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. JOYCE JOURNAL
Volume I April , 2002
Issue 6
SALUTATIONS
HELLO JOYCES! Boy, it's great to be back in harness again. Many thanks to
all of you who sent good wishes and said a prayer. Must have worked because
they tell me that my recovery has been outstanding. I use the word
"procedure" advisedly - 19 different procedures were performed to fix my
back. My patience has been sorely tried, though. Drugs kept me pretty
comfortable for the first six weeks, but didn't permit me to do something as
complex as read or write. Daytime and nighttime TV are almost uniformly
awful. Anyway, I'm past it now, have begun picking up the pieces of my life
again, and nearly all of the lower body problems have disappeared. I also
recovered 3 inches lost when things started collapsing; and I now have a
special ID card which permits me to pass through metal detectors. Standing
up straight seems like a miracle.
Not a lot of new information came in for distribution in JJ while I was under
the weather - thanks for your consideration. I may not have responded and
e-mail you sent. Let me know if I didn't. I came home to a huge pile of
personal e-mail, most of which I opened; but I may not have followed through
to respond. It's still piling up. If you wrote and didn't hear from me,
please advise me. Some new information was pretty spectacular though.
A brand new subscriber, STU ([email protected]), settled the Henry Joyce
question in short order. See "Responses" for Stu's terrific work on behalf
of all of us.
Check this out, too. TOM JOYCE ([email protected]) made a first-rate
discovery while JJ was in hiatus. He visited with a Joyce descendant in
Rockingham County who has a treasure trove of old Joyce documents from the
early 1800s. Tom xeroxed these documents, is now transcribing them and
posting them to his website. This archival data concerns primarily John
"Coon" Joyce and his descendants. I suggest you check his website daily for
new additions. For a glimpse of life as it was 200 years ago, click on "John
Joyce Papers" under the section titled"Related Files." Tom's web page
address is:
<< http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/ftm/j/o/y/Thomas-Joyce/ >>
Or, using a search engine, search on "The Joyce Connection."
Tom says, "Please help me share and answer the many, many new questions
these papers have already caused me to ponder. If you have any connection to
the individuals mentioned in these papers, please let me know."
Tom's account of his visit to Mount Airy in Surry County will appear in the
next issue with some personal comments from yours truly about this charming
village. Those of you who are descendants of Alexander II of Henry Co will
be especially interested in this visit because some of your cousins or
descendants probably played out their lives nearby.
NEW MEMBERS
A number of subscribers haven't introduced themselves. Sure hope you'll
take this opportunity now to tell us about yourselves. We were discovered by
6 or 7 new subscribers while we were in hiatus. I hope all of you will also
step out to introduce yourselves to the rest of us. How can we appreciate and
enjoy our cousinship if we haven't met one another? As a matter of
information, 37 people have now joined with us in our quest to discover the
origin of Alexander Joyce (d. 1778-Guilford Co NC) and Thomas Joyce (d.
1780-Charlotte Co VA).
- - - - - - - -
KAY TERRY ([email protected]) Welcome Kay and her husband to our quest.
They are educators - a profession near to my heart. Boy, do we need to see
that our children's and our grandchildren's teachers are fully appreciated
and well compensated. It isn't easy being a school administrator or teacher
these days. JB's daily soapbox. . . .
By the way, Kay, you probably know his already, but thought I'd mention that
there were a bunch of Terrys in Henry and Patrick Co VA. Both counties are
fed by the Dan and Mayo Rivers which across the Virginia state line into
Rockingham and Stokes in North Carolina. Alexander Joyce (II), son of
Alexander (I) lived in Henry County.
*****
My husband is a Joyce descendant through his mother. I've traced his line
back to John A. Joyce and wife Sarah Norton. They are on the 1860 census in
Stokes County, NC. The family relocated to Kentucky at the end of the War
Between the States. I'd love to be a part of research to trace the Joyce
line back to Ireland/Scotland/ or wherever.
About me (and my husband)--we live in a very small village in Louisiana--near
the Mississippi River. We are both in education--he is a high school
principal and I teach 1st grade. Our 3 children are all grown--2 are
married. Two live near us and one is in California. We have 3 adorable
grandchildren. Unfortunately, two of them are in California! We plan a
vacation to see them in July--I can't wait.
I know that my letter may not be read until April--but wanted to go ahead and
get in touch with the group. I was so excited to find the journal and have
enjoyed reading it. I'll keep in touch.
