Searching for   BOYCE/Bois/Boys/Boyes   and  
MYERS/Meyers/Mires/Miers ancestors.
  

 

Who was James Boyce/Boys Sr.??  Born about 1820 he married Jane Myers (probably in Wentworth, Ontario)  and had 3 children, then vanished.  No record of him exists other than a family story, and documents his children completed at marriage and death, that said he was their father.

 

Peter Myers and his family may be the clue to James Boyce/Boys.  Peter Myers was the father of Jane.  He was born 1777-1800 in the U.S. maybe Pennsylvania (according to death records of 2 children). He may have had 2 wives, the first (Matilda) the mother of most/all of his children, and Eunice the wife that appears on the 1861-71-81 Canada Census.

 

Peter Myers born abt 1777 in USA (probably Pennsylvania)

Resided in Upper Canada since at least 1790 (as indicated in the 1842 Land Census, and 1861 Canada Census) and on a 50 acre farm outside Campbellville, Ontario from 1832 until his death in 1866.

 In the book "The History of Nasagaweya" by J. Norrish, published 1888 on page 70, Norrish says in 1832 Peter Mires acquires land near Campbellville, Ontario. The property was the northwest corner of Concession 4, Lot 7, Nassagaweya Township, Halton County. Peter would be 50+ years old in 1832 and we have no indication where he farmed before that (he dies on the property in 1866 abt 89 years old).

 On the 1842 Land Census, Peter indicates himself (1 MM 60+) plus 6 young people living on the property -  (1m, 1F aged 0-5, 2F 5-14, 1M 14-18, 1M 19-21).  Curiously, he does not indicate any Married Females (MF) living with him. Perhaps some of the children are grandchildren.

On the 1861 Canada Census with Peter is: his wife Eunice (whose name is later verified on 1871 and 1881 census) born abt 1800 in Upper Canada; grandson James Boyce (Jr) aged 11, and Jane Myers aged 15 (His granddaughter by son Elijah we believe).

I believe Peter Myers dies in 1866 as I found a newspaper article that describes a sensational story of a 119 year old man dying in Campbellville by the name of Myers.  Campbellville is only about 500 meters from his property.  The likelihood of anyone living to 119 years of age at that time is unlikely.  I believe a calculation error of 30 years was made, and it was Peter Myers who died at about 89 years of age.

(The Myers farm property is now fronted by the Nassagaweya Tennis Club facility on Guelph Line Road just 200 yards north of the Campbellville 401 freeway interchange).   A land deed is available that shows Peter transferring the property to his son Elijah about 1860.


Eunice Myers: (born abt 1798 Upper Canada).

Eunice was born in Upper Canada abt 1797-1800 (1861/71/81 Canada Census data).   Curiously, she is not present on the 1842 land census with Peter Meyers.  She is present on the 1861 Census with Peter (and  grandson James Boyce Jr. and granddaughter Jane Myers).  An 1875 Halton Map indicates an E. Myers owning lot 7 con 4 in Nassagaweya the Peter Myers property - this may refer to Eunice or son Elijah.  Eunice is on the 1881 Canada Census and Elijah processes her death certificate in 1884.

Because of Eunice's  absence on the 1842 Census, and the fact that all of Peter's children seem to name a daughter Matilda, we wonder if Eunice is actually the mother of the Myers children (and not a first wife of Peter named Matilda).  Contradictory documents have Jane indicating Eunice as her mother on her 1876 marriage record, and Elijah declares Eunice as his mother on her death record, but on Jane Myers Twyning's 1901 death certificate her mother is declared as Ellen Lowery (by Mary Twyning - Jane's daughter).


Children of Peter (and Eunice?  Or Matilda? or Ellen?) Myers:

-      Son Elijah Myres (born abt 1818)  marries Lydia Ann Misener abt 1843 and they have 11 children.

-      Daughter Elizabeth Myers (born abt 1822) marries William Buck and they have 6 children.  (Some of the original Myers Property stays in a Buck family members possession until the 1950's).

- Daughter Mary Myers (born abt 1822) marries Robert Currie.  They have 7 children, and live across Guelph Line Road from the Myers farm .

-      Daughter Jane (born 1825) married James Boyce Sr., then Thomas Tynan/Tyning/Twyning.  Jane has 3 children with James Boyce, and 2 children with Thomas Tynan.  On a 1901 census she states she had 9 children, 5 of which are still living.  No records of the missing children have been found.

-      Margaret (born 1829) married John Isaac Ross and had 12 children.  They resided in Nassagaweya during the 1860's and moved to Bay City Michigan about 1875, and resided there for the duration of their lives.

-      John (born 1826) whose data is not verified yet

 


James Boyce/Boys Sr. and Jane (Myers) Boyce probably married 1843:


James Boyce Sr married Jane Myers abt 1843 and they probably lived in either Nassagaweya Township, Halton County area or Beverly Township (which was part of Halton County until 1854).   They had 3 children Herbert (1844), Mathilda (1847) and James Jr.(1848). 

