San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN BOYCE
A man of splendid attainments, who
made a success of ranching, was the late John Boyce, a native of Ohio, born in
Richland County, March 14, 1844. His
father, Jonathan Boyce, came from England to Ohio, where he was married. Afterwards the family removed to Keokuk,
Iowa. In 1859 they crossed the plains to
California, and Jonathan Boyce became a prominent and extensive landowner and
farmer near Woodbridge, San Joaquin County.
John Boyce, the eldest of the family
of children, attended the public school in Ohio until fifteen years of age,
when he accompanied his parents across the plains to California; and here he
attended the local school at Woodbridge.
He assisted his father on the farm, and then engaged in farming for
himself. Later he purchased 320 acres
from his father and began the improvements which in time made his ranch one of
the show places in the county. He planted
vineyards and orchards, converting it from a stubble field into a valuable
fruit farm. He also owned a 120-acre
farm at Escalon.
Mr. Boyce was married in Stockton,
May 17, 1899, being united with Mrs. Emma (Soverign)
Freeman, who was born in Kane County, Illinois, a daughter of Joshua Soverign. Her father
was born in Simcoe, Canada, of American parents, October 7, 1833, and when
twelve years of age came to Illinois. He
learned the carriage and wagon maker’s trade in Plato, Illinois. He married Miss Elizabeth Collins, a native
of Utica, New York, and in 1860 crossed the plains with his wife and three
children in a train of twenty-seven wagons drawn by horses, the leader of the
train being Captain Clark. Arriving in
California, Mr. Soverign had a wagon shop in El
Dorado County and later one at Knights Landing; but after six years there he
located in Woodland, where he ran the pioneer carriage and wagon shop and made
his residence on Court and Fourth streets.
There were five children in the family:
Emma, Mrs. Boyce; Isabelle, Mrs. J. H. Martin of Fresno; Arthur, who
died in Madison, California, in 1922; Seth, living in San Francisco, and
Charles, in Sacramento. Joshua Soverign died in 1906, his widow surviving him until
December 30, 1918, passing away at the age of eighty-one.
Emma Soverign
was five years of age when she crossed the plains with her parents and well
remembered the incidents of the trip, the fear of the Indians and the
interesting occurrences and sights along the way. She was reared and educated in Yolo County. In Las Vegas, New Mexico, occurred her first
marriage when she became the wife of John Freeman, in 1879. He was born near Mansfield, Ohio, came to
California in an early day, and was a farmer near Red Bluff, Tehama
County. He was stricken and died
suddenly in 1896. They had six
children: Charles, Mrs. Grace Gum, Mrs.
Lillian Arthur, Mrs. Myrtle Turner, Ray and Mrs. Gladys Kastel,
all residing in San Joaquin County.
John Boyce passed away June 26,
1913, mourned by his family and friends.
He was a great reader and loved books and magazines. He had a fine library of books on all topics,
but books of travel and history were his hobby and he had the issues of the
Wide World magazine from the first copy.
He was a member of Duroc Lodge No. 50, K. P.,
and Jefferson Lodge No. 98, Odd Fellows, in Woodbridge in both of which he was
very popular. Since his death, Mrs.
Boyce makes her home in Lodi, surrounded by her children and many friends, who
appreciate her many kindnesses and hospitality.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
728-733. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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