Boyd

Hugh Boyd and Anne Barret were graziers in the townland of Ballinvilla near Croghan. Their descendants are there to this day.

See:
https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/buildings-da…

Join: Civil parish of Killummod

Rua, you have caused quite a bit of excitement in our home today.  To have a connection to the area in which the Boyd/Barret family resided, almost two hundred years ago, is so much more than for which we had hoped. The expectation for our first opportunity to visit Ireland was to experience the landscape and environment in which our ancestors had lived.   Maybe to visit a church  where they had attended, been married, or baptized and perhaps see a cemetery or a headstone with a famialial connection.   Never in our wildest dreams would be actual be able to view the land on which they had resided. 

BTW, I have also joined the Killummod parish as you suggested.

Thank you so very much for linking us to this valuable genealogical information. 

mbwg46

Delighted ... my pleasure!

I have done quite a bit of research on this family and will post to the ancestor chronicles for Killummod as soon as I get time. In the interim, if you could post a chronicle there for each Boyd who emigrated (esp. the source data you are certain about, e.g. if names of parents were confirmed on a death cert or ships manifest) I will be better able to link them home for you.

See this link for the ancestor chronicle of Thomas' father, Hugh Boyd (1800-80) of Ballinvilla.

https://www.irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/history-and-genealogy/ancestor-dat…

Rua,

I have been unable to obtain a death certificate for Thomas Boyd (1836 -1902).  The local authorities indicate that their records are only about 60% complete and that a missing death certificate is not unusual.   The church, St Mary's, from which he would have been buried no longer exists and sadly, records at the Archdiocese are also incomplete.  I have his burial records but no marker on the grave.   I have his last will and testament, and newspaper articles about his death both of which do not indicate parentage only that he was born in Ireland.

I have Annae Killalea Boyd's  (1838-1927) death certificate but it is not totally informative either.  No mother's name is listed and her father's name is listed as Charles Clay (Killalea??).  This information was provided by Charles Boyd, her son.   I believe the Clay Is a "heard spelling" for Killalea and I am questioning the "Charles" given name.   Since it was supplied by son, Charles, it may be that he believed he was "named" for his grandfather.  The fact that he did not know his Grandmother's name, it would appear that Thomas and Annae did not share much information with the children

I have Thomas and Annae's reocrd of marriage (15 September 1856) and Thomas' US naturalization papers but neither of these documents list parent names.

The NLI micro film number for their first three sons, born in Ireland, is 04606/07, page 34 thru 53.  Let me know if any of this information is of interest.

I have posted that we will be in the Boyle, Roscommon area on May 24 till 26th and would be pleased to meet with anyone that might be able to confirm my research. 

Again, I cannot thank you enough for your valuable help and interest in my genealogy research.  Would be most pleased if there was a way to thank you in person.  Our visit to Ireland will begin on May 11 and conclude on May 28th.  Advise if you have a similar desire.

Barbara Wise Gibson

Hello Barbara:

Would you please contact me directly please?  I have some information that has come into the office which I would like to share with you.  My direct email address is:  jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com

All the best,

Jane

Barbara, a chara,

It would be lovely to meet you but unfortunately, I won't be able at that time. Please do keep me posted as to how your trip went though!

To help you plan your adventure, please find below a quick guide to Boyd sites (click on the links to find more information about each location)...

ORIENTATION

Your Boyds hailed from the district between the village of Croghan and Carrick-on-Shannon (Co. Roscommon). In between these two is a district known as Drumlion (which was known as a "half-parish"). Drumlion is where your Boyds attended church and were interred (which suggests the original point of origin. I believe Hugh Boyd came out of Legvoy aka Gardenstown in Drumlion and came into Ballinvilla by way of his marriage to Anne Barrett). 

CIVIL PARISHES

Drumlion is part of the civil parish of Killukin Boyle (not the other Killukin). Your Boyds, through marriage, spread west into the civil parish of Killummod,  and northwards into the civil parish of Tumna. (It's a good idea to join and post your message all three civil parishes IMHO). 

See if you can pick up a copy of the book

• KEENEHAN, John. St. Michael's Church, Drumlion, county Roscommon: church, people & landscape. Carrick-on-Shannon: Drumlion Church Committee, 2006. as the Boyds and this district are well-referenced in this. 

