Heredity

I am the family face;
Flesh perishes, I live on,
Projecting trait and trace
Through times to times anon,
And leaping from place to place
Over oblivion

The years-heired feature that can
In curve and voice and eye
Despise the human span
Of durance - that is I;
The eternal thing in man,
That heeds no call to die.

Thomas Hardy

LATEST ON BOYCES by Clive Boyce

Anthony searched the Census returns for 1841, 1851 and 1861 in the Public Record Office. He was able to go back to a John Boyce who lived at Cockington (near Torquay, Devon) in 1804. He was a watchmaker, his wife was Elizabeth and they had a son John born in Cockington in 1804.

Modern technology made it possible for me to go back further. The online Parish Clerk for Torquay has a database for parish registers including Cockington, Tormoham and St Marychurch (Cockington baptisms start 1770, burials start 1780 and marriages start 1745). A request for information relating to John Boyce born 1804 provided the following:

Born Baptised Name
----------------------------------------------------------
13/02/1803 10/03/1803 Elizabeth Boyce
20/07/1804 10/08/1804 John Boyce
05/04/1807 29/04/1807 Ann

They are all children of John and Elizabeth and were all baptised at Cockington. John's birthplace is confirmed as Cockington in the 1851 census making it certain that this John is our ancestor.

Marriages

Elizabeth Boyce married John Perring on 07/12/1828 at Tormoham Parish Church.
There is no record of John's marriage in any of the Torquay parishes but there was a record of an earlier marriage of a John Boyce to Eleanour Goad at Cockington on 26/4/1772.

Vinciente Goad married Elizabeth Candish on 30/9/1765 at Cockington.
GrandmaGrace Goad married George Alford on 29/09/1768 at Cockington

Burials

Elennor Boyce wife of John buried on 01/07/1802 at Cockington.
John Boyce buried 09/02/1816 age 70 at Tormoham i.e. born ca 1746.
Mary Boyce daughter of John and Elizabeth buried on 06/05/1806 an infant at Cockington).
Jane Goad buried 05/04/1786 at Cockington.
Mary Goad widow buried 22/04/1783 at Cockington.
NB the spellings of Eleanour and Elennor are as provided.
There is no information on John Boyce's (born 1804) mother (Elizabeth).

I went to Cockington with Rod in April 2002 and we visited the Church. There is no burial ground around the church and we were told burials were at nearby Marldon, which we also visited but did not find any evidence of Boyces or Goads. I suspect that burials were at Torre.

Because there are several John Boyces I shall call John born 1804 John A and his father who married Elizabeth John B. I shall call John Boyce who married Eleanor Goad John C. It could be that John C was John A's father ie John B and John C are one and the same. This is unlikely because John C died in1816 aged 70, he was therefore born in 1746 and he would have been 58 when John A was born in 1804. It would also mean that John C had married first Eleanour and second Elizabeth. The most likely explanation is that John C was the grandfather of John A and John B was John C's son. John B who married Elizabeth would have been born around 1775, viz:

Born Married Died
--------------------------------------------------
John A 1804 Jane 1871
John B - Elizabeth -
John C 1746 Elennor Goad 1816

There is also an ambiguity concerning Elizabeth. We know that Elizabeth Boyce married John Perring on 07/12/1828. The Elizabeth is likely to be the eldest sister of John A i.e. she would have married at the age of 25 but it is just possible that Elizabeth's mother Elizabeth married first John Boyce (John B) and then John Perring. She would have been about 53 at the second marriage.

Given the lack of records it is unlikely that John B and Elizabeth were married in the Torbay area and we need to look elsewhere but probably fairly close to Cockington. The marriage was probably around 1800, their first child having been baptised at Cockington in March 1803. A possible (but I think unlikely) marriage is that of John Boyce to Elizabeth Daniel at St David, Exeter 23 August 1796. It would be very plausible if there were not an interval of 6 years before their first child, Elizabeth, was born. Of course it is possible there were children born in another parish before the family were in Cockington. However the first two children born in Cockington were Elizabeth and John, named after the parents, which makes it likely they were the first.

