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Page 5 of 18
. JOYCE JOURNAL
Volume I January 29, 2002
Issue 2
SALUTATIONS
I hope the last issue came through in good form. Let me know if I need to
make formatting adjustments.
Was I ever surprised! My hope was that we might eventually find 25 or 30
people coming along with us on this venture. . . . . Already 20 people are
on the mailing list; and the announcement went up on only one web site as
recently as two weeks ago. A terrific beginning . . . . . I appreciate all
of you laying aside something else you were doing to do this. Your New
Member profiles are coming in at a faster pace than I can publish them in
this issue. Consequently, JOYCE JOURNAL may be coming to you more often than
bi-weekly for a while. I don't want to hold up anybody in making cousin
connections; and this issue became so long, it will come to you in two
segments. We have resources that will advance our search. Presentation of
them should begin here and not delayed. Some will be continued in later
issues.
Help needed. . . . . I have the full copy of Thomas Joyce's will,
1780-Charlotte Co VA which I'll share with you soon; but only an abstract of
Alexander Joyce's will, 1778-Guilford Co NC. Can someone send the full copy
of Alexander's will for use in JOYCE JOURNAL?
Our great cousin, TOM JOYCE ([email protected]), has been burning the
midnight oil on our behalf. He sent us a list of recommended web sites to
begin acquainting us with early history that probably affects us, and has
come up with a terrific list of questions for us to ponder while we search
for the answers ("see under Research"). Many, many thanks, Tom. This is a
tremendous beginning for a contributory net letter.
And he has already set up a web site for JOYCE JOURNAL. The URL is:
<<http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/ftm/j/o/y/Thomas-Joyce/BOOK-0001/0002
-0001.html>>
Tom sends us the following web site addresses to check out at our leisure, a
few with short extracts.
****
http://www.emeraldgolf.com/music/history/plantations.html
The Plantation of Ulster
"After the flight of the (Irish) earls, the government confiscated their
lands and decided to plant six counties of Ulster -- Armagh, Cavan, Derry,
Donegal, Fermanagh, and Tyrone -- with new settlers. The plantations of
Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I had not been successful, and the government
planned the new settlement more carefully. It divided the land into estates
of three sizes: 810 hectares, 607 hectares, and 405 hectares. Estates were
granted to three kinds of people: English and Scottish settlers, who were not
allowed to have Irish tenants; Servitors (men who had served in the English
army in Ireland), who might take both British and Irish tenants; and
Irishmen, who could have Irish tenants. Rents were low, but settlers were
expected to build fortified houses. The City of London Companies received all
the lands between the Foyle and the Bann rivers. They undertook to build up
the towns of Coleraine and Derry (renamed Londonderry) and to spend 20,000
pounds in developing their grant. At the same time, two more counties of
Ulster, Antrim and Down, were settled, mainly by people from Scotland. The
Ulster settlement was the most successful of the plantations. Its success
helped to give the area the Protestant character it has today. "
- - - - -
Below a link to why they immigrated?
http://www.emeraldgolf.com/music/history/split.html
"The Presbyterians of Ulster were allowed to vote in parliamentary
elections, and a few of them became Members of Parliament. But they did not
have full civil rights, and they had to pay tithes. Thousands of them became
discontented and moved to America."
- - - - - -
Below are links to Ireland Maps
http://www.local.ie/counties/
http://www.local.ie/general/map/galway.shtml
http://www.local.ie/general/map/mayo.shtml
- - - - -
No Joyce history would be complete without mentioning the story of the
Claddaugh Legend.
http://members.aol.com/plieadesqu/claddaugh.htm
Note: I got my wife Debbie a set of the Claddaugh earrings for her birthday
last January and gave her a printout of the Claddaugh legend. I think she has
worn them everyday since.
- - - - -
http://www.local.ie/content/28034.shtml/genealogy/surname_origins
"The importance of local studies in this field cannot be stressed enough. The
general view concerning the surname Joyce is that it is a Galway name. While
Galway is certainly the ancestral home of most of the Irish Joyces, there was
a branch of the family settled near Killeagh in east Cork from at least the
fourteenth century onwards, whose descendants remain numerous in the area and
in nearby Cork City. This explains the Cork City origins of Ireland's most
famous literary man, James Joyce, whose ancestors were Corkonians."
