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Richard Boyce

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Richard Boyce

Birth
Ireland
Death
7 Feb 1837 (aged 103–104)
Boyce, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial
Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA GPS-Latitude: 40.312246, Longitude: 80.15588
Memorial ID
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Richard Boyce was born in 1733 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. County Antrim is one of six counties that form the country of Northern Ireland within the province of Ulster, the region of Antrim. He immigrated to America, landed in Philadelphia, and located to the Virginia colony where he farmed for a short time before moving on to the Kentucky territory, but later returned to Fawcett Gap in Frederick County, Virginia and settled in the Shenandoah Valley where he farmed. Richard Boyce was a practicing Quaker and it is supposed his frequent change of place was due to his religious views, not wishing to oppose the Indians.

In 1769, he married his cousin, Lydia Fawcett (1738-1787), widow of Goodman Young in Frederick County, Virginia. Joseph and Margery (Walsh) Fawcett and their family (including daughter, Lydia Fawcett) moved from Chester County, Pennsylvania to Frederick County, Virginia in about 1745. Lydia was seven years old during this move. Assumed Goodman Young and Lydia Fawcett married about 1756, and Goodman died about 1768. Probably between 1756 and 1768, the couple issued their three children. The exact birth dates are unknown, but in historic documents the boys are probably listed in birth order.

Richard adopted the three boys from Lydia’s first marriage – Joseph, James, and John Goodman Young. In 1772, the family moved to current day Boyce Station, Upper Saint Clair, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania where their children Jane, Robert, and Mary Boyce were likely born. Little are known about Joseph, James, and John Goodman Young and their step-siblings Jane, Robert, and Mary Boyce. John Fawcett, his wife and family lived in or near Boyce Station, and John Fawcett was Lydia Fawcett’s uncle (Joseph Fawcett’s brother who lived in Franklin County, Virginia). It is speculated that the couple moved to Allegheny County with the adopted children to be near the John Fawcett family.

Allegheny County was officially created on September 24, 1788, from parts of neighboring Washington and Westmoreland counties. In 1780, Boyce Station came under the boundaries of Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1793 Richard purchased 400 acres of land on the west side of Chartiers creek from Joseph Shipper, Jr., where he remained until his death at 104 years old – reportedly in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Richard married Margaret “Peggy” Lesnett in 1789 likely in Allegheny County and issued seven children, namely, Isaac (1790-1884), Christian or “Christy” (1793-1852), John W. (1796-1884), Nancy (1798-1859), Lydia (1801-1884), Joseph (1803-1874), and Elizabeth (1809-1883).

Isaac married Sarah Denniston and lived in Allegheny County. Christy married Catherine Collins and they too lived in Allegheny County. John married Nancy McCabe and raised a large family in Allegheny County. Nancy married William Lyons and they lived in Tyler, West Virginia. Lydia never married and moved with her siblings Joseph and Elizabeth to Columbiana County, Ohio. Joseph was a physician or possibly a dentist that opened a practice in Wellsville, Ohio in Columbiana County about 1830, and married Alice Nessly. His sister, Elizabeth, married Hugh Thompson and they took Lydia and moved from the Pittsburgh area to Columbiana County, Ohio to be close to their brother, Joseph. By 1870, Joseph, Alice and their three children moved to Linn County, Oregon to begin a medical practice. Joseph’s two sons followed their dad into the practice. Lydia undoubtedly died in Liverpool, Ohio, because 30 years of census records show evidence of her living there with her sister, Elizabeth and brother-in-law Hugh Thompson.

Isaac, Christy, and John are buried in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Nancy is buried in Tyler County, West Virginia; Lydia (likely buried) and Elizabeth are buried in Columbiana County, Ohio, and Joseph is buried in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Richard Boyce, Lydia (Fawcett) Young-Boyce, and Margaret “Peggy” (Lesnett) Boyce are buried in Morgan Family Farm Cemetery, Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Richard died 07 Feb 1837 and lived to age 104; Lydia died 04 Dec 1787 and lived to age 49, and Peggy died 06 Feb 1836 lived to age 69. Richard, Lydia, and Peggy died at Boyce Station, Upper Saint Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Sources: A History of the Fawcett’s and Related Families in America, William Bloys Fawcett, 1996, 2007; 2) History of Allegheny County, Dr. Thomas Cushing, 1889, page 428; 3) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M4SK-V76

Written and researched by Mountainbiker, 11 Jan 2015
Richard Boyce was born in 1733 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. County Antrim is one of six counties that form the country of Northern Ireland within the province of Ulster, the region of Antrim. He immigrated to America, landed in Philadelphia, and located to the Virginia colony where he farmed for a short time before moving on to the Kentucky territory, but later returned to Fawcett Gap in Frederick County, Virginia and settled in the Shenandoah Valley where he farmed. Richard Boyce was a practicing Quaker and it is supposed his frequent change of place was due to his religious views, not wishing to oppose the Indians.