So far as the Goad family is concerned it is probable that Vinviente, Eleanor and Grace are siblings and perhaps Mary Goad (widow) is their mother. Jane could be their mother, sister or even the sister of their father. As the database for Cockington baptisms start 1770, burials start 1780 and marriages start 1745 it will not be possible to take this any further without searching the original records.

Geoff and Jacqueline have a clock that is marked John Boyce, Teignmouth, and Established 1798. If the mark is factually correct, the founder of the Boyce clock business could be John C who would be aged 52 or it could be his son John B who would be about 20. A possibility is that John C established the business with his son John B when John B had finished his apprenticeship.

A family bible that was in the possession of Betty (and now with her granddaughter Melissa) is signed at the front J Boyce Shaldon 1827. Melissa kindly lent me the Bible for study and I can confirm all details that Betty gave me are correct save that Hawkins is definitely Hawkings and Betty omitted age of John's wife Sarah when she died (aged 50).

J Boyce must be John A who probably signed it on his marriage to Jane. She may have been born Jane Ward as the surname Ward is used for two of their children. It is possible that she was actually Sarah Jane as the birth of John Boyce is recorded on familysearch as 1805 at Cockington, spouse Sarah Jane married about 1828. I found a Sarah Ward baptised at West Teignmouth 12/4/1805. As a pure piece of speculation she may be our ancestor. John's marriage to a woman from Teignmouth around 1827 may have been related to his move from Cockington to Shaldon (less than 10 miles). It was common to name first born children after their parents and this lends strength to the idea that John's wife may have been Sarah Jane. This is now unlikely as I now know that Sarah was born around 1801.

At the back of the bible is a list of dates of birth of his children:
Sarah Jane Boyce born January 5th 1829
Edmund William John Boyce born December 6th 1830
Arthur Boyce born January 30th 1833
Maria Boyce born October 25th 1834
William Ward Boyce born October 17th 1836
Ann Ward Boyce born March 15th 1838
Harriet Boyce born November 21st 1840
John Hawkings Boyce born November 20th 1842

Three deaths are also noted:

Jane, the wife of John Boyce and the mother of these eight children died 27th January 1851. Aged 50 years
John Hawkings Boyce died 14th October 1895
Arthur Boyce died 14th October 1896.

There is no reference to the death of John Boyce in 1871.

John A must have moved the short distance from Cockington to Shaldon sometime between 1804 and 1829 as the 1851 census gives the birthplace of all children as St Nicholas (Shaldon and St Nicholas appear to be synonymous).

By 1841 John A had moved across the river Teign with his family to Wellington Street, Teignmouth. His wife Jane died 27th January 1851 (Anthony says of a form of TB).

In the 1851 Census return John A and his children were living in 2, Wellington Row, Teignmouth. His eldest daughter aged 22 is described as his housekeeper. His sons Edmund William John (20) and Arthur (18) are described as assistants in the trade. The other children are at school (aged 8 to 16).

There were no Boyces living in Shaldon in the 1851 Census but there were 3 other Boyce households in Teignmouth.

By the 1861 Census John Boyce (John A) had remarried (to Grace) and was still living at Wellington Street (Street and Row seem to be interchangeable). Sarah, Edmund and Arthur had left home but Marie (Maria), now 26, was still living at home as were William (24), Ann (22) and John Hawkins (18). Marie was described as a milliner and Ann was a dressmaker. Anthony does not mention Harriet - perhaps she had died. William and John Hawkins were watch and clock makers. Clock making was clearly in the blood for all four sons were in the trade.
The Boyces are referred to in Ponsford's Devon clocks and clockmakers which gives the following details:

John Boyce, watch and clockmaker at 2 Wellington Row, Teignmouth in 1830 and at 2 Wellington Street from 1844 -50. Ponsford records that John Boyce died in 1856. This is in error as he is recorded at 2 Wellington Street in the 1861 census and he actually died in 1871. (Is it possible that the death is of John's father, John B?).

