25, 1796.^[12]. But there is yet no primary evidence establishing this relationship, and the one William McCoy appearing in the 1800 U.S. Census of New Haven does not have a young daughter associated with his name in that record.^[13]

Another possibility is that Betsey's surname was Meloy, since there is some evidence of a Betsey Meloy of Orange, of which West Haven was then a part, marrying a Mr. Smith, and "Meloy" often resembles "McCoy" in the written records; but, this is still merely speculative, especially since the written marriage record clearly lists "McCoy."^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ West Haven, Connecticut, First Congregational Church Records, Vol. 5, p. 58 (showing that "Miss Betsey McCoy" became a member of the church "by profession" in 1818).
2. ↑ West Haven, Connecticut, First Congregational Church Records, Vol. 5, p. 58 (showing that "Miss Betsey McCoy" became a member of the church "by profession" in 1818).
3. ↑ New Haven (Connecticut), Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 4:5, Philemon Smith–Betsey McCoy marriage, 1820; FHL microfilm [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BT-BSB7-2?i=84&cat=580583].
4. ↑ 1830 U.S. Census (household includes 2 white males under 5, 1 white male between 5 and 10, 1 white female under 5, and 1 white female between 5 and 10).
5. ↑ 1840 U.S. Census (household includes 2 white males between 10 and 15 and 1 white female between 10 and 15).
6. ↑ Death record of Eliza Smith, Monroe vital records
7. ↑ David Smith Death Naugatuck (Connecticut), Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 5:7 (Deaths), David Smith death, 1898; FHL microfilm [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BY-Z91F-8].
8. ↑ Charles Smith Death Shelton (Connecticut), Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 3:484–485, Charles Smith death, 1889; FHL microfilm [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BY-Z9B9-G?i=166&cat=518460].
9. ↑ Death record of Mary Jane Smith, Oxford vital records
10. ↑ Pearl Smith Death Oxford (Connecticut), Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1:384–385, Pearl Smith death, 1883; FHL microfilm [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BY-D3C4-R].
11. ↑ 1870 U.S. census, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, population schedule, Newtown Post Office, p. 696 (stamped), dwelling 13, family 15, Phillemon and Betsey Smith; NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 545,597 [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DC57-9PC?i=1&cc=1438024].
12. ↑ New Haven, CT: Families of Ancient New Haven Vol 5 page 1157
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRS-79M : accessed 25 May 2018), Will Mccoy, New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing p. 47, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 2; FHL microfilm 205,619.
14. ↑ New Haven Register of Probate Records, Vol. 36 (1825–1826), p. 164, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892K-SXKM (showing Betsy Smith as receiving share of David Meloy's estate).

Other Sources

U.S. Censuses

• 1830 U.S. census, Oxford, New Haven County, Connecticut, p. 266 (stamped), line 11 (unmarked), "Philemon Smith"; NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 9, FHL microfilm 2,802 [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYY1-S9MC?cc=1803958].

• 1840 U.S. census, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, p. 274 (stamped), line 21 (unmarked), "Philemon Smith"; NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 22, FHL microfilm 3,018 [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBW-VPB?i=30&cc=1786457].

• 1850 U.S. census, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, population schedule, p. 7 (stamped), dwelling 91, family 102, Philemon and Betsey Smith; NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 37 [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-68YS-DMX?i=11&cc=1401638].

• 1860 U.S. census, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, population schedule, p. 477 (stamped), dwelling 435, family 456, Philemon and Betsey Smith; NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 73 [available on FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBR-SZZ?i=50&cc=1473181].

Church Records

• West Haven, Connecticut, First Congregational Church Records: 1724-1916, Volume 5 (12 Vols.), p. 58 (CSL CT Church Records Reel # 86) (showing that "Miss Betsey McCoy" became a member of the church "by profession" in 1818).

Land Records

• Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Register of Deeds, 37:513; FHL microfilm. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.

• Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Land Records, Warrantees, Mortgages, and Quitclaims, 44:187; FHL microfilm. Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.

Secondary Sources & Other Collections

• Charles R. Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629–1934, Headstone Inscriptions Town of Oxford, Connecticut, Riverside Cemetery (219-6), p. 52, "Smith, Phileman" and "Smith, Betsey, wife of Phileman" (Hartford, Connecticut, December 1937); [scan available on Ancestry].