Peter Fite Hoyle was my ggg grandfather. His father was Adam Hoyle and his mother was Catherine Fite of North Carolina. Catherine died giving birth to Peter. Our first Hoyle in this country was Peiter Hoyle, who immigrated to America in 1738 on the ship Robert and Alice. He settled in North Carolina with his wife Catherine Dales. Their son Michael, married Margaret Costner. Their son, Adam was the father of Peter and 6 other children by wife Catherine. After her death, he married Sarah Rhyne and moved with the family to Gwinnett County, Georgia. Much of my Hoyle history came from the book, Peiter Heyl and His Descendants by Elizabeth Hoyle Rucker. After the move to Georgia, she seems to have lost track of Adam and Peter Hoyle.
Peter Fite Hoyle was prosperous physician and early settler of Dekalb County, Georgia. He had a large plantation in Decatur on the site where Agnes Scott College now stands. Ironically, my daughter graduated from Agnes Scott in 1994. A testament to his character can be found in a narrative given by one of his former slaves. He was a member of the Pythagoria's Lodge in Decatur, serving as its Grand Master in 1848, 1850-1852, 1854, 1859, 1862. In his book, Atlanta and Environs, historian Franklin Garrett noted that 1871 saw the death of several prosperous citizens, one of whom was Dr. Peter Fite Hoyle.
Peter was first married to Margaret Kirkpatrick, who died the same year their daughter, Margaret, was born, possibly in childbirth,just as Peter's mother had. He then married Mrs. Elizabeth Dougherty Pittman, widow of Hiram Pittman of Norcross, GA.. Both their spouses died in 1839. She had four children with Hiram and married married Petr Hoyle around 1840. They became the parents of 3 daughters, Georgia, Fredonia and Sarah Ella.
Georgia Hoyle married John Quincy Adams and had a son named Percy, who became a Judge in Atlanta. Fredonia married William Haddock and lived in Jacksonville Florida. Now, here comes the mystery. My great grandmother, Doris Summerville was a grandchild of Peter Fite Hoyle. She was raised by her Aunt Georgia and Uncle JQ Adams at their plantation in Wilkes County, Georgia. The family history says her mother died in childbirth and her father abandonded her. Sarah Ella is the only daughter left unaccounted for. Marriage records in Decatur show that she married F. (Ferdinand) Starr Gregory in 1868. At the time of the 1870 census, Sarah Ella was living at home with Peter Fite Hoyle and wife Elizabeth. Census records show F. Starr Gregory in Floyd County Georgia that year. Doris Summerville was born in 1871. Which raises the question of why there are no records indicating marriage with the unknown Summerville? F. Starr Gregory is on the census again in 1880 in Clarke County Georgia with 2 children, one of whom is a daughter, Hermione, who has the exact birthdate as Doris Summerville. Family history says that Hermione "died" in Wilkes County, just about the time Doris went to live with her Aunt and Uncle in Wilkes County. F. Starr Gregory moved to Florida, remarried and had more children. I have not been able to locate a potential Summerville as Doris' father. Perhaps Sarah and F. Starr Gregory were separated during the 1870 census, which in those days, sufficed for a divorce. Perhaps she married Mr. Summerville, had Doris and died, but supporting records have not been found.
Peter and Elizabeth Hoyle moved to Florida in 1870, probably due to illness, dying in Jacksonville in 1871 at the age of 54. He and Elizabeth are buried in the Old City Cemetery in Jacksonville. |
