William Royce (abt. 1577)

Born about 1577 in Berkshire, England

Husband of Joan (Casebird) Royce — married 1 Oct 1598 in Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire, England

Died [date unknown] in Berkshire, England

Coat of Arms

Royce coat of arms

Color red and gold

"artisans in the sitme of the roses"

Motto: Courage but also wisdom

Griffin on a shield with

Biography of William Royce of Lincolnshire

Epicenter of Royces

The South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire borders on Rutland, Bedford and Leicester Counties; and Royces abound in this region of England's Eastern Midlands, which is the only clear epicentre of Royces found that predates a later arrival of Huguenot Royces (Le Roy, De Roy > Royse / Royce) in County Kent and Greater London. The surname Royce in this part of the Midlands is "as old as the hills." ^[1]

1577 Birth Year Estimation

Based on his marriage in 1598, estimate that William Royce was aged 21 at the time and therefore born on 1577.

1598 Marriage to Joan Casebird

William Royce is surely the same who married Joan Casebird 01 OCT 1598 at Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire. ^[1]

Children of William Royce

There is a William Royce, wife unknown, in Berkshire, with the following children:^[1]

1. Joan Royce chr. 31 MAY 1600 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire, d. 02 JUN 1600.
2. David Royce chr. 09 AUG 1601 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.
3. Matthew Royce chr. 18 SEP 1604 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.
4. Robert Royce chr. 03 NOV 1605 Ketton Cum Tixover, Rutland.
5. Elizabeth Royce chr. 21 JUN 1607 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.
6. George Royce chr. 18 JUN 1608 Ketton Cum Tixover, Rutland.
7. John Royce chr. 13 NOV 1609 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.
8. Richard Royce chr. 21 MAR 1612 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.
9. Hester Royce chr. 21 MAY 1616 Kingston Bagpuize, Berkshire.

Kingston Bagpuize

Kingston Bagpuize is a village six miles west of Abingdon. It was part of Berkshire until boundaries were drawn in 1974 and is now in Oxfordshire. ^[2]

Profile for Robert Royce of Lincolnshire, William's son

1605 Baptism

Robert Royce was baptized 3 November 1605 in Ketton cum Tixover, Rutland

Ketton cum Tixover

Ketton cum Tixover is a prebendary parish in Rutland in the diocese of Lincoln. Ketton town is three miles west of Stamford, Lincolnshire. "The earliest parts of the Church of England parish church of St Mary the Virgin are 12th century. The church has a central tower and spire. The west front is an example of late 12th century transitional architecture and the remainder of the church is mainly 13th century." ^[3]

1627 Marriage to Mary Jackson

The parish records of St Michael's Church in Stamford also record the marraige of a Robert Royse and Mary Jugkson on 08 APR 1627.^[4]

Children of Robert Royce and Mary Jackson

Charles Julian provides research establish Robert Royce's origins in Stamford, Lincolnshire, where he finds in the records of Saint Michael's church.

1. John Royce, son of Robert Royce and Mary, chr. 20 DEC 1627 All Saints, Stamford, Lincoln, d. 29 MAY 1628..^[4]
2. John Royce, son of Robert Royce and Mary, chr. 29 JUN 1629 All Saints, Stamford, Lincoln..^[4]
3. Mary Royce, daughter of Robert Royce and Mary, chr. 10 JUL 1631 All Saints, Stamford, Lincoln..^[4]
4. John Royce, son of Robert Royce and Mary, chr. 21 APR 1633 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln. ^[4]
5. Sarah Royce, daughter of Robert Royce and Mary, chr. 08 FEB 1634 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln.^[4]
6. Nehemiah Royce, son of Robert Royce and Mary, baptized 30 May 1637 ^[4]

1636 Possible Marriage of Robert's brother John and Mary's sister Anne

"Only one, geographically a perfect fit. Does this Robert Royce have a brother John lying around anywhere in another parish – John Royce with a father William who was b. early 1600s."^[1]

