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 […]
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 […]
J.R. Boyce Pays Tribute to Dead for Benefit of Living
James Richard (J.R.) Boyce was a real sweetheart, a deep believer in the nobility of womankind. The Confederate Army major, who became a Montana dry goods merchant, wanted to ensure his ancestors knew what outstanding stock they came from. So he left behind a highly detailed October 23, 1893, letter addressed to his grandchildren. Unfortunately, […]