. . . . . . Kay Terry
QUERIES
TOM JOYCE ([email protected]) has a question which I'm going to attempt to
respond to at the end. We're all curious about how "Coon" and "Possum" got
started. If anyone has a better explanation, please share it.
****
Does anyone else have this trait?
-- P.S. I guess you noticed by now I have started signing my e-mails,as Tom
"Coon." An explanation follows.
-- I know I am a descendant of John "Coon" Joyce at least four different ways
(and John "Possum" at least once).
-- I know that Rockingham County court records assigned the two nicknames to
distinguish between the two John Joyce's.
Why "Coon" and why "Possum"?
Maybe, there was a physical resemblance to these two four-legged friends.
Moving along, for many years now, don't remember when I first noticed it, but
am now quite aware that I have two permanent "black eyes". The portion of my
face between my eyes and nose is very dark.
Maybe, this is why the judge decided to pick "Coon" for an official nickname.
COMMENTS, AS PROMISED FROM JOYCE. I can't resist this one, Tom. By the
way, I'm a blue-eyed blond with freckles when I was young - no black eyes.
And truth to tell, there are a lot more silver threads now than gold unless I
doctor it.
I remember so well 25 years ago when I first discovered the "Coon" and
"Possum" nicknames in nearly all official records concerning these two Joyce
cousins, even the United States Census. I also recall the affectionate use
of these same nicknames by some of the "good old boys" in my native Stokes
County. By then, these nicknames had survived nearly 200 years of use in the
vernacular - maybe because of the two John Joyces, or maybe "Coon" and
"Possum" were already famliar nicknames when adopted to distinguish the two
John Joyces.
Not long ago I ran across an article about wild creatures of yesteryear. Of
course, there were bears, deer, panthers, bison and cougars; but the wild
creatures that were closest to the life of our colonial families were
raccoons, opossums/possums, and squirrels.
The article pointed out that the larger creatures had to be hunted well away
from home; but one only had to walk out the back door to bring home
"friendly" coons, possums, and squirrels. Anyway, these two nicknames must
have referred to familiar and "friendly" animals which deserved affection.
After all, they frequently became the "soul" of a colonial family's stew.
I guess if there had been more another John Joyce in that generation, he
would have been John "Squirrel" Joyce.
RESPONSES
MARK JOYCE ([email protected]) wondered who Jennie Joyce of Rockingham
County was, and answered his own question, printed here because it may be
helpful to others.
****
I just found a will in Rockingham Co. for Jennie Joyce dated 1798. It lists
several of her brothers and sisters including Alexander and John. I was
wondering what you knew about her and the rest of her siblings.
Jennie's will: Wr. 19 Mar 1798. No probate date. Sisters: Polly Joyce
(one negro girl which I purchased at the sald of my father James Joyce decd),
Sarah Roberts. Brothers: James Joyce, Alexander Joyce, John joyce. Exors:
Joshua Smith, Robert Joyce. Wits. John Joyce, Alex. Joyce, Robert Joyce.
-----
JB COMMENT RE JENNIE JOYCE: From "Early Families of the North Carolina
Counties of Rockingham and Stokes with Revolutionary Service," Vol. 2.
Published by the DAR James Hunter Chapter in 1990.
***
James Joyce -- Born 1746 probably in VA, son of Alexander Joyce, died
intestate in Rockingham Co, NC by Nov 1796 (Rockingham County court of Pleas
& Quarter Sessions Minutes). His wife apparently was deceased by 1796 and
her name is unknown.
As a resident of that part of Guilford Co, NC that became Rockingham Co,
James Joyce served in the Revolutionary War in Capt. Richard Vernon's Co of
Light Horse. His name is on a list of this company in Room 400 at the
National Archives in Washington which has been microfilmed.
-----Children: (Not necessarily in order of birth)
--1. Jennie Joyce, died single after 19 Mar 1798, the date of her will in
Rockingham Co in which she made bequests to her sisters & brothers ((Old
Wills Bk, p. 59).
--2. Mary "Polly" Joyce - no record
--3. Sarah Joyce was married by 1798 to Thomas Roberts who died 1818
Rockingham Co leaving will dated 19 Mary 1814, probated Aug 1818, recorded in
Will Book A, p. 272. His wife and children were named in his will.
--4. James Joyce Jr., born 1774/80; apparently died before 1850; md.
Lucinda Joyce (dau. of Thomas and Margaret Tate Joyce), born ca 1797 (Census
of Rockingham Co 1850). Lucinda and family had moved to Stokes Co by 1860.
