Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Joseph Boyer

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Descendants of Joseph Boyer

Generation No. 1

1. JOSEPH¹ BOYER was born May 04, 1794 in Virginia ¹, and died January 22, 1870 in Cedar County, Missouri ². He married ELIZABETH EWIN July 30, 1818 in Augusta County, Virginia. She was born August 14, 1800 in Virginia ³, and died January 23, 1881 in Edgar County, Illinois.

Notes for JOSEPH BOYER:
Joseph Boyer was Born in Virginia, May 4, 1794, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, serving under Welsh's Virginia Militia.
He and Betsy (Elizabeth Ewin) were married in Augusta Cnty, Va, on July 30, 1818, by the Reverand William King who was pastor at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Va.
Came with family in 1838 to Ashmore, Illinois, and later went to Missouri where he died January 22, 1870, in Cedar County, Missouri (or, according to his probate records, died "Near Humansville in Polk County"). Betsy moved back to Edgar County, Illinois, where she died January 23, 1881, and was buried in Redman, Illinois.
In his probate records, Joseph listed some farm equipment, horses, rocking chairs, etc; but nothing of great value. No land was included and the fact the Elizabeth went back to Illinois rapidly after Joseph's death would indicate that they were probably tenant farmers. Date of probate went on between 1870 and 1874.

Validating evidence of time of leaving Virginia for the west, as well as yet another spelling (Bowyer), is found on page 30 of a Staunton County court document: "Hogsett vs Michael et al: On 29 April 1838 George Michael went with John Michael Sr. to the house of Joseph Bowyer. Only Bowyer was at home as the rest of the family had started for the west. He left the evening of the same day. I heard they went first to Ohio thence to Illinois."

The marriage of Joseph and Elizabeth is listed in the book (Augusta County Marriages, 1748-1850?), occuring on the date mentioned. It calls her Betsey, which was a common nickname for Elizabeth.
The book lists other Boyer marriages, which might be related. They are:
Elizabeth Boyer marr. John New on 10 June 1807
Minister: William King*
(*Same minister as married Joseph and Betsy?)

Rebecca marr. Theodore Taylor on 5 May 1834
Minister: James C. Wilson

And other Ewin marriages:
Elijah* Ewin marr. Amanda Hunter on 11 Nov. 1830
Minister: Hezekiah Best* (Methodist, Rockingham District, Warm Springs)
(*Joseph & Betsy named a child Hezekiah Best Boyer; and another Elijah Boyer)

Martha Ewin marr. John Riner on 14 April 1800
Minister's return spells name: Erwin
John of age
Daughter of Henry
Bondsman: Henry Erwin
Minister: William Wilson

Mary Ewin marr. George H. Harris on 3 July 1820
Minister: Gerard Morgan* (Methodist, Rockingham District)
(*Morgan is James' middle name)

1810 Augusta County census lists:
Thomas Bowyer
Phillip Bowyer*
Jacob Boyer
Christian Boyer
*Phillip consented to marriage of John Clemmons (of Augusta County) to Anne(a) Boyer, March 15, 1808 in Rockingham County.
1810 Rockingham County census lists:
Adam Boyer
John Boyer (Jr)*
Peter Boyers
Peter Boyer
John Jr could well be John George Boyer, born July 18, 1785 to John (Sr?) Boyer and Eva; also had child Mary Margaret (another Joseph/Elizabeth child name), born June 1, 1781. From baptismal records at the Pickit (Peaked?) Mountain church.
1769 church record lists Alwinus Boyer as an elder at the original German Lutheran Church at the Peaked (Pickit?) Mountain and Stony Creek/Augusta County (later Rockingham?)
This Augusta County/Rockingham County connection and the many name correlations are strong. Somewhere in here may be the likely family of Joseph Boyer. Perhaps Joseph was even a later child of John and Eva.

