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The Boyd Family Part 2

Arthur S. Boyd

Another son of Adam Boyd was James Boyd, Archbishop of Glasgow (d. 1581?), who was father of Robert Boyd of Trochrig (b. 1578 and d. 1627).

(21) Robert Boyd, eldest son of Alexander Boyd (20), was restored to the title of Lord Boyd in 1536, and had a grant from King James V, whom he served faithfully at home and abroad, of the Lordship of Kilmarnock, May 20, 1536. He married Helen, daughter of Sir John Sommerville of Cambusnethan, and received charters, as "Robert Boyd, olim de Kilmarnock", of the King's lands of Chapelton, (near Bolinshaw, in the parish of Stewarton, Ayrshire) and the lands and Castle of Dundonald, June 1, 1537.

He was called third Lord Boyd, and was served heir of James Boyd (19), his father's brother's son, in the lands and Baronies of Kilmarnock, Dalry, Kilbryde, etc., March 11,1544; 

 

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and a confirmation from Queen Mary of all the estates, honors, and dignities that belonged to the deceased Robert, Lord Boyd, his grandfather, with a novadamus, in 1549. He died in 1550, leaving a son, Robert, 4th Lord Boyd (22), and a daughter, Margaret, who married Sir John Montgomery, son of
Sir Neil Montgomery of Lainshaw, Parish of Stewarton (who was son of Hugh, 4th Lord Montgomery and 1st Earl of Eglinton, and great grandson of Alexander, 2nd Lord Montgomery, who married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Boyd (16), but this marriage seems to have reopened the feud between the two families, for her father, Robert Boyd, with Mowatt of Busbie, and others killed Sir Neil Montgomery at Irvine, in June 1547, in revenge for the killing of said Robert Boyd's cousin, James Boyd (19), by Hugh, 4th Lord Montgomery, In 1484. Robertson says that this feud caused much blood to be shed throughout the district before it was settled thru the mediation of the Earls of Eglinton, Cassillis, Argyle, and other mutual friends.

(22) Robert, Fourth Lord Boyd, was born in 1517, and married Margaret, or Mariot, daughter and heir of Sir John Colquhoun of Glins. He had charters of the Lordship of Kilmarnock, etc., September 6, 1545, on the resignation of his father, and Balindoran, in Stirlingshire, February 18, 1546-47. 

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He assisted the Regent Arran in suppressing Lennox's rebellion, in 1544, warred against the Queen-Regent with the Lords of Congregation in 1559; and signed the Treaty of Berwick, joining the English at Prestonpans in 1560. There is record of his subscription to the "Book of Discipline of the
Kirk" in 1561. According to some accounts he was privy to the murder of Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (husband of Queen Mary), February 10, 1567, and was a member of the jury acquitting the Earl of Bothwell of the deed in the same year, but joined a band of nobles to protect the young Prince from
his supposed designs, and then later took Bothwell's part again. He was made a member of the Privy Council in 1567, was one of her commissioners at York and Westminister, and entered into an association to support Queen Mary at Hamilton, May 8, 1568, and at the Battle of Langside, May 13, 1568, was one of the nobles to form round the Queen's person after her defeat. 

For expousing the Queen's cause he was compelled to leave the Country, with his two sons, who were in the same conflict, but evidently returned after a short time, as he was again a member of her Council in 1569, being employed by her on various missions, one of them being to obtain her divorce from Bothwell. 


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Lord Boyd was suspected of complicity in the murder of Murray in 1570, and joined the party of Lennox in 1571, was made Privy Councilor, and received a remission, dated September 8, 1571, under the Great Seal, to "Robert, Lord Boyd; Thomas, Master of Boyd; and Robert Boyd of Badenheath" (his sons), for fighting against the King at Langside. He had charters of the office of Bailiary and Justiciary of the Regality of Glasgow, January 2, 1573-74, and of Giffartland, September 14, 1577. He was appointed Extraordinary Lord of Session, October 24, 1573, sat until May 8, 1578; was reappointed Extraordinary Lord of Session, October 24, 1573, sat until May 8, 1578; was reappointed October 25, 1578, and sat until December 10, 1583; and was a third time appointed June 21, 1586, resigning his seat July 4, 1588. He was one of the commissioners for negotiating an alliance with England in 1578, and again in 1586.

