CHIEF:  Alastair Ivor Gilbert Boyd 7th Baron Kilmarnock

Richard G. and Jerri Lynn Boyd

568 W. Friedrich Street

Rogers City, Mich. 49779

Contact Us: RichBoyd@Speednetllc.com

www.clanboyd.info

Justus Boyd / Almira Nutt

 NY to Livingston Co; MI

JUSTUS BOYD came to this town in 1837,and had not the hand of death cut short his career, would have been one of its most important citizens. He was a native of the town of Newburgh, Orange Co., N.Y., and when a young man came West to Conesus, Livingston Co., N.Y. He married MISS ALMIRA NUTT, of Cayuga County, and in 1822 moved on to a new farm in the town of Mount Morris, where he lived fifteen years, when he came to this State and settled in Cohoctah. In the spring of 1836 he came to Michigan in company with Joseph C. Craft, Daniel P. Lake, and William Slater, in search of land. Each of them made a purchase, but only Mr. Boyd came here to live. He returned to New York, and, in the early summer of 1837, began his journey hither with his wife and nine children,--six sons and three daughters,--the eldest, LEWIS B., a boy of eighteen. In company with them came his brother-in-law, Lee Nutt, with his wife and three children, and a Mr. McFail, with his wife and four children. They reached Mr. Boyd's land, on section 31, on June 12th, having been one month on the road. Before returning East for his family, Mr. Boyd had engaged a Mr. Porter, of Howell, to build him a house on section 31, and this was ready for their occupancy when they arrived. Mr. Nutt lived with Mr Boyd for a time, and engaged to clear a piece of ground and sow it to wheat, taking the crop in part payment for his labor. He then built a shanty on the south side of the road, in Howell, and moved, into it with his family.

At the election in the spring of 1838, Mr. Boyd was elected to the offices of overseer of the poor and assessor, and just a year from the time of his arrival here started for his former home to settle up his business affairs there. At Detroit he took passage for Buffalo on the ill-fated steamer "Washington," which, when about twenty-two miles from its destination, caught fire and was destroyed. Mr. Boyd exerted himself to the utmost in efforts to extinguish the fire and to save the passengers, and when nothing more could be done leaped overboard and swam ashore. The sudden chill caused by leaping into the cold water while heated and perspiring from his efforts, coupled with the exhaustion incident to such violent and prolonged exertions, proved too great a strain upon his vital powers, and he died a few minutes after reaching the shore at Silver Creek. He was a farmer, but was also a capable and competent business man of fair educational attainments. His widow resides in Howell, with her daughter, MISS ANGELINE BOYD. She is now eighty years old. Of Mr Boyd's children two have died, WILLIAM and HANNAH; LEWIS B. married CHARITY THATCHER, and is now living on section 31, in this town; JOHN N. married LUCINDA HOLLOWAY, and lives on the same section; HIRAM married MATILDA CRESHAW, of Handy, and lives on the same section; HENRY P. married ELIZABETH BRIGGS, and lives on the homestead; NORMAN married RHODA SCOFIELD, and lives on section 32; ELIZABETH married REV LYMAN H. DEAN, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now a resident of Salem, Washtenaw Co.

Source: HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON CO; MICHIGAN, PHILADELPHIA EVERTS & ABBOTT 1880 PRESS OF J.B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA

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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