John Boyd was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland 21 January 1739. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, was a lawyer by profession, and was made a notary in 1761. Leaving Scotland 26 February 1770, he came to America with his mother, and settled in Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, later moving to Kinderhook, New York.

He was licensed 26 March 1774, as a lawyer by Colonial Governor John Tryon of the then Province of New York. He married twice, the first time, on 8 December 1772, to a New York lady, name unknown, who died September 1 1773 leaving one child who died five weeks later. On 18 April 1780 he married Miss Christina Van DUSEN of Kinderhook, New York a cousin of Martin Van BUREN, later President of the United States and daughter of Robert Van Dusen (or Van Duesen). According to his grandson's account (John E. Boyd) he is said to have also engaged in the dry goods business in New York and to have failed in 1781 following to the depreciation of Continental money. After the birth of four sons the family removed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then the Nations Capital, where Mr. Boyd obtained a clerkship in Congress.  His wife Christina died 16 September 1797.  He died September 1798 of Yellow Fever.

His wife's line---the Van Duesen---goes back to Holland previous to the year 1640, when the first Van Duesen forefather came to New Amsterdam, now New York

The children of John Boyd and wife Christina were four in number: sons, Robert, William Augustus, John and James Boyd. The John Boyd from Scotland was the Great-grandfather of this compiler (Edgar E. Boyd).

ROBERT BOYD, son of John Boyd of Scotland was born 19 Aug 1783 either at Kinderhook, NY or Richmond, Massachusetts.  Little is known of him or his family.  He settled at Port Tobacco, Maryland and is reported to have married a southern lady, name unknown and to have had at least three children, one son and two daughters, as in a letter from him dated 2 July 1830 at Washington City, he speaks of a son Robert, then 18 years of age the previous February, as studying medicine with Dr. Washington of Alexandria and also says that his two daughters are with their aunt in Port Tobacco, MD., calls them "good scholars" that the "oldest daughter, Ann, understands painting and drawing" ---she was 17 years of age last February, and Christina, the younger, is about 14 years of age." The dates of Robert's marriage and death are unknown, but he married prior to his brother, William Augustus. It is said that Robert died at Washington DC, poor and in an "asylum" but was aided financially by his brothers, William A., and James. According to the ages of the above children, as mentioned in the letter from Robert, their names and years of birth are as follows:  1. Robert Boyd born Feb, 1812  2. Ann Boyd born Feb, 1813 3. Christiana Boyd born in 1816.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BOYD, (page 6 of original book) son of John Boyd of Scotland was born in Berkshire County, MA 10 Nov 1785. He was educated in Philadelphia, PA and Albany, NY. He trained as a merchant in a wholesale dry goods store in Albany and followed that occupation. He later moved to Hartwick, Otsego County, NY, then to Ovid, Seneca County, NY. He married Ruth SEYMOUR of Otsego, in January, 1811. She was born at Berlin, CT on 28 August 1789 daughter of Jonathan SEYMOUR and Abagail HART.

Mr. and Mrs. Boyd removed in the year 1839 to Monroe, Michigan where they lived the remainder of their life. William A. Boyd died there 26 July 1854 and Ruth died there 6 March 1875. They were actively engaged in the services of the Presbyterian Church. There were three children: 

1. William Hart Boyd.  2. Erasmus James Boyd.  3. Mariet Boyd.

                                  page 2

JOHN BOYD, (page 11 of original book) son of John BOYD of Scotland was born at Kinderhook, NY 25 August 1787. He was a playmate of his cousin, Martin Van Buren, afterwards President of the United States.  When a boy he accompanied his parents to Philadelphia, PA later removing to Alexandria, Virginia then a city of the District of Columbia.  He was a saddler by trade, and several of his sons learned the same trade.  He married 1 July 1810 Miss Mary Gough (or Goff) KIRK, born at Philadelphia 3 July 1793, said to have been an only child.  Her parents had emigrated to America from England about four years prior to her birth.  Little is known of her family. (Kirk is a Scottish name).  According to her son Charles Boyd, she had two uncles, William and Thomas KIRK the later born blind.  They moved from Alexandria to Guernsey County, Ohio, thence to some point in Ohio west of Columbus.  Mary's father seems to have come with them, or possibly later, to Guernsey County for he is buried near the village of Antrim in that county.

John Boyd above was a Mason and member of the lodge to which George Washington had belonged in Alexandria.  In the early 1820's the family moved to Washington, DC and about 1830 they moved to Gratiot on the National Road in Licking County, Ohio.  Here he died on 26 January 1862, his wife on 9 December 1868. They were Methodists in religion. John and Mary G. Boyd were the parents of thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy, one of these unnamed. 1. William Alfred Boyd.  2. John Edward Boyd.  3. Mary Emmilene Boyd.  4. Thomas Henry Boyd.  5. Charles Albert Boyd.  6. Sarah Louisa Boyd.  7. Samuel James Boyd.  8. Robert Edgar Boyd.  9. (twins) Leroy Augustus Boyd.  10. Augustus Leroy Boyd.  11. Adelaide Virginia Boyd.  12. George Washington Boyd.
 

