Jacob Foy (1733 - 1786)

• Frederick Foy, b. Abt. 1767, Jones Co., NC; d. Jan 29, 1838, Carroll Co., MS.

In the State Census for Jones Co NC in 1784-1787 Jacob reported his household included one male under 21, one female, 4 blacks age 12-50 and 5 blacks younger than 12 or older than 50. (His son, Frederick, his wife, Elizabeth, and 9 slaves). Jacob reported himself over 21 & less than 60, thus his earliest birth date would have been 1726. But the birth dates of his immediate siblings confine Jacob to about 1731-1735, so we choose 1733 making Jacob age 53 at death in 1786.

The State Census is of little help in determining son Frederick's birth date. All we can deduce is that he was born later than 1765=1766. In 1779 Jacob was amongst those inhabitants of Craven Co NC who petitioned for the formation of a new county (Jones County) to be carved out of the lower part of Craven Co. Emanuel Simmons, Thomas Foy, William Foy, Frederick Foy, Daniel Simmons, James Simmons, Abraham B Simmons and Benjamin Simmons also appear on this petition which bears about 240 signatures. The Craven County courthouse in New Bern was too far away from those who lived on the upper reaches of the Trent River because transportation was limited to the use of horses, boats or one's own feet.

The book ABSTRACTS of the RECORDS of JONES COUNTY NORTH Carolina 1779-1868, v.1, by Zae Hargett Gwinn, includes Jacob's will on p. 344. The original will is filed in the Jones Co., Will Book, Vol A, page 47. (see below) Jacob's wife was Elizabeth Simmons, daughter of Emanuel Simmons, the latter being one of the witnesses to Jacob's will. Note also that Jacob chose his brother Frederick, not his son Frederick, as one of his executors, implying that his son was less than age 21. John Simmons was a brother of Elizabeth Simmons. Miriam (?) Simmons hasn't been identified.

In addition to brother Frederick, Jacob had John Foy, Thomas Foy and James Foy as brothers. Thomas Foy, in his will, named James and Frederick as brothers and identified a nephew, Frederick, as the son of Jacob.
Lemuel Hatch Jr was a son of Lemuel Hatch. Lemuel Hatch Sr died in 1790 after serving as a sheriff for many years. The Foy, Hatch and Simmons families were all landowners and neighbors, as well as relatives in some cases.

In a Jones Co deed dtd 12 Dec 1788 Elizabeth Foy deeded her land-inheritance, bequeathed by Jacob, to her son Frederick, retaining her life estate. This establishes a benchmark to the effect that Frederick must have been an adult at least 21 years old in 1788 and must have been born not later than 1767. Note also that his father Jacob did not choose him as an executor of his own will in 1786, presumably because Frederick was less the 21 years old; giving him a birth date not earlier than 1765. Thus we conclude that Frederick, son of Jacob and father of Amos was born in 1766. If so he was age 72 at death.

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