When Henry McCoy was born on August 3, 1803, in Doe Hill, Highland County, Virginia, his father, Benjamin, was 30 and his mother, Margaret nee Jones, was 21.

He married Mary Ann Bodkin on January 2, 1833, in Pendleton County, West Virginia when he was 29 years old.  They had 12 children in 22 years.

He died on November 10, 1862 from small pox, in Highland, Virginia, at the age of 59, and was buried there.