The Hoyt's are an old, 1600's, colonial family, and the name is found as Haight, Hayt, Hyatt, Hoit, and several other variations. In New Brunswick the spelling seems fairly consistently Hoyt. Essentially out of Connecticut, they spread into Westchester Co., NY (Quakers) and are eventually found throughout the continent.
I believe the New Brunswick families were primarily Loyalists arriving in 1783. Notably there was Azor Hoyt in Kings Co., NB, and Israel Hoyt also in Kings Co. Others were James, Jesse, Joseph, Munson (York Co., NB), Stephen, Sylvanus and William (Sunbury Co.)
Some information on some of the early family groups is at:
http://www.nbgs.ca/firstfamilies/FAMILY-H-2006.pdfSee also:
http://www.rubycusack.com/Book-Azor-Hoyt.htmlhttp://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbkings/Hamp/ki-d05.htmlhttp://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op...In Sunbury Co., NB there are numerous Hoyt's, but not, apparently, amongst the Maugerville-Sheffield pre-Loyalists. See, for example, the Sheffield Township Record Book which was first used in Maugerville, at:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nbsunbur/birth01.htmBy 1851 there was a Violetta Hoyt and a William Hoyt in Burton Parish. Apparently siblings boarding with William and Laura Ann Davis. William Hoyt was b. NB ca. 1801, a labourer and lame at the time. Violetta was also enumerated in Lincoln Parish in 1851, living with Anthony R. Hatch and his wife, Charlotte McFarland.
There was the family of Joseph and Elizabeth Hoyt in Burton Parish.
In Blissville Parish the family is more numerous with 49 Hoyt's listed. See:
http://automatedgenealogy.com/censusnb51/SurnameSearch.jsp?s...The eldest William Hoyt was b. ca. 1782, but in b. in NB, this is unlikely. Either he was b. in the US and arrived as a child in 1783, or was b. 1783 or after. He is likely the Wm Hoyt, Esq. who d. Blissville Parish 8MAR1867 age 85 years. The 'Esq.', suggests that he was a Justice-of-the-Peace.
There was also a Mary Hoyt b. ca. 1762. She is given as English and arrived JUN1763. If she arrived in 1763 she was likely one of the Maugerville pre-Loyalists. If a Loyalist, then she arrived JUN1783, not 1763. She lives with Andrew and 'Lidia' Mersereau. She is given as Lydia Hoyt, likely Mary's daughter.
Judging by an index to Land petitions, William (ca. 1782-1867) is most likely a s/o Joseph of of William Hoyt. Joseph and William, Sr. clearly were connected as they petitioned together. I rather suspect that Joseph was the father as He arrived in the 'Two Sisters' from Connecticut in 1783 with a wife and 6 children. At the NBGS web site referred to above, Joseph's family is:
HOYT: Joseph Hoyt born c1765 probably in CT, d. 1843, s/o William Hoyt: came
to NB in 1763 and settled at Hoyt, Blissville Parish, Sunbury County: m. in Sunbury
County, Mary Ann Hayward b. c1762 Canterbury, Kent County, England, died after
1851 d/o George Hayward and Ann Durley of Lincoln, Sunbury County:
Children born in Sunbury County:
1) William Hoyt born 23 May 1781, d. 9 Mar 1867, m. c1800 Nancy Wyatt born
c1781, died 28 Sep 1848: settled in Blissfield Parish, Sunbury County and had nine
children:
2) Annie Hoyt b. c1783, bp. 29 Nov 1787, married Israel Tracy b. in NB, s/o
Jeremiah Tracy and Sarah Leighton: went to Ontario:
3) Rebecca Hoyt b. c1787, bp. 29 Nov 1787, married Joseph Thomas: moved to
Ontario:
4) Isabella Hoyt born c1791, died 30 Apr 1883 at North Branch, Oromocto, married
Lawrence Mersereau born c1792 in Sunbury County, bur. Jan 1891, s/o Lawrence
Mersereau and Hester Taylor: the couple settled in Blissfield Parish, Sunbury
County and had ten children:
5) Chloe Hoyt b. c1796 Sunbury County, m. 25 Sep 1817 in Sunbury County, Azor
Smith born in Sunbury County, s/o Daniel Smith and Nancy Kellog:
6) Mary Ann Hoyt born c1798 in Sunbury County, d. 23 Jun 1850, m. 18 Jan 1815 in
Sunbury County, William E. Smith b. c1789 in Sunbury County, died 28 Mar 1875,
s/o Daniel Smith and Nancy Kellogg: they settled in Blissfield Parish, Sunbury
County and had nine children:
7) Elizabeth Hoyt b. c1799, married 22 Dec 1820 in Sunbury County, Walter
Patterson born c1801 in Ireland, d. 24 Aug 1856: settled in Oromocto, NB and had at
least three children:
8) John Hoyt b. 12 Sep 1800, d. 6 Jan 1887, m. 24 Mar 1824 in York County, Ruth
Jones born 19 Nov 1806 in York County, d. 27 Mar 1889, d/o Richard Jones and
Mary Boone: settled at Hoyt Station in Blissfield Parish, Sunbury County and had
twelve children:
9) Lydia Hoyt born c1806, d. 2 May 1877, m. 7 Jul 1824 in Sunbury County,
Andrew Mersereau b. 1800 Sunbury County, d. 25 May 1886, s/o Lawrence
Mersereau and Hester Taylor: settled in Blissfield Parish, Sunbury County and had
nine children.
Sources: MC1/Hoyt #1, 1 page: John C. Tracy Book, Fredericton Junction: see
MC1396 George Hayward Collection, MS1 and MS6: see also MC80/993 David W.
Hoyt’s A genealogy of the Hoyt, Haight and Hight families, pages 617-618: see also
MC80/1397 Daniel F. Johnson’s New Brunswick lineages, pages 267-269: see also
MC80/2507 Katie H. Mott’s The Hoyts: a Louisiana / Canada connection: see
MC80/2706 Sharon Knorr’s Hoyt pioneer cemetery, pages 6-8: see also
MC1/Hayward #2,5, 6 pages: see also MC1396 George Hayward genealogical
collection, MS26 Joseph and Mary (Hayward) Hoyt and some of their descendants
1765-2001, 120 pages: see also MC80/2849 Dorothy G. Prescott et al. A genealogical
history of the Prescott, Hoyt and related families which claims that Joseph Hoyt b. 12
Oct 1750 at Stamford, Fairfield County, CT, s/o Joseph Hoyt and Jane King: m. (1st)
Hannah Seely b. 1751 in Stamford, CT and had eight children: m. (2nd) Mary Ann
Hayward b. 1762 at Canterbury, Kent County, England, d. 1851, d/o Edward
Hayward and Elizabeth Spratt: had nine children: birth dates differ among sources.
and not only is William his son, but Mary is his widow. Looking at the Hayward's on the same page we see she did arrive in 1763. The elder William who petitions with him is likely:
HOYT: William Hoyt born in CT: came to NB and settled on the Saint John River:
his wife’s name is not provided:
Children:
1) Joseph Hoyt married Mary Ann Hayward and had issue:
2) William Hoyt married and had at least nine children:
3) one or more daughters.
Sources: MC80/993 David W. Hoyt’s A genealogy of the Hoyt, Haight and Hight
families, pages 617, 618: see also MC80/2507 Katie H. Mott’s The Hoyts: a
Louisiana/Canada connection.
So the question becomes, 'Which William Hoyt do you seek?'
Thomas