Arthur and William Boyce are listed as partners at 2 Wellington St from 1873 - 1893 (the partnership is established shortly after their father John died). William Boyce was at 44 Northumberland Place, Teignmouth from 1902 onwards.

Edmund Boyce was described as watchmaker, silversmith and jeweller and he operated at 20 The Strand, Exmouth from 1856 -1902. It is interesting that he finished as William moved to 44 Northumberland Place.

John Hockings Boyce was a clockmaker at Cross St., Mortenhampstead. Ponsford records his death in 1893. He actually died 14th October 1895.

What was the significance of 1856? Ponsford says John died and Edmunds stared his business in Exmouth in this year.

I found one other reference to John Hockings Boyce:
In 1893 John Hockings Boyce watch and clockmaker, London was in business at Cross Street, Mortenhampstead (see Memories of Mortenhampstead, by George Friend published Devon Books 1994).

Both Ponsford and Friend use the spelling Hockings rather than Hawkings as in the family bible ( they would sound very similar particularly with a Devon accent).

In 1871, John (A) Boyce made his will leaving his money to his second wife Grace and died aged 67. He was buried in Teignmouth cemetery.
I have not found anything on the marriage of John and Grace but there was a Grace Boyce, widower, living alone at 3 Dawlish St, East Teignmouth in the 1881 Census. She was then 68 and was born in Bow, Devon. This is almost certainly John's widow as she was the only Grace Boyce recorded in Devon and the place and her age are reasonable.

Anthony says that Ann Boyce (John A's daughter) married Robert Underhay, a labourer, and inherited her stepmother’s (Grace) estate of £45 11s 6d. He does not give dates for these events. Robert and Ann Underlay (born in Shaldon) were living in East Teignmouth in 1881 but are described as 59 years old. There is only one couple of this name in the Devon Census for 1881 but John's daughter would be only 43 so it is not clear whether or not that this couple is part of the Boyce family (ages are sometimes in error).

Anthony recorded that “By 1857 Arthur had moved to Cowick Street, Exeter and he married a girl that lived in the same street - Mary Jane Clarke, daughter of George Clark (e), carpenter. They were married at St Thomas Church, Cowick Street, Exeter on December 10th 1857."
I found a Mary Jane Clarke baptised on 25/9/1831 at Kenton whose father was George (and mother Mary). She would be about 18 months older than Arthur. Kenton is very near Powderham and half way between Teignmouth and Exeter. These could very well be our ancestors.
In the 1851 census Mary Jane aged 19 and her mother Mary aged 46 are living at 8 Brunswick Place, East Teignmouth with John Furze. Mary Jane is described as niece and Mary as sister to John. Mary and her brother John were also born in Kenton (Mary ca 1806) and we know her maiden name was Furze. We can presume George Mary's husband has died.

The fact that Mary Jane and Arthur were both living in Teignmouth in 1851 (6 years before Arthur was married) aged 19 and 18 respectively makes their meeting very plausible indeed.

So it appears that Arthur moved back from Exeter to Teignmouth before his father died. Perhaps this was to take over the family business on his father’s retirement.

Anthony continues “Arthur and Mary had four children: Harriett (who died when she was four) Arthur John Boyce, Jane and Annie. He says their first child, Harriett Ellen was born 13th September 1870 at Exeter Road, Teignmouth.” Why the 13year gap between marriage and the birth of their first child?