JAMES BOYD son of John Boyd from Scotland (page 32 original book) was born at Kinderhook, NY in July 1790.  He married a Miss THAYER of Butternuts, Otsego County, NY.  He trained as a merchant and made his home in Laurens, NY.  He conducted a store there and became Justice of the County Court.  About the year 1830, a Mason named Morgan having published a published a book exposing the secrets of the order, and the Masons being suspected of having killed Morgan---so it was rumored---James Boyd was defeated for re-election to the County Court because he was a Mason. At this time his nephew, John E. Boyd, later of Virginia, was employed in his uncle's store.  James Boyd was at that time in delicate health.

James Boyd and his wife were the parents of two children, who died young, a boy and a girl, names unknown. The parents died some time during the 19th century, but the dates are not known.

(From the book "Record of the Boyd Family"

Edgar E. Boyd, 1913, Wheeling, West Virginia)

Contact   RG Boyd  if you need more data on this line of Boyds

8 Oct 1999
Dear Richard

Passed down from my mother I have a small book entitled "Record of the Boyd Family: John Boyd from Scotland and Descendants", written by Edgar E. Boyd of Wheeling, WV in 1913.

My gggg-grandfather, the "John Boyd from Scotland" is described in this book as having been born on Jan 21, 1738/39 in Irvine, Ayr, Scotland, and was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He was a lawyer and notary who left Scotland on Feb 2, 1770, coming to America with his mother and settling in Richmond, Berkshire Co, MA and later moving to Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY. He married (his 2nd marriage ) Christina Van Dusen (of Kinderhook), supposedly a cousin of Martin Van Buren.

John and Christina's son, John William Boyd (1787-1862), married Mary Gough Kirk (1793-1868). Their daughter, Sarah Louisa Boyd (1821?-1890), married William Driggs (1813?-1890). Their daughter, Estella Adelaide Driggs (1852- 1930), married John Henry Rust (1851-1921). Their daughter, Lenora Edith Rust (1883-1970), married Clifford Guy Call (1880-1954). Their daughter, Thela Frances Call, was my mother.
More on Boyd/Driggs connection

My little book begins with a description of the descendancy of the Boyds who became Earls of Kilmarnock. The earldom ended with William Boyd, the 4th Earl of Kilmarnock, born May 12, 1705 and beheaded for treason at the Tower in London on Sept 16, 1747.  He left three sons who I have identified from other sources as being William Boyd (b Mar 16, 1724/25), James Boyd (b Apr 20, 1726), and Charles Boyd (b Feb 10, 1727/28). The middle son, James, changed his name from Boyd to Hay when he became the Earl of Errol in 1758.

My little book, immediately after describing the Kilmarnock/Errol descendancy, continues "John Boyd, born in Scotland, was of this family, and one of the younger sons of the Earl of Errol, but according to another account, was an only son."

I have definite problems with this connection, and wonder whether anyone out there has a way to clarify it -- or to give me other information about the ancestors of my John Boyd.

Problem #1: James Boyd/Hay was born in 1726 so was unlikely to be having a son in 1738/39.

Problem #2: The family of the Earls of Errol, as I understand it, had the last name Hay, not Boyd.

According to the LDS ancestral files James Boyd/Hay married Rebecca Lockhart (c1728-1761) in 1749, but no children are listed. He then married Isabella Carr (1742-1808) in 1762 and a bunch of children are attributed to this marriage, most of them born between 1763 & 1778 (although one is listed as having been born in 1754 so might have been Rebecca's). Most of these children are shown with the last name Hay, not Boyd.

I suspect that the author of my little book was simply indulging in wishful thinking that he had illustrious ancestors, but the way he states the connection is so vague that it's possible I'm just not understanding what he meant.

Approaching the problem from another direction, I have looked for information about my John Boyd in the IGI records made available on the WWW by the LDS. I have found three different IGIs for the birth of a John Boyd, born Jan 21, 1739 in Kilmarnock, Ayr, Scotland to John Boyd and Janet Dunlop. Irvine and Kilmarnock are only about 5 miles apart.] I also found (1) a marriage of John Boyd and Janet Dunlop on Jan 26, 1732 in Kilmarnock, (2) a birth date for John Boyd (spouse of Janet Dunlop) of 1715, (3) a birth/christening record for a John Boyd (b 1715, ch Aug 21, 1715 in Glasgow [Glasgow is only about 20 miles from Kilmarnock], parents Andrew Boyd & Agnes Davidson), (4) a birth date for Janet Dunlop (spouse of John Boyd) of c1719, and (5) a christening record for Janet Dunlop on Jul 8, 1718 in West Kilbride [about 12 miles from Kilmarnock], parents Adam Dunlop & Elspa Syre).

All of these seem to fit together a lot better than the connection to the Earls of Kilmarnock or Errol do.  But, of course, John Boyd (and Janet Dunlop) are extremely common names, so it may all be coincidence.

Does anyone have any new information about the ancestors of my John Boyd (b Jan 21, 1739)?   I'd really appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,

Cathy Howell  (Email address not current)
Other researchers of this family include:

George Boyd Lukens
GeorgeLukens@worldnet.att.net

James Boyd Bernstein
JConfidoB@Aol.com