Thomas Boyd Elizabeth Douglas
xager8on
Douglas. This Thomas is also a descendent of Robert Boyd, 1st Lord.
The only Thomas Boyd I am able to find within the same time frame is
Thomas Boyd of Pitcon.
Here is some information that I was able to dig up.
"The descriptions and statements of Aghadowey are taken from a series
of letters written by Miss Mary Semple of Monthill, Lame, County
Autrim, Ulster Province, Ireland, who made a personal visit to the
place and talked with the aged men, who recounted tales they had
received from their grandsires.
Monthill (Ireland)
28 August 1893
"Dear Mr. Blair:
I was at a place called Craigs, seven miles beyond Ballymena and
unexpectedly (received) information which may interest you. Robert
Boyd, who lives at a place called Boydstown, in the parish of Craigs,
gave me a history of his own family. You may imagine my surprise when
he began to tell of the Boyds being married among the Blairs of
Aghadowey. He said the founder of his, and many more families, was one
Thomas Boyd, a native of Oxfordshire, who settled at Craigs in 1573.
He married Elizabeth Douglas, a daughter of Scotch parents who had
settled at Craigs also. This Thomas received a grant of land, of which
his descendants still hold a part. A son settled at Dungiven, County
Derry, and was the grandfather of the Rachel Boyd who married James
Blair, and own father of the Rev. Mr. Boyd who went with the emigrants
to New Hampshire.
I never met a more interesting old man than this Mr. Boyd. He took me
around his farm, and nearly every field had a history. A small river
runs near the house, which is called the Red Ford, so named because it
was surcharged with blood the three days when Cromwell's army fought
that of Philim Roe O'huill 'till that place where the Irish leader was
killed.' A large cairn marks his grave. He also showed me the spot
where a church (with) a grave yard once stood in which many Boyds were
buried. As it stood far from the public road, it was gradually
neglected and now is a fair meadow. There are apple trees in his
garden which were planted by an ancestor named Montfield Lyle Boyd,
some two hundred years ago; he was a soldier and fought under the Duke
of Marlborough at Blenheim. I was told that one of the ships that
carried the first emigrants was called "The Eagle's Wing" and another
"The Lady Sellerooke." There is an old song about the emigrants going
away in the ship" Lady Sellerrooke" that left fair Londonderry.
Yours,
Mary Semple."
Reference
1. The Blair Family of New England, COMPILED FOR MR. WILLIAM BLAIR,
CHICAGO, BY MISS EMILY WILDER LEAVITT, BOSTON: DAVID CLAPP & SON.
1900.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.