История семьи Джойс из Северной Каролины: от революционных солдат до мукомолов

The Joyce family of Rockingham County, North Carolina has been one of the prominent historical families dating back to the earliest days of the county. There has been a multitude of research documented by area historians and genealogists through the years that appear in various publications. Joyce family stories abound, a few of which I will share here. Thomas Joyce was a resident of Charlotte County, Virginia when he recorded his will on June 3, 1780. Thomas owned land in both Virginia and North Carolina. In his will provision was made for several children with sons John and George receiving land owned by Thomas on the Mayo River in Rockingham County. Both brothers served at the rank of private in the American Revolution. John Joyce would move to the Mayo River area and live near his Uncle Alexander Joyce who also had named a son John. The two John Joyce cousins living in the same area began to create some confusion in local records. To differentiate between the two the court devised a plan which can be found in the court minutes and deed records. One cousin was recorded as John Joyce, Coon and the other as John Joyce, Possum. Many family researchers in the county have found records on Coon and Possum who have numerous descendants in Rockingham County and the surrounding area. Possum Joyce is buried in a family cemetery located at Farris Park in Mayodan. Alexander Joyce, a resident of Lunenburg County, Virginia in 1760, purchased land in Rowan County, North Carolina on the Mayo River in an area that would later be Rockingham County. Alexander is recorded as living in North Carolina by 1762 becoming the first Joyce family to reside in the Rockingham County area. Elijah Joyce, a son of Alexander was born in Lunenburg County in 1752. Moving with his parents to North Carolina, Elijah acquired a land “grant of 200 acres adjoining his father, running south across Mountain Run Creek in Joshua Smith’s line,” recorded in December 1778. He later purchased 640 more acres. Elijah served as a private in the American Revolution in a Regiment commanded by Col. James Martin in a march to Cross Creek (later Fayetteville, NC). Elijah died in 1804. John David Douglas Joyce was born in 1856 on Means Creek in the Ayersville community located in the northwestern section of Rockingham County. Described as being a small man with a mustache he served as a bill and tax collector which prompted local businesses to refer to him as Esquire Doug. In 1881 Doug married Mary Lou Doyle in Henry County, Virginia. Doug farmed and raised tobacco and along with his brother Benton operated a cane mill on Means Creek making molasses. Neighbors and others passing by would stop to watch the process as the juice was pressed from the cane into buckets and poured into the vats to cook over a wood heated furnace. The juice would be skimmed as they cooked and after passing through the stages of cooking would become thickened and the final molasses product would be stored in wooden barrels and kept in the smokehouse. Doug’s granddaughter, Zelma Joyce Scott, wrote in her family research that “people came from far and near to get molasses from Grandpa Doug. One thing I remember as a child, when we would strip the cane for the mill there was an old man Joe Richardson that would help us. People gathered at the mill to listen to him [talk]. He was a learned man of the Bible...Joe didn’t have an education, but he certainly knew the word of God.” Hiram Warren Joyce was born in 1825 on Shepherd’s Creek near Brushy Mountain in Rockingham County. The son of Samuel Joyce, Hiram was tall and stout, and looked impressive with his long beard. In 1855, Hiram married Lucina Dillon of Patrick County, Virginia. A farmer and a blacksmith, Hiram served as a private in the War Between the States enlisting in Wake County, North Carolina on March 24, 1863, at the age of 40. As a soldier Hiram faced hard times. His military record states that he was wounded above the left eye during the battle a Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, 1863. Returned to duty in October 1863 he was wounded again during the Wilderness battle in Virginia, May 5-6, 1864, and again returned to duty on September 1, 1864. At the wars end he would be captured near Appomattox Court House, Virginia where he would be paroled after General Lee’s surrender on April 9, 1865. In his later years, Hiram would walk to visit the family of his son Walker and relate stories of his war years as the family gathered around the fireplace. He told them of the time it snowed and was so cold that they huddled together and covered themselves with snow to insulate against the bitter cold temperature. Hiram described how he was wounded twice in the war, a wound above his eye and a shot through the ear where a hole remained. Hiram died, June 12, 1914. Martha Jane Cardwell, born March 4, 1861, married Walker William Joyce on December 26, 1878, they lived on the Mayo River north of Avalon. “Granny Jane was a very devoted Christian and believed in going to church when it was in session. She would walk from the homeplace on the river to Glenns Chapel Church which was a plank building in the beginning. Later they built a brick church. Granny Jane would get her little black pocketbook and her small black hat, never forgetting to put bread in her pocketbook for the children in case they should get hungry. It was around five or six miles there and back. She cared for her children and raised them in the Christian way.” Jane died, November 28, 1939, at the home of her son Albert Joyce. Research credit to Linda Cardwell Vernon and Zelma Joyce Scott. Visit the Linda Vernon Genealogy Room, Madison-Mayodan Library, 611 Burton St., Madison, NC and the Genealogy Room of the Danbury Library, Stokes Co., NC. For more information on learning to research contact your local library, historical society or the Genealogical Society of Rockingham & Stokes Counties, NC, P.O. Box 152, Mayodan, NC 27027-0152; Elvin Perkins, Jr., GSRS member; Email: [email protected]