NEW MEMBERS
SIDNEY P. DENT ([email protected]). Welcome to Sidney who didn't stray far
from where the proverbial acorn fell. He lives in West Virginia on land his
ancestors acquired almost two hundred years ago!
*****My name is Sidney P. Dent, I was born 30 Oct. 1934 in Winfield, Putnam
Co. WV on a small family farm in west central West Virginia, the farm had
been in my mother's family since early 1800s. My Dad was a part time farmer
& rural mail carrier when we were growing up.
With the exception of a short period after high school, I have lived in the
same community all my life, My wife & I live on a "small" farm (10 acres)
about 2 miles from where I grew up. I retired from the insurance industry
May 1994 and have been involved in family history, a woodwork shop & showing
Satin breed of rabbits. That keeps me very busy.
I would like to share this: my maternal great grandfather was a retired
cabinetmaker. When I can first remember, I "helped" grandpa in his shop
before I was old enough to go to school. This past summer, 2001, I had the
opportunity to put those skills to work. We completely remodeled our
kitchen, I hand built all of the cabinets and room trim.
My Joyce lineage data is very limited. I will begin with my dad:
Dawson Roosevelt Dent b 09 Feb. 1911 Putnam Co. WV. d. 14 April 1978,
m. Mary Elizabeth Lanier b 15 May 1917.
His parents:
James Marshall Dent b 10 April 1874, Franklin Co. VA, d 02 June 1949, WV.
m. Lula Virginia Joyce b 21 Oct. 1882, Putnam Co. WV. d 23 Jan 1977, Ohio
Her parents:
George Washington Joyce b 1856 Putnam Co (W)VA d 1929 Putnam Co. WV.
m. Mary Elizabeth Fletcher b 1859 Putnam Co (W)VA d 1949 Putnam Co. WV.
His parents:
Thomas (Tommy) Joyce b abt. 1805 unknown d 15 July 1879 Putnam Co. WV.
m. Melinda Turner?
His parents:
Thomas Joyce b unknown place unknown. This info from Tommy's death
certificate
m. Mary ?
Notes on Tommy Joyce: family tradition says he came to Putnam Co. from his
home state running from the local sheriff.
The 1850 Putnam Co. VA/WVA census shows his birth place as VA, 1860 census
shows PA, 1870 census shows N.Y. the information on his death certificate,
supplied by his widow shows NC as his birth place.
- - - - - - - - - -
LINDA HOLLEY ([email protected]). Hope somebody can help Linda make the
connection in North Carolina. Do we know of a Joseph McDonald Joyce or an
Ambrose Joyce who were born in the early to mid 1800s?
****My husband's great grandfather was Joseph McDonald Joyce, born in NC,
grew up in Polk Co., TN and moved to AK after the Civil War. We know that
he was connected in some way to the Ambrose Joyce family in Buncombe Co., NC
because of the Christian names in both families. We can not get beyond his
mother and father who were Parthenia and Tinsley Joyce.
Would love any info you have that might help us connect to the "other" Joyces.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
ANGELA VARGAS ([email protected]). Heads up, Tony Joyce, here comes Perrin
Joyce - your ancestor as well. You and Angela will have a lot to talk
about. Angela's Mother, Betty Devlin Worley, has also joined our venture, so
welcome to both of you.
****Just received issue 1 today. Really enjoyed reading it. I will
contribute as much as I can. To start, let me fill you in on MY Fannie JOYCE,
then I will give you my line, then tell about myself. (I am related to both
Alexander and Thomas) Seems the Joyces intermarried a lot, as did another
branch of my family, the Morgans. Funny, the Morgans married into the
Joyces!! HA-HA
Fannie P. Joyce b. 11-25-1853 d. 11-20-1943 She was the daughter of John
Perrin "Coon" Joyce and Araminta Raburn. She married John Permenter Morgan
and they had the following children:
Nancy Araminta Morgan (My great grandmother)
Emma Morgan
Charles I. Morgan
Virgil Morgan
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Morgan
Cleveland Elbert Morgan
Soloman J Morgan
John C Morgan
Mary "Mae" Morgan
William Theodore Morgan
Fannie is the last actual Joyce in my line. Ambrose B .Joyce and Celia Joyce
were her grandparents. As you can see, here is a double Joyce. Ambrose
parents were John Joyce and Margaret or Peggy. Celia's parents were Elijah
Joyce and Elizabeth Allen. John's father was Thomas and Elijah's father was
Alexander.