For taking part, with the Earls of Glencairn and Mar and others, in the "Raid of Ruthven" at Ruthven Castle, August 23, 1582, in which the King was seized in order to curb some of his actions, Lord Boyd was banished, but returned shortly thereafter, as he was Warden of the Marches in 1587, and died January 3, 1589. An epitaph may still be found on a stone in the interior of the Low church in Kilmarnock, it having been 

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a part of the old church, and was preserved by being put in the wall of the present building when it was erected in 1802, and reads.

                                            1589 AD

                        Heir lyis yt godlie Noble wyis Lord Boyd  

                        Quha Kirk & King Commin weil decoir'd

                         Quhilke war (quhill they yis jowell all injoyed)

                         Defendit, counsailed, govrnd, be that Lord

                         His ancient hous (oft parreld) he restoired

                         Twyis sax and saxtie zeirs he lived and syne

                         By death (ye third of Januare) devoird

                          In anno thrys fyve hundreth auchtye nyne.


Lord Boyd granted a charter of the lands of Law to his wife in life-rent, February 10, 1548-49; and he had a charter of the lands Bedlay, Molnays, etc., February 10, 1582-83. His wife died in February, 1601. They had seven children: the first Robert, Master of Boyd, who had a charter of the land
of Auchintuerlie, in Dunbartshire, October 14, 1550, and died without issue, soon afterwards. The second son was Thomas, 5th Lord Boyd

(23); and the third was William Boyd of Badenheath (misnamed Robert in the Peerage) who was tutor to his nephew Hugh, 5th Earl of Eglinton, and died in July 1611. Robert, 6th Lord Boyd (25) was served heir of him March 20, 1617.

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Four daughters were: Egidia (Giles), who married Hugh, 4th Earl of Eglinton: Agnes, who married Sir John Colquhoun of Luss; Christian, who married Sir James Hamilton of Evandale; and Elizabeth, who married John Cunninghame of Drumquhassell. 

(23) Thomas, fifth Lord Boyd, joined with his father in the association in behalf of Queen Mary, May 13, 1568. He received a good-conduct (or passport) reading as follows: "We understand that our cousin, Thomas, Master of Boyds, is vexed with the vehement delour in his heid, and other deseasis in his body, and he can not find sufficient ease and remedie within our realm, but in mind to seek the same in foriegn countries, quhair the samin maist convenientlie be had, thairfore be the tenor heer of gevis and grantis to the said Thomas, Master of Boyds, to depart and pass furth of our realm to the partis of France, Flanders, wall of the spa, and other partis quhare he pleasis, thair to remain for seeking for cure and remedy of his saidis diseasis, for the space of three zeiris after the date hereof...Providing always that our said cousin do not attempt nothing in prejudice of us our realm or otherwais this our licence to be null and of none 

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availe force nor effect. Given under our signit and subscrivit with our hand at our castell of Steivliny the Xiii day of July and our rein the twelth zeia 1579. James R." 

He made a resignation of his whole estate in the hands of King James VI, from whom he received a charter, dated January 12, 1591-92, erecting the same into a free Lordship and barony, to himself in liferent, and to his son, Master of Boyd, in fee, and the heirs male of his body, with a long substitution of heirs male to the exclusion of heirs general. This character was confirmed by King Charles II in 1672, and will be found in W.P. Boyd's book. He also had a charter of the lands of Bedlay, March 8, 1595-96.

