A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Boyce, William Nettleton
BOYCE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 20; h-p., 21.)
William Nettleton Boyce entered the Navy, 29 Jan. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Kent 74, bearing the flag in the Channel of Vice-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough, with whom, after removing to the Ville de Paris 110, he proceeded, in Nov. of the same year, to the Mediterranean, as Midshipman of the Royal Sovereign 100. He was afterwards successively transferred – in Aug. 1808, to the Niobe 38, Capt. John Wentworth Loring, employed in the West Indies and off Havre de Grace – in Nov. 1810, into the Fortunée 36, Capt. Hen. Vansittart, on the Irish station, where he assisted in taking, 11 Oct. 1811, Le Vice-Amiral Martin, of 18 guhs and 140 men, a notorious privateer – in July, 1812, to the Stag 36, Capts. Wm. Wolrige and Phipps Hornby, cruizing off Cherbourg – and, in Jan. 1813, and April, 1814, to the Lion 64, and Medway 74, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Chas. Tyler at the Cape of Good Hope. From 24 March, 1815, until paid off in Feb. 1816, Mr. Boyce, who had been awarded a commission on 15 Feb. in the former year, next served on the Cape station in the Harpy 16, Capt. Geo. Tyler. He obtained a command in the Coast Guard 6 May, 1834, and retained it until shortly previous to his appointment, 22 May, 1840, to the Poictiers 72, Capts. John Clavell and Wm. Hen. Shirreff, guard-ship at Chatham. Since the close of 1843 he has been on half-pay.
Lieut. Boyce married, first, 19 Aug. 1818, Miss Anne Harrow, of Alton, who died 23 Jan. 1837; and, secondly, in 1838, Anne Helena, widow of Lieut. F. N. Price, R.A.