--5. Alexander Joyce, born ca 1772, died intestate by 1829 in Rockingham Co;
md. before the 1800 Census, Margaret "Peggy Hill, dau. of John Hill Sr. (In
our earlier volume, this Alexander was said to be the son of Edward Joyce
which is in error.)
--6. John Joyce, born ca 1775 guilford Co, was living in Trigg Co, Ky by
1850 Census; md. Lucy Edwards, dau of James Edwards who died in Rockingham
Co. Lucy was born in 1784.. Several children lived in Grainger and Trigg
Cos, Ky.
--7. Susanna Joyce md. Thomas Hopkins. In May of 1806, Thomas Hopkins sold
200 acs to Thomas Roberts. The description of this tract is the same as that
given for Susanna's tractas her share of her father's estate. Susanna
probably died young as Thomas married again in 1824, to Nancy Brashear, and a
3rd time to Sarah Atkerson. His 1847 will is recorded in Rockingham Will
Book C, p. 63.
--8. Thomas Joyce, born before 1743 probably the eldest son of Alexander
joyce, died intestate 1822 in Rocckingham Co NC; m. Margaret "Peggy" Tate,
born 30 Apr 1746, died 1826 Rockingham Co. She was the dau. of Joseph Tate,
Sr. As a resident of Guilford Co NC during the Revolutionary War, Thomas
Joyce served with friends, neighbors and kinsmen of the now northwestern part
of Rockingham Co on the expedition to Cross Creek under Capt. Alexander
Martin in the regiment of Col. James Martin. lt. Lt. John Davis and Ensign
Samuel Hunter were the other officers. (Miscellaneous Papers - Revolutionary
Army Accounts, Vol. 1-6, pages 255 and 256, NC Archives, Raleigh NC)
- - - - - -
STU ([email protected]) - I think in the original request for a JJ
subscription, I had the name of this new-found cousin. Unfortunately, I
didn't retain it. But Sti did what we needed most. He has taken the time
and made the effort to find out more about Henry Joyce. The problem is, it
doesn't appear that he was the father of Alexander and Thomas (maybe John)
Joyce of Louisa Co. Many, many thanks for this wonderful service, Stu. Now
we can settle down and get to work.
*****
Thanks for the copies of the Joyce Journal. You have tremendous knowledge of
the topic. I will send you a paragraph about my wife very soon.
I wanted you to know I work in Trenton, NJ near the library archives. If you
need something to be looked up that you can't get your hands on let me know.
I have a little info on Henry Joyce.
He was a member of the General Free Assembly of West New Jersey for the
Salem Tenth in 1716. It is listed as :
1716.
(Town) Issaac Sharp.
Richard Johnson.
Henry Joyce.
(County) William Hall.
Dickinson Sheppard.
William Clews
Henry Joyce was the North Side of Cohansey Assessor in 1719 and 1722
--Source: History of the Counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New
Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of their Prominent Citizens. by Thos.
Cushing, M.D. and Charles E. Sheppard, Esq., Everts & Peck, Philadelphia,
1883.
"The Greenwich Presbyterian Church"
Rev. Ebenezer Goold was pastor from 1728 to 1740. He was married to Amie
Brewster, a sister of Francis Brewster, one of the elders of the church, and
a descendant of the Elder Brewster who landed from the "Mayflower" at
Plymouth in 1620.
Rev. Andrew Hunter was pastor from 1746 to 1775. (From 1746 to 1760 Deerfield
and Greenwich were one session).
"This domination of the county was due to the fact that the early settlers of
this county were in large part migrants from New England and Long Island.
Puritans of the Presbyterian persuasion came at first from Fairfield in
Connecticut in 1680 and settled on the south side of the Cohansey. As this
community grew, the Reverend Thomas Bridge of Hackney, England was induced to
come with a grant of 1000 acres in that place in 1692. The Connecticut
settlers received 5000 acres on 16 April 1696, and by time Fairfield Township
was created in 1697, there was already a Presbyterian community called New
England crossroads, with a log church, "Christ Church of Fairfield," on the
south bank of the Cohansey. This church was the nucleus from which came the
two churches in Cederville and those at Bridgeton, Deerfield and Greenwich,
as settlers from Fairfield moved out in those directions. Indeed, but for the
lack of clear title to the land, New England Crossroads probably would have
become the county town. As it was, as land became available with clear title
in other places, the population moved out, and New England Crossroads is
marked today only by the historic church, now extinct. Those who lived on the
north side of the Cohansey River, at Greenwich, were attended by their pastor
from Fairfield in their homes and by 1717 in their own log church."