1. CARRICK-ON-SHANNON

The Boyds were "gentlemen farmers" aka graziers, middlemen aka landlord's agents, and Cess Payers (which meant they qualified to sit on the Boyle Grand Jury and also the Carrick on Shannon Workhouse Board of Guardians. 

This means that you might want to take in a tour of Carrick-on-Shannon to include the Carrick Local History Centre,  the Workhouse attic,  "Douglas Boyd - Victualler" (a Ballinvilla Boyd started trading here in the early 20th century) the old Courthouse and the pubs they took a drink in ... Cryan's and the Oarsman Bar. All before they crossed the Bridge they took home (newly built in 1845). 

The Ballinvilla Boyds would have brought their herds to market here and also had a butchers shop on Bridge Street in Carrick-on-Shannon (in the 19th century) which is this light-blue building here next door to Bank of Ireland. Next door, was the merchant's store and bar (always a bar back then) of Anne Barrett's kinsman, Patrick Barrett Esq. (either her brother or nephew TBC). P. Barrett & Co. was a big deal in the latter half of the 19th century... the largest merchants in the west. Emigration tickets were purchased there. 

Just before you cross the Bridge you will find on your left the Carrick on Shannon Tourist Information Office (also a Barrett holding at one time) which will guide you to Drumlion, Croghan and more. Also, try and connect in with the Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Group before you arrive.  They may have Boyd records. By the way, locally everyone refers to this town as "Carrick". So... off to Carrick with ye!

2. DRUMLION

Taking the R360 west out of Carrick, you will find the New Drumlion Cemetery. Here you will find at least three 20th century Boyd Headstones for the Boyds of Cashel (also your people, see William Boyd (1850-) & Kate Killilea of Tawlaght House). For online headstone photos, see IGPweb. 

In St. Michael's Church DRUMLION (just south-west of Carrick-on-Shannon) you will find a Ballinvilla Boyd stained glass window sponsored by James Boyd Jr of Ballinvilla (grandson of Hugh Boyd & Anne Barrett) in memory of his father James Boyd Sr of Ballinvilla (brother of your ancestor, Thomas Boyd). 

3. BALLINVILLA

Here is the Google Map point for the old farmyard of Hugh Boyd & Anne Barrett. Their original house (mapped in the first OS of 1839) was perpendicular to the old building you see here with the red corrugated iron roof. I can't tell if it is still extant (refurbished) or has been replaced. 

See also Derrylow CROGHAN - home of Andrew Boyd in 1857, just north of Ballinvilla. 

Heading west from there you will find the quaint cemetery of Killapoge which was the old burial ground of the Barretts (and other Boyd kin).

4. CROGHAN

The neighbouring village of Croghan had the most famous cattle fair in the west. Croghan Carnival was a big event at this time. The Ballinvilla Boyds played for the Croghan Shannon Gaels GAA club and were All-Ireland Gaelic football celebrities in the 1940s. You will find the oldest Catholic (and protestant) headstones in the Holy Trinity Church graveyard on your way into the village. 

5. SPRINGFIELD, CASHEL & TAWLAGHT

The road that leads you east out of Croghan back towards Carrick [R370] was all Boyd & Killilea country. Check out the big Georgian farmhouses of Boyds of Springfield aka Cuiltyconneen, and the Boyds of Cashel.  You might also like to take a gander at the Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Course and Woodbrook House (formerly Hughestown house) ... because in the 1830s the Boyd family of Knockadrehid (civil parish of Ardcarn) acted as agents for the Mulloy of Hughestown estate. 

Check out the Boyd ancestral townlands of:

Legvoy aka Gardenstown CASHELL - home of Thomas Boyd and Patrick Boyd in 1857, just north of Drumlion. 

Tawlaght CASHELL - home of Patrick Boyd in 1857, just east of Legvoy.

Cuiltyconeen (aka Springfield) - home of Douglas Boyd in 1857, along with Cloongownagh to the north, Sroankeeragh to the south (home of Thomas Boyd in 1857) and Tumna to the east (home of William Boyd in 1857).

You have a lot to go on there. (No need to take it all in, Ballinvilla may suffice!)