I grew up in Canton, NC (Haywood County). I was born in 1964 and have 2
younger siblings. The Joyces are on my mother's side, whose maiden name was
Devlin. My maiden name was Worley. Down from Nancy Araminta Morgan who
married David Lee Devlin, comes Bryan H Devlin, my mother, Betty Jane Devlin,
who married Ralph Worley and me, Angela Carol Worley Vargas. My husband's
family is from TN and CA.
. . . . . Thanks, Cousin Angela
QUERIES
BOB DILLARD ([email protected]). Bob Dillard came up with an
interesting inquiry. Does anyone else have access to Mrs. Jesse Joyce's
work? This kind of oral history that she has passed along brightens the dry
recitation of deeds, wills, and marriages. Oral history adapts to people's
memories over the years, but so often the pointers are there that will lead
us to the truth.
****Have you come across a manuscript in the Indiana State Library in
Indianapolis entitled "Alexander Joyce, 1781-1862" by a Mrs. Jesse R. Joyce?
It appears to have been written about 1970. I'll quote it:
"This record begins with an Alexander Joyce who, according to family
tradition, immigrated to America from Ireland and settled in Virginia about
1720. (What county in Virginia is unknown at this time.) A will was made by
him dated sometime before the year 1788. David Smith of Shelbyville, Indiana
got a copy of this will from William Joyce in Stewart, Virginia about 1946 or
1947. Mr. Smith's copy was destroyed by fire about 1962. In this will there
were mentioned an "iron kettle" and a "brass lined kettle." He had
sons--Alexander and Thomas. There were other children, but I have no record
of this."
The first suspicion is that there is a confusion of generations and "before
the year 1788" actually refers to our Alexander's known 1788 will. --And our
Alexander had sons Alexander and Thomas--but so did his father. It's
tantalizing of course, but no such will has surfaced to my knowledge.
. . . . . . . With thanks . . . . Bob Dillard
RESEARCH
TOM JOYCE ([email protected]). Tom sends many questions and observations
that we hope will send us all scurrying to our local libraries. In case some
of you haven't checked out his excellent web site, "The Joyce Connection,"
I urge you to do so as soon as possible. It's well worth the visit. You
gotta' see those baby racoons.
***Questions to be asked & hopefully answered.
Alexander & Thomas appear in court transactions, proof that they were
in early Virginia counties by the 1740's.Where were they prior to the 1740's?
They bought land in Rockingham County, NC around 1760-1770. Alex's
dau.
Elizabeth's birth is reported in Guilford (now Rockingham) in 1772. Somewhere
these two brothers, Alex & Tom, acquired the money to buy land and slaves.
How
& where?
Where & when did these two brothers arrive in America?
What was their livelihood? Occupation? The Joyce's in this area,
Rockingham County, NC, ran a river crossing, known as "Joyce Ford". This can
still be located on the map on my web page. Also, several Joyce wills pass
down "blacksmithing tools" to their descendants. For web page, search on
"The Joyce Connection" or see Issue 1 for URL.
5 These two Joyce's are closely connected and appear to move and
travel with the same family surnames as those that are known to be from the
Caldwell,"Cub Creek " settlement. WHY?
What is the origin of the ship (possibly called "Eagles Wing") that
brought the "Cub Creek Group" to a port in Newcastle Delaware,on 10 Dec 1727?
I propose a theory that,Alex and Tom, were of Scottish origin,
(from
Alexander's given name). Suppose they were sailors or ship's crew? I say
this
based on the following points.
-- a. They seem to have arrived in America with the "Caldwell", Cub Creek
group.
-- b. They had money to buy land & slaves in a relatively short period of
time.
-- c. They settled on Ward's Fork near, but not with, the Caldwell group.
-- d. Their descendants ran the Joyce Ford river crossing.
-- e. Galway, a home land for Joyces is a big sailing port.
8 Where did the Joyce brothers, meet, start moving with Richard Vernon?
Like I said in my midnight e-mail, I spent a few minutes at work last night
reviewing your Issueand made a few notes:
1. Need to find history books for Scotland, Ireland, & England for early
1700's (1700-1750).
2. Where were settlers bound for Delaware sailing from?
3. What records are available for ships arriving in Delaware(1725-1750)?
4. Find passenger lists for these ships.
5. Where did Alex & Thomas get their money?
6. When did they start buying slaves? Thomas appears in court records in
1747, to prove the age of a slave called, Hannah.(Note: One of Thomas's
daughters was also named Hannah, b 1754.).