It also says "Anyone with an interest in Presbyterian records from Cumberland
County should go first to this repository before any other source. Its value
cannot be over-emphasised. It is splendid. The Presbyterian Historical
Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19147. (215) 627-1852, is open
weekends. Other records of these churches are at the library of the
Pennsylvania Historical Society, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107.
(215) 545-0391.."
--Source: Church Archives in Cumberland County New Jersey. An Inventory
compiled by Shirley Garton Straney. Genealogical Society of New Jersey. New
Brunswick. 1982
- - - -
Here's Stu's follow up message . . . . . . and apparently the end of the
road for Henry Joyce of New Jersey as a possible ancestor:
***
I have a copy of Henry Joyce's Will and Inventory. He left most of his
possessions to his widow Eleanor Short. She was previously married to William
Daniel who left his possessions to her by will. If Eleanor were to die,
Henry's Will leaves the possessions to her son John Daniel who lives with
her. No mention of any other children or wives. The Will was filed in Salem
County, April 11, 1726. There are other prominent names listed in the Will
but it will take some time for me to translate.
****
JB COMMENT: So, there we have it. Henry Joyce had no children of his own.
So who is Thomas Joyce who also appears briefly in these New Jersey records
in 1752? in any event, we know that a Joyce was living in the midst of these
New Englanders who had moved to New Jersey. Logic would seem to tell us
several things:
1. Since we have not been able to find that "Alexander" was a regular
"Joyce" name either here or in the British Isles . . . . and
2. Since recent Scotch-irish immigrants and New England Puritans were
closely associated after the move to New Jersey . . . . and
3. Since the Cohansey, New Jersey surnames are often among the same surnames
we find Joyce associating with in Virginia and Rockingham Co NC. . . then
Does the given name "Alexander" speak to the marriage of a once-Puritan
Joyce to a Scotch Irish lass either in New England or overseas?
For myself, I'm going to do some New England work to see what was going on up
there before a batch of these folks moved south to Long Island and New Jersey
around 1700. A John Joyce (a Mayflower descendant) lived in Massachusetts
who's wife was Esther White (also a Mayflower descendant). I don't have
evidence that they had any children; but this is intriguing because a John
Joice preceded both Alexander Joyce (d. 1778-Guilford Co NC) and Thomas
Joyce (d. 1780-Charlotte Co VA) in Louisa Co, and both A and T gave the name
"Esther" to a daughter. Why?
Join the search with me if you have the resources. If we find nothing in
these locations that seems to answer our questions, then we'll know, for
sure, that we have the entire British Isles to search in satisfying our
curiosity.
RESEARCH
TOM JOYCE ([email protected])
John "Coon" Joyce, Sr. died intestate, according to Corinne's book, but she
includes an inventory of property.
It is from this inventory that we see the "coon" appear. In her book, this
inventory page also includes a drawing of "our family mascot" perched in the
fork of a small tree.
Just a quick note, the witness signatures on this division of land include:
Nehemiah Vernon
Thomas(?) Smith
John Fields
"Bird" Deatherage
Joshua Smith
JOYCES OF YESTERDAY
JOYCE BROWNING ([email protected]) . . . It wasn't too long ago that I
inadvertently discovered "Carolina Road" in Prince William County. On
investigation, I found that its very old route began at a Potomac crossing
near Leesburg in Loudoun County and continued south through Orange County.
The route roughly follows today's state Routewhich passes through
Albemarle Co, crosses the James at Lynchburg, passes through the eastern edge
of Charlotte Co, and on south to the North Carolina line near Danville Va.
Undoubtedly this was the track our early mid Atlantic ancestors followed
south to the Dan and Mayo River settlements. It has been so overshadowed by
the Great Wagon Road of the Valley of Virginia that few people today seem to
even know about it.
Here's proof that this was the route south from the mid-Atlantic states.
It's also an interesting lesson in colonial spelling.
*****
A Trip "Carlinay"
Lorena Shell Eaker
"Palatine Immigrants," Vol. No.
John Ramsour was son of Derrick and brother of Henry (listed on the Militia
Returns). He kept a diary in which he entered his birth date as August 6,
1728. He evidently had some schooling in the English language, even though
his spelling is certainly influenced by his German accent: he wrote words as
they sounded to him. John died in his forties and may have died a single
man. My source does not record a family, if any.