Arthur’s wife Mary died in 1874, 17 years after they were married when young Arthur was only 4 years old”

There is something puzzling: I have a hand-written copy of the birth certificate of Arthur John Boyce that is in Betty’s handwriting. This clearly states that Arthur John Boyce was born on 13th September 1870 at Exeter Road, West Teignmouth. 1870/71 also agrees with the 1881 census when Arthur is given as 10. This means either that Harriett was not born on 13 September 1870, Betty’s copies of the birth (and marriage) certificates for Arthur are wrong, or Harriett and Arthur were twins. But Annie is 2 years older than Arthur, so Harriett cannot be a twin of Arthur and first born.

Another puzzle is that the 1881 Census gives the household at 2 Wellington Street, Teignmouth as Arthur Boyce 47, Elizabeth J Boyce as 22, Annie H Boyce as 12 and Arthur J Boyce as 10. Arthur is given as born in Shaldon and the others as born in Teignmouth. In my copy of the 1881 Census relationships are not given but I presume Elizabeth is Arthur and Mary's first child she would have been born around 1859 a year or two before Arthur and Mary were married. If so Arthur had moved back to Teignmouth by 1859 as this is where Elizabeth was born. I would imagine that Harriett was actually born between Elizabeth and Annie.

Arthur senior died 14th October 1896, aged 63 without leaving a will. His estate was worth £33 7s 9d (from Anthony’s notes this could be £133 7s 9d).

The 1881 Census also helps with the whereabouts of some of Arthur's brothers and sisters. Maria Boyce was a resident of the Newton Abbott Workhouse. She is described as a milliner, aged 44, born in Shaldon. The age should be 46/47 if the birth date in the family bible is correct (25/10/1834). By this time her mother and father were dead but she certainly had several brothers alive. As happened to her stepmother she was left on her own.

Edmund was 49 and living at 20 The Strand, Littleham (Exmouth?) with his wife Elizabeth Boyce aged 42 and born Heavitree. Their children are William 16, Richard 14, Henry 12, Florence 10, Maud 8 and Arthur 6 (what impeccable intervals). All the children were born in Exmouth. Two others were included: Selina Reeves a 63 old widow, born Exminster and Jane Holwill aged 20, born Budleigh. This tallies with Ponsford who describes Edmund as operating his business from 20, The Strand, Exmouth.

John H. Boyce aged 38 and born in Teignmouth is dwelling at 13 Charles St, Withycombe Rawleigh. It is not absolutely certain that this is John Hawkings Boyce but it is very likely to be so. The age is right and although all he and his brothers and sisters are given as born at St Nicholas in the 1851 census (i.e. Shaldon rather than Teignmouth) it is likely that John Hawkings Boyce was born in Teignmouth as Anthony said that the family had moved to Teignmouth by 1841 before John Hawkins was born in November 1842. The others at 13 Charles St were Bertha Boyce 25, born Exeter, presumably John's wife; George J Boyce aged 2 and Edith Boyce aged 8 months, presumably their children. Esther Yeo aged 81 born Newton Poppleford and Anna M Parkin aged 23, born Exmouth were also recorded.

I did not find William Ward Boyce or Ann Ward Boyce in the census. Perhaps Ann had married and we know from Ponsford that William and Arthur Boyce were partners at 2 Wellington St from 1873 - 1893 (the partnership is established shortly after their father John died) and that William Boyce was at 44 Northumberland Place, Teignmouth from 1902 onwards.

Arthur John George Boyce had moved to London by the time that he was 25 to be apprenticed as a watchmaker. His marriage certificate describes him as watchmaker and he was living at 144 Holland Park Avenue, Kensington.

Arthur married Louisa Marie Herbert on 7th March 1896 at the Registry Office, Marloes Road, Kensington . Her father was Herbert Herbert, Oil and Colour Merchant. Arthur's father, Arthur Boyce, was described as a Jeweller.

