Boyds ... from Ballymena to Bethany

I found another of those tiny treasures a while ago, thanks to a tip from Phil Tidwell of Coweta County. The name of the book is "Our Boyd Family, Allied Families, deGraffenried, Tidwell, Milam, Patton" by George Hugh Boyd and Rosalie Brown Boyd, published privately in 1971. The book takes this Boyd family from John Boyd of Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, to his descendants who are buried in the Bethany Methodist Church cemetery in north Fayette County.

Unfortunately for me, these are not my Boyds ... at least not yet. I was able to connect them to mine through the Tidwell line, but the Boyd connection still eludes me.

However, since so many descendants of this family were in the Fayette-South Fulton area, I thought it would be interesting reading for those in our readership area. I will do it in two or more parts, so I can bring the descendancy down far enough that some of you still living here may recognize your ancestors' names. I will not give names of those descendants still living, but I will say that some of them are my former high school, college and work buddies. That fact knocked me right off my chair.

For those of you who are avid researchers, Mr. Boyd gives his reference for some of this material as being in "Package 4, Box 2, Estate No. 29," in the office of the probate judge, Newberry, S.C. I have not had time to do any personal research back in South Carolina, so, if some of this is wrong according to your research, please feel free to let me know. I know the deGraffenried portion has been disputed. But, I am only reporting here what Mr. Boyd said in his book. Please don't shoot the messenger.

The story begins with John Boyd, born about 1730 in or near the town of Ballymena, who came from Ireland to South Carolina, and, on Nov. 9, 1774, received a land grant of 150 acres on the Saluda River. John was known throughout his life in South Carolina as John Boyd of Ballymena. John was accompanied by some of his children and possibly by his wife, whose name is thought to be Mary.

According to a relative interviewed by Mr. Boyd during his research, this Boyd family was settled in South Carolina by a William Boyd who had come earlier and received a grant of land on Fishing Creek in Craven County. Mr. Boyd believes this William to be another son of John Boyd of Ballymena, however, there is no proof.

This William piqued my interest because I believe this to be the name of the father of my Robert Boyd of Meriwether County whose land was very close to some of the descendants of the above John Boyd. But, as I said, the connection still eludes me.

John Boyd of Ballymena's known children were: John Boyd Jr. (known as "Johnny Buckles" because of his trade as a harness maker and shoe buckler) who married Margaret (Willson?); David Boyd who married Eleanor Crosson; Elizabeth Boyd; Hugh Boyd who married Mrs. Jennett Muffitt, fought in the Revolutionary War and died in 1799; and, possibly, the above mentioned William Boyd.

John Jr., David and Hugh all served in the Revolutionary War and there are records of Elizabeth, John's daughter, making many contributions to the war effort with supplies.

In "The Annals of Newberry," written in the 1800s by John Belton O'Neall (Part 1) and John Chapman (Part 2), the following information appears on pages 47-48: "John Boyd, of Ballymena, John Boyd (called Johnny Buckles) and David Boyd, Sr. (the last two lived between Gilder's Creek and Bush River) were Covenanters. Like the Quakers, they set their faces against slavery; yet, if I remember right, John Boyd was the owner of slaves at his death. I know that David Boyd, Sr., the father of our excellent Ordinary, Hugh K. Boyd, manumitted his, but was compelled, from their want of thrift, to gather them all home and take charge of them as if they were slaves. David Boyd, Sr., was a Revolutionary soldier ..."

John Boyd of Ballymena died in South Carolina in 1806, and the story continues with his son, John Boyd Jr. (Johnny Buckles) and his wife, Margaret. John Jr. was said to have been born in Ireland in 1756, but Mr. Boyd disputes this date and says it had to be much earlier.

John Jr.'s (Johnny Buckles) land grant was adjacent to his father's in Newberry County, and he and his wife, Margaret, raised their family there. Their children were: Elizabeth Boyd, who married Hugh Park; Jane Boyd, who married Anthony Hall; John Boyd (called Wagoner Jack), who married Nancy Chambers; Janetta Boyd, who married Joseph Campbell; Hugh Boyd, who married Anna Caldwell; Willson Boyd, spouse unknown; Margaret Boyd, who married James Dick; and James Boyd, who married Ann Unknown.

About 1800, John Jr., his wife, and some of his children moved to Kentucky. Some say they moved to be near relatives from Virginia. Land and census records in Pulaski and Casey counties show that John and Margaret Boyd, John (Wagoner Jack) and Nancy (Chambers) Boyd, Anthony and Jane Boyd Hall, James and Margaret Boyd Dick, and Willson Boyd were all in Kentucky during that period. Some of the children are said to have stayed there and some are said

to have moved to Tennessee. However, when John Jr. (Johnny Buckles) moved back to Newberry about 1814, his son John (Wagoner Jack) and his wife Nancy (Chambers) and their children, and Willson Boyd returned to Newberry with him.

John Boyd Jr. (Johnny Buckles) died in South Carolina about 1827 and named eight children and 46 grandchildren in his will. Among those grandchildren was James Boyd, son of John Boyd (Wagoner Jack), who married Emily (Milly) Tidwell, moved to Georgia, and is buried at Bethany in north Fayette County.

Wagoner Jack was a most colorful rascal. I will tell you his story, list those eight children and 46 grandchildren of Johnny Buckles, and bring them into Georgia next week.

Do you have ancestors who lived on the south side of Atlanta? Send their stories to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others. She will willingly share research information on her own family lines, including collateral and allied lines.