Greetings!
I believe I may just have made an exciting breakthrough for those of us long
at a loss to trace the origins of Solomon CHAFFIN's wife (this Solomon is the
one who lived from 1779 to 1855). Her name has always been given as Isabella
or Phebe McCOY or McKOY and her birthdate as 29 [sic] or 28 February 1783.
Various sources give her birthplace as either Virginia or Pennsylvania.
Today, in frustration, I tried looking on the net for anyone named 'Isabella'
born at the end of February, 1783 (a huge number, I know, but I was
desperate). I eventually found 'Isabella McILROY,' daughter of Daniel McILROY
and Rebecca PYOTT, born 28 February 1783 (or, according to LDS, on the *29th*)
in Loudon Co., Virginia (according to LDS, again, at Back Creek, Frederick
Co.). SIGNIFICANTLY, her family removed to Ross Co., Ohio at the very same
time as the CHAFFIN family did. We know that Isabella/Phebe CHAFFIN was
illiterate, and in such cases names are very easily distorted, e.g. CHALFIN
--> CHAFFIN).
I know this isn't conclusive, but it's certainly very tantalising. For my
part, I'm tentatively going to accept the substitution of McILROY for McCOY,
and assume it's the same person, while I do more research to find evidence one
way or the other.