James Hoy was born in the County Louth, Ireland about 1794 and came to America in the first wave of Irish Immigrants in the 1830s. Available records and DNA matches make it likely that he was born in the small townland of Newragh which is in the parish of Darver and is about 8 miles southwest of the county town Dundalk and that his parents were James Hoy and Catherine McCullin.
There were at least 6 children in the family:
- Thomas who was born on the 3rd of April, 1788. Sponsors: Thomas Gartlany and Ann Maginnis
- Hugh who was born on the 3rd of April, 1790. Sponsors: Patrick Maginnis and Mary Tagert
- Mary who was born on the 4th of April, 1792. Sponsors: Neal Harrill and Margaret Maginness
- James who was born on the 16th of May, 1794. Sponsors: Daniel McCart and Mary Lynn
- Margaret who was born on the 4th of July, 1796. Sponsors: Chris Fitzsimmons and Mary Kindelan
- Edward who was born on the 8th of December, 1798. Sponsors: Patrick Byrne and Mary Manville
He married Margaret Phelan on April 30th, 1834 at St. John's Church in Newark, NJ. He arrived in New York City from Liverpool before February 1833. James and Margaret lived in Newark, New Jersey where they stayed for 11 years and where three of the children were born. The family moved to Easton, Pennsylvania in 1845.
- James took out citizenship papers in 1860 in Easton.
- 1850 census: Residence - Williams Twp, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Listed as a Laborer.
- 1860 census: Residence - Williams Twp, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Listed as a Laborer at furnace.
- Burial: St Joseph's Church, Easton, PA.
- Margaret Hoy, b. 1836 NJ.
- Sarah J Hoy, b. 1842 NJ, d. 30 Jan 1889, Easton, PA.
- Kate Hoy, b. 1844 NJ. d. 13 May 1877, Easton, PA.
- Mary Hoy, b. 1845 Easton PA.
- Rosanna Hoy, b. 1846 Easton PA.
- Thomas Hoy, b. 19 Feb 1849, Easton, PA, d. 14 Jun 1912, Easton, PA.
- John Hoy, d. 1862, Easton, PA.
Margaret Phelan was born about 1810 and died in 1858 in Easton, PA. She was also known as Maeve.
Available records and DNA matches make it likely that she was born in northern County Kilkenny, Ireland near Castlecomer. She married James Hoy on April 30th, 1834 at St. John's Church in Newark, NJ. where there was a strong Kilkenny presence due to people fleeing the Tithe War in Ireland. Castlecomer was an important coal mining area and many Castlecomer people immigrated to the Lower Coal Region in Pennsylvania.
James and Margaret lived in Newark, New Jersey where they stayed for 11 years. Three of the children were born in Newark. The family moved to Easton, PA in 1845 just as the first of the refugees from the Great Hunger began to arrive. The only surviving son was to marry a daughter of one such family, the Lynches.
- 1850 census: Residence - Williams, Northampton, Pennsylvania.
- Burial: St Joseph's Church, Easton, PA.
Her story can be found here.
Philip Lynch was born on the 15th of August 1824 in Kells County Meath, Ireland, and died on the 13th of November 1895 in Easton, PA. He married Mary McInerny about 1852. He had two brothers and was known as 'Scrapper'.
- 1860 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Listed as a Laborer.
- 1870 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Listed as a Laborer.
- 1880 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania. Listed as a Huckster.
- In the 1880 census his sons were listed as railroad men and printers.
- Burial: St Joseph's Church, Easton, PA.
Children of Phil Lynch and Mary McInerny are:
- Elizabeth Lynch , b. 14 Dec 1852, Easton, PA, d. 25 Jul 1933, Easton, PA.
- Francis, b. 1849, Easton, PA.
- Maria, b. 1850, Easton, PA.
- Edward, b. 1855, Easton, PA.
- Philip, b. 1857, Easton, PA.
- Michael, b. 1859, Easton, PA.
- Mary, b. 1861, Easton, PA.
- James, b. 1864, Easton, PA.
- Ellen, b. 1867, Easton, PA.
Mary McInerny was born in January 1828 in Castlekeeran, County Meath, Ireland, and died 06 July 1911 in Easton, PA. She arrived in Easton in 1846 with her brother and sister, Hugh and Mary.
- She married Philip Lynch about 1852.
- She arrived from Ireland 1846.
- 1860 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania.
- 1870 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania.
- 1880 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania.
- 1900 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania. She was listed as a widow living with her children Francis and Ellen.
- 1910 census: Residence - South Easton, Northampton, Pennsylvania. She was listed as a widow living with her children Francis and Ellen. They were neighbors with her daughter Elizabeth and Thomas Hoy
- Burial: St Joseph's Church, Easton, PA.
