Willem (Buijs) Boice (1744 - abt. 1813)

His family had roots in Brooklyn/ Long Island when first arriving in America, his branch went up to Schenectady, only after the 1690 massacre did they go East to the higher security of the Poughkeepsie area. Several of my other Dutch (Sculls) and New England English (Risley’s & Adam’s) near ancestors came to the the West Jersey Colony via Long Island. So I would look there first.

Also note that he hardly had aristocratic roots, but the Buijs did come from a degree of merchant wealth, a father of that era, could have said “you are my favorite but your elder brother will inherit the estate, here is a little money, invest it wisely and you should do well” and he did. Also note his double first cousin did similarly well buying up land in South Carolina as a young man also not marrying until there.

THe odds are not great unless we identify direct male descendants of male descendants of his paternal grandfather brother uncle cousin. This either for a New Netherlnd father, or a Dutch. just testing descendants only proves lines under William, and that he is Dutch, which we already know.

Birthday

During the period of 1700-1756, Protestant Countries switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar (Catholics had over a century before). If he was born in the Netherlands, the Protestant provinces around 1700 to align with the rest of Continental Europe, Britain and its colonies didn’t make the change until 1752. So if he originated in the Netherlands and went to New Jersey prior to 1752, his birthday may have changed back to the Julian from the Gregorian. And then in 1752 he would have changed back to the Gregorian 🧐😳

The Netherlands (and Germany) adopted the Gregorian calendar before this period, and it's what we see in Reformed and Lutheran church records from New York and New Jersey. (The Dutch and German churches did not change their recordkeeping to conform with what the English authorities were doing.) After the English took control, government records typically would have Julian dates, and occasionally a church record shows "double dating."

I believe in old Dutch the ij was eventually replaced with ÿ, although the Dutch now supposedly only use Y in foreign words.

The "ij" digraph frequently appears in modern Dutch.

Some of the early published transcripts of New Netherland records (for example, the books of New Amsterdam/New York RDC baptisms and marriages) used the y-umlaut chararacter for the digraph, but at some point the American transcribers forgot about that nicety and began using the letter y. Since the last 50 years or so, genealogical publications have increasingly showed the digraph as it.

Hello Charles, according to the research done by the Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) William Boice https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 was Born 8 Feb 1743 in Holland, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and Died 12 Aug 1813 at age 70 in Great Egg Harbor Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. I am inclined to trust the research of the DAR. Therefore I respectfully decline to your proposed merge with https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576 at this time.

Best regards, Albert

I have spoken to the Reserch Librarian and the Corrections person at the National DAR Library. The birth in Holland goes back to a submission over 100 years ago and was never verified. Subsequent submissions just referenced it. Because of workload it will not be corrected unless a member who has him as a Patriot Ancestor or a new submission references him as their Patriot Ancestor will they make the correction. I can submit the correction, but it will not be acted on due to workload unless one of those 2 events occur. FYI same for his first cousin William A Buis [Buis-150].

So you spoke with "the Research Librarian and the Corrections person at the National DAR Library" ?

Please explain to us this: The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) does not accept general research or lineage disputes over the telephone. They require lineage and database correction questions to be handled through specific written channels or designated staff contacts.

https://www.dar.org/library/services/search-services

PLEASE NOTE: Beginning March 16, 2026, record copies will be $15. The hourly rate for search services will be $50 for DAR members, $75 for non-members.

The DAR Library offers three services that handle requests via postal-mail. All of the services require a completed request form with payment by check or money order. If you have a question before mailing your written request and payment, please contact:

Email: [email address removed] Telephone: (202) 879-3306 Videophone Relay: (202) 559-5122 ask for Dennis. The Search Service does NOT accept requests via Email or over the Phone.

NOTE: The Search Service does not include research to resolve a service or lineage issue identified by the Genealogy Department. If you have received an AIR and need further clarification as to the nature of the problem, please contact the genealogist who wrote the letter. If you have a question about a coded patriot ancestor found in the Ancestor Database in the GRS, please contact Corrections in the Registrar General’s Department at [email address removed] Supporting Documentation Requests A Documentation Request should be used to request copies of available supporting documents that were submitted with a DAR Membership Application (these documents are also referred to as “proofs”). The supporting documents were submitted to prove the lineage of the DAR Member back to a Revolutionary War Patriot. The documents may also include proof of the Revolutionary War Patriot’s service or support of the Revolutionary War. Documents may not be available for a specific patriot or DAR member. We do not provide copies of vital records issued by a government agency that are less than 100 years old. The supporting documents consist of the proofs submitted with the application regardless of the accuracy or acceptability of the individual documents.

