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 […]
Roadblock Ahead: Tracing the Boyce Line Back to West Virginia
This amateur genealogist has spent many frustrating years trying to trace his Boyce line back to Hardy County, West Virginia. This dogged pursuit recently took me to the genealogical society of Logan County, Kentucky, where my third great-grandfather, J.R. Boyce, was born. Unfortunately, all hell broke loose when I showed the eminently helpful staff there […]
Derelict Motel Occupies the Hill Major J.R. Boyce Tried to Take
More than 400 soldiers died during the two-hour battle of Iuka, making it one of the fiercest of the Civil War. (Six people died per minute.) Yet today it’s difficult for visitors to this small Northern Mississippi town to find any trace of the battle. Yes, there’s a big, touristy mural on a crumbling downtown […]
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 […]