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AMERICA THE GREAT MELTING POT Contact information on HOME page |
Direct descendant is highlighted in red
| John Joyce | Immigrant Ancestor | see FAMILY TREE | |
| Born: Abt. 1615 | |||
| Died: 21 Dec 1666 Yarmouth, Barnstable, MA | Will of John Joyce as reproduced in The Mayflower
Descendant, Volume XIV, Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, page 160 "The last Will....of Mr. John Joyce of Yarmouth late Deceased exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth the fift of march 1666 on the oath of mr Anthony Thacher" "I John Joyce. . . .Doe this twentieth Day of November Anno: Dom: 1666, make. . . . this my last will" Bequests were as follows: "unto Dorothy my wife all my household goods and movables within Dores whatsoever for ever and . . . . the one halfe moyety of all my Cattle . . . . to be Devided after by Debts are payed and my funerall Rightes Discharged" also "one third prte of my house and lands whatsoever During her life;" "unto mine onely son hosea Joyce the other two thirds of my house and of all my lands whatsoever and my wifes third prte after her Decease" also "the other halfe moyety of all my Cattle" also "all the Implements and Plowes harnis as Cart wheels Chaines and the like" 'unto my two Daughters Mary and Dorcas twenty shillings apeece to be payed within one yeare after my Decease" "unto the Reverend Mr. Thomas Thronton thirty shillings within the like time;" "I Doe give Richart Tayler att the Rocke because a poor many in Corne or in sume beast the sume of twenty shillings; provided that hee vindicated my name and acknowlidge the wronge that hee hath Done mee about a Calfe; to be payed him when hee hath Done the same;" "I Doe. . . .make my said sonne hosea. . . .sole exequitor of this my last will. . . .unto whom I alsoe give all my goods and estate whatsoever that I have not mentioned in this my last will" "Postscript I John Joyce Doe . . . .make and ordaine Mr. Anthony Thacher Mr. Edmond hawes and Andrew hallett as overseers of this my last will" The witnesses were Thomas Thronton and Anthony Thacher. The inventory was taken "the eighteenth Day of the 12th month 1666 by" Anthony Thacher Richard Tayler and John Miller, "and exhibited on the Court held att Plymouth the fift of march 1666 on the oath of hosea Joyce;" No real estate is mentioned. |
WIFE
CHILDREN
1. Dorcas Joyce b. Abt. 1640
2. Hosea Joyce b. Abt. 1642
3. Mary Joyce b. Abt. 1644
4. Abigail Joyce b. 01 Jun 1646
John Joyce arrived at Lynn, Massachusetts, may have lived there for a short
time, and removed from Lynn to Sandwich in 1637. The first record we find of him
is among a list of the fifty townsmen of Sandwich who have taken the Oath of
Fidelity. On July 7, 1638, at the Court of Assistants, John Joyce was granted 'a
parcell of land.' No indication of size was indicated.
In the April 6, 1640, the division of meadow lots among residents of Sandwich
was discussed by the court. There's a list of those who received land 'betwixt
Moonoonenescusset and Shaume.' John Joyce received 2 1/2 acres. Parcels ranged
from 28 acres to one.
He was at Barnstable in 1643, and then Yarmouth about 1643. He was listed as one
of fifty "later-comers" to Yarmouth.
John settled with their children in the Hockanom area halfway between the town
and Nobscusset. Charles Swift says he was wealthy and may have based this
opinion on the fact that in is will Joyce included a small bequest to the
minister Mr. Thornton and to his neighbor, Richard Taylor, 'because a poore man,
in corne or in some beast the sume of 20 shillings, - provided that he vinciate
my name and acknowledge the wrong that hee hath done me about a calfe, to be
payed him when he had done the same.'
Mr. Joyce was not active in the political life of the town. He did serve his
turn as Highway Surveyor and one term as Constable June 2, 1646 and served for 1
year along with William Lumpkin. Abigail, one of his children, was take to Mr.
Lothrop in Barnstable for baptism on June 1, 1646, but there is no reference to
any disagreement with the Yarmouth church. It may be that no new minister had
been settled at Yarmouth at that time.
Altough the town historian states that 'the family name of the Cape Cod Joyces
became extinct with the death in 1755 of Jeremiah Joyce,' grandson of the
immigrant, there are many of the name mentioned in Barnstable County records
subsequent to 1755, as well as in vital records of Boston, Braintree, Situate
and Weymouth.
He is listed as one of the Dennis First Comers: "1643 Joyce, John Hockanom] N.
side of 28 inside Yarm. Line R51, 60; S72"
John on the jury which heard the case brought against John Williams by his wife
Elizabeth 'for his great abusive and unnatural cariages towards her, both in
word and deed, and defaming her in rendering her to be a whore, and by
persisting in his refusing to perform marriage duty unto her.
John died at Yarmouth on 21 Dec 1666 (Town Recs.) leaving a will dated 20 Nov.
1666 in which he mentions wife Dorothy, his only son Hosea (named sole executor)
and daughters Mary and Dorcas. There is also a small bequest to Richard Taylor
atte the Rock. The inventory of the estate was dated 12 Month (Feb.) 18, 1667/8,
and the will was proved 5 March 1666/7 (Plym. Col. Recs. 4:141).
.