James and Jane vanished from the family history sometime after the birth of their 3rd child in 1848.  Their 3 young children were raised by others.  The family story is that James Boyce returned to England for a family emergency and never returned. This doesn't seem realistic.  I suspect James and Jane Myers Boyce had a marriage breakup.  Later Boyce family generations never acknowledged the existence of Jane Myers Boyce beyond 1850, but we have now found she remarried some years later and had at least 2 more children.  She lived relatively close to her "Boyce" children in Wentworth Ontario for many years, so they had to have known her circumstances... yet none of that was relayed down to later generations.

Their lack of records is compounded by the loss/damage of the 1851 Canada Census data for the Township of Nassageweya, Halton County, Ontario where they probably lived.  The marriage and death records for Herbert Boyce (married-1870) and James Boyce Jr. (m-1872), indicate James Sr. and Jane Boyce were their parents.  A death record for James Boyce Jr in 1937 indicates James Boyce Sr born in England and Jane Myers born Ontario, were his parents.  

Family history carried down said James Sr.  was born in England. The family story is that he may have been a school teacher or worked as a minister.  No documentation has been found to support this.

Jane Myers Boyce declared herself a widow (not verified)  and remarried in 1876.  She also stipulated Peter and Eunice Myers were her parents.  She had been living with Thomas Tynan since at least 1859 and the birth of Timothy.  Mary was born 1864. Perhaps she could not get officially married to Thomas until the death of James Boyce could be confirmed. The name has been shown as Tynan, Tyning and Twyning (which version seems to have been carried forward).

Thomas and Jane Tynan (Tyamen) are on the 1881 census with Thomas's son Timothy aged 24. 


James Boyce Sr. and Jane Myers were the parents of:

Herbert Boyce:
   Born February 1845. In 1870 he marries Mary Ann MacGorman born 1853 and they reside in Nassagaweya.  They are found on many of the Canada census' from 1891 forward near Hamiota Manitoba.  On the 1861 Canada census Mary Ann MacGorman is 8 y.o. and she and her family are found on the same page of the census as James Boyce (b. 1848) and his grandfather Peter Myers (b.1781).  So she lived close to her future brother-in-law, was near the same age, and probably attended the same school.  Mary MacGorman and James Boyce were witness in 1869 to the marriage of James Darrah.  James Darrah was a witness to the marriage of Herbert Boyce and Mary MacGorman in 1870.

Matilda Boyce:
   Born February 1847. In 1869 Marries Egerton Ryerson McKay born 1845.  This family moves to the US in abt 1882 and is found in many US census in Sanilac, Michigan.  On the 1861 Canada census Matilda is 15 y.o. and a servant in the home of the Methodist Minister (New Conexion) Frederick Haynes and his family.

James Boyce Jr.:
    Born May 1848.  In 1872 marries Margaret Waldie born 1848.  At the time James resides in East Flamboro and Margaret in Nassagaweya.  They are found in 1875 living at Westover,  Beverly Twnshp, Wentworth County on a search of the Halton Map.  On the 1881 Census they are farming in Wentworth County.  In about 1886 they move for a short time to Port Huron then Brown City, Michigan and later (abt 1892) move to farm near Miniota Manitoba where they reside for the rest of their life, and raise 9 children (including my grandfather Ernest Brock Boyce).

Margaret Waldie (wife of James Boyce Jr.):
    Was born near Hamilton or Brantford, Ontario.  Margaret's parents were William Waldie (b. 1822) and Christine Davidson (b. 1821) both born in Scotland. Her grandparents were William Waldie (b. 1800) and Isabel Crozier (b. 1803) both born in Scotland.  The Waldie's immigrated to Canada in 1832 and settled near Brantford Ontario.  William Sr. and Isabel lived into their 90's and are were buried in Oxford Ontario in the 1890's.

Other of my Canadian Ancestors who came to Ontario from Scotland,  England and Ireland include the names Waldie, Davidson, Crozier, Blythe, Little, Beattie and Anderson


contact me at 
Jim@JimBoyce.com  with any information you might have or if you feel I can help you .




Some pictures of my (g-grandfather) James Boyce Jr. family.


Boyce, Margaret (Waldie) & James wedding

James Boyce Jr. and Margaret Waldie in 1872.   (this is possibly a wedding picture)


Boyce first Manitoba home, abt 1892

First Boyce farmhouse near Miniota, MB about 1892



Boyce_Billie_& Brock

William James (Billy) and Ernest Brock Boyce... about 1895


Boyce family in Miniota, B-Jms Mgt M-Brock Olive Ethel Rose Christene F-Charlie Pearl Lottie Billy Web

  Boyce family near Miniota, MB abt 1906, Back-James Margaret Mid-Brock Olive Ethel Rose Christene Frt-Charlie Pearl Lottie Billy 


Boyce family in Miniota, Manitoba
Boyce family near Miniota, Manitoba abt 1905

Boyce, Brock - Threshing in Miniota 1906

Boyce, E.B.(Ernest Brock) - Threshing near Miniota 1906
Jim & Elsie Circa 1939

Jim & Elsie Boyce aboutt 1939 Alberta