Kirby Cosmo Boyd

Hello Richard,

I was very interested to see that you have several photos (below) of my father, Kirby Cosmo Boyd, on your website.

I have an interesting story to tell you. We Google'd my father's name, Kirby Cosmo Boyd, and several websites popped up. Long story short, a man in the Canadian army was clearing up bodies (sorry, it's a bit grim) after a battle in Belgium. He found a beautiful photo album with 400 pictures of Aunt Kit (Cockell) and family's house and events mostly taken in Beijing, China. The name "Clare “Slim” “Streak” Zalewski was handwritten on the album. We suspect it was probably a poor Jewish man on the run who may have found the album and been killed in Belgium. There are wonderful photos of my father when he was young which I have never seen. Fifty (50) years later, the Canadian family (not related to us) decided to see if they could locate us hence the websites we found. They even found ship's manifests of several of our trips including when my mother and I left Shanghai on the Yamata Maru in 1941!!! Anyhow, through them I am now also in touch with Aunt Kit's family, the Cockells. It's an amazing story that has boggled my poor wee mind.

The Clare Zalewski: website

The family never ceases to amaze me. My brother, Richard Boyd, lives in California. He is 13 years younger than I and was born in Toronto, Canada. I am 69 and was born in Shanghai, China.
Thank you for posting those photos, they mean a great deal to me.

I am Rosemary Evelyn Boyd, born April 2, 1940, Shanghai, China. My brother Richard Montague Kirby Boyd was born in 1953, Toronto, Canada. Our Boyd line stops here as neither of us have children.

I only have family records as far back as Major Alexander Boyd, 1792 - 1865 Family of earl's of Kilmarnock, settled in Ireland early 18th Century. He married Susan Browne of Stone County, Galway.

Their son Captain John Theodore Thomas Boyd, 1825 -1891 born in Ireland & went to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania), married Lucy Charlotte Martin, 1835 - 1908 born London, England.
They had 9 sons and 3 daughters. Among the sons are Arthur, Robert Alexander, Reginald Septimus, Penleigh, and Montague Kirby Boyd, who was my grandfather. My father Kirby Cosmo was born in Caulfield, a suburb of Melborne, on 12/25/10.

This Australian Boyd family were quite famous painters. I have seen many paintings of Arthur Boyd but unhappily I have never met any of my father's family. They appear to have been quite a colorful clan!!!

Best Wishes
Rosemary Boyd boydscorner2 "at" yahoo.com

Hello Richard

“It is with great interest that I came across your Clan Boyd website. I am conducting some research into a Kirby Boyd, born about 1900-1915, who as a child lived for many years in China. We believe he may have been the son of Canadian, British, or Australian missionaries. I realize it is a long shot, but I was wondering if you might have any information about who this Kirby Boyd might be. I do have some photos taken of him in China about the age of 10 if you are interested.”

“Attached you will find four photos of Kirby Boyd taken at the summer palace in Peking China probably about 1915-1920. These photos are a small part of an old album found during WWII in France about 1945. We believe Kirby may have been born in either Canada or Australia, but we can’t be certain. I appreciate any assistance you or your newsletter readers might provide about this person.”

Sandra Miller-Long, Family History Detective, YoreAncestry.com, 248-756-8047,

smillerlong "at" YoreAncestry.com

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