From "Virginia, IT's People & Customs, p,149", "At the Augusta County Court, in 1762, several persons swore that they saw John Boyers, Gentleman, 'gaming an unlawful game called hazard, or seven and eleven, at the house of Francis Tyler, ordinary keeper in Staunton'.

The spelling "Bowyers" is also found on numerous documents, including Joseph Bowyers (1818), Samuel C Bowyers(1824), Solomon Boyers(1825).
Also found were Samuel P Bowyer (1768), Jacob and Henry Bowyer (1769), Adam Bowyer (1770), and Margaret A Bowyer (1804). These names may be useful in supporting other lineage evidence.

1790 Census was the first US census. Population of the country excluding slaves, was 3,231,533, the average family was 6, and thus there were about 540,000 heads of family. Virginia included Kentucky, West Virginia to the Ohio river, and SW Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh and the Yoqueheny. It was the most populous state at 110,936 white males 16 and older; 747,610 total including slaves (292,000).

Notes for ELIZABETH EWIN:
In the Probate envelope for Joseph Boyer's estate in the Cedar Cnty Courthouse, Stockton, Missouri, Elizabeth did not sign her name...but made her mark...an X and later affirmed the truth by a 'Elijah Ewin'; the same Elijah Ewin who married Amanda Hunter?* The attorney representing her in Illinois was 'B F Boyer', likely her son Benjamin Franklin Boyer.

*Elijah** Ewin marr. Amanda Hunter on 11 Nov. 1830
Minister: Hezekiah Best** (Methodist, Rockingham District, Warm Springs)
**Joseph & Elizabeth named children Elijah and Hezekiah Best Boyer. Elijah could be a coincidence; but Hezekiah Best?

Glebe Graveyard lists Ewings who all were born and died around the same time. Could be Elizabeth's family. This graveyard is in Augusta County, Va, and was the 1902 farm of Thomas Thompson.
James Ewing; b March 4, 1762-d September 26, 1794
John Ewing; b December 13, 1768-d January 3, 1794
Sarah Ewing; b September 8, 1766-d March 7, 1793

Marriage Notes for JOSEPH BOYER and ELIZABETH EWIN:
Joseph and Betsy were married in Augusta County, Virginia on July 30, 1818, by the Rev. William King who was pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Staunton, Virginia.

Children of JOSEPH BOYER and ELIZABETH EWIN are:

	i.	DELILA JANE² BOYER, b. July 20, 1819 ⁴.
2.	ii.	JAMES MORGAN BOYER, b. May 03, 1821, Virginia; d. March 31, 1912, Illinois.
	iii.	MATILDA ANN BOYER, b. May 03, 1821⁴; m. JOHN H STEWART.
	iv.	MARGARET BOYER, b. April 02, 1826, Virginia ⁵.
3.	v.	ELIJAH BOYER, b. March 21, 1828, Virginia.
4.	vi.	HEZEKIAH BEST BOYER, b. February 26, 1830, Virginia.
	vii.	JOSEPH WASHINGTON BOYER, b. February 01, 1832, Virginia⁵; d. Edgar County, Illinois.
	viii.	JOHN N BOYER, b. January 27, 1834, Virginia⁵.

Notes for JOHN N BOYER:
Unresolved

1870 Missouri Census, St Louis, 8th Ward, 15th Subdivision:
Boyer, John, 36, M, W, Physician, $28,000, 1000, Va
" , Lucy, 34, F, W, Keep House, Va
" , Jefferson 12, M, W, School, Va
" , Max, 9, M, W, " Va
" , Lucy, 6, F, W, Home, Mo
" , Annie, 2, F, W, " Mo
" , Nancy, 73, F, W, " Va
John is shown in the 1850 Clark County, Illinois census in Illinois. He could have returned to Virginia, married, and returned around 1862-3 to set up in Missouri; but would like one more matching piece to confirm this.

ix.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BOYER, b. February 19, 1836, Virginia⁵.

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