Finding Your Folks: Frederick G. and Mary E. Boyd

I've had an awful time trying to track these children, even though there were only four living after 1850. The only two I could really do anything with were Julia and McDuffie, but even they were hard to find. I'm going to take one at a time, based on the Bible records, and tell you everything I know in detail. I have been hoping that sooner or later a descendant would see this information and step forward to share so my stories could be completed. However, it appears that either all the children have died out, or no one from this line is doing genealogy. With the exception of the one descendant of McDuffie Boyd who sent me the Bible records, no one has said a word.

The first child born to Robert and Chloeretta Gray Boyd was Frederick G. Boyd, born 30 Oct. 1816 in South Carolina, probably Abbeville. As I said before, I believe his middle name must have been "Gray" since he was obviously named after his maternal grandfather. Frederick appears clearly in the 1820 and 1830 censuses of Abbeville in the home of his father ... in 1820 as a male under 5, and in 1830 as a male 10-15. In 1840, he is shown in the home of his father in Meriwether County as a male age 20-30 (he was 24).

In 1851, when Frederick was 34, he married Elizabeth Irvin in Pike County. I found two Irvin families living side by side in 1850 in Pike County and it is likely one of the family members is Frederick's Elizabeth, although it is not known whether Irvin was her maiden name or her married name. She was 38 in 1850 and was living with a Sarah Irvin, age 67, next door to William P. Irvin, 42, and his wife, Nancy, and their family. After the marriage, Elizabeth moved across the Flint River and lived with Frederick in Meriwether.

When his father died in 1857, Frederick was not mentioned in the estate papers but it appears that some may be missing. There is no estate distribution and no annual returns. By 1860, he and Elizabeth are living on his father's home place along with his sister, Julia Boyd White, and his brother, McDuffie C. Boyd. This is the home place mentioned in Robert's marriage contract with his second wife, Martha Osborne Wagner, and consisted of 100 acres in Land Lot 227 in the Upper 9th District. This was left in trust with Ignatius Terrell and, in Martha's estate settlement in 1852, was mentioned as the place where McDuffie Boyd lived.

The three siblings are living in households 801, 802 and 803. No children are shown in Frederick's household. Their neighbor was John J. Tidwell who also was Robert's neighbor when he lived there. This is the same John J. Tidwell who married (1) Nancy Byram (Biram) and (2) Martha Westmoreland, and who was featured in an earlier column.

On Jan. 1, 1862, Frederick sold a one-acre lot in Haralson, Coweta County, to S.A. Foster for $100. In the deed, both parties were said to be residents of Coweta. The lot was a part of Land Lot 239 in the First District. Witnesses were James Culpepper and James G. Clark (?), J.P. This was recorded 4 March 1862 in Coweta County Deed Book L, page 454. Haralson is not far from where Frederick's father had lived in the Upper 9th District of Meriwether. There is no record of Frederick's purchase of the lot, only the sale.

Sometime between 1860 and 1870, Frederick, minus Elizabeth, moved to Carroll County and lived with McDuffie and his family in the Carrollton District.

On 30 Nov. 1874, Frederick sold 50 acres in Land Lot 97 of the Upper 9th District of Meriwether County to his brother, McDuffie C. Boyd. This land is north of the Boyd home place and lies adjacent to Coweta County. It is just east of Haralson. The transaction wasn't recorded in Meriwether County until 25 May 1875, probably because of the distance between Carrollton and Greenville.

There is one final record of Frederick and that is in Polk County in 1880. He was a boarder and farm hand living with the McDonald family in household 132 in the Fish Creek (1074th G.M.) District. Frederick's brother, McDuffie, and his sister, Julia (White), also had moved to Polk County. McDuffie was in household 138, also in the Fish Creek District. Julia, a widow by now, was in the Hampton (1076th G.M.) district.

Frederick apparently had no children and therefore has no descendants. However, if anyone has any information that I haven't found, I would love to have it. Fredrick is still someone's uncle ... someone's cousin and very much a part of this Boyd family.
The next child of Robert H. and Chloeretta Gray Boyd was Mary E. Boyd whose short life is at least worth a paragraph or two. Mary was born 4 Jan. 1823 in South Carolina and came to Georgia with her parents when she was just a young teen.

Mary married, before 1840, a young man with the surname of White, according to Bible records. On 25 Sept. 1841, Robert H. Boyd sold 101.25 acres of land in Land Lot 227 of the 9th District of Meriwether County to a G.W. White. I believe this may be his daughter's husband. I have looked in all adjoining counties and can find no marriage record for this couple. Tragically, Mary died on 28 Oct. 1848 at the age of 25, just 10 months after her mother. There is no record of any children and her burial place is unknown.

Next week: William, Amanda and Julia Boyd.

Stories and family histories about your ancestors who lived on Atlanta's south side are always welcome. Send them to jkilgore@thecitizen.com or JodieK444@aol.com. Mail to The Citizen, P.O. Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214. All letters and e-mails I receive are subject to being used in the column.