Addison

ROYCE [RICE], George Edmund

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, pp 344-345 
(portrait p 344)

George Edmund ROYCE, of Rutland [Rutland County, Vermont], was born 01 
January 1829 in Orwell [Addison County, Vermont], son of Alpheus and Harriet (MOORE) 
ROYCE. [The father, as explained below, changed his name from Alpheus RICE 
to Alpheus ROYCE.] George Edmund ROYCE is the seventh in lineal descent from 
Deacon Edmund RICE, who emigrated to America from Birkhamstead, Hertfordshire, 
England, in 1638, and settled in Sudbury [Middlesex County], Massachusetts. 
[The line of descent to the subject of this biography: Henry RICE > Edmund 
RICE > Thomas RICE > Jonas RICE > Adonijah RICE > Jonas RICE > Alpheus RICE 
(changed his name to Alpheus ROYCE) > George E. ROYCE. Edmund RICE was also an 
ancestor of President Calvin COOLIDGE. Jonas RICE (son of Thomas) was the first 
settler of Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts.]

The great grandfather, Adonijah RICE, was the first white child born in 
Worcester [Worcester County], Massachusetts, and here resided until the latter part 
of his life, when he moved to Bridgeport [in Addison County, Vermont, where he 
died]. He [Adonijah] served in several campaigns in the old French and Indian 
War, and was one of the celebrated band of scouts known as Rogers' Rangers. 
The subject's grandfather, Jonas RICE, held a commission as first lieutenant 
in the regular army under General WASHINGTON, was present at the crossing of 
the Delaware [River], the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and shared in the 
misery and privations of Valley Forge. At the close of the war he [Jonas RICE] 
settled in Orwell [Addison County, Vermont] and was united in marriage to 
Elizabeth CARVER, a direct descendant of John CARVER, first governor of Plymouth 
Colony.

Alpheus ROYCE, the father of the subject, bore the name [surname] of his 
ancestors [RICE] until middle life, when he changed the orthography of the 
appellative to ROYCE, alleging as his reason for the alteration that the family of 
RICE was becoming too numerous and would soon be likely to outnumber the SMITHs. 
[Alpheus ROYCE & his wife Harriet MOORE had twelve children: Charles 
(1810), Louisa A. (1812), Laura E. (1814), Mary E. (1816), Jane A. (1820), Henry L. 
(1821), William E. (1824), Albert F. (1826), George Edmund (1829), Erasmus D. 
(1831), Harriet A. (1833), and Maria A. (1835).]

George Edmund ROYCE received his education in the public schools, followed by 
two terms at the Troy Conference Academy. Assisting his father in the labor 
of the farm until the age of nineteen, he was then employed in the store of 
John SIMONDS as clerk at Watch Point, Shoreham [Addison County, Vermont], where 
he remained two years. From there he removed to New York in 1850 and labored 
for one year as salesman for Dibble, Frink & Company, wholesale dry goods 
dealers, then gave his services to Lathrop, Ludington & Company, who were in the 
same line of business, and with whom he remained about seven years. In 1859 he 
with others organized the firm of Robbins, Royce & Hard, wholesale dry goods 
dealers, and two years after the concern was changed to Robbins, Royce & 
Acker, which arrangement continued until 01 January 1864, when, although the 
business was very successful and satisfactory, the partnership was dissolved on 
account of the failing health of Mr. [George Edmund] ROYCE, and he removed to 
Rutland, where he still resides. In 1865 he became interested in the Wardwell 
stone channeling machine, which resulted in the formation of the Steam Stone 
Cutter Company, of which corporation he became and has continued one of the 
trustees and treasurer, also being its general manager.

