The Royce Family Line   Our Royce line in America begins with Robert. One of his descendants married into the Doolittle line of our ancestors. This is their story, as I know it.
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In England

Robert Royce was born in Somerset, England. His Wife, Mary Sims, had been born in Long Sutton, Somerset, England. Nothing is known of their parents.

In America

The ship Mayflower arrived and discharged its passengers at Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620, the place of the first New England settlement. In 1630 the town of Boston was founded, providing an excellent harbor. The first English settlers arrived in Conneticut 1635 and their settlement was originally called Newtown, but was renamed Hartford in 1637. The name "Hartford" was chosen to honor the English town of Hertford, home of Samuel Stone, one of the settlers. In 1637 the town of New Haven Connecticut was founded.  In the area was called Nameaug by the Pequot Indians. John Winthrop, Jr.  founded the first English settlement there in 1646. Inhabitants informally named it Pequot after the tribe. The name was later changed to New London. The town of Wallingford was settled in October 10, 1667.

 

Generation 1

Robert Royce (1605-1676) & Mary Sims (1609-1697)

Robert Royce and Mary Sims were apparently married in England and sailed to New England before 1636 when their son Nehemia Royce was born. One World Tree has their only son's place of birth as Wallingford, Connecticut but that is an obvious error since the town was not established or the area even occupied by the English until 1667. Wherever they lived on their arrival they eventually settled in New London where Robert died in 1676. Mary died in Wallingford on July 14, 1697.

 

Generation 2

Nehemia Royce (1636-1706) & Ester Moss (1642-1706)

Nehemia Royce, the only child of Robert and Mary Sims, was born in 1636 after his parents came to America.

On Nov. 20, 1660, he married Hannah MORGAN at New London, New London County, CT. Hanna was the daughter of  James Morgan of Landaff, Glamorgan, Wales, and his wife, Margery Hill. and was born either in New London or Roxbury, Ma on the 18th of July, 1642.  They had their first 2 children; Joseph and Margery;  in New London.  He was one of the original settlers in Wallingford in 1670. Their 3rd child Joanna Hannah, was born in 1670 either just before or just after the family's relocation to Wallingford. Three more children followed between 1673 and 1677; Mary, Mercy and Esther.

Nehemia Royce was a carpenter, joiner and blacksmith by trade. In 1677 he built a house for the family and built it well. It still stands to this date, the oldest house in Wallingford.

The House plaque reads:
Nehemiah Royce House - 1672
Oldest Wallingford home built two years after the town was settled, overlooking "Dog's Misery". When General Washington came to Wallingford in 1775 he said farewell in front of this house. Wallingford was the 19th settlement in Connecticut and Royce one of it's original proprietors on whose behalf the land was purchased from Mantowese and Sunk Squa, daughter of the Great Sachem of the Quinnipiacs.
"The rest of the state was wilderness. The enemies were the Indians, the wolves and bears, and the French, the Dutch and the Devil."

This is the oldest "salt box" in Wallingford. Many times altered and renovated, it was moved from it's original location opposite the site of the "Washington Elm". It's present restoration to fine condition was done by the Choate School now the owner. See Royce House

Hannah died in 1677, the year their last child was born. She may have died of complications of childbirth. Then in 1678, there were small children that needed care, he married Esther (Moss). Nothing is known of her parents.   In 1682 a son, Nehemiah was born and in 1680, a daughter, Lyda.

Both Nehemia and Esther Moss died in Wallington in 1706. 

 

3rd Generation 

Nehemiah Royce (1682-1725) & Kezia Hall

Nehemia Royce, born in 1682 was the son of Nehemia and Esther. He married Kezia Hall. We know nothing of her or or family. Of this couple we only know that they had at least one child, Hannah who was born in Wallingford on May 15, 1720. Nehemia died in the year 1725 and we have no record of Kezia's death.

 

4th Generation

Hannah Royce (1720-1779) & John Doolittle (1712-1747)

This marriage in 1737 leads us to the Doolittle family line. Follow it through the link:
John Doolittle (1712-1747) & Hannah Royce (1720-1797)

 

Postscript:
The Royce line is another of the short lines in our family tree. It is distinguished only by the life of the first Nehemia Royce. With his skills as a carpenter and blacksmith he was most likely a great asset to his community as it was built from the wilderness. That is not to say that his descendants were not as gifted or assets to the community. It is just that we know so little about them.  It took some fortitude to live in the days when "The rest of the state was wilderness. The enemies were the Indians, the wolves and bears, and the French, the Dutch and the Devil."

See the chart for the Royce Line with historical bacground.

© Grandpa Don Plefka
aka Harry Ronald Cecora
12/22/2009

 

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