Lydia Davey Colby Has Been Found!

The final whereabouts of my husband’s great-grandfather’s sister, Lydia Nicholas Davey, was unknown until now.

What Was Known

She was born 1 April 1841 in Bristol, England.[1] The family was living in Bedminster Parish of Bristol in 1841 and the two youngest children of Thomas Davey and Mary Nicholas, including Lydia, were born in the county.[2]

By 1851, her family were living in London in the Burrough of Greenwich.[3] Sometime before 1854, the family had arrived in the United States. She was baptized at St. Peter’s Methodist Church in Reading, Pennsylvania on 12 March 1854 along with her sister, Mary Jane Davey.[4]

All that was known about her was from the listing of the survivors for both of her parents. In February 1886, she was Mrs. Lydia Jackson of New York City.[5] In September 1893, she was Mrs. Lida M. Colbey of New York.[6] She supposedly had twin boys, Albert and Alfred.

Well she was found in New York City in 1883, living at 185 Prince. Her name was Lydia Jackson, widow of John.[7] However in the same year, a newspaper account of Mrs Lydia Colby of New York City was visiting her mother, Mrs. Thomas Davy of Jeffersonville.[8]

In 1884, she was living at 269 Elizabeth in New York City as Lydia Jackson, still widow of John.[9] She lived at 203 Bleecker in 1885.[10] The following year she lived at 185 Prince.[11]

New Search Leads To Finding

A search in the “New York State Death Index, 1880-1956” found on FamilySearch brought up a possible candidate for Lydia. “Lydia N Colby, died 9 February 1914, Patchogue, Suffolk Co, New York, no. 11382). The first and last name matched names she was using. Her middle name was Nicholas. They really could be her.

New York State Death Index

I found her in the 1900 and 1910 census with her son, Thomas A. Colby:

• In 1900, she had moved out to Long Island and was living in Patchogue Village with a son, Thomas A., who was born in July 1863.[12]

• In 1910, she was living at 267 Cedar with Thomas H Colby.[13]

Newspaper research revealed the entry into probate her estate. Her estate was worth $5000, with bequests to Thomas A. Colby the house on Cedar Street, and homestead, bungalow, personal effects and residue to Thomas A Colby and James A. Colby, sons.[14]

So there were two sons, Thomas A Colby and James A Colby. Were they the result of the marriage to an unknown Colby man? She seemed to also have been married to John Jackson.

There are many more research opportunities from the information gathered here:

• Get land records for home in Patchogue .
• Get probate records for Lydia N. Colby.
• Find marriage records for marriage to John Jackson and to ?? Colby.
• Obtain death certificate for Thomas A. Colby, to see who are named as his parents.
• Look for marriage record for Thomas A. Colby to see who are named as his parents. He married Esther Webber sometime near the death of his mother.
• Probate record might give location for brother, James A. Colby.

It is wonderful to know what had happened to Lydia Davey. The clerk sent me a copy of the death certificate, but it is so difficult to read. I will send away for the state’s copy. It will take many months but hopefully it will be more legible. What I'm hoping to be able to read are the names of her parents and the place where she is buried.

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[1] Family data, Thomas Davey Family Bible, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Moore, Wilstch, Keyes & Company, 1859); original owned by [address for private use], transcription done by Mary Davey Korn, granddaughter of Thomas Davey.

[2] 1841 England Census, Somerset, Bedminster, Bristol, folio 41 recto, line 11, Thomas Davey, digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2012); PRO HO 107/376/4, GSU roll 288785, citing The National Archives of UK, London.

[3] 1851 England Census, Kent, Deptford, St. Nicholas parish, page 5-6, household 24, Thomas Davey, digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2012); PRO HO 107/1585, GSU roll 174822, citing The National Archives of UK, London.

[4] Central United Methodist (Reading, Pennsylvania), Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania., St. Peter's Church, Baptisms p 1, Lydia Davey baptism; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 June 2012).

[5] "Thomas Davey," Jeffersonville (Indiana) Daily News, 9 Feb 1886, p. 2, digital image, NewspaperArchive (http://newspaperarchive.com).

[6] "Death of Mrs. Mary Davey," Jeffersonville (Indiana) News, 19 Sep 1893, p 4.

[7] New York City Register (New York: The Trow City Directory Company), 1883, p. 932, Lydia Jackson; digital image, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 13 June 2016).

[8] No title," Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), 11 May 1883, p. 8; digital image, ProQuest (http://proquest.com : accessed ), Historical Newspapers.

[9] New York City Register (New York: The Trow City Directory Company), 1884, p. 829, Lydia Jackson; digital image, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed 13 June 2016).

[10] Ibid, 1885, p. 854, Lydia Jackson.

[11] Ibid, 1886, p. 932, Lydia Jackson.

[12] 1900 U.S. census, Suffolk Co, New York, Brookhaven (Patchogue Village), ED 750, sht 14b, 330/342, Lydia N Colby, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), T623, roll 1165.

[13] 1910 U.S. census, Suffolk Co, New York, Brookhaven, ED 1355, sht 2a, p 235, 38/38, Lydia N Colby household, digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com), NARA T624, roll 1081.

[14] “Suffolk Surrogate’s Court,” The Suffolk County News, 27 Feb 1914, p. 6, digital image, NYS Historic Newspapers (http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org).

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