CHIEF:  Dr Robin Boyd, MA (Oxon); MB BS; LRCP, MRCS; DCH; AFOM, 8th Baron Kilmarnock

Richard G. Boyd

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

RichBoyd (at sign) Charter.net

BOYD-HAY

James Boyd (1726-1778) oldest surviving* son of William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock, after the execution of his father for his part in the "Rising" of 1745, sold his Kilmarnock estates to his cousin, the Earl of Glencairn.  He took up his residence in Slains Castle, Aberdeenshire,  Scotland. In 1758 his great aunt, Mary Hay, 14th Countess of Erroll, died and left no issue.  James, was a grandson of the 5th Earl of Linlithgow and Margaret Hay, sister of Mary, succeeded to the title as 15th Earl of Erroll.  He thereupon changed his name from Boyd to Hay.  He later became Grand Master Mason of Scotland.  As Hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland he officiated at the coronation of George III in 1761.  He was elected in 1770 as the Scot's Representative Peer.  He married first Rebecca Lockhart, daughter of Alexander Lockhart in 1749 and had one daughter Mary. Rebecca died and he married 2nd Isabella Carr in 1762 and had nine daughters and two sons.  The sons were the 16th and 17th Earls of Erroll who succeeded successively.  His grandson, William George Hay, was created peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Kilmarnock in 1831 after the accession of William IV to the throne of England. William George Boyd-Hay had married a natural daughter of the Duke of Clarence who became King of Great Britain as William IV in 1830. In 1941 Gilbert Alan Rowland Hay, brother of the 22nd Earl succeeded as 6th Baron Kilmarnock. The Earldom of Erroll could devolve through the female line whereas the Barony of Kilmarnock could not. Diana Denyse Hay succeeded as 23rd Countess of Erroll on the death of her father in 1941.

*The 4th Earl, William Boyd's first son William Boyd died at three years of age.

James (BOYD) Hay               15th Earl of Erroll

George Hay 1767-1798           16th Earl of Erroll

  (brothers)

William Hay 1772-                   17th Earl of Erroll

William George Hay 1801-1846   18th Earl of Erroll  1st Baron Kilmarnock

William Henry Hay 1823-1891    19th Earl of Erroll  2nd Baron Kilmarnock

Charles Gore Hay 1852-1930       20th Earl of Erroll  3rd Baron Kilmarnock

Victor A. Serald Hay 1876-1928    21st Earl of Erroll  4th Baron Kilmarnock

Josslyn Victor Hay 1901-1941        22nd Earl of Erroll  5th Baron Kilmarnock
(Died in Kenya, Africa without male issue).

Since Josslyn Victor Hay died without male issue, and because the Barony of
Kilmarnock could only fall to male descendants, Josslyn's daughter became
23rd countess of Errol and Gilbert Allan Roland Hay became 6th Baron Kilmarnock.

Diana Denyse Hay b. 1926                 23rd Countess of Erroll

Gilbert Alan Rowland Hay (Boyd)     6th Baron Kilmarnock

Alistair Ivor Gilbert Boyd                  7th Baron Kilmarnock

Gilbert Alan Rowland Hay, brother to Josslyn V. Hay succeeded as 6th Baron Kilmarnock and changed his name back to Boyd the surname of his ancestors. His son Alistair Ivor Gilbert Boyd succeeded as 7th Baron Kilmarnock on the death of his father in 1975 and is currently Chief of the Boyds. This shows that the modern day Hay (Erroll) family are descendants of the 4th Earl of Kilmarnock, William Boyd.

Because of the laws of succession, Robin Jordan Boyd, brother of Alastair
will inherit the Barony and become 8th Baron Kilmarnock.

NOTE: Use this data as a finding tool, just as you would any other secondary source. When you find the name of an ancestor listed, confirm the facts in original sources.

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