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George Boyce, J.P., Anne Ogden Boyce, née Brown, and Ethel Boyce

 

George Boyce, the second son of John Pierce Boyce, was born on 10th June 1832. Like his father and elder brother he became a pharmaceutical chemist. His business was based in Chertsey. He also had a spell in Tynemouth, where he must have met his wife Anne Ogden Brown. They married on 17th June 1862, at Egham Surrey. On 17th January 1889 he became a member of the first ever Surrey County Council, representing the Liberal Party. He was treasurer of the Central Division of Central Liberal Council. He was also at one time an Alderman on the County Council. From at least 1901, he was a J.P.

He lived in The Cedars, Windsor Street, Chertsey, in 1891. This building is still present, and is the site of Chertsey museum. In this museum, are some of James Douglass’s Clocks. By 1901, he was living at the Orchard, almost opposite, and a small distance from the same road. This building also still exists, and is a day centre for the local council now. Pictures of both are attached.

George died on 17th March 1914 at The Orchard. His funeral was at Chertsey Church on 21st March. Probate was granted to his daughter, Ethel Mary Boyce on 23rd May 1914. His effect were worth £751 18s 4d.

Anne Ogden Brown was born on 23rd January 1828 in North Shields, Northumberland to William Brown, a mill owner and his second wife, Sarah Richardson. His first wife had been Sarah’s sister. Anne’s family had Quaker origins, and she later wrote a book called Records of a Quaker family : the Richardsons of Cleveland. I now have a pdf scanned copy of this book. It was published in 1889 by Samuel Harris and Co. In 1893 she wrote an article "A Quaker of sixty years ago, i.e. John Pease of Darlington" to the Westminster Review. She was thanked for her assistance by E Hartley Coleridge, son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, for her assistance in the editing of his book, The Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. When Anne died on 12th October 1915 at the Orchard, E Hartley Coleridge also attended the funeral and wrote the obituary included here. The record of the service and obituary have be preserved in the Douglas family, unfortunately it is not known the date, or the publication that this is from.

George and Anne had just one Child, Ethel Mary Boyce. She was born on 5th October 1863 in Chertsey. Ethel is recorded in Censuses as a teacher of music. She died at The Orchard on 3rd March 1936. It appears that she was a moderately well known composer, and was a star pupil at the Royal Academy of Music.

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Newspaper report of Ann Ogden Boyce’s funeral and obituary        Ethel M Boyce

 

George Boyce obituary in Pharmaceutical Journal 1914, p460

Deaths

Boyce- on March 18 George Boyce Pharmaceutical Chemist. Aged 81. Mr Boyce was a native of Surrey, having been born at Egham. In due course he succeeded his father at Chertsey. He was one of the initial members of the Surrey County Council. Six years of energetic work on the County Council were rewarded by his being appointed an alderman, which office he held for six further years when largely on account of increasing deafness he felt compelled to relinquish the position. Mr Boyce took his full share of the Council’s work, for he served on the Highways and Bridges and other Committee. For some time he was the Chairman of the Lunatic Asylum Committee, and his portrait hangs on the walls of their present meeting-place. He was appointed a magistrate in 1894. For many years Mr Boyce was the only resident magistrate in Chertsey, and consequently his services were in much request, quite apart from officiating on the Bench. Mr Boyce fulfilled many other offices. He was, for instance, a Governor of Sir Wm. Perkins’ School, a Commissioner for taxes for the hundred of Godley, and Chairman of the Chertsey Market Feoffees.

Surrey Advertiser 23.3.1914