CHIEF:  Alastair Ivor Gilbert Boyd 7th Baron Kilmarnock

Richard G. and Jerri Lynn Boyd

568 W. Friedrich Street

Rogers City, Mich. 49779

300 yrs in Innishowen- Boyds

Date: 7/23/01 11:07:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: BrooksGen4 at aol.com
To: CLANBOYD-L at rootsweb.com

BOYD OF BALLYCASTLE. extract from
THREE HUNDRED YEARS IN INNISHOWEN, by Amy Young
pages 292 to 298 (pages 294-5 being a chart which is not reproduced here)

The family of Boyd of Ballycastle, now represented by Miss Kathleen Boyd, who is unmarried and lives at the Manor House is supposed to be descended from the Boyds, Earls of Kilmarnock; and one of the earlier ancestors was known as "Kilmarnock," as it was said that he stood "close to the Earldom." In the churchyard at Derrykeighan, Co. Antrim, there is a tombstone bearing the following inscription: "Here lyeth the body of Jane Peebles, sometime wife to John Boyd of Carncogie, late Provost of Irwin.  She died 1615." John Boyd, mentioned above, field lands called Carncogie, near Dervock, at this time, and is placed by Burke as the father of THOMAS BOYD of Carncogie, who field the same lands from the Earl of Antrim in 1614. Thomas Boyd was a Scotsman, and was made a denizen of Ireland, 29th Jan., 1611.  He also held the lands of Ballyhibistocke in 1631, and bought "Lisconane" in 1620.  He died 15th Aug., 1634, having married circa 1611, Elizabeth Seton, or Smeeton. Thomas Boyd of Carncogie was executor to the will of William Boyd of Dunluce, dated 1624, who may possibly have been his brother or cousin.  Besides Hugh, Thomas had a younger son Thomas, who got Lisconane from his father, and was alive on the 10th Aug., 1661 (Decrees of Innocent XL, 14).  It appears probable that there was another son, William, of Clontifinan,  who was father of Capt. Hugh Boyd, of Mount Edwards, Cushendall (b 1685/6, and d. March. 30, 1731), who married Margaret Rowan (who was b. 1687 and d. 1747), both of whom are buried in the chancel of the church at Clough, Co. Antrim.  A portrait of this Capt. Hugh Boyd, similarly inscribed, stating that he was the eldest son of William Boyd, of Clontifinan, Ballycastle, was in the possession of a family named Boyd, residing at 9, Victoria St., Dublin.  The portrait was of a gentleman in a wig and armour.  The inscription in Clough church gives several sons and daus., the name Hugh occurring more than once, so that it is very probable that this family were closely related to the Ballycastle branch, though the exact connection is not known.

Hugh Boyd, the eldest son of Thomas of Carncogie, is said by Burke to have been father of the Rev. William Boyd, of Drumawillan, who was Vicar of Ramoan, and d 1727 or 1737. By his marriage with Rose, dau. and heiress of Daniel McNeile of Clare (grandson of Hugh McNeile, to whom Sir Randal MacDonnell granted the Constableship of Duncaney and Ballycastle, and many acres of land in that part), this William Boyd became possessed of considerable property. He appears to have married a second time, since his son Hugh, in his will mentions two "brothers-in-law," Alexander Boyd and the Rev. Charles Boyd. The term brother-in-law was used in several senses in earlier times, and could quite well refer to half-brothers. One of these "brothers-in-law," Alexander, was Surveyor of the Customs at Ballycastle, and got the Clare property from his father.  He married Anne, dau. (or sister) of Ezekiel Davys Wilson, of Carrickfergus Co. Antrim, and had a number of children. This family was known as the Boyds of Clare Park, but is now extinct in the male line, and the Clare property was sold by one of them to Edmund McGildowny, Esq., whose descendants still hold it. The chart on p. 291 shows the children of Alexander Boyd. By his first wife, Rose McNeile, the Rev. William Boyd had at least two sons and two daus. The younger son was the Rev. William, A.M., born at Drumawillan 1696, and entered T.C.D., 1711.  He was treasurer of the diocese of Connor in 1730, and Archdeacon of Kildare 1737.  He married a Miss Blundell, a sister of Dean Blundell, of Dublin, and had two sons and two daus.

To return to the elder son of the Rev. William Boyd, Vicar of Ramoan, Col. Hugh Boyd; he was b. 1680, and became a man of very considerable importance in Ballycastle, and indeed in Co. Antrim. He was Mayor of Coleraine in 1725. 1729, and 1734, and was High Sheriff of Co. Antrim in 1734. He bought the Ballycastle estate in 1737 from the Earl of Antrim, and built the church in Ballycastle, he himself being the first to be interred in the vault underneath it in 1765. He also built the harbour at Ballycastle, and the present Mansion House, situated as near as possible to the scene of his labours. Drumawillan, his previous residence, is near Ballycastle, but not close enough for his convenience.