Mr. ROYCE was one of the original incorporators and directors of the True 
Blue Marble Company, and since 1887 has been its treasurer and manager. Sine the 
organization of the Baxter National Bank he has also been a director of that 
institution. He is a Democrat in his political preferences and a bi-metalist, 
and has five times been elected to the position of selectman in the town of 
Rutland, besides holding many other local offices. He has large real estate 
interests in Rutland and the West. He is a Universalist in his religious creed, 
and one of the trustees of St. Paul's church, Rutland [Rutland County, 
Vermont], and a sustaining member of the Young Men's Christian Association.

On 05 February 1857 Mr. [George Edmund] ROYCE was first married, to Meriam 
E., daughter of Samuel and Eliza M. (BOTTOM) BREWER, of Orwell [Addison County, 
Vermont]; she [Meriam E. (BREWER) ROYCE] died 02 March 1866. On 06 September 
1866 he [George Edmund ROYCE] then wedded Martha A. BREWER, a sister of his 
first wife. On 04 November 1875 he [George Edmund ROYCE] contracted a third 
alliance with [Miss?] Ellen C. WHITE, of Orwell [Vermont]. His [four] children 
by his first wife [the children of George Edmund and Meriam E. (BREWER) ROYCE 
were: Fannie E. (Mrs. Charles N. DROWNE), George B., Julia M. (died in 
infancy), and Kate M. (Mrs. C. H. HYDE, of Rutland). By his second wife he had 
[George Edmund and Martha A. (BREWER) ROYCE had three children: Jane M., Robert S. 
(died 27 January 1890 in Naples, Italy), Julia E. (Mrs. Frederick Forest 
DOWLIN, of North Adams [Berkshire County], Massachusetts, died 13 October 1893. 
From his last marriage [from George Edmund and Ellen C. ROYCE] there are [seven 
children]: Edmund W., Thomas J., Pauline M., Albert A., Henry M., Richard 
H., and John C.

[Summary of the 14 children of George Edmund RICE from 3 marriages:
4 children of G. E. & Meriam E. (BREWER) ROYCE:
Fannie E. (Mrs. DROWNE), George B., Julia M., and Kate M. (Mrs. HYDE)
3 children of G. E. & Martha A. (BREWER) ROYCE:
Jane M., Robert S., and Julia E. (Mrs. DOWLIN)
7 children of G. E. & Ellen C. (WHITE) ROYCE:
Edmund W., Thomas J., Pauline M., Albert A., Henry M., Richard H., and John 
C.]

[The family of George Edmund ROYCE was enumerated in the 1880 census of 
Rutland, Rutland County, Vermont: George E. ROYCE, employed by the Steam Stone 
Cutter Company, age fifty-one, born in Vermont, by calculation about 1829, which 
agrees with his birth year given in the biography, to parents also born in 
Vermont; his third wife, Ellen C. ROYCE, age twenty-eight, born in New York, by 
calculation about 1852, to parents both born in Vermont; his mother-in-law, 
Carrie C. WHITE, age fifty-eight, born in about 1822 in Vermont to parents also 
born there, her surname implying that George C. ROYCE's third wife was "Miss 
Ellen C. ROYCE" when she married him; and the following children of George 
Edmund ROYCE, all born in Vermont: (1) Fannie E. ROYCE, his daughter from his 
first marriage, age twenty-two, by her census age born about 1858 (22 February 
1858?); Fannie E. being enumerated thus indicating that she married Charles N. 
DROWNE after the 1880 census was enumerated; (2) George B. ROYCE, his son 
from his first marriage, age nineteen, by his census age born about 1861 (06 
August 1860?); (3) Kate M. ROYCE, his daughter from his first marriage (who later 
became Mrs. C. H. HYDE), age fifteen, thus born about 1865 (09 December 
1864?); (4) Edmund ROYCE, aged three years, born about 1877 (24 February 1877?); 
and Thomas ROYCE aged ten months, thus born in 1879 (25 July 1879?), both 
Edmund and Thomas being issue of George Edmund ROYCE's third marriage. The 
remaining issue from the third marriage (Pauline M., Albert A., Henry M., Richard H., 
and John C. ROYCE) were likely born after the 1880 census was enumerated.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly