I may have found the fields where our Boyce ancestors grazed cattle in the late 1700s, and it wasn’t easy. First, the land in question used to be in the great state of Virginia; now it’s part of West Virginia, near Romney, about two hours from D.C. Cattle still graze the plot that I suspect was […]
A Test of the Power of Masonry
By J.R. Boyce, P.G.M., of Montana, Formerly of Columbia, Missouri. Writing in the Statesmen (Columbia, Mo.) I read tonight in the October number of the Voice, from the pen of that “old man eloquent,” Cornelius Moore, an article headed “Masonic Reminiscences.” I, too, have Reminiscences of the past in Masonry; and although I cannot so […]
Five Bad Pieces of Genealogy Advice
I’ve been at this family history business long enough, six years (the equivalent of 56 years in Internet terms), to be considered an expert. So I thought I’d jot down some of the worst advice I received during my quest, for the benefit of neophytes who want to embark on a family history project in […]
J.R. Boyce Sheds Light on the True Meaning of Masonry
Imagine my good fortune after spending nearly a full working day at the Missouri Historical Society to stumble upon a new document written by my Great, Great, Great Grandfather J.R. Boyce (1817-1898). As close followers probably remember, we previously had the good fortune to conduct a graveside interview with J.R., who fled to Montana to avoid […]
J.R. Boyce Asked His Second Wife for a Divorce — Through the Newspaper
I’ve been holding onto this one for several months, not sure how to tell the story. I guess I’m still in shock. While in Montana last summer, reading old newspapers in a Butte library, I ran across an article I could barely believe. Under the headline “Twenty Years After,” the deck read, “James R. Boyce, […]
Vigilantes Turned to Ace Carpenter William Thompson for Quick and Dirty Gallows
The decent, law-abiding citizens of Virginia City, Montana, had had enough. They wanted to send a strong, clear message to Henry Plummer and his road agents who had been robbing and killing the innocent people of this frontier town. With no formal legal system in place, the vigilantes decided to take matters into their own hands. The […]