Margaret (Bartley) Boyce (abt. 1777 - abt. 1850)

Born about 1777 in New York

Ancestors

Wife of Martin Cheban Shewman — married 30 Apr 1792 (to before 6 Apr 1797) in Fredericksburgh, Lennox, Upper Canada

Wife of Benjamin (Buys) Boyce — married 20 Aug 1798 in Fredericksburgh, Lennox, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died about 1850 at about age 73 in Joliet, Will, Illinois, United States [uncertain]

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Biography

Margaret (Bartley) Boyce migrated from Upper Canada to United States.

• Margaret Bartley was born in 1777.^[1][2]

• No Christening record has been found for Margaret Bartley.

• Margaret Bartley married Martin Cheban Shewman on 30 April 1792 in Fredericksburg, Upper Canada (now Ontario).

From the registry of Rev. John Langhorn:^[3]

"Martin Shewman, of the third Township of Catarakwee, called Fredericksburgh, Batchelor, and Margaret Bartley, of the same Township, spinster, were married in St. Cuthbert's Church, Fredericksburgh, by Banns, this thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-two, by me.

John Langhorn, Missionary.

Witnesses: Henry Hartley, Baltus Shewman, Charlotte Kimmerly."

• Margaret and Martin Shewman had three children:
  • William Fredrick Shewman (abt.1793-abt.1861) ("William Frederick, son Martinus and Margaret Sherman, (sic) Fredericksburgh, Mar. 4, 1793.") ^[3]
  • Katreen Catherine Shumen (1794-abt.1861) ("Katreen, dau. Cheban and Margaret Sherman, (sic) Fredericksburgh, Sept. 23, 1794.") ^[3]
  • Eleanor Shewman (1796-1870) ("Eleanor, dau. Cheban and Margaret Sherman, (sic) Fredericksburgh, Sep. 6, 1796.") ^[3]

• Margaret's father, Isaiah Bartley UE (1740-1825), was a United Empire Loyalist, and therefore had been granted land in Upper Canada in compensation for his service to the British Empire and for his losses after the American Revolutionary War.^[4]

• Women were not allowed to own property in their own right in the British Empire at that time, so the 200 acres of land granted to Isaiah Bartley, would have been held by Margaret (Bartley) Shewman's husband, Martin Shewman.

• Margaret's husband, Martin Shewman, died some days before 6 April 1797, when he was buried in Hay Bay, Addington, Upper Canada (now Ontario).^[5]

• On 2 April 1797, shortly before Martin Shewman's burial, his wife, Margaret (Bartley) Shewman, petitioned the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario) to assign Isaiah Bartley's land to her. (See transcriptions in Research Notes below.) ^[6]

• Margaret (Bartley) Shewman married Benjamin (Buys) Boyce in August 1798.^[4]

From the registry of Rev. John Langhorn:^[3]

"Benjamin Boyce, of the third Township of Catarakwee, called Fredericksburgh, Batchelor, and Margaret Shuman, of the same Township, widow, were married in St. Paul's Church, Fredericksburgh, by Banns, this twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-eight, by me.

John Langhorn, Missionary.

Witnesses: John Finkle, Henry Boyce, Maria Sharp, Eleanor Bartley"

• Benjamin and Margaret Boyce had eleven children:
  • Elizabeth (Betsey Boise, Female)^[7] (Baptized 7 July 1799) ("Elizabeth, dau. Benjamin and Margaret Boice July 7, 1799.")^[3]
  • Josiah Boice (bef.1801-1877) (Cie Boise, Male between 16 and 60 years old)^[7] (Baptized 29 Mar 1801) ("Josiah, son Benjamin and Margaret Boice, Mar. 29, 1801.")^[3]
  • Margaret (Margret B., Female)^[7] (Baptized 31 Aug, 1803.) ("Margaret, dau. Benjamin and Margaret Boice, Aug. 31, 1803.")^[3]
  • Peter (Peter Boyse, Male under 16 years old)^[7] (Born 16 June 1805. Baptized 10 July 1805. ) ("July 10 Benjamin Boice, Margret Bartley, Peter, 16 June, 1805")^[8]
  • Cornelia (Boyce) Moore (1807-aft.1870) (Nelly B., Female)^[7]
  • Nancy Ann (Nancy B., Female)^[7]
  • Martin (Martin Boise, Male under 16 years old)^[7]
  • Hannah (Hannah B., Female)^[7]
  • John (Boyce) Boice (1814-1886) (John Boise, Male under 16 years old)^[7]
  • Rachel (Rachael B., Female)^[7]
  • Lucinda (Lundy B., Female)^[7]

