Nathan H., son of Luke Coye, was born May 22, 1817, in Naples, New York; died April 6, 1859. He had the homestead at South Bristol. He married, February 24, 1842, Lydia L. Brown, born June 8, 1819, died June 14, 1897, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Browne) Brown. Her father was born in Stonington, Connecticut, September 18, 1788, and died July 17, 1875. He lived at Bristol, New York. Her mother was born August 10, 1994, and died at Coxsackie, New York, November 4, 1886. Elmer N. Coye has a book which his great-grandfather, Luke Coye, bought in Rensselaerville, New York, in 1799, costing forty-six cents, containing a receipt from Israel Walker for one pound twelve shillings, under date of 1796.
Thomas Brown, father of Joseph, was born in Connecticut, April 28, 17-54; married there, June 1, 1976, Caty Cooper, and settled at Stonington, Connecticut, where they lived until December 1788, when they moved to Washington county, New York, and lived until 1796. Then they came to Herkimer county, New York, and resided until about 1830, when they moved to the north part of the state, near the Black River; in 1834 they moved again to South Bristol, Ontario county, New York, and lived with their sons, Warren Joseph and Denison, one year with each. Thomas Brown died in 1848, his wife in 1846. The mother of Caty (Cooper) Brown was a sister of Governor Hancock of New York. Thomas Brown was a soldier in the revolution, in 1795, in Captain Samuel Prentice’s company, enlisting May 8, 1775, discharged December 17, 1774, (see Conn. Rev. Rolls, p. 74).
Nathan H. Coye and wife were members of the Christian church. He was a farmer at South Bristol all his active life. Children of Nathan H. and Lydia L. (Brown) Cove: Almina L., born May 3, 1843, died October 15, 1852; Sabina E., born January 12, 1845, died October 24, 1852; Ella I., born September 25, 1846, died October 18, 1852; Milo J., born August 15, 1848, died October 20, 1852; Irene E., September ,8, 1850, died October 17, 1852; Elmer N., 1853, mentioned elsewhere; Elma E., born October 1, 1857, died April 8, 1858.
(VI) Elmer Nathan, son of Nathan H. Coye, was born at South Bristol, New York, two miles from Bristol Springs (North) Cheshire, `October 22, 1853. He attended the public schools of his native town, and was for four terms a student in the Naples Academy. He has devoted his energies mainly to farming on the homestead at South Bristol, where his grandfather, Luke Coye, first made his home. The farm is in sight of Canandaigua Lake, and beautifully located with respect to scenery. Mr. Coye has made the cultivation of grapes, berries and other fruits a specialty. At the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo he received a silver medal for grapes. He is progressive, enterprising and prosperous, keeping up with the advance in horticulture and agriculture, and taking advantage in good season of new methods and apparatus. He is a staunch Republican, and is active and influential in his party councils. He was elected supervisor of the town of South Bristol in 1893, and again in 1909. He has been assessor for three terms, a period of nine years; collector of taxes two terms; highway commissioner three years; justice of the peace four years. He is a member of John Hodge Lodge, No. 815, Free and Accepted Masons; of the K. O. T. M., No. 197, of Bristol Springs, and has been commander and record keeper of the K. O. T. M. since 1893; and of Academy Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. He and his family belong to the Bristol Springs Union church.
Mr. Coye has among other heirlooms an old wooden mortar and pestle brought from Connecticut by his ancestors, more than a century old. He married. February 10, 1880, at Cohocton, New York, Georgia J. Clapp, born in Bath, England, ,860, and came to this country in September, 1869. Her father, Charles C. Clapp, followed the sea for twentysix years. Her mother was Emily J. (Tennant) Clapp. Children: 1. Nathan C., born July 16, 1881 ; married Hattie Granby, May 16, 1909; was educated in the public schools and the Rochester Business University. 2. Elma E., born November 13, 1882; married George Demorist. 3. Earl R., born May 12. 1884, and have two children: Winifred J., born February 8, 1907, and Grace, born September 9, 1908. 4. Winifred L.. born May 27, 1889. 5. Herbert E.. November 16, 1892.