Col. Hugh Boyd is said to have been always distinguished for a genuine humility of mind. He was sincerely pious, and endowed the handsome little church in Ballycastle, the inscription over the door of which says "Keep thy foot when thou enterest the House of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools." His will contained instructions that the cost of his funeral was not to exceed £120, and he strongly advised all his relatives to follow this example, as he had a great objection to ostentations and costly funerals, his elder son died in the Colonels lifetime and his two eldest grandsons had no sons, so the Colonels will is long, and contains a good many contingent reminders.

Dr. Pococke, in his Irish Tour in 1752, visited Ballycastle, and makes the following comments:- "Ballycastle is a strong instance of the assiduity and judgement of one person, Mr. Boyd, to whom the place belongs, who holds it as a fee farm under Lord Antrim. . . . Mr. Boyd's great work was to make a safe harbour for shipping, which he has done most effectually, having received £10,000 from the publick for that purpose. . . . Besides this, Mr. Boyd built a very good Inn, a Brewery, Tan-yard, houses for boyling soap, and salt, making candles, and a very fine bleach yard; all of which he farms out. He has also built a handsome house for himself, and a brick wall on two sides of a garden of seven acres; and at the same time has carried on the works of a very considerable colliery, which is to the east towards Fair Head on the sea side;  This gentleman, in the colliery and all the manufactures he supports, has about 300 people employed every day, and in the years of scarcity he took care to buy corn and have it sold at a reasonable price. All these things undertaken and carried on by one man are a very uncommon instance in a practical way of human understanding and prudence. . . ."When I came to Ballycastle Mr. Boyd soon found out I had compliments to him from the archbishop of Dublin, he obliged me to make his house my home: where I met my acquaintance his daughter, Mrs. Macaulay, married to Dr. Macaulay, Vicar-General of the Diocese of Dublin." Col. Hugh Boyd married Anne, dau. of Randal McAllister of Kenbane. She was b. 1685, and d. 21st May, 1776, and is buried in the vault in Ballycastle Church. They had two sons and four daus., of whom the eldest son, William, was High Sheriff of Co. Antrim in 1740, and d. before 1762, having married (articles dated 11th Oct., 1788) Mary, dau. of Ezekiel Davys Wilson, of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, who was High Sheriff in 1725. She d. 6th Dec., 1762. They had seven sons and two daus.:

1. Alexander, High Sheriff for Co. Antrim 1761; d. 1770, having m. at St. Thomas's Church, Dublin, the Hon. Anna Maria Acheson. dau. of Archibald, 1st Lord Gosford. (She re-m. the Rev. H. Maxwell, Rector of Dromore, Co. Down.) Had issue three daus.:
    1) Marianne, m. Nathaniel Montgomery Moore, of Aughnacloy
    2) Rosetta, m. first, Hugh Boyd, second, Col. James Stephens:
    3) Anna Maria.
2. Hugh, also High Sheriff for Antrim, 1773; m. Mary, dau. of Rowley Hill, Esq. (or, by another account, dau. of Sir. Geo. Hill, of Daisy Hill). She was b. 1736. His will is dated 1780, and was proved by his widow in 1782. No issue.
3. Ezekiel Davys, b. 1740, of whom later.
4. Daniel, m. a Miss Brooke of Derry, and had a dau.
5. William, d. unm.
6. James (Rev.), known as "Trinitv James"; m. a dau. of Alex. Boyd, of Clare Park, and was buried in the vault in Ballycastle church with his children.
7. Adam, d. unm.
8. Mary called "Moll Roe" from the colour of her hair, was m. twice: first, to the Rev. Alexander Cuppage, who was Rector of Rathlin, and was drowned in Slough-na-morra between Ballycastle and Rathlin, in Sept., 1772, with young James Gage of Rathlin; she m secondly, her cousin, James Boyd of Whitehall.
9. Margaret, alive and not 21 Years of age in 1762.

Ezekiel Davys Boyd was b 1740, High Sheriff for Co. Antrim in 1776, and d. 23rd Aug., 1801, having married, 26th Oct., 1762, Amy, dau. of John Frisbey of Jamaica, and his wife Frances Palmer, and widow of George Fullerton of Ballintoy Castle. By her first husband Amy Frisbey had a dau. Katherine, b. 26th May, 1753, who m. Dawson Downing, Esq., and had three sons. Dawson Downing m. as his. second wife Anne, dau. of E. D. Boyd and Amy Frisbey, his two wives being half-sisters. Amy Frisbey was b. 15th Nov., 1734, and d. in 1824, being buried in the family vault.