The diary was last know to be in the family in North Carolina. This is John
Ramsour's account of his trip to "Carlinay" with the author's
"translation" in parentheses.
***
John Ramsauer - Memberrantom book
August 27 day 1752 to his gorney went.
John travelt from hom to Tuch Copers 8 days
August 1752
To a pare of flames..........2s (pair of)
to a pare of prittle bits...2s (bridle bits)
to a pare of Carters.........1s (pair of garters)
to a lucking class.............1s 2d (looking glass)
to a quart of wein............1s (wine)
to a pockt almennock......,1d (almanac)
August 27 day 1752
First to my jorney.........2d (journey)
At Villiam Bousman......5d (William Bausmann)
At Yorktown to a pint....2d (pint of beer) [probably York PA]
of pere
To farrish at
suskehaney................1s (ferry, Susquehanna)
to prefast at to ferry....8d (breakfast, the ferry)
at konret Cansellers.....1s 1d (Conrad Cansellar)
at tis last day of mon,
to me..........................1s 1d (this last day of month)
[JB Note: Sometime between 27 Sep and 1 Sep, John Ramsaur must have crossed
the Potomac, but he doesn't account for these three days. There's still a
ferry (now called White's Ferry) carrying passengers across the Potomac near
Leesburg. He probably crossed there.]
September 1st day 1752
to a sheve of ots...................4d (sheaf of oats)
to a bushel of ots..................2s
to one pot of siter.................4d (pot of cider)
to ferrish at repehanick......6d (ferry, Rappahannock River)
to ferrish at James rever....6d (River)
to half bushel of corn...........1s
September 24th day 1752..
to Suppar and loghing..........1s 2d (supper, lodging)
to farrish at Rouenock.........7s (Roanokd) (=river)
First in Carolina
to a half bushel of corn......1s
to a tram................................3d (dram) (*size of drink)
The First of October
to my acunt...........................1s 3-4d (account)
to farrish at abbes Crick
at Pranius..........................5 3/4d (Abbots Creek)
(Pranius-proper name?)
to corn and my acount...........1s
to a tiner at Yatkins..............3-3/4d ( dinner) (Yadkin River)
to Henry Witner....................2s 5d
Tis is traveling to Car-
. linay te Axpens are (the expense)
Vergenney and Mary- (Virginia)
. land and Panselvaney (Pennsylvania)
. money .............................11 6s 6d
have bene traveling to
. James Rever from home (River)
. eleven days
Got to my gorneys ent to (journey's end)
. Antry Lamberts (Andrew Lambert)
. this 6 day of October 1752
Notes: The writer's father, Derrick Ramsaur, purchased land from Andrew
Lambert in 1772. They appear to have lived in the area much earlier,
however. The writer of the above journal recorded in his diary "Receivit a
lattar from my father from Carolina January 27th 1755."
The author of this entry, says: "When working with old documents, you can
expect many variants in spelling. Take, for instance, our Eaker name. Just
a simple 5-letter name, but you should try to use it around our town where we
are the only Eaker listed in the phone book. We pronounce it "acre" and
wherever we have found the fifty-odd thousand of us in the past 32 years, it
is still pronounced "Acre."
"It certainly is ego-shattering to pronounce our name and have it written
"Akers" (don't ask me where they get the s)."
*****
JB Comment: The writer, Lorena Shell Eaker, has my complete sympathy. I
grew up with an "unpronounceable" and "unspellable" German surname. My
ancestor arrived in Philadelphia on the ship "Thistle" in 1732. While
there, and after the family relocated to Strassburg, Frederick Co VA, the
German name remained the same, or nearly so - Wolfesberger. The most
common misspelling was to substitute a "p" for the "b" - a reflection of
the German pronunciation of the letter "b."
The grandson of the immigrant, also named John Wolfesberger, moved to the
Moravian settlement of Friedburg to Surry County 1790, and from there to
land near present Mount Airy in Surry County NC. His original land grant
issued to: John Wolfesberger.
Not long after, the Sheriff or deputy came calling to sign him up for jury
and other civic duties. One can almost visualize the look of consternation on
this civic official's face as he attempted to figure out what this young
German man was saying. Whatever. . . . . it wasn't important enough to him
to get it right, so the official wrote down "John W. Sparger." And the
family adopted this version of the name.
The children of John W. Sparger continued this practice for some years, then
dropped the "W." Twenty-five or thirty years later, the entire family
including the very old Dad, packed up and moved to Highland County, Ohio.
