Alfred's parents married near present day Hunstsville, Alabama in July 1809 and census records indicate that Alfred was born the following year. The area was still part of the Mississippi territory and on the edge of the frontier. The family remained in the area for close to 20 years before moving to Calloway County, Kentucky. The first record of Alfred that I find is dated December 9th, 1834 when his maternal grandfather, Joseph Greenwood, sold him 160 acres of land in Calloway County, KY. I suspect this was around the time that Alfred married his wife Jane, a native of Kentucky who was born 1816.
Mormon Missionary
In October 1835 William Woodruff, a 26 year old Mormon missionary visited the area. Among those he baptized were Alfred Loy and his cousin Benjamin Lynn Clapp. In April 1837 Alfred Loy was ordained an elder in the Mormon church for Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. He then accompanied Elder H.G. Sherwood who led the group from Kentucky to Missouri. They must have left immediatly since in June and July of 1837 Alfred purchased land in Caldwell County, Missouri. On June 11th, 1838 Alfred, along with his cousin Benjamin L. Clapp, accompanied Isaac Allred on a mission from the vicinity of Far West, Missouri to St. Louis and then down the Mississippi and up the Ohio to the Tennessee River. From there they traveled together until they got to Warren County, Kentucky. Allread remained in the area to continue his mission, but Alfred Loy and his cousin moved on elsewhere. In the fall of that year the "Mormon War" erupted in Missouri and by October leaders in Far West surrendered and most of the Mormon's relocated to Nauvoo, Illinois. I've not found any further mention of Alfred Loy in the Mormon records, however his aunt Margaret Loy Clapp and her son Benjamin L. Clapp remained with the church. They resided in Nauvoo and after the expulsion from there they resided in Salt Lake City. In 1845 Benjamin Clapp was set aside as one of the Seven Presidents of the Seventy. He later came into conflict with Bishop Warren Snow and was excommunicated from the church.
Illinois and California
Alfred Loy next appears in the 1840 Federal Census residing near Silver Creek in northwestern Madison County, Illinois. By 1850 Alfred's wife and children were living in Perry County, Illinois and Alfred was residing in Louisville, Eldorado County, California working as a laborer. Family story tells us that Alfred was among others who are now known to us as "forty-niners". It's uncertain how well Alfred succeeded, but with in a year he returned to Illinois. In 1853 Alfred, along with his wife and children and the families of two of his sisters and a younger brother, Henry G. Loy, headed west by wagon train. The following was written by Alfred's niece, Minnie Snyder.
"Dr. Alfred Loy was the oldest in the family and when they all went to California at the time of the Gold rush - Pa, the doctor, and several of their sisters were in the wagon train that crossed the plains in the covered wagons. It took them six months to make the trip out to California; one of Pa's sisters died and they had to leave her there and then when they got to Salt Lake City, Utah, they go mixed up with the Mormons and those who escaped had to go by night, and Dr. Loy was there when Pa would tell us about his trip across (but what ever became of him we do not know)."
I along with several other researchers have attempted to find out what happened to Alfred, but we've been unsuccessful. Minnie's stepfather, Henry G.Loy returned to Illinois within a few years of the journey to California and remained there the rest of his life. She indicates that Alfred was with her father when she heard the story, which would indicate that Alfred returned to Illinois sometime after 1878 when her mother married Henry G. Loy. No Alfred Loy (or numerous variations thereof) of the correct age and birthplace have been found in the 1860, 1870 or 1880 Federal Census. Research in California shows that his daughter, Martha Jane, was married in Prairie City, Sacramento County, California in 1856 and lived out her live in Merced County, California. His young son James died in Prairie City, California in 1858. His daughter Mary Ann married in 1859 in Analy Township, Sonoma County, California and also lived out her life in Merced County, California. His daughter Elisabeth married in Mariposa County, California in 1860 and she and her husband then disappear from records. His son Alfred was living in Fresno, California in 1876, moving to Merced County in 1877, where he died in 1878.
After so many adventures in life, what happened to Alfred? What was his view on the Mormon church after the events in Far West and Nauvoo. The records leave us with a great story with the last few chapters torn out. I want to know how the story continued and ultimately ended for Alfred and his wife Jane.
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