The children of Ezekiel and Amy Boyd were:-
1. Anne, b. 7th Sept 1763. Sponsors-her gt.gd.father Boyd, gt.uncle Wray, gt,gd.mother Bovd, gt.aunt MacAulay. Mar. as second wife, Dawson Downing, Esq.
2. Hugh, b. 23rd Feb., 1765. Sponsors-his gt.gd.father Boyd, gt.uncle MacAulay., aunt Boyd, aunt Cuppage. Died 23rd Feb., 1795, having m first, a dau. of Col. Stephens.; and secondly, his cousin Rosetta, dau of Alexander Boyd and Anna Maria Acheson. He succeeded to the estates in 1786. His will, dated 12th Nov., 1794, was proved 22nd April, 1796. He had issue:-
    1) Hugh, b. 1728, d 1862. Proprietor of Ballycastle; d.unm
    2) Alexander, b. 1789; m. 1819, Anne Hewey He became proprietor of
the estates and lived at  the Manor House; d.s.p.
    3) Amy, b. 1787; m. 1818, James Humphrey Keats. She also owned the
estates after her brother's death. She had two children: a son Meyrick, b. 1825, who d. before his mother in 1865; and a dau. Caroline, b. 1829, who m. 1850, John O'Neill, merchant
    4) Harriet, b. 1790; in. 1818, Sir John Boyd, Bart. of Danson Hill. (b. 1786, d. 1856), by whom she had issue: (1)  Sir John Augustus, b. 1819; m. Honor, dau. of Charles Calmady, Esq.; d. 1837. Had issue,  Emily Catherine and Sir Harley Hugh, who lived with their mother, Lady Boyd, at Drumwillan House, Ballycastle and d. unm. (2) The Rev. Frederick, b. 1820; m. first, Katherine Beauclerc, and had issue a dau. Kathleen, present proprietor of the Ballycastle estates; in. secondly, AliceDrummond. (3) Henrietta, m. Col. Taylor.
    5) Anna Maria, d. at Bath, 1839, unm.
3. William, b. Feb. 10, 1766 Sponsors---his uncle Boyd, cousin James Boyd of Clare, gt.aunt Wray, gt aunt Denniston. Died unm.
4. Francis. b. 19th July, 1767, and d. a few days later in London.
5. Ezekiel Davys, b. 9th Aug.1768. Sponsors-Robert Adair, Esq. Ezl.
Davys Wilson, Esq., gt.aunt Boyd of Clare, his aunt Mrs. Hugh Boyd. Died in June, 1835, aged 67; M. Catherine, dau. of Francis Turnly, Esq., of Newtownards, Co. Down, and his wife Catherine dau. of John Black. She d. 17th June, 1850, aged 81 (Parish Register of St. Anne's).

Their children were:-
1. Hugh (General), b. 1801, d. 1876; m. first, Matilda, sister of Sir Patrick Grant, of Nairn, and had issue: (1) Edmund Gordon, who d. 1881, having m. Miss Walpole, and had issue a son and a dau. The General m. secondly, Frances Dobbs, of Castle Dobbs, and had issue two daus.
2. Catherine, b. near Belfast, 3rd Dec., 1791; and d. at Bally-castle, 22nd Oct., 1852, aged 61. She m. 12th Aug., 1812, the Rev. Robert Gage of Rathlin (see p. 286).
3. Ezekiel Davys, b. 1793, d. 1872, having m. Anne, dau. of H. Sandwith, B.C.S., of London; no issue. Bequeathed his Ballycastle house to his nephew Ezekiel Gage. Major-General.
4. Rosetta, b. 1799; d. 1871, aged 74; m. 9th March, 1819, Charles McGildowney,  of Clare Park, Esq.
5. Francis Turnly (Major), b. 19th Nov., 1797; d.11th Feb., 1867, aged 70; m. Jean Charlotte, dau. of Dr. James Meik, in India; she d. 18th Dec., 1872. See below.
6. Jane Tumly, b. 1809; d. unm. 1870.
7. Amy, b. 1795; d. unm. 1856
8. Hugh, d.y.

Major Francis Boyd and his wife had five sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Frank, married in Canada and had eleven children. From the above account it will be seen that there is not now a male representative of the famous Col. Hugh Boyd. left in the neighbourhood of Ballycastle. The Mansion House is now the property of a descendant of his in the female line also a Boyd on (last line missing)
 

Thanks to Colin Brooks  BrooksGen4 at aol.com

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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