ROYCE

ROYCE/RICE

The Royce family is English in origin, the name being derived from Saxon roots. In very old English records the name is spelled Royse. As the letter "s" hadn't been invented at this time, the letter "f" was used and the name was written as Royfe. Recent research indicates that the original ancestor, Robert Royce, was probably from the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. Many of the American Royce family changed their surnames to Rice at the time of the Revolutionary War. An old oral history says that Royce was considered to be an English name and family didn't want to appear as English sympathizers.

1. ROBERT ROYCE was born about 1606 in England and there is a record that he married Mary Jackson on April 8, 1827 at All Saints Church at Stamford, Lincolnshire. Robert and Mary Royce had 6 children baptized at St Michaels Church at Stamford including Johnathan, April 21, 1633, Sarah, Feb 8, 1634 and Nehemiah, May 30, 1637. Robert Royce brought his family to New England, probably in the 1640's. According to historian Francis M Caulkins, Robert Royce moved from Gloucester, Massachusetts to New London, Connecticut in 1651. Robert Royce brought his wife Mary and seven children to New London and he was granted a house lot in the town. Robert also bought some pasture land on Post Hill and he was granted some land on a hill northwest of town that was known as "Royce's Mountain." Robert Royce served a one year term in the Connecticut Legislature in 1662 and he also served as Tax Collector for the town. Two of Roberts children later moved to Norwich and five of them moved to Wallingford. Robert Royce died in 1676 and his estate was probated on November 22 of that year. Most of ther Royce family land at New London was sold in 1688. His wife Mary then lived with her children and she died on July 14, 1697 at Wallingford. Robert and Mary Royce's seven children included a son:

2. SAMUEL ROYCE was born Nov 1644 possibly in England. Samuel Royce married first Hannah Churchill on January 9, 1666 and they lived at New London until 1677 when they moved to Wallingford. Hannah (Churchill) Royce died about 1688 and Samuel then married second Sarah Baldwin on January 5, 1690. Samuel Royce died in 1711 and Sarah (Baldwin) Royce died on January 11, 1729. Samuel and Hannah Royce had six children and by Sarah Baldwin he had three including a son:

3. JACOB ROYCE was born on April 16, 1697 and he married Thankful Beach on September 28, 1724. Jacob lived a short life and he died on November 13, 1727. His widow married Samuel Baldwin on December 30, 1730 and she died in 1754. By Thankful Beach he had three children including a son:

4. AMOS ROYCE/RICE was born November 1, 1725 and he married Sarah Moss on January 17, 1754. They lived on a farm that was one mile north of the Meeting House at Wallingford. Amos Royce was a soldier during the Revolutionary War and at this time he changed his surname to Rice. He died on July 23, 1794. His widow married Joel Crouch on February 1, 1801and she died on December 13, 1808. Amos and Sarah Rice had eleven children including a son:

5. IRA RICE was born on March 22, 1774 and he married first Eunice Rogers on November 27, 1796. She died on November 16, 1799 and Ira married second Nancy Avery on December 25, 1800. About 1805 Ira Rice moved to Lexington in Greene County New York. He lived there until 1837 when he moved to Sterling Township in Macomb County, Michigan. Ira died on August 10, 1844 and Nancy (Avery) Rice died on November 19, 1844. Ira and Eunice Rice had two children and by Nancy Avery he had nine including a son:

6. AMOS BENAJAH RICE was born on April 7, 1821 and he married first Cornelia Crocker on July 6, 1848. They lived in Sterling Township until Cornelia died on June 2, 1866. Amos then married second Delia (Wright) Abernathey but he died on August 12, 1868. Amos and Delia had no children but by Cornelia Crocker he had three including a son:

7. WILFRED DOUGLAS RICE was born on September 25, 1860 and he married Etta V Deake on September 22, 1889. Wilfred and Etta were both school teachers and they taught in schools in various locations in Michigan. About 1898 they moved to Big Rock in Montmorency County. Wilfred Rice had a great fervor for religion and he was often accused of doing more preaching than teaching. He fancied himself as a minister but there is no record of him ever being ordained. Etta (Deake) Rice was the Principal of the Johannesburg High School in 1916 and she died on October 10. 1919. Wilfred then did a lot of traveling to religious camp meetings and he died at his home on January 10, 1937. Wilfred and Etta Rice had two children including a daughter:

8. GRACE FRANCES RICE was born on February 28, 1893 and she married first Richard Hilderbrant on August 23, 1917. He was drafted into the army and he died on March 6, 1918 at Camp Custer, Michigan. Grace married second Frank L Badgrow on August 8, 1925. After he died in 1932 she lived with her father. The strain of losing two husbands, her father and raising three children during the Depression became too much for her in 1937. She was committed and spent most of the rest of her life in a mental institution. Grace F (Rice) Badgrow died on January 10, 1981. She had no children by Richard Hilderbrant and three by Frank L Badgrow. (see Badgrow family for descendants)

Note: Information on Robert Royce at New London was taken from the research notes of Francis M Caulkins. Information on the Royce families at Wallingford, Connecticut was taken from Families of Ancient New Haven by Donald L Jacobus.