John Joyce of Beckington, 21 Bath Road, Beckington, Somerset.

[rosie99]

born c1834 in Southern England

James Parker Joyce was born in Southampton in 1824 according to this obit - a typo?:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WSTAR19030123.2.14

There is an article here on William Brunton (born 1817) who invented the fuse - he appears to have started up in Cornwall 1847 - He was recommended for a post by Brunel & Stephenson 1856 but elected to move to N.Z
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/William_Brunton_(1817-1881)

I wonder if JPJ was in the Cornwall area 

[Moffitt77]

William Brunton was something of an adventurer. He held important engineering posts all around the world. From memory he had more than one factory. Ultimately he became chief engineer in Bluff, New Zealand, which is only a few miles from where our JPJ lived.

We think that the gold lured these men to this country, whether for adventure or money is not always clear. I rhink it was the case for JPJ because he moved rather quickly form jobs which were mindnumbingly hard work to running a hotel and managing a big station. Michael Joyce was of a similar age and in a similar situation. He was able to have a ship built. I am trying to find other links between these two men.

[rosie99]

As the newspaper article (obituary) that Shaun gave mentioned the Channel Islands have you looked at the Joyce/Joice families that are living there in 1841. 

[Moffitt77]

Dorset is also on my search horizon. There is an extended Joyce family associated with WhiteMill and Shapwick which has interested me too. They also lived in Blandford and The Isle of Wight.

I think that every man who did not want to be found was either called James Joyce or John Flynn, and I have one of them as well. I have been looking for fifty years. In the early days I had too few choices and now there are far too many. Can't complain, because there are so many wonderful people who try to, and do, help me in the search.

[rosie99]

The reason I asked is that there is a 14 year old James Joice in Jersey in 1841 - have you followed his life to discount him   

[Moffitt77]

I have not been able to get into the Channel Islands sites properly. The searches all came up negative, so I think that there must have been something wrong in my entries???

He could hint have been there very long, because he was between 16 and 26 when he came to NZ. He must have been reasonably well-educated, because of his very long time as a journalist. He was very blunt and outspoken in his editorials.

Is it possible to find school records for places like Beckington in the U.K? I doubt that he had the time for a University education in his early life. There would not have been time.

There are also a great number of possible James Joyce's in Limerick and the Royal Navy, but I think that I have exhausted these avenues, but nothing would surprise me.

James Bailey Joyce must have gone to his bride's parish for his marriage if he did marry. Unfortunately they did not always use the middle name.

[Moffitt77]

I do not have any notes to show that I followed the 14 year old from The Channel Islands. I have looked at all spellings including Joyes. I will now have another look anyway. Than you for the idea.

[ShaunJ]

wife Mary Ann. His grave has age at death - 43 years

It was JWJ's wife Mary Ann who died aged 43 in 1864.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=101835506

[ShaunJ]

James Bailey Joyce married Jane Wace in London in 1837.


"Sept. 12, at Christ Church, London, James, eldest son of John Joyce, esq, of Beckington, to Jane, youngest daughter of the late John Wace esq., of Newgate Market"

(Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 21 September 1837)