The Documentation Request is limited to one patriot or member per request form. The Search Services Office does not search through all available documents for a possible resource or generation link. A comprehensive review for a specific document would be considered a Research Request.

Fee for mail order supporting documentation requests are $20 per request

The fee covers 10 photocopies, including title page of cited work. (For more than 10 copies, we will bill you $2.00/page for photocopies plus $5.00 shipping.) Please make check or money order payable to Treasurer General, NSDAR.

PLEASE NOTE that all supporting documentation fees are non-refundable, and no substitutions will be made.

Supporting Documentation Form (PDF)

Supporting Documents can also be ordered online through the GRS.

Photocopy Service The Search Services Office accepts Photocopy Requests to make copies of items or resources within the DAR Library collection when specific page numbers are known. Please limit Photocopy Requests to a maximum of five titles per request. These requests could include:

Copies of pages from the library book collection. Copies from the Genealogical Records Committee (GRC) collection. When requesting copies from the GRC collection please include the state, series number, volume number, page number(s) and personal name(s) that should be found on the page(s) to be copied. Copies of items in the Manuscript and File Folder Collection. Copies for the microfilm and microfiche collection. Printouts from the electronic resources available at the DAR Library. Specific references cited in an approved DAR Membership Application. Note: Requestors should use the DAR Online Catalog to see if the DAR Library has the cited reference in the library collection. Patriot Records Project images Fee for NSDAR members is $10.00 per request

Fee for nonmembers is $20.00 per request

The fee covers 10 photocopies including the title page of the cited work. For more than 10 copies, we will bill you $2.00/page for photocopies plus $5.00 shipping. Please make check or money order payable to Treasurer General, NSDAR.

Photocopy Request Form (PDF)

Search Service The Search Service conducts hourly-based research of the various sources within the DAR Library. Searches might include, but are not limited to:

Documenting lineage Gaps in NSDAR, NSSAR, N.S.C.A.R. applications Searching for Family Bibles in the DAR Collections Conducting research related to Mayflower Descendants Searching the resources of the Huguenot Society that are currently included in the DAR Library Collection Fee for NSDAR members is $50.00/hour.

Fee for nonmembers is $75.00/hour.

The minimum request is one hour. The hourly fee covers 10 photocopies of material. (For more than 10 copies, we will bill you $2.00/page plus $5.00 shipping.) Please make check or money order payable to the Treasurer General, NSDAR.

Search Services Form (PDF)

Record Copy Previously verified DAR membership and supplemental applications can be used as genealogical research tools as well as documentation for new applications. As long as there is no reason to believe that the lineage or service is incorrect on an older application paper, it can always be used as genealogical proof documentation. If DAR verified the lineage in the past, the applicant does not necessarily have to send documentation to DAR to prove her entire lineage, therefore expediting the process for the applicant and the verifying genealogist.

Copies of previously verified DAR membership applications (record copies) can be ordered from the Library Copy Services Office or online.

PLEASE NOTE that all record copy fees are non-refundable, and no substitutions will be made.

Instructions for Ordering Online Record Copies

Instructions for Ordering Record Copies in Paper Form

Thanks for calling me a LIAR,

It took a couple calls over a couple of days. I spoke with them with clarity about this absurd situation on WikiTree. And they were very nice and helpful, first verifying that there was no research establishing validation of place of birth, just an early submission with a place of birth of “Holland”, the DAR cares about A) a Patriot Ancestor’s military(or other qualifying service) Record and B) proven Linage from said Patriot Ancestor down to the applicate. They do a very very good job at this, you chose one of the few things they don’t claim to. You have stolen from me 20 hours over the last 2 weeks I will never get back - Good Bye.

Albert! The DAR has William Boyce's record flagged that any future applicants will have to deal with. The DAR did not start requiring applications to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard until the organization was almost 100 years old. There are many errors in the database from applications in those first 90-something years, and they are slowly being addressed.

I can confirm that what Charles says about how corrections are handled is correct. Corrections are submitted to them in writing, and then that information is attached to the Ancestor's record, and the record is flagged that there is "Data in the Corrections File/DATACF." They do not immediately research the info, as their priority is verifying applications.

The professional Genealogists, Chapter Registrars, and only certain Volunteer Genealogists can access the information, and I am not one of those "certain" ones, so I can't tell you what the info is. When someone applies to them under that ancestor, the red "data in corrections file" is seen, and *then* it is looked at more closely and researched in connection to that new application. In fact, William *does* have such a redline flag on his record since 2/2019, the topic being that "MULTIPLE MEN OF SAME NAME. SEE DATACF FOR DISCUSSION OF SERVICE. 2/2019.

That does not tell us the info we want to know, only confirms that there are questions.

