Joseph BOYCE

                   NOTE:
      Historical detail in PAF Notes


Biography from: Genealogical and personal Memoirs of Worch ester County, vol. 1, pp 917-922."BOYCE FAMILY. Joseph Boyes (1), the immigrant ancest or of Franklin James Boyce, of Worchester, was born in Engl and about 1815. The name is also spelled Boyce and Boyse . It is of French origin meaning Wood and probably dates b ack to the Norman conquest. Du Bois is still a common nam e in France. In Scotland, whence came the Boyes family o f America, either directly or from the branches settled i n Ulster province, Ireland, the family home is in Forfarshi re. Joseph Boyes, who came to America, was a tanner by tra de. He settled in Salem, where he was a proprietor in 1639 . He was admitted to the church there April 7, 1640 and wa s made a freeman May 18, 1642. He sold his house and lan d in 1657. But little is known of him. His will was date d November 4, 1684 and proved February 18, 1694-5, bequeath ing to his wife Eleanor, son Joseph; daughters Mary Southwi ck; Hester (???);and Elizabeth Hanson; to Joseph's children , Joseph and Benjamin.The children of Joseph and Eleanor Boyes were: Hester , baptized February 21, 1640; Eliza ir Elizabeth, baptize d at Slaem, March 6, 1642, married (???) Hanson; Josep, o f whom later; Benjamin, baptized May 16, 1647, died befor e 1684; Mary married (???) Southwick." There is a will re ferred to in TAG 73:23, 1998. From Gravesend, England to B arbados in the "Expedition" 11/20/1635, Joseph was grante d 10 acres in Salem, Ma. 7/10/1640. He became a member of 1 st Church, Salem 4/4/1640 and was admitted freeman 5/18/164 2. He was associated with the Quakers in 1661. He was disc harged from military training on account of his trade a s a tanner 12/26/1648. He was fined on 12/10/1661 and agai n 11/28/1662 for "absence from meeting" at the 1st Church . At this time he was permitting the meetings of the Socie ty of Friends to be held at his home. The following inform ation is from information provided by C.A. Torrey to a gene alogy produced by Ralph E. Boyce of Nassau, NY The New Eng land Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 14, pp.357- 358 contains a list of men who were to be transported on th e "Expedition" from Gravesend, England to Barbados. This li st, dated Nov. 20, 1635, mentions Joesph Boyce, aged 24 yea rs. He appears to be the Joseph Boyce. who deposed in Esse x Co., Mass., June 25, 1669, aged about 60 years. Ages ment ioned in shipping lists and depositions are not always reli able. It seems safe to assume that Joseph Boyce was born a bout 1610. He is mentioned, Dec. 9, 1639, in the Salem rec ords as follows: "Joseph Boys desireth to be an inhabitant e and to have accomod." On July 10, 1640, he was granted " 10 acres of land to be layd out on Cape Annes side". He be came a member of the First Church in Salem, April 4, 1640 , and four of his children were baptized there. He was adm itted Freeman, May 18, 1642. Dec. 26 1648 , he was dischar ged from military training on account of his trade as a tan ner "the court considering the damage that might befall him self and others if he could not, when occasion required, ha ve liberty to handle his leather." As early as 1661, Josep h Boyce associated with the members of the Society of Frien ds, commonly known as the Quakers, and discontinued attenda nce at the meetings of the First Church, Salem. He was fin ed Dec. 10, 1661 and again Nov. 28, 1662 for "absence fro m meeting". In spite of these fines and others afterward , he not only persisted in his refusal to attend the Firs t Church but permitted the meeting of the Society of Friend s to take place in his house. His daughters Mary, Ester an d Elizabeth were also presented for absence from meeting, b ut no mention of his wife is made in this connection. Pres umably she attended the services at First Church. The Quake r burying ground in Salem was on land which Joseph Boyce co nveyed to Thomas Maule and others, June 10, 1680 for use a s a cemetery. Joseph Boyce married, probably about 1636, E leanor Plover, who was mentioned in his will, dated Nov. 4 , 1684, proved Feb. 18, 1695/95. He als
o mentioned his so n Joseph, daughters Mary and Hester Southwick, Elizabeth Ha nson and grandsons Joseph and Benjamin Boyce, sons of his s on Joseph. Information about Joseph Boyce's land is give n in the Essex Antiquarian, vols. 5,6 and 7. He lived in th e part of Salem which is now the town of Peabody (The Histo ry of Salem Massachusetts, vol. 2, 1638-1670, p. 76}. Hi s eldest daughter was probably born on the Island of Barbad os. The other children were born in Salem and baptized i n Salem First Church. ======================== "The Josep h Boyce Genealogy" by C. A. Torrey and R. E. Boyce. TAG 73 :23, 1998.TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: The Puzzling Will of Rebecc a Bacon, with the English Origins of Rebecca Potter, Wife o f William(1) Bacon, Ann Potter, Wife of Anthony(1) Needham , and Joseph(1) and Eleanor (Plover) Boyce of Salem, Massac husetts by John C. Brandon and Janet Ireland Delorey The A merican Genealogist, Vol. 71, no.4. ========================