In 1769, he married his cousin, Lydia Fawcett (1738-1787), widow of Goodman Young in Frederick County, Virginia. Joseph and Margery (Walsh) Fawcett and their family (including daughter, Lydia Fawcett) moved from Chester County, Pennsylvania to Frederick County, Virginia in about 1745. Lydia was seven years old during this move. Assumed Goodman Young and Lydia Fawcett married about 1756, and Goodman died about 1768. Probably between 1756 and 1768, the couple issued their three children. The exact birth dates are unknown, but in historic documents the boys are probably listed in birth order.

Richard adopted the three boys from Lydia’s first marriage – Joseph, James, and John Goodman Young. In 1772, the family moved to current day Boyce Station, Upper Saint Clair, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania where their children Jane, Robert, and Mary Boyce were likely born. Little are known about Joseph, James, and John Goodman Young and their step-siblings Jane, Robert, and Mary Boyce. John Fawcett, his wife and family lived in or near Boyce Station, and John Fawcett was Lydia Fawcett’s uncle (Joseph Fawcett’s brother who lived in Franklin County, Virginia). It is speculated that the couple moved to Allegheny County with the adopted children to be near the John Fawcett family.

Allegheny County was officially created on September 24, 1788, from parts of neighboring Washington and Westmoreland counties. In 1780, Boyce Station came under the boundaries of Washington County, Pennsylvania. In 1793 Richard purchased 400 acres of land on the west side of Chartiers creek from Joseph Shipper, Jr., where he remained until his death at 104 years old – reportedly in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Richard married Margaret “Peggy” Lesnett in 1789 likely in Allegheny County and issued seven children, namely, Isaac (1790-1884), Christian or “Christy” (1793-1852), John W. (1796-1884), Nancy (1798-1859), Lydia (1801-1884), Joseph (1803-1874), and Elizabeth (1809-1883).

Isaac married Sarah Denniston and lived in Allegheny County. Christy married Catherine Collins and they too lived in Allegheny County. John married Nancy McCabe and raised a large family in Allegheny County. Nancy married William Lyons and they lived in Tyler, West Virginia. Lydia never married and moved with her siblings Joseph and Elizabeth to Columbiana County, Ohio. Joseph was a physician or possibly a dentist that opened a practice in Wellsville, Ohio in Columbiana County about 1830, and married Alice Nessly. His sister, Elizabeth, married Hugh Thompson and they took Lydia and moved from the Pittsburgh area to Columbiana County, Ohio to be close to their brother, Joseph. By 1870, Joseph, Alice and their three children moved to Linn County, Oregon to begin a medical practice. Joseph’s two sons followed their dad into the practice. Lydia undoubtedly died in Liverpool, Ohio, because 30 years of census records show evidence of her living there with her sister, Elizabeth and brother-in-law Hugh Thompson.

Isaac, Christy, and John are buried in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Nancy is buried in Tyler County, West Virginia; Lydia (likely buried) and Elizabeth are buried in Columbiana County, Ohio, and Joseph is buried in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Richard Boyce, Lydia (Fawcett) Young-Boyce, and Margaret “Peggy” (Lesnett) Boyce are buried in Morgan Family Farm Cemetery, Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Richard died 07 Feb 1837 and lived to age 104; Lydia died 04 Dec 1787 and lived to age 49, and Peggy died 06 Feb 1836 lived to age 69. Richard, Lydia, and Peggy died at Boyce Station, Upper Saint Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

Sources: A History of the Fawcett’s and Related Families in America, William Bloys Fawcett, 1996, 2007; 2) History of Allegheny County, Dr. Thomas Cushing, 1889, page 428; 3) https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:M4SK-V76

Written and researched by Mountainbiker, 11 Jan 2015


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  • Created by: Mary Ann
  • Added: Aug 10, 2011
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74733277/richard-boyce: accessed ), memorial page for Richard Boyce (1733–7 Feb 1837), Find a Grave Memorial ID 74733277, citing Morgan Family Farm Cemetery, Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Mary Ann (contributor 47528157).