If you have any specific logistic questions about your visit, please email Jane at jhalloranryan@irelandxo.com. For general questions on the family history, I will do my best to reply here. 

All the best!

Dear Barbara:

In addition to Rua's very informative reply, there is some more information that I have.  Please contact me whenever you get the chance.

All the best,

Jane

To Rua and Jane

Your help in my journey, both ancestorial and touring, is so, so appreciated.   I will certainly post our experiences while in Ireland.   I am certain this will be a great experience even if my research does not prove to be "right on target" with the Hugh Boyd familial link.  I am quite surprised at how common the name of my GGGrandfather, Thomas Boyd, is.   Almost like Jim Jones or John Smith here in USA.

Excitement is building but I will try to take in all the sights of Ireland that I will be seeing prior to the Roscommon County visit.

More later,

mbwg46

June 8, 2019

Rua and Jane

I have some details to share in regards to our visit to Roscommon and Leitriim counties late last month. Time does not allow me to post at this time. But please know that I will as soon as possible. Thanking you both again for your assistance with the Thomas Boyd Family.

mbwg46

Rua,

 I have some details to share in regards to our visit to Roscommon and Leitriim counties late last month. I did make contact with a couple family members of the Hugh Boyd family.   Still no definite connection established.  But all were so kind and welcoming to this perfect stranger!

Time does not allow me to post at this time. But please know that I will as soon as possible. Thanking you  again for your assistance with the Thomas Boyd Family.

mbwg46

Dear mbwg46:  

Thank you for your update.  When you get home, please send us information about how the trip went, what you discovered, etc. You can post your Connection Story to:  info@irelandxo.com   Many thanks for your interest in Ireland Reaching Out.  Please be sure to tell others about IrelandXO.

Kind regards,

Jane

I am wondering if any of these Boyd’s would be related to my great grandmother, Martha Boyd, daughter of David Boyd(name stated as father on marriage certificate). She was born February 8, 1873 and married Richard Henry Sharpe November 11,1893 in Belfast. They later emigrated to Canada in early 1900’s with their children. Thank you. Kimberly 

Kimberly,

I do not see David Boyd or a daughter, Martha Boyd in any of the research for "my" Thomas Boyd and his extended family.    My research in the USA is very firm but in Ireland, my records have only been confirmed one generation.Your great grandmother was born 10 years after my 2x's great grandfather, Thomas Boyd, emigrated to the USA.   However, as I stated above, I do not see a David Boyd in the family I believe to be my ancestor's siblings.

Perhaps Jane Ryan or RUA, may be of more help.   They are a wonderful reservoir of Irish Ancestory.

MBWG46

Hi Kimberley:

Thank you for your post and the nice compliments.  I cannot find any Martha Boyd date of birth in 1873 to a father named David Boyd.  However, I did find a civil birth record dated 11 July 1874 to David Boyd and Susan Boyd nee Blair.  I have attached this for your reference.  The townland address appears to be Maddykeel which is a townland also known as Maddykeel Upper, which is in the civil parish of Finvoy and near Ballymoney.  I do see a David Boyd in the 1901 Census who is listed as a General Labourer as your marriage record noted.  He is listed as Church of England.  There is another David Boyd aged 28 also living in Belfast who lives with a mother and siblings and they are Presbyterian.  It might be worth looking at the two entries to see if you can find anything further.  

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Dock_Ward/Trafalgar_Street/1004013/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Woodvale_Ward/Percy_Street/1007441/

If you have any further information that you would like to share, please feel free to do so.  

Kind regards,

Jane

Thank you for your assistance in this matter. The marriage certificate states her age as 20 as of November 1893, so we deduced her birth date to be February 8, 1873 as opposed to the family records which show 1879 to be her year of birth. It was pointed out to me when originally looking into information that this would have made her 14 and too young to marry. I’m wondering if it was possible she lied on her marriage application? What type of documents were needed to marry back then? Were the parents required to be there( it was suggested by another researcher on a different thread that perhaps David Boyd is not her father’s name, that she may have put any name down so as not to be embarrassed when filling out the paperwork if she didn’t know who her father was. My father says he recalls his gran getting mail from his ‘great gran and gramps’ so she did have 2 parents at some point as an adult in Canada ( came about 1903/05) 

