OK DOTY’S—TIME TO TAKE IT BACK ANOTHER GENERATION

I’ve written about my Doty ancestry often. Earlier this month I remembered the anniversary of my Grandfather Frank Leroy Doty’s marriage to Grandma Viola Lillian Wilson. Workday Wednesday, Lewis Penny Doty, Iceman featured Great Grandfather Lewis P. Doty. Albert Doty and the Girl Next Door highlighted 2nd Great Grandfather’s life with Grandmother Fannie Jane Bennett. I introduced 3^rd Great Grandfather in Census Sunday, John Doty, Farmer,Wawayanda, Orange Co., NY.

This brings the Doty pedigree to 4^th Great Grandfather Isaac Doty from Minisink, New York. Isaac married Elizabeth “Betsey” Paddock about 1783 and they became the parents of ten children. Their third child, John Doty, born circa 1790 was my 3^rd great grandfather.

I learned about Isaac from Ethan Allen Doty’s book “The Doty-Doten Family in America, Descendants of Edward Doty, An Emigrant by the Mayflower, 1620”. Following is an excerpt from his work, page 359.

Ethan Allen Doty cited no documentation proving my 3^rd Great Grandfather John Doty was Isaac’s son. How did he know this? I explored the volume looking for an answer.

The author credited his interest in family history to an earlier Doty researcher, Rev. Silas Ketchum of Bristol, New Hampshire. In 1871 Rev. Ketchum sought Mr. Doty’s help to collect family records. The two worked together until Rev. Ketchum’s health failed him. Rev. Ketchum encouraged Ethan A. Doty to continue his work and The Doty-Doten Family in America was published in 1897.

I searched the book for more material about Isaac and Betsey’s children and found information for John and Joseph Doty. John’s entry was brief identifying his wife and children. No documentation to prove Isaac was his father.

Joseph’s write-up was a genealogical sparkler. Ethan A. Doty visited Joseph and his 2^nd wife, Mrs. Phebe Clinton Leonard, in 1878. The author writes about his time with them:

    “They were both living in 1878, when the writer called upon them, at Doty Hill, Ridgebury, [Bradford Co., PA] though the post office address was Wellsborough, Chemung Co., N. Y., to which place they removed, 1835, from Orange County. He was a prosperous farmer, and though seventy-eight years of age was in good health and in possession of all his faculties. Mrs. Doty furnished many particulars, giving addresses and history of many of the now widely separated family.” 

         Source: Doty-Doten Family in America, page 433

This interview cements the connection between Isaac and his children. I’m certain Joseph and Phebe provided the details for his parents and siblings. I’m so glad Ethan Allen Doty called on Uncle Joseph and Aunt Phebe.

Stay tuned for future posts about Isaac Doty and Betsey Paddock.