The St. Michael's church records also record a marriage on 2 November 1636 of John Royce and Anne Jackson, followed by the birth of their daughter Elizabeth Royce, baptized 10 May 1638 at St. Michael's^[4] Charles Julian observes that the name "Anne Jackson" – would seem to indicate that the bizarre surname of what is probably John Royce's sister-in-law, "Jugkson", is somebody's odd rendering of the surname Jackson. Julian therefore concludes that Robert Royce married Mary Jackson on 08 APR 1627 in Stamford, Lincolnshire, while John Royce, possibly a brother of Robert, married Anne Jackson, possibly the sister of Mary Jackson, on 02 NOV 1636 in Stamford, Lincolnshire.^[1]

Other Royce Records at St. Michael's Church

St. Michael's Church also has records ^[4] for

• Richard Royce, father of
  • Rebeckah Royce chr. 13 JAN 1626 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln.
  • John Royce chr. 15 FEB 1628 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln.
• William Royce and his wife Susanna, parents of
  • George Royce chr. 27 APR 1772 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln.
  • Thomas Royce chr. 28 MAR 1774 Saint Michael, Stamford, Lincoln.

Possible Date of Emigration

Since the last child, Nehemiah Royce, was baptized at St. Michael's Church on 30 May 1637, it is unlikely that Robert Royce of Lincolnshire emigrated before that date.

Summary Profile for Robert Royce of Connecticut: Was he Robert Royce of Lincolnshire?

It is possible that William's son Robert is the same person as Robert Royce of Connecticut.

Disambiguation

It needs to be reaffirmed that the New London man was a separate individual from Robert Royce of Boston, with whom he has been persistenly confused. ^[5]

Robert Royce of Boston left a widow Elizabeth; ^[5]

Robert Royce of New London died in 1676, leaving a widow Mary. ^[5]

Martock, Somerset Birth?

Did Robert Royce of Connecticut actually come from Martock, Somerset? "I have not seen reference to the document that contains the original Martock mention, only references to Royce's supposed origin there being repeated again and again. Without such reference I would not have been inclined to assume that this is where Robert Royce's family came from in the first place."^[1]

Writing in Genforum, Charles Julian wrote, "Robert Royce (Abt 1606-1676) of New London CT is probably the ancestor of most Royces in North America today, but his origins in England (specifically Martock, Somerset) have proven a headache for those attempting to take the record back further. Records of Robert Royce's birth in Somerset and of his early family there have never been found. This discrepancy has lead to a cycle of inference and speculation that has created, among other things, about 20 different birthdates for Royce in Somerset and about 20 different surnames for his wife Mary – most often "Sims", though this proposal has been disproven."^[1]

Marriage to Mary Sims?

A Robert Royce and Mary Sims were married at Martock, Somersetshere, England, 4 June 1634, and the date is suitable for the marriage of the New London man, though, so far as the writer is aware, positive identification has not been established.^[5]

"Robert Royce's "often claimed marriage to Mary Sims on Jun 04, 1634 cannot be substantiated. Extensive research in the Long Sutton, Martok and Lubenham, Somerset, England parish churches failed to show any marriage in 1634 between a Robert Royce by any spelling and a Mary Sims (Syms). The closest that could be found was between a Robert Rayce and a Mary Sims on Jun 04, 1624 in Long Sutton. ^[1]

Career in Connecticut

Robert Royce was an early settler in Stratford, Connecticut who had land recorded there in his name as late as 1658. However, Robert appears to have removed to New London, Connecticut in 1657. ^[5]

Robert Royce was constable in New London in 1660, and in the following year represented New London in the General Court. ^[5]

Children of Robert of Connecticut

Clarence Leslie Hewitt, Jr. in an article originally published in the NEGHS Register and later in "English Origins of New England Families", Series 2, Volume 3 pp 42-45 titled "Some Light on the Marriage of Robert and Mary Royce of Connecticut" concludes this could not be the correct date because the earliest recorded birth of a child, Sarah, was 1633-34 and they had seven children total." ^[6][1]

"There are over 1250 entries for Royces in the IGI...at least 1200 of these entries are in fact entries for Robert Royce himself and for various members of his family as contributed anonymously by over a thousand people. Of these records, not one is from a genuine parish roster."^[1]

"All this makes clear that there is not – and evidently there never has been – a viable Royce presence in Somerset or in any county of Southwestern England." ^[1]

"here is what is known about Robert Royce's family, with dates postulated on the basis of death records etc as found at Connecticut."