Hi am interested if anyone has any idea of where the Boyds came from to arrive in Roscommon in 19th century.
My 3×great grandmother Jane Boyd (e) married William O'Hara c 1818 and they were settled in Cootehall by 1843 at latest. William's parents Laurence O'Hara and Mary McDonagh came from Riverstown, Taunagh, Sligo and also settled in Cootehall. We don't know when they moved counties.
Rumour in the family had it that these were Boyds originally from Scotland.
I have had no DNA connections with any Boyds on 23&me/Ancestry/MyHeritage but it's so far back that the chances of finding a 5th cousin (back to Jane Boyd's parents) are tiny - it would be a minuscule amount of shared DNA, if any.
Unfortunately there are no baptism/marriage records to look for Boyd/O'Hara sponsors/witnesses.
Any info please sheds a light.
Thank you.
Fionn Lawlor

Fionn,  I do not find a Jane Boyd in my ancestors.   There are several geographical coincidencies in our family trees, however.

My 2x's GGrandparents, Thomae (Thomas) Boyd (1836 - 1902) married to Anna Killalea (1840 - 1921) in 1856 at Cootehall. Their first three children, all sons, were born in Ireland and baptised in Killukin, Roscommon, Ireland.     Joannem Boyd 1857      Michael Boyd  1859     Thomam Boyd 1861.    GGGF Thomae Boyd emigrated around 1862 and then GGGM Anna Killalea Boyd arrived in 1864 with their three sons.  My GGM, Anna E. Boyd was the first child born in Ohio, USA in 1868 followed by four more children,  all born in Ohio.

Thomae Boyd was the third child of Hugonis Boyd (1800-1880) and Annae Barrett, of Ballinvilla, County Roscommon.    Siblings:  Eleanoram, Patritium, Mariam, Joannem, Hugonem, and Annam.   Baptisms may have been in Killucan and Ballinameen,  County Roscommon.

Anna was from the Plains of Boyle, Cootehall and the lst child of Patri Killalea and Winefride Spallen.    Siblings  Jacobus, and Mariam.  Baptisms may have been in Boyle, Roscommon County.  

3x's GGrandfather Hugonis (Hugh) Boyd was the son of William Boyd ( ???-1832) and Margaret Murray (my 4x's GGparents) and there is some information that they were married in Scotland.  During a 2018 visit to Ireland (sadly, my only visit), I met with members of the Ballinvilla Boyd's and they also mentioned that the Boyds were originally from Scotland.

I have been in contact with a Irish gentleman who is also a William Boyd/Margaret Murray descendant and he has shared details about Hugonis's brother, Charles Boyd (1811 -1862) who bought an estate in Sligo.  He married a protestant, Anne Beatty and changed his religion from Catholic.  She inherited  her father's home and land at Finod, County Sligo.  They had four sons and one daughter, Minnie.

 As your 3×'s great grandmother Jane Boyd would seem to be the same generation as my 3x's GGfather, Hugonis, it would seem reasonable that they might have been cousins.   Unfortunately, my research does not indicate William Boyd's siblings.  If of any help, I do have his death at Gardenstown, Roscommon Co in 1832. 

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.   mbgibson185@gmail.com   I would be very interested in any details you might uncover. 

Barbara Gibson

I have found the baptism of James Boyd son of Hugh Boyd and Anne Barrett at Killucan on 15 Feb 1834. Sponsors look like Hugh McDonnell and Brigid Morahan.
It was misfiled on Findmypast as father Eugene but def High on the bap entry. Suppose it's easy to misread Hugonis as Eugonis...
If anyone has come across the name William O'Hara as sponsor to any of High and Anne's children's baptism, this would tie Jane Boyd Boyd O'Hara to Hugh.
Thank you.
Fionn Lawlor

My name is Kelvin Boyd . I am in Australia, and I am coming over towards the end of August early September.

My ancestors emigrated to Australia from Roscommon area well.  At the top of the Family Tree (that we know so far), sits Charles and Eliza Boyd. His son (there may be other siblings) William born c1801 in Boyle . Married Anne Phipps (daughter of Robert Phipps and Sarah O'Malley). He and his family sailed from Liverpool to Sydney (arriving in Sydney 28 November 1841).

If anyone has any information that might be of assistance.