I'm just another WikiTreer, but I'm going to leave the first four items of the Honor Code here as a reminder, Albert.

1. We collaborate. When we share ancestors we work together on the same ancestor profiles. 2. We care about accuracy. We're always aiming to improve upon our worldwide family tree and fix mistakes. 3. We know mistakes are inevitable. We don't want to be afraid to make them. We assume that mistakes are unintentional when others make them and ask for the same understanding. 4. We know misunderstandings are inevitable. We try to minimize them by being courteous to everyone, even those who don't act accordingly.

Boice-754 and Buijs-576 do not represent the same person because: According to the research done by the Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) William Boice https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 was Born 8 Feb 1743 in Holland, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and Died 12 Aug 1813 at age 70 in Great Egg Harbor Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. I am inclined to trust the research of the DAR. Therefore I respectfully decline to your proposed merge with https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576 at this time.

Best regards, Albert

DAR records are not a primary source, and pre-1752 dates that appear in them cannot be assumed to be Gregorian or Julian, as the people who submitted them to the DAR may not have been sure which calendarvwas in use. Church records are preferred for data like dates of birth.

Boice-754 and Buijs-576 appear to represent the same person because: These are the same person. The one-year discrepancy in birth date is something we often see due to confusion over the calendar. The claim.of birth in Nederlsnd is not credible, immigration from the Netherlands was very rare after 1674 AND there's a good baptism record in New York.

Buijs-576 and Boice-754 do not represent the same person because: My primary focus is and has been on the birthdate of William Boice Born 8 Feb 1743 in Holland, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands Died 12 Aug 1813 at age 70 in Great Egg Harbor Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754

The birth date and death date of Willem (Buijs) Boice Born 14 Feb 1744 in Dutchess County, Province of New York  Died about 14 Aug 1813 [uncertain] at about age 69 in Absecon, Atlantic, New Jersey, USA https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576

According to the DAR there is a different birth date of https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 when compared to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576

The DAR information shows Ancestor Comments: 1) MULTIPLE MEN OF SAME NAME. SEE DATACF FOR DISCUSSION OF SERVICE. 2/2019 for BOYCE, WILLIAM Ancestor #: A012993 Notice: DATA IN THE CORRECTION FILE (WHY?) Service: NEW JERSEY Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE Birth:  2-8-1743 HOLLAND Death:  8-12-1813 GREAT EGG HARBOUR TWP GLOUCESTER CO NEW JERSEY Service Source: NJ, COUNTY TAX RATABLES, 1778-1832, FHL ROLL #411298 Service Description:  1) PAID SUPPLY TAX 1780, 1782 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754

We are looking at two different men with the same or similar name. The DAR acknowledges this issue. One thing is certain according to the DAR the birth date of William Boice Born 8 Feb 1743. If the DAR was uncertain of his birth date they would have designated it so.  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754

Now let's focus on the issue of the Gregorian versus the Julian calendar as it affects the birth date and the death date. Calendar Adoption Details The Switch: British Parliament passed an act moving the colonies to the Gregorian system in 1752. The Adjustment: Wednesday, September 2, 1752, was immediately followed by Thursday, September 14, 1752, dropping 11 days. By 1813: New Jersey had been using the modern Gregorian calendar for over 60 years.

William Boice Born 8 Feb 1743 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 if the DAR used the Gregorian system, which I do not believe they did, a person born on February 8, 1743, under the Julian calendar (Old Style) would have their birth date recorded as February 19, 1743, under the Gregorian calendar (New Style) because an 11-day gap existed between the two systems during the 18th century. Willem (Buijs) Boice Born 14 Feb 1744 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576 

I maintain that we are looking at two different men. And I believe it is prudent to not merge these two profiles https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 and https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576 

The scientific method questions facts by treating them as testable claims rather than absolute truths. It uses systematic doubt, controlled experiments, and peer review to test evidence, measure error, and update or discard conclusions when new data contradicts them. The scientific method in genealogy applies systematic questioning to test facts, form hypotheses about family relationships, and evaluate sources. Researchers define a research question, gather data, test findings against known evidence, and revise conclusions when new proof emerges to ensure family trees are accurate and reliable.

Therefore I believe it is prudent to not merge these two profiles. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Boice-754 and https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Buijs-576 

Being prudent means acting with care and thought for the future to avoid unnecessary risks. It shows good judgment and common sense in practical matters. 

We use Wikitree due to its higher standards when compared to other genealogy websites. It uses a cooperative model and strict rules to keep data clean and correct. 

I have and hold no malice, no anger, bitterness, disrespect or wish to cause discomfort to anyone in my beliefs in the matter.

Respectfully, Albert