Thomas married Margaret, second daughter of Sir Matthew Campbell of Loudon and his wife Isabel, daughter of Sir John Drummond of Innpeffery and his wife Janet, natural daughter of King James IV. Thomas Boyd died in June, 1611, and had seven children: Robert, Master of Boyd (24); Sir Thomas Boyd of Bedlay; Adam Boyd who married Margaret, sister of Robert Galbraith of Kilcroich; John Boyd, of whom we have no record; Marion, who married James, Earl of Abercorn; Isabel; and Agnes, who married Sir George Ephlinstone of Blytheswood. The aforesaid Isabel, according to Robertson, married John Blair, but Collins Peerage states that James Stuart of Bute,


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(d. 1662) married Isabel, daughter of Sir Douglas Campbell of Auchinbrick and Isabel his wife, daughter of Thomas, Lord Boyd, which must mean that Isabel married twice. 

Robertson in his "Cunninghame" says (page 237) that Bryce Blair married (ca. 1610) Lady Jean Cunninghame, daughter of William (?) Eighth Earl (?) of Kilmarnock, and her son John Blair married Isabel, daughter of Thomas 5th Lord Boyd. While the Peerage states that Isabel married John Blair, which seems to be correct, it will appear impossible that their son could marry the daughter of Isabel's great-grandfather, as a comparison of dates would indicate. 

(24) Robert, Master of Boyd, married Lady Jean Ker (descended from Sir Andrew Ker, of Cessford, and from King Robert Bruce (see Robertson) and they had two children: Robert, sixth Lord Boyd (25), and James, Eighth Lord Boyd (27). Robert, Master of Boyd died in May, 1597, before the death of his father, and his widow married, secondly, David, Tenth Earl of Crawford. Robert is given a middle name of "Martin" by Mr. W.P. Boyd.

(25) Robert, sixth Lord Boyd, was born in November, 1595, and was served heir male in general of his father on February 3, 1602. He studied at Saumur under his cousin Robert Boyd of 

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Trochrig (son of James, son of Adam, son of Alexander, son of Robert, First Lord Boyd). He was served heir male in special of his father, in the Barony of Kilmarnock, etc., October 12, 1614; heir of Thomas, 5th Lord Boyd, his grandfather, in the lands in the counties of Ayr, Dunbarton, Lanark, and
Stirling, March 20, 1617; also heir of James, Lord Boyd (19) son of Thomas, Earl of Arran (18), who was uncle of Robert, 3rd Lord Boyd (21) who was g-g-grandfather of Robert, 6th Lord Boyd.

He had charters of the Barony of the Grugar, in Ayrshire, March 30, 1616; of Medros, in the counties of Ayr and Lanark; of Gavin and Risk (Rash?), in Renfrewshire, June 9, 1620; and of the Lordship of Kilmarnock, to him and his son, Robert, Master of Boyd, March 29, 1621. The Barony of Grugar passed from the Boyds about 1699. 

Robert, 6th Lord Boyd married, first Margaret, daughter of Robert Montgomery of Giffin, relict of Hugh, 5th Earl of Eglinton, with out issue: and second, Lady Christian Hamilton eldest daughter of Thomas, 1st Earl of Haddington, relict of
Robert, 10th Lord Lindsay of Byris, by whom he had seven children. Robert died in August, 1628, aged 33. The children were: Robert, 7th Lord Boyd (26); Helen who died unmarried, and her five sisters were served heirs portioners of her, 

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April 17, 1647; Agnes, married Sir George Morison of Dairsie in Fife; Jean, who married Sir Alexander Morison of Prestongrange, county of Haddington; Marion, who married as his first wife, Sir James Dundas of Arnistoun; Isabel, who married first, John Sinclair of Stevenson, and second, to Sir John Grierson, fiar of Lar; whose wife she was in 1647, when served heir of her sister; and Christian, who married Sir William Scott, of Harden.