This was probably the first marriage outside of church in the family. There is some mystery about this romance. Mum told me that grandma Boyce (Louisa Marie) was a cousin or second cousin of Arthur John and that there was kinship between Arthur John and grandma Boyce’s mother, Charlotte Brewer. Mum was quite adamant about this and said that Grandma Boyce had told her. Aunty Betty says there was no relationship. If they were cousins they would have to have two of their grandparents in common. Arthur's grandparents were John Boyce, Sarah (Jane Ward?), George Clarke, Mary (unknown, perhaps Furse). Louisa's grandparents were James Brewer, Harriett Day, Herbert Herbert and Sarah Brinkhurst. There are not two in common and so they are not cousins but if they had two of their great grandparents in common they would be second cousins. This cannot be ruled out and if this is the case I suspect a link between Brewers and Clarkes is the most likely.

Louisa was already 21 so reaching her majority was not an issue. For whatever reason Louisa Marie was married without her father’s consent. I was told Arthur and Louisa Marie met in London where Louisa was nursemaid to the Earl of Devonshire.

Louisa Marie Herbert was born on 15th June 1874 at 37 Victoria Road, Kentish Town, London. The birth was registered by her mother Charlotte Herbert, formerly Brewer. Louisa's Bible (which is in the safe keeping of her great granddaughter Melissa Crompton) gives her birth as 16th June 1873 but this was added after her death in 1952. This bible gives the details of their nine children:
Arthur George born 5th Jan. 1897 at 20 High St., N. Finchley
Marjorie Annie born 16th Sept.1898 at Devonshire Villa, Lambert Rd. N.Finchley
Leslie Herbert born 18th July 1900 at Devonshire Villa, Lambert Rd. N.Finchley
Ronald Lines born 16th Feb. 1903 at Devonshire Villa, Lambert Rd. N.Finchley
Gordon Beresford born 9th Oct. 1904 at Melrose, Woodhouse Lane
Leicester John born 6th Oct. 1906 at Melrose, Woodhouse Lane
Geoffrey Frank born 2nd March 1912 at Nursing Home, Woodside Park
Betty Louise born 21 March 1914 at Hackwood, Torrington Pk?
Francis Reginald born 9th June 1917 at Brimley House, Woodhouse Rd.

I know Leicester was born in Finchley and I assume that Woodhouse Lane and Woodhouse Rd are in Finchley. I cannot clearly decipher the letters after Torrington in Betty's birth record. The P is clear and the next letter could be k or perhaps h or l. It most likely signifies Park or Place.

The 6 year interval between the birth of Leicester and Geoffrey is curious and perhaps it is related to the fact that Geoffrey was (unlike all the others born in a Nursing Home).

Clearly Arthur and Louise spent 20 years in London. They returned to Devon and set up business at Wellington House, Fore Street, Sidmouth possibly at the end of the 1919. Incidentally the spelling of Louise is sometimes Louisa.

Arthur John Boyce died 1st March 1922 aged 51. I was told that he died in a ‘flu epidemic. Grandma Boyce recorded the death in her bible "A devoted Father and Husband and beloved by all who knew him"

Two of the sons: Ronald and Geoffrey joined their father in the jewellery, clock and watch business so maintaining the continuity for 5 generations and approximately 180 years.

Louise Marie died April 23rd 1952 and was buried in Sidmouth cemetery. Marjorie has recorded the death in Louise's bible and recorded aged 77 this has been crossed out perhaps by Betty and changed to 78 years and 10 months and born 16th June 1873 inserted.

Also recorded in Louise's Bible are the following deaths of three of her children:
6th Nov 1917 killed in action in the Great War Arthur George Boyce aged 19 years and 9 months (if he was born in January 1897 he was almost 21).
23rd Oct 1943 killed in action at sea Leicester John Boyce, only on his first ship a few hours, aged 37.
10th Nov 1944 Francis Reginald "our beloved Jimmy" after serving in the Dental Corps all through the siege of Malta was killed in a railway accident in Italy aged 27.
The deaths of Leslie 6th Nov 1964 and of Gordon 29th Nov 1990 have been added, the first by Marjorie the second perhaps by Betty.

Geoffrey Frank died on 3 April 1997 aged 85

posted at 9:46:50 AM