John Royston Bozman

     John Royston Bozman was born on 5 March 1807 at Baltimore County, Maryland.^1,2 He was the son of Wilkes Bozman and Mary Royston. He and Eliza Brady, daughter of Cleason Brady and Anne White, were married on 17 August 1830 at Muskingum County, Ohio, by W. Sedwick.^3,4 He and Nancy Jane Glass were married on 27 May 1856 at Morgan County.^5,6 He and Margaret Oliver were married on 31 December 1872 at Morgan County, Ohio, by James Gaylord J. P.⁷ He died on 22 March 1890 at his home, McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio, at age 83.⁸ He was buried on 28 March 1890 at McConnelsville Cemetery (McConnelsville), Morgan County, Ohio. Rev. E. Vincent of the Presbyterian church conducted the funeral ceremonies at ten in the morning.^10,11,9 His estate was probated on 31 March 1890 at Probate Court, McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio.¹²
     John's mother died in 1818. The following year John, his siblings, and their widowed father Wilkes moved to Morgan County, Ohio.¹³ The couple were living in Bristol Township, Morgan County, Ohio, on the US Census of that year.¹⁴ This was a farm about three miles from McConnelsville. It was probably the property John's father had given him at age 21.^13,15      About 1835 John and Eliza moved to McConnelsville. John remained there for the rest of his life.¹³ He appeared as head of household on the 1840 US Census at McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio, with 1 male under 5, 1 male 5-10, 1 female under 5, 1 female 5-10, and 1 female 20-30.¹⁶
     Eliza died in 1847 leaving John a widower with seven children. John appeared on the US Census taken 1850 at Morgan Township, Morgan County, Ohio, with Wilkes Edward Bozman, Mary Royston Bozman, Cleason B. Bozman, Anna Liza Bozman and Hadassah Jane Bozman. Two of his children, John and Francis had died within two years of their mother's death. John would lose another child, Hadassah, before the year was over.¹⁷
     When Wilkes Bozman died three years later in 1858, John Royston Bozman was his only surviving child. John was appointed executor and was an heir in the will of his father Wilkes Bozman which had been written on 30 March 1855.¹⁸
     John and Nancy appeared on the 1860 US Census taken 11 June 1860 at McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio, with Cleason B. Bozman, Anna Liza Bozman, Isabelle Bozman and Elizabeth Bozman.¹⁹ Nancy Jane died in January of 1870 leaving John a widower for a second time.
     John appeared on the census of 9 August 1870 at McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio, with Isabelle Bozman, Elizabeth Bozman and Margaret Oliver. Margaret was a 32 year old domestic servant born in Scotland who was to become John's third wife.²⁰
     John made a will on 2 August 1873.¹² He wrote a codicil to this will on 29 November 1875.¹²
     John and his wife Margaret appeared on the US Census taken 1880 at McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio. The household included his children Isabelle Bozman, Elizabeth Bozman and Ella Bozman.²¹
     John's occupation was a various times listed as farmer, trader, butcher, drover, and grazing and driving stock. He was generally involved with stock and as a drover had driven cattle to eastern markets an estimated fifty times.^{15,20,19,22,13,23} He was survived by his third wife Margaret and by six of his eleven children.