Robert Royce and his wife Mary had the following children: ^[1]

1. Jonathan Royce, b. Bet. 1631-1635 England, d. JUL 1690 New London, CT. ^[1]
2. Sarah Royce b. Bet. 1633-1634 England, d. 01 MAY 1711 New London, CT.^[1]
3. Nehemiah Royce b. Abt 1636 England, d. 01 NOV 1706 New Haven, CT.^[1]
4. Samuel Royce b. 01 NOV 1644 New London, CT, d. Bef. 24 DEC 1711 New Haven, CT.^[1]
5. Ruth Royce b. 07 DEC 1645 New Haven, CT, d. MAY 1695 New Haven, CT.^[1]
6. Nathaniel Royce b. 24 APR 1647 New Haven, CT, d. 08 FEB 1726/1727 New Haven, CT.^[1]
7. Isaac Royce b. Abt 1648 New Haven, CT, d. Abt 1681 New Haven, CT.^[1]

The first three children of Robert and Mary are known to have been born in England during the dates given above. "Nehemiah" is the oddest name out. A search for Nehemiah Royce b. England, any year, leads to only a single official batch record (plus about forty "extras" from Martock): ^[1]

An accurate account of his children is given in "Goodwin and Morgan Ancestral Lines," Vol 1, pages 295-310, to which the reader is referred for a more detailed account of his career.^[5]

Four of the five sons of Robert Royce of New London removed to Wallingford, and the widow Mary probably lived with the son Samuel. ^[5]

On 14 July 1697, "upon the request of Ensigne Samuel Royse son of Mary Royse of Wallingford Deced intestate the court graunted power of adstration of ye Remaining estate of ye sd Decd to him ye said Ensigne Royse for ye Recovering of any debt or debts due to ye deced and yt he give an accompt of his adson wm by ye Court Requird." (New Haven County Court Records, volume 1, page 251.)^[5]

Much interest has been shown of late in the family of Jonathan Royce, son of Robert, and many conflicting statements have been printed in the pages of the Boston Evening Transcript and elsewhere. it should therefore be of value to present, as far as possible verbatim the documentary evidence on which a correct account of Jonathan Royce's family can be based.^[5]

Recommendations for DNA Research

"Research would best first be carried out in order to confirm that the William Royce of Berkshire is indeed contiguous with William Royce of Ketton Cum Tixover Rutland. There's a reasonable chance he is, or that the family is at least mobile, as there are no records for a Matthew Royce, Richard Royce, George Royce, etc line in Berkshire after this point."^[1]

"In any event, the best way to confirm or refute the hypothesis that Robert Royce of Ketton Cum Tixover Rutland and Stamford Lincolnshire is Robert Royce of CT is to obtain Y-DNA from Lincolnshire Royces who descend from Robert Royce's brother John and to compare this with the Robert Royce Y-DNA profile already on file at the Edmund Rice Association ( http://www.edmund-rice.org/http://www.edmund-rice.org/ ). Of course, these things are always easier said than done. Since the Ketton Cum Tixover Royces are the earliest branch of Royces on record in Rutland and William's family may ultimately have given rise to the Rutland Royces (situated primarily in Oakham), even a comparison of Robert Royce's Y-DNA with Rutland Royce DNA in general might yield interesting results."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21} Charles Julian. Robert Royce of Connecticut Genealogy Forum, February 25, 2006. Accessed September 12, 2017. jhd
2. ↑ Wikipedia: Kingston Bagpuize
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Ketton
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Parish Records, St. Michael's Church, Stamford, Lincolnshire. Batch 1560-1949. Cited by Charles Julian. Robert Royce of Connecticut Genealogy Forum, February 25, 2006. Accessed September 12, 2017. jhd
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9} Joyce Otterstrom. Park Howard Park Howard site Updated June 17, 2017. Accessed Sept 16, 2017. jhd
6. ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/o/b/Michael-E-Dobsonhttp://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/d/o/b/Michael-E-Dobson