(26) Robert, seventh Lord Boyd, was served heir of his father May 9, 1629. He married Lady Ann Fleming, second daughter of John, second Earl of Wigton, and died of fever, November 17, 1640, aged about 24, without issue, and his widow afterward married George, second Earl of Dalhousie. His uncle:

(27) James, eight Lord Boyd, second son of Robert, Master of Boyd (24), was served heir male of Robert, 7th Lord Boyd, April 10, 1641. He subscribed to the National Covenant, March 1, 1638, in Greyfriar's Church, Edinburgh. He was a steady Royalist, joined the association in favor of Charles I in January, 1641, and was fined 1500 pounds by Cromwell's Act of Grace and Pardon, 1654.

It was during his life that the part of Dean Castle, on which the Boyd Arms are sculptured, was erected. In the wall of the lower tower are the Boyds Arms, with the inscription: 

"James, Lord of Kilmarnock, and dame Catherine Creyk, Lady Boyd".

 

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In compliance with an act of Parliament, a few years previous, "..... for abolishing monuments of Idolarities", there was, by the Irvine Presbytery, " a visitation at Kilmarnock, June 19, 1649, anent ane superstitious image that
was upon my Lord Boyd his tomb, it was the presbyteries mynd that his Lordship be written to that he would be pleased to demolish and ding it down, and if he would refuse, that this Presbiterie was to take further course".

He married Catherine, daughter of John Craik, Esq., of York, and died in March, 1654, leaving: William, 9th Lord Boyd and 1st Earl of Kilmarnock (28); and Eva, who married Sir David Cunningham of Robertland. Robertson says that after the death of Sir David, she married Bryce Blair, and her son John Blair married Lady Isabel, daughter of Thomas, 5th Lord Boyd (23).

(28) William, 9th Lord Boyd, was served heir of his father in the Barony of Kilmarnock, etc. February 28, 1655; and was created Earl of Kilmarnock, August 17, 1661; and had a charter from King Charles II, of the Barony of Kilmarnock, July 30, 1672, confirming the charter of 1591 to Thomas, 5th
Lord Boyd (23). William died in March, 1692. He married Lady Jean Cunninghame, eldest daughter of William, 9th Earl of 

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Glencairn, High Chancellor of Scotland, and they had six children: William, 2nd Earl of Kilmarnock (29); The honorable Captain James Boyd (from whom the York County, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts Boyds are descended); The Honorable Capt. Charles Boyd, who died in Namur, in September, 1737; The honorable Robert Boyd (from whom the Portland, Maine Boyds are descended); Mary Boyd, who married Sir Alexander MacLean; and Catherine, who married Alexander Porterfield of Porterfield.

(29) William, 2nd Earl of Kilmarnock, married Letitia Boyd, and succeeded his father in March, 1692, but died on May 20, of the same year. They had three children: William, 3rd Earl of Kilmarnock (30); The honorable Thomas; and Mary. Thomas, the second son, was born September 13, 1689, became a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1710, and married Elenora, daughter of Sir Thomas Nicolson of Carnock, Baronet, in the county of Stirling, who, after his death, married secondly, John Crawford of Crawfordland. Mary, the daughter of William, died unmarried.

After the death of William, Lady Letitia married, secondly, John Gardner, Esq. Lady Letitia was the daughter of Thomas Boyd, merchant, of Dublin, Ireland, who married, in 1653, Mary Loftus, daughter of Sir Adam Loftus of Raithfarnham. 

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Thomas Boyd died in October, 1696, and had six children: Thomas, who died unmarried, Adam and Charles, who died young; and Anne, Jane, and Letitia.
 
Some of the younger sons of the family of Kilmarnock must have moved into Ireland, as a Highgate Boyd, of Rossclare, County Wexford, Ireland, married a Margaret Loftus, daughter of Henry Loftus (b. 1636 and d. 1716) of Loftus Hall,  Wexford. There were others, as many of the name are found in North Ireland, in those times marrying members of Scottish families in Scotland, or of Scottish names, in Ireland. These must have been of the Kilmarnock family, as the line was sharply drawn then between the two religions, and it is improbable that we would find Irish Catholic Boyds marrying Scottish Protestants or vice versa. 

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