Only my ancestor, Murlin Sparger, remained in Surry County. In Ohio, the
spelling of the name was again corrupted, and the family became surname
"Spargur." If you ever run across anyone with the surname "Sparger," be
Allred that their roots are deep in Surry County, North Carolina.
JOYCE JOTTINGS
Many thanks to Tom Joyce and Richard Kesler for submitting this will of John
"Coon" Joyce, son of the first John "Coon" Joyce, and grandson of Thomas
Joyce.
*****
WILL OF JOHN JOYCE, JR.
In the name of God,Amen. I John Joyce of the County of Rockingham and state
of North Carolina,do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament as
follows
First- It is my will that my body be decently buried and my funeral expenses
and burial be paid out of the first monies that shall come the hands of my
Executor
Item . I give unto my beloved wife (illegible) the land including the
dwelling house; and in that part that I intend for my son, Alexander, the
boundary of which will be described when I come to speak of that I give to
him; also three negroes to wit , Rena, (illegible), and Ed. Also as much of
the household and kitchen furniture as she may wish to keep; also as many
farming tools as she wishes to keep ; also all the (illegible)of (illegible),
that I have and as many of the cows and horses as she may think proper to
keep;the negroes I give to her during her natural life;then to be sold and
the money divided equally amongst my (illegible).
Item . I give unto my son, Alexander, one negro boy, George, also all the
land included in the following boundary; Beginning at a small branch in the
Peter Scales line, turn a north course or nearly that course by a gate to
when that line will intersect with the Ward's Gap Road then turn up said road
as it meanders to where a west line will turn to a double white oak, turn
north (illegible) (illegible) to a black oak; then east with Samuel Joyce's
line to Mayo River, then down said river as it meanders to the mouth of
Shepherd's Creek, then up said creek to Peter Scales line then with Peter
Scale's to the first station.
Item . I give to my son Ree one Negro girl, (illegible), also all land
included in the following boundary. Beginning at a branch in the Peter
Scales line turn a north course or nearly that course by a gate on the same
corner to where that line intersects the Ward's Gap Road, then turn west to a
(illegible) white oak then with Nancy Vernon's line to Peter Scale's line and
with Peter Scale's line to the first station.
Item . I give to my daughter, Letty, two hundred and fifty four acres of
land lying in Stokes county, North Carolina, and deeded to me by Samuel Joyce
and Hamilton Joyce.
Item . I give unto my son, Owen, one negro boy, York.
Item . I give unto my son, Reuben, one negro boy, (illegible).
Item . I give unto my daughter, Jugurtha Elizabeth, one negro girl, Polly.
Item. I give to my daughter, Martha, one negro girl, Amando(?).
Item. I give unto my son John,one negro girl, June.
Item . I give unto my son, Dillon, one negro boy, Hamilton.
Item . I give unto my daughter, Eliza, one negro girl, Amendo(?).
Item. I give my wife and my son, Alexander, my blacksmith tools, also
to my wife and my sons, Ree and Alexander, my still and fixtures belonging to
the still, also I give my wife one year's provisions out of my estate.
Item . It is my will that all the (illegible) of my estate that I have
not willed, be sold and the proceeds (illegible) be divided equally amongst
all my children, and further, I ordain and appoint my wife and my sons. Ree
and Alexander executors of this my last will, (illegible) this the 10th day
of December 1859.
John Joyce - seal
W R Smith
A (illegible)
Peter Scales
State of North Carolina
Rockingham County 3 February 1866
A paper writing purporting to be the last will and testament of John
Joyce, desceased, is executed for probate in an open court by Ree Joyce, one
of the executors therein named, and the (illegible) executor thereof by the
said John Joyce is (illegible) by the oath & examination of Peter Scales &
Walter R. Smith, two of the witnesses thereto. It is therefore (illegible)
by the court that the said paper writing & every part thereof is the last
will and testament of said John Joyce & the same is ordered to be (illegible)
and filed & thereupon the said Ree , executor as of (illegible) said duly
qualified as such, by taking the oath required by law and entering into
(illegible) with Peter Scales & John Joyce as his security in the sum of
sixteen thousand dollars ,$16000.
A _ Smith _ _ _ (22)
__________________________________________________________________
JOYCE JOURNAL Distributed by Joyce Browning
Compiled from e-mail and other sources -- May 3,
2002
©[email protected]
__________________________________________________________________

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