• Starting in June 1832 and through to the 1840s, several Latter-day Saint missionaries made a number of trips to Upper Canada, preaching in the counties of Lennox and Addington, Frontenac, Leeds and Grenville, and Lanark Counties as well the communities of Ernestown, Sydenham, Toronto, and Brantford areas.^[9][10]

• In July 1833, Brigham Young, who became the second President of the Church, led a group of converts from Ernestown and Loughborough Townships to join the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, headquarters of the Church at the time. He later led the Mormon pioneers exodus to Utah.^[10]

• Benjamin Boyce, Margaret (Bartley) Boyce, and several of their children were baptized and joined the migration of converts to Ohio, and in many cases to Illinois or to Utah.^[11]

• Margaret (Bartley) (Shewman) Boyce died in about 1850.^[11]

Research Notes

Margaret Shewman's Petition to be Assigned her Husband's Land

To His Excellency John Graves Simcoe, Lt Governor & Commander in Chief of Province of Upper Canada: The memorial of Margaret Shewman, alias Bartley. Daughter of Isaiah Bartley late private in the 2d Batt Royal Yorkers humbly sheweth that your Excelency's memorialist being married to Martin Shewman begs that the portion of land under the order of Council of 9th November 1789 may be assigned her as the Daughter of a Loyalist that has duly improved his farm. And your Memorialist as in duty bound will ever pray.

Margaret Shewman alias Bartley.

Dated May 30 1792.

(Note official name of Royal Yorkers is Kings Royal Regiment, 2nd Battalion, New York.)

Margaret Shewman's Affidavit of Sale of Land

#2: "I Margaret Shewman do for and in consideration of twelve pounds Halifax Currency already received of William Shewman, bargain and self and sign over all my right and title to the within mentioned two hundred acres of land to be held by the said William Shewman. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 2d Day of April 1797.

[signed by mark] Margaret Shewman

In presence of Bruine Haugh, Andrew Loist [by mark]. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Unsourced family tree handed down to Richard Murray.
2. ↑ Unsourced family tree (Smith_Wood Family Tree.ged) handed down to Brock Smith on 22 Feb 2012.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} Langhorn, John, Rev. John Langhorn's Register (Church of England, Upper Canada), 1786-1813, originally published by the Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records Volume 1, Toronto, 1899, reprinted 1930, pp. 14-70. Reproduced online and accessed on 11 March 2023 at http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/mcdowall.htm
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} United Empire Loyalists of Canada registry entry for Isaiah Bartley, UE. https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=404
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116273685/martin-shewman : accessed 07 March 2022), memorial page for Martin Shewman (27 Mar 1771–6 Apr 1797), Find A Grave: Memorial #116273685, citing Parks Cemetery, North Fredericksburgh, Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by John Erwin (contributor 48188262).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Public Archives Canada. Upper Canada Land Petitions "B" Bundle Miscellaneous 1788-1794 (RG1, L3, Vol. 493 (a)).
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10} Public Archives of Canada: Census of Loughborough / Portland Townships, Frontenac County, Upper Canada in 1819. (Original document was found as an attachment to a land petition of Michael Sloote, Petition S13/42 and signed by Thos. Raile, Town Clerk for the year 1819. Transcribed by Jim Keller through 3 Oct 1998.) Downloaded from http://www.jgkeller.ca/gen/Loughborough_Census_1819.html on 12 Feb 2022.
8. ↑ McDowall, Robert, Rev. Robert McDowall's Register (Presbyterian, Upper Canada), 1798-1841, originally published by the Ontario Historical Society, Papers and Records Volume 1, Toronto, 1899, reprinted 1930, pp. 70-108. Reproduced online and accessed on 11 March 2023 at http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/mcdowall.htm
9. ↑ https://www.josephsmith.ca/kingston-ontario-district
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1997. "Early Latter-day Saints in Upper Canada" Historical Marker in Bath, Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=83646
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} FamilySearch.org Family Tree for Margaret Bartley (about 1777 – before 1850) (LZ61-LKF). https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZ61-LKF