Moses Royce

Capt. Moses Royce

• aka Rice,Roys
• Born 24 Sep 1716 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut
• Son of Robert Royce DNA confirmed and Mary (Porter) Royce
• Brother of Nathaniel Royce, Dinah (Rice) Sherman, Josiah Royce, Ruth (Royce) Hall, Sarah Royce, Timothy Royce, Gideon Royce and Prudence (Royce) Gaylord
• Husband of Thankful (Austin) Royce — married 6 Jan 1740 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticutmap
• Husband of Kezia Moss — married 17 Nov 1785 [location unknown]
• Father of Moses Royce, Thankful Royce, Amasa Royce, Abner Rice, Joel Royce and Amos Royce
• Died 26 Oct 1799 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Royce-380

Birth

Moses was born 24 Sep 1716 in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Robert Royce and Mary Porter.[1][2][3]

Family

He married Thankful Austin daughter of John Austin and Prudence Royce on 6 Jan 1740 in Wallingford.[1][2] They had six children:

1. Moses
2. Thankful
3. Amasa
4. Abner
5. Joel
6. Amos

He married Kezia Moss, widow of Dr. Isaac Lewis on 17 Nov 1785.[2]

Slaves

Records show that Moses owned slaves in his lifetime. In 1772 his servant named Dick married another of his servants named Time.[1]

In 1789, Time, then free, petitioned for a divorce from Dick.[4] It read in part:

The petition of Time a Negro Woman of Wallingford formerly the servant of Capt. Moses Rice of Wallingford but now free … that on about the 16th of October 1772 she was lawfully joined in marriage with one Dick then Servant to said Rice, with whom she lived for many years in the faithful discharge of conjugal duties, but for reasons unknown to your petitioner the said Dick became … & his affections were alienated from your petitioner about twelve years since & he left your petitioner for another woman with whom he hath lived in a state of adultery ..

By 1790 the first U.S. census lists five slaves in his household.[5]

Death & Legacy

He died 26 Oct 1799 and is buried in Center Street Cemetery in Wallingford.[2]

Will

On 19 Nov 1799 Joel Rice exhibited the last will and testament of his late father, Captain Moses Rice.[6] The will read as follows:

In the name of god Amen I Moses Rice of Wallingford in the County of New Haven, now in the seventy first year of my age do this 4th day of June 1787 make this my last Will & Testament, induced thereto by reason of the uncertainty of human life and knowing that it is appointed to all man once to die. In the first place I recommend my soul to God who gave it, hoping for his mercy through Jesus Christ, and my body to the dust in Christian burial at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named. And as touching the worldly Estate where with god has blessed me in this life I bequeath as follows. After my just debts and funeral expenses are paid, I establish the fortune made betwixt me, and my now beloved wife Keziah, at our marriage in all and every particular. As I have heretofore by Deed of gift given to my four sons … Amasa, Abner, Joel, & Amos nearly an equal proportion of my Estate except my son Amos to whom I now give my dwelling house where I now live and my Old Barn and one acre of Land adjoining to my said house. … the … and remainder of my Estate which I shall die possessed of I order and my will is that the same be equally divided betwixt my said four sons Amasa, Abner, Joel, & Amos finally. I nominate and appoint my beloved son Joel Rice to be sole executor of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all other Wills and bequests, and satisfying this only to be my last Will and testament.
Moses Roys

References

1. Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630-1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928. Wallingford p. 289
2. Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol VII (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1981), 1557.
3. "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74R-83X : 3 December 2014), Moses Roys, 24 Sep 1716; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.
4. Mattatuck Historical Society, Fortune's Story (http://www.fortunestory.org : accessed 7 Jul 2017), [1].
5. 1790 U.S. census, New Haven County, Connecticut, p. 156, Moses Rice household; digital images (accessed 7 Jul 2017); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M637, roll 1.
6. Town of Wallingford, Connecticut, Probate Records Vol. 4 1793-1801, Moses Roys, p. 383, image 201; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007627163 : accessed 7 Jul 2017).

See also

• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Apr 17 2016, 23:38:28 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jan 26 2023, 22:15:38 UTC