William Boys

116

Tony Beale on 5th November 2021

Another important Inquisition was taken at the Cherry Tree Gardens public-house, on the Parramatta-road, on Saturday last, on view of the body of Mr. John Barker, late proprietor of the Cheshire Cheese public-house, on that Road. The jury having been sworn, the following evidence was gone into. William Meredith, constable, deposed, that in the course of the preceding evening, his duty led him to the Plough Inn, about a quarter of a mile from where the inquest was assembled. Whilst there, two persons, man and wife, named Boyce, came in. This was about twenty minutes to twelve o'clock, at night. These persons came to report that Barker was dead; they said he had died suddenly ; witness proceeded, in company with another constable to the place where it was reported the deceased lay, and found him lying under a peach-tree, quite dead ; a man of colour was standing by in a state of intoxication, in consequence of which, he was taken to the watchhouse ; it seemed as if the body had been dragged a distance of some yards to where it lay ; deceased had no hat on, but a hat was afterwards found about twenty yards from the spot, which witness has no doubt belonged to the deceased ; previous to finding the hat, on the representation of the man of colour, witness was induced to go into Boyce's house, where he said the deceased's hat was, but we did not find any hat there ; Boyce said the hat was there, but his wife denied having seen the deceased or his hat since dusk, until she saw him lying under the peach-tree ; knew the deceased well, and was aware that he had for some time been carrying on an illicit intercourse with Maria Boyce ; did not find the deceased's hat till an early hour this morning ; it did seem as if something had been drugged along the ground from the spot where that was found to where the body lay, but witness cannot undertake to say what it was. To the Coroner — Cannot swear he is of opinion that the deceased had been dragged along the ground, though it is not improbable such an opinion would be a correct one. Charles Morrison, a hostler in the employ of the landlord of the Cherry Tree public-house, deposed, that about twelve o clock the previous evening, he was sent by his master with a man named Philip Mason. On approaching Boyce's hut, he distinctly heard the man of colour say three or four times, "Poor Barker !" on this he was induced to enter and enquire for Barker. The people in the house were nearly all intoxicated at the time ; witness took a lighted candle and looked under the bed in search of the deceased, when the man of colour said Barker was lying under a peach-tree, dead ; witness went with the black man who shewed him the spot where deceased lay ; the man of colour was somewhat intoxicated. William Stephen, a man of colour, deposed, that he is a brickmaker and had resided in William Boyce's house for the last six or seven weeks ; that on Friday last, about 9 o'clock in the evening, he saw William Boyce strike the deceased two blows with his clenched fist in the neck, under the right ear, on which Barker fell down on the floor ; that whilst in this situation, Maria Boyce kicked him twice in the ribs on the right side ; saw Boyce and his wife lay hold of Barker's cravat which they drew tight ; swears that Barker there and then died on the floor. After this, Boyce and his wife dragged deceased out of the hut and laid him under the peach-tree, where his body was found by the inquest. Dr. Bland, having given his testimony as to the state of the body, the jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter, against William and Maria Boyce, who were accordingly committed on the Coroner's war- rant for trial. The inquest lasted nearly the whole of Saturday and Sunday.

5

Rhonda Polllard on 25th July 2012

name (boys, boyce) and also on the 3 April 1830 murder a man Mr John Baker Parramatta Road NSW when found in bed with his wife maria boyce (ne bennett) sentence 7 years and got certificate of freedom 1837 his wife maria boyce died in 1831 she was also sentence to seven years and later married agnes mclean