7. Are there any records of slave purchases?
8. What if Alex & Tom were ship's crew on one of the slave ship's to earn
money to buy land?
9. Where can we find a Cub Creek settlers list?
RESPONSES
TONY JOYCE ([email protected]) very gently and politely pointed out a
mistake that I made in the Issue-1. Thanks so much, Tony, for keeping me
straight. I need that kind of positive help. Tony noted that the 1748 suit
brought in Louisa Co VA by Alexxander Joyce against John Hall was not in
Rosalie Davis' Deed Book publication as listed. He was right. I repeat these
entries below with the appropriate correction in the citations - the
addition is the second citation.
*****
Sources:
1- Louisa County, Virginia, Deed Books A and B, 1742-1759. Rosalie Edith
Davis. 1976.
2- Louisa County, Virginia Orders, 1744-1748. Ruth and Sam Sparacio. 1999.
--On 9 March 1743, JOHN JOYCE, W. Ford, Thomas Williamson, Abraham Venable,
Jo. Bickley, Thomas Paulette, and Benja. Henson are all witnesses to a deed
from John Thomson of Hanover County, Merchant, to Andrew Rea of Louisa
County, Planter.
--On 28 Jul 1747, THOMAS JOYCE applied to the Court to determine the age of a
Negro girl, Hannah. She was judged to be twelve years old.
--On 15 Mar 1748, ALEXANDER JOYCE and John Hackett are witnesses to a deed
from Thomas Hacket of Caroline County to George Clarke of Louisa County.
--On 26 Apr 1748, ALEXANDER JOYCE brought a suit for debt against John Hall
in the Louisa County Court. Hall was summoned but failed to appear;
therefore the Court ordered that Alexander Joyce recover the sum of 1 lb., 12
shillings, and 3 pence with costs of court and attorney's fee.
*****
RESEARCH
(Continuation of Joyce Monograph - Part 2)
Perceiving the strength of the movement of Presbyterians into central
Virginia led me to search in New Jersey for our Joyces. I also looked in
other early Virginia counties and in Maryland. Except for Norfolk and
Louisa, Virginia was virtually a strike out.
Let's take Maryland first because we may be able to quickly dismiss that
colony as the origin of our Joyces. The surname Joyce is found in Ann
Arundel County and Prince Georges County, possibly in Kent County.
Edmund Joyce was in partnership with Dennis Maconah and Thomas Martin owned a
track known as "Hunts Mount" in 1664 - county unknown at present. Joyce
and Maconah died and were survived by Thomas Martin who also died soon after,
leaving "Hunts Mount" - by virtue of survivorship - to his daughter Mary.
However, I found no other references to Edmund Joyce or any other early
Joyce, so he doubtless left no descendants in Maryland. One cannot overlook
the possible significance of a Joyce and a Martin in this early partnership.
[Note: If there is one sure constant in our Joyce history, it is the surname
MARTIN. In some way, it is involved with JOYCE everywhere we find Joyces in
mid-Atlantic colonial America. In the next issue, I'll begin running a brief
history of the Rockingham Martins.
In 1740, the Inventory of Mrs. Margaret Joce of Kent County is taken in Kent
County, Maryland. Next of kin listed are Sarah Joce, Sarah Joce, and Thomas
Lewis. The inventory is taken by Morgan Hunt and Vincent Hutcheson. Both
Hunt and Hutcheson may have later implication in the Mayo/Dan River area; but
there appear to be no Joce/Joyce sons.
The next reference found is a series of testamentary records that begin in
1735 in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Mary Joyce and Elizabeth Ennals are
listed as the next of kin in the Inventory of the estate of Francis Hayward
Sr. in 1735.
We also find a neat little bundle of records. Jane Mackbee wrote her will on
2 Mar 1743. It was recorded on 27 Nov 1746. Mrs. Mackbee leaves her
dwelling plantation of 104 acrs, part of "Taylors Discovery," to her son
John Joice; her clothing to her daughter Jane Doull (Dowell?); her holland
gown to her daughter-in-law Sarah Joice. Son-in-law Dr. James Doull is named
Executor. Witnesses were Lewis Lee, James Elliott, and George Macconlie.
Jane Mackbee's death is preceded in 1736 by the will of her son William
Mockbee in which John Joice and Thomas Joice are listed as next of kin along
with his Mother Jane, Brock Mockbee and Jane Offutt. Thus, it appears that
Jane (Joyce) Mackbee had two sons, John Joyce and Thomas Joyce;. They are
quite possibly the John Joyce and Thomas Joyce who appear in Ann Arrundel
County.
In Ann Arundel County we find the will of the son Thomas Joyce, recorded on
15 May 1749. His wife Eleanor received his land known as "Nichols Hunting
Quarter." He mentions "two young sons" but doesn't name them. He does
name "my children" John, China, and Elizabeth.
Eleanor Joyce and Thomas Joyce also witnessed the will of Sebastian
Oley(sic); and she is mentioned as a Creditor in the estate settlement of
Sebastian Cley in 1749. Next of kin of Sebastian Cley are James Hall and
Thomas Hall.
On 23 Aug 1756, the Inventory of John Joyce of Ann Arundel County is taken by
Richard Jacob and Thomas Wright, valued at 331 lbs. 40 shillings. The next
of kin are: Thomas Joyce and Thomas Rowles (perhaps the husband of a
daughter or sister). The Administrator is Sarah Joyce, presumably the widow,
and perhaps Sarah Joyce, the daughter-in-law of Jane Mackbee of Prince
Georges Co.
One cannot escape noting here that the first John Joyce to appear in the
Louisa county, Virginia records in 1743, left only one record there. He
could have been the John Joyce of Ann Arundel County. But why isn't
Alexander Joyce mentioned as one of the next of kin?
It, therefore, does not appear that we can look to Maryland for our Joyce
origins. The names, dates and some of the associated names are appropos,
but these are the only Joyce estates in Maryland, so we can't make a match.
Besides there is no reference in Maryland to Alexander Joyce, known to be
the brother of Thomas Joyce.
Sources for the above Maryland information are:
- -Early Families of Southern Maryland. vol. 4. Elise Greenup Jourdan. 1995
--Abstracts of the inventories of the Prerogative Court of Maryland, 1733-1738
--Maryland Calendar of Wills, 1744-1749 and 1747-1753. Jane Baldwin Cotton.
1991
Moving on . . . . . . Having discovered the strength of the Presbyterian
movement out of New Jersey into the Piedmont counties of Virginia and
recognizing the importance of the religious history to development of this
section of Virginia, it seemed that New Jersey might be the place to look;
and, indeed, Thomas Joyce leave records in New Jersey in the right time
frame. These are the only Joyce references found in the resource listed.
Thomas Joyce appears in Burlington County, New Jersey, on 3 Mar 1752, the
date of recording the account of Joseph Hains, Administrator was Patience,
now the wife of Thomas Smith. A number of familiar names appear in this
account: Thomas Joyce, Samuel Moore, William Sharp, John Tanner, and Reece
Price. Could this group of surnames forecast Joyce names of the later
Dan/Mayo river settlements?
Also . . . . Of these New Jersey names, Tanner and Hains both appear in the
first list of tithables taken by William Caldwell in 1748 in Lunenburg
County (later Charlotte). A Samuel Moore turns up in early Charlotte
records. The later association of Sharp and Joyce is well known.
The New Jersey reference looked promising until I found inventories in the
same county, Burlington, for Thomas Joyce in 1784 and a second Thomas Joyce
in 1824. Therefore, it does not appear that a Thomas Joyce of Burlington
County, New Jersey, moved to Hanover County, Virginia by 1745. It does not
appear that either of these two Thomas Joyces left a will; therefore only the
recordings of the inventories were found.
Oddly, though, in the same year as the above 1752 Burlington county entry,
the appraisal of James Tomlins of Greenwich, Gloucester County, New Jersey
was recorded on 7 Apr 1752, signed by Thomas Joyce and William Sharp.
Can it be that Thomas Joyce and William Sharp are the same people who
appeared in the account of Joseph Hains of Burlington County?
There's no follow up administration of an estate for Thomas Joyce in
Gloucester County.
Sources used for the New Jersey Joyces data were:
--Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1730-1750. William Nelson and A. Van Doren
Honeyman.
. 1994
--Secretary of State of New Jersey: Index of Wills and Inventories, etc.
1969.
. . . . . . . In attempting to follow Alexander Joyce and Thomas Joyce, it
became apparent at some point in time that I was also following the tracks of
Andrew Hunter. Andrew Hunter and Peter Hunter are found in Cumberland
County, New Jersey, in Louisa County, Virginia, in Charlotte County,
Virginia, and in Rockingham County, North Carolina. Each may represent a
different person because dates overlap.
The will of Andrew Hunter of Louisa County, written 13 July 1767 and entered
for probate on 26 Oct 1767, names his children: Sons Peter, Andrew,
Stephen, William and George; and daughters Mary and Jane. His wife, Jane, is
Executor.
It's clear that Andrew Hunter of Louisa is the father of Andrew Hunter of
Charlotte County, Virginia. Following Charlotte Co, we later find people
named Andrew Hunter, Peter Hunter and George Hunter in Rockingham County, NC.
It is just about impossible to imagine a circumstance in which these
Rockingham Co Hunters are not the sons or grandsons of Andrew Hunter, d. 1767
in Louisa Co VA
Richard Vernon also appears in Louisa County and Charlotte County in Virginia
and in Rockingham County, North Carolina.
Moving on. . . . .
On 10 May 1748, both Alexander Joyce and Thomas Joyce purchased land in
Lunenburg County, Virginia from Spalding and Lidderdale, Merchants. This
land was on Wards Fork in Lunenburg County, Virginia - later, after of
couple of jurisdictional changes, Wards Fork fell into Charlotte County.
Alexander purchased 800 acres and Thomas purchased 400 acres.
After this purchase, Alexander immediately moved to Lunenburg County for he
is tithed there in 1748 with one slave.
Thomas Joyce did not move to Charlotte for several more years although he
bought his Wards fork land on the same date that Alexander Joyce bought his.
Thomas Joyce isn't tithed until 1752 - the same year that we find the only
New Jersey records we have at this time for Thomas Joyce. Coincidence?
Both Alexander Joyce and Thomas Joyce appear on the tithing list of William
Caldwell in 1752. Tithes were almost always collected during the summer
months and reported in September. The Joyce brothers appear adjacent to one
another at the end of this list of 175 householders and 250 tithables
(includes slaves over the age of 12):
Jacob Stover-tithed for himself
Richard Ward-tithed for himself, James Wilson and 1 slave
Chas. Talbot-tithed for himself, Wm. Adkins, and 2 slaves
Wm. Hall tithed for himself
Peter Franklin tithed for himself
Matthew Cuningham-tithed for himself
John Stwarte(sic)-tithed for himself and Wm. Stwarte
Thomas Vernon, Sr-tithed for himself, Isaac Vernon and James Vernon
James McMurdy-tithed for himself
Alexander McConel-tithed for himself
Matthew Forrester-tithed for himself
Daniel Morah-tithed for himself
ALEX. JOYSE-tithed for himself and 2 slaves
THOS. JOYSE-tithed for himself and 1 slave
Thos. Vernon-tithed for himself
John Prat-tithed for himself
On 4 Nov 1755, at the Vestry meeting of Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg County,
the vestry ordered that "Andw. Martin, James Rutherford, and Alexr. Joyce
meet on the first Monday in Febry next at the Bridge over Cub Creek and do
Procession all the land below the . . . and Ruff Creek on the No. side of
the Old Road down to Little Roanoak Bridge, and so up sd. Little Roanoak and
by Prince Edward County and make return thereof according to law."
(To be continued)
JOYCES OF YESTERDAY
. . . . . "When my father came to the years of discretion, my grandfather
sent him to explore America and inform him if it would suit him to move to
America with his family. My father accordingly visited this country and
landed at New Castle (Delaware). My grandfather, Alexander Martin's family
then consisted of my grandmother, whose name was Martha, two daughters named
Agnes and Esther and four sons." . . . . .
So begins the memoirs of Col. James Martin (d. 1834, Rockingham County,
North Carolina). And he continues . . . . . .
. . . . . . . "After the death of my grandfather, my grandmother moved to
Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, where my father and his three brothers, Thomas,
Robert and Henry, then lived. My Aunt Agnes married a Quaker by the name of
Dawson, a respectable farmer who lived near Carroll's Ferry on the Delaware
in Pennsylvania. My Aunt Esther married Francis Mason, a farmer who lived in
the Forks of the Delaware".
"My father had bought a plantation in the Township of Annandale, in Hunterdon
County, where my brother Alexander was born. "
"My uncle Henry attended Newark College (later Princeton) and became a
minister."
"My half uncle James Martin, who lived near us on the south branch of the
Raritan River, was married to Anne Drummond, daughter of James Drummond,
Governor of New Jersey. He had two sons, James and William, and several
daughters, Patsy, Polly and Rachel. All married before I left New Jersey."
