Boyd

  • 307 members
Administrators
  • Bob Boyd
  • Jeri Boyd
Co-Administrators
  • John Sloan

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Richard Wray Richard Wray
July 1 @ 6:56pm
My current hypothesis is that Edy Wray was "forced" by an older relative, possibly a brother of John Wray, her father. That would give Benjamin the right chromosome and the right last name. That older relative would have been the father of my Thomas Wray who settled in Tennessee. This is all sheer speculation, of course. The older relative (and John Wray) would have had the Boyd chromosome by "some mechanism" in a previous generation.
David Boyd
September 3 @ 2:34pm
If there is anything that helps this speculation then it would be great to see. It would mean that much of the document is correct with just a twist at the start.
Richard Wray Richard Wray
July 1 @ 6:16pm
I am posting in response to a request from David Boyd. I am a descendant of Thomas Wray who died in Wilson County TN in 1829. He was born ca 1740, possibly in Virginia. His second son, William Wray, was born on 23 Dec 1760 and died 1843 in Davidson County TN. William married and received land in 1790's. I descend from Thomas, through William Wray, in a direct line of Wrays. Benjamin Ray was born about 1755. Hence, the starting Ray/Wray/Rhea must be either Thomas Wray (who is older) or a person born prior to Thomas and Benjamin - in the earlier 1700's or late 1600's. This unknown person could be the grandfather or great-grand father of these men. I firmly believe that Benjamin is NOT the common ancestor of the Ray's, rather he is the ancestor of a prolific branch of the W-Rays. The timing just does NOT work for the entire family of W-Ray. You may have read the "Benjamin Ray Descendants" book at the DAR library in Washington. The book outlines the relationships in a large family, discovered through traditional genealogical methods, but they do not include me and my family. Unfortunately the Y chromosome is coming to an end in the Robert Wrays of north Texas. My brother has only girls. Susan Wray Cook
David Boyd
July 2 @ 1:21pm
Thanks for posting and the e-mail, Susan. "Benjamin Ray Descendants" book at the DAR library in Washington. Seems a good reference book and key to your contention. Is that a trip to Washington to view or are copies and transcriptions available elsewhere? Do you have any more details such as who published and when? Any other references you have would also be helpful.
David Boyd
September 3 @ 2:32pm
Just so you know where I am at with this line of research: The document I shared is the only link I have seen with supporting detail. I was not able to get hold of the book in the DAR library. Although it doesn't give a direct link there may just be something to help give context to Benjamin and family.
Jerlon Boyd Jerlon Boyd
July 19 @ 9:59am
Many of us DNA test takers (and administrators) are looking for our Boyd ancestors and trying to make connections back to the "Old Country". However I'm finding more and more people, including some Boyds, who seem to be taking DNA tests just to confirm ethnic origins. It is very disappointing to find a new DNA match and either see no tree information listed, or to see a tree and find that it is either very basic or marked "private". But, I wonder if the Project Administrators could/would address this issue to new members, to help those of us who are searching for more than just our percent of Irish or other ethnicity? Of course this is not limited to FTDNA, but is true of all the testing sites. How can this be addressed at a higher level, i.e. when the kit is ordered?
Bob Boyd
July 19 @ 10:23pm
We certainly encourage our members to upload their family history information. Every new member gets a welcoming email that encourages uploading of their information as well as the web site background section.
Bob Boyd
July 19 @ 10:26pm
Further, there a lot of realities that get in the way. Many of our members simply have very little knowledge of their origins to contribute. We also have a lot of members who no longer participate for a whole host of reasons. I would encourage you to directly contact those member with whom you have a match to best understand the situation and to get maximum value from what is available.
David Boyd
September 3 @ 2:26pm
It really boils down to what you hope to achieve with a DNA test. Personally, I wanted to use it to confirm my existing paper trail and give me an insight on where to look beyond my paper trail. It did that. I guess if you just want to know broadly about your origins then a basic autosomal “Family Finder” test would meet that need or the low-cost Ancestry test. Generally, I have found people taking the plunge with a Y-DNA test have stronger motivations and are willing to share. When people first join it’s all a bit much to take in and it takes quite a bit of time to file all the information to share. Also, as Bob points out, some people joined just to get beyond their present view of just two, three or four generations.
Duane Wray Duane Wray
July 17 @ 5:38pm
This post is in response to David Boyd's memo on the Ray-Boyd Link. My research has taken me to Thomas Leander Ray, my 4th great grandfather, born abt 1726 in Ireland and died 1815 North Carolina. I have not be able to find a link to Benjamin Ray, the subject of David's memo. I have nothing to contribute to the possible connection between the Ray-Boyd families other than to say if no one can definitively identify the link/person, maybe it doesn't exist or the connection exists earlier in time.
Charles Ray
August 9 @ 6:11pm
Duane, your link to Thomas Leander Ray corresponds to my husbands link to him as well. Please contact me at cheermom_lynne@hotmail.com to see how you both might be connected as cousins. Thanks!
David Boyd
September 3 @ 2:18pm
Well, Duane, the Boyds have a documented link to Northern Ireland. A large segment of the Haplogroup A Boyds seem to have moved from Airth in Scotland in about 1696, presumably under a resettlement program after the Battle of the Boyne. At that time, the Government was keen for there to be more Protestants in the province and the devout Scots were good candidates. We seem to have been there for 10-15 years but did not get a warm reception and got fed up with the squabbling. Most headed for the US. George & Elspet married in 1686 and were both in their 20s. I have records of 3 males being born in 1687, 1691 & 1694. It would be reasonable to think that more would have been born in Ireland. My forefather ended up in London, England 1707 aged 20 and married in 1712. So, keep digging. The origins you are considering are entirely in keeping with the movement of the Boyd family.
Robert Ray (c/o Cheryl S.) Robert Ray (c/o Cheryl S.)
July 24 @ 4:45pm
In response to David Boyd's request, my ancestor, Joseph M. Ray, was born in 1770 in Mercer Co., NC, He may have had a brother named Thomas who was a minister. In 1793 he married Mary Phouts from PA. They lived in Kentucky. They started their family in Kentucky, moved to Tenn., and their last child was born in AL. They had 11 children. I forgot to add that Joseph had another brother named William who was also