Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/181

 JOY

JOYCE

JOY, Thomas, colonist, was born in Norfolk county, England, in 1610, where the family name, derived from the town Jouy in Normandy, has been well-known for five centuries. He joined "VVinthrops company and immigrated to America, settling in Boston, Mass., about 1635. His name appears in the " Book of Possessions "and records of conveyances as the owner of much land com- prising that on which Governor Hutchinson and Sir Charles Henrj- Frankland erected mansions, and land on Bendall's cove, possibly including the sites of Faneuil Hall and the Old Feather store. He owned acres in Hingham and Lynn, besides tracts in Maine and Massachusetts, pur- chased from the Indians. He was an architect and builder and is credited with planning the Old Feather Store, the Hingham meeting-hovise and the Aspinwall mansion in Brookline. He con- structed the early warehouses and wharves in Boston and Charlestown and owned and operated corn and saw mills. In 1646 he was concerned in " Dr. Child's Memorial." and with Samuel Mav- erick, Thomas Fowle, John Dand, David Yale, and others, strove for an extension of the right of suffrage which was then restricted to church members, thereby disfranchising three-fourths of the adult male population. The prayer of the memorialists was not only refused, but many of the petitioners were imprisoned or heavily fined, and most of them left the colony. Joy removed to Hingham, where he probably joined the Rev. Peter Hobart's church. About 1656, when the policy of the government was liberalized, he resumed business in Boston and was selected to plan and construct the town-house of Bos- ton, which was the most important public work undertaken up to that time in New Eng- land. It was erected largely through the munid-

cence of Capt. Rob- ert Keayne, who died in 1656 and made provision in his will for the con- struction of a mar- ketplace and conduit with a building con- taining a " conven- ient roome or too for the courts to meete in both Winter and Sumer & so for the Townesmen and com- miss"^' of the Towne " besides a "convenient roome for a Library & a gallery or some other handsome roome for the Elders to meete in," also " for an Armory and a place for merchants." The contract was awarded to Thomas Joy and partner, Aug. 1, 1657, and the building occupied in 1658. This first town and state house was destroyed by

fire on the night of Oct. 2-3, 1711, and the " Old State House " was erected of brick on its site. In the " pine state house " the artillery company, or- ganized in 1637, met, and Joy was a member of the company. This building was the "pine state house "of Emerson's " Boston Hymn," the " Town Hall "of Hawthorne's " Scarlet Letter," and in its council chamber Whittier laid the scene of "The King's Missive." Joy became a freeman of Massa- chusetts Bay colony in 1665 and died, Oct. 21, 1678. JOYCE, Charles Herbert, representative, was bora in Wlierwell, England, Jan. 30, 1830; son of Cliarles and Martha E. (Grist) Joyce. He em- igrated to America with his parents in 1836, and they settled in Waitsfield,Vt., where he worked on a farm in summer, attended the district school and academy in winter, and then completed his school attendance at Northfield academy and Newbury seminary. In the meantime he served as page in the Vermont house of representatives for three sessions, and was librarian of the house one year. While studying law he taught school, and he was admitted to the bar in 1852. He opened a law office in Nortlifield, Vt., in 1855, and was state attorney of Washington county, 1857- 58. He was commissioned major of the 2d Ver- mont volunteers by Governor Fairbanks in June, 1861, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel by Gov- ernor Holbrook in June, 1862. He served at Bull Run; in the Peninsula campaign; at second Bull Run, and at Fredericksburg. In January, 1863, he was obliged to resign on account of disability due to the hardships of the service. He resumed the practice of law at Rutland, Vt., and repre- sented Rutland in the state legislature, 1869-72, serving as speaker of the house. He was Re- publican representative from the first district of Vermont in the 44th, 45th, 46th and 47th con- gresses, 1875-83, and during his congressional term served on important committees and made notable speeches on the presentation of the statue of Ethan Allen, on Cliinese emigration, and on the tariff. At the close of the 47th con- gress he resumed the practise of law,

JOYCE, Isaac Wilson, M. E. bishop, was bora in Hamilton county, Ohio. Oct. 11, 1836; son of James W. and Mary Ann (Bowers) Joyce; grand- son of William and Margaret (Wilson) Joyce, who came from Dublin, Ireland, and settled in Hamilton county. Ohio, about 1786, and of David and Abigail (Brooks) Bowers. David Bowers came from Germany in childhood, and his wife was born in New Jersey. Isaac Wilson Joyce removed with his parents to Tippecanoe county, Ind., in April, 1850, and was a student at Harts- ville college, Ind. He joined the Northwestern Indiana conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1859, and was pastor of several of the more prominent churches in the conference,