- - - - - -
In 1878 Dr. Robert Hunter Dalton wrote in his memoirs of his Hunter family:
" Col. James Hunter of the Revolution
I think he was born in the north of Ireland and brought to this country
by his parents among the Martins, Hendersons and others who settled in a
colony in Virginia and afterwards in North Carolina, about 1740. I never saw
any of his brothers and but one of his sisters, wife of Col. May of the
Revolution, who lived on the Dan River about Eagle Falls a few miles. His
brother, Samuel Hunter, removed to South Carolina where he raised a number of
children, some of whom I knew. The brother, if I am not mistaken, died early,
but not until he had made his mark as a daring patriot, as may be seen by
reference to Wheeler's History of North Carolina. His brother, Henry Hunter,
lived and raised a family in Henry County not far from Alexander, Smith's
River, and I was well acquainted with two of his sons, Peyton and Powetan. He
was a brother-in-law of the Seignor Peter Hairston and in early life was
equal to him in wealth. "
Folks, we are well blessed. The knowledge of these two members of our
extended family have, I believe, leaves us the means of discovering the
origin of our Joyce family which contains a number of early marriages to
Martins and Hunters. I believe that if we follow their lead, we will find
our Joyces. As I understand it, the Hunters and Martins immigrated from
Ayreshire, Scotland to Eniskillen, Co Armargh or Tyrone, Ireland, around
1690. They left there in the 1720s to come to Ameria. At this time New
Jersey was part of the Fithian grant which, I believe, was conveyed to
William Penn. New Jersey was separated from Pennsylvania in 1732.
Personally and at the present time, it seems to me that Alexander Joyce and
Thomas Joyce came to America with the Hunter and Martin group, and that they
were the probably sons of a widowed Mother now married to someone of another
surname. It will be interesting to see how this notion plays out.
JOYCE JOTTINGS
Below is the beginning of a letter from John Joyce written to his Uncle in
1785. This letter is an interesting example of at least 200-year old history
during which problems in Northern Ireland as referred to as the "Troubles."
And note as well that 1785 generation, many of whom had just fought for
American freedom, expected little advantage from the Revolution, but did
anticipate that it would benefit their descendants. They were such tremendous
folks, these Revolutionary War era ancestors of ours. This letter is more in
the nature of general interest because we do not know who John Joyce was or
who was the Uncle who apparently lived in Ireland.
This letter is quoted from the Virginia Historical Society Magazine of
History and Biography, Vol. 23, p. 407, the article entitled "Virginia in
1785."
By way of introduction, the Magazine tells us"
"John Joyce, the writer, seems to have been at the time resident in the
family of Thomas Lomas (1746-1811) of "Portobago," Caroline County, probably
as a tutor.
Norfolk was burnt at various dates, in 1775 and 1776. It has been
stated that a considerable part of the town was burnt by the Ld. Dunmore;
but the official report of the Virginia commissioners in 1777 shows that he
was responsible for a comparatively small part. The rest was done by Va.
Troops, sometime by order of the Convention and sometimes without."
Virginia 24th March 1785
Dr. Uncle
As I have written you in a former Letter of the 1st of January of my
present situation, I shall say nothing more respecting that in this one, only
that I am well, and as happy as any one could be in the like Circumstances.
I shall now proceed to give you an imperfect Description of this Country, as
far as my Knowledge . . . or information and time of Residence will Admit Of.
Norfolk which was the first place I went on Shore at, has been an
Elegant, large Town before it was destroyed, chiefly Built of Brick, but now
rebuilding mostly with Wood; such a vast heap of Ruins and Devastation, are
almost impossible to have any Idea of unless seen, the Inhabitants before the
War were almost all Scotch, and is likewise now, altho as I have been
informed there were not over 30 or 40 in it now, who possessed it before the
War. They are very desirous of having a dissenting Clergyman plac'd there,
as they have [no] Worship of any kind, their Church being destroyed with the
Town, which has been a most beautiful Edifice. I have been told by one of
the principal Merchants they would subscribe 100 or 150 Guineas to a genteel
well behaved Man.
The Rent of ground to build Houses on, if convenient to business and
Trade is exceedingly high. 100 G's per annum is not uncommon for a small
Lott, such as Merchants could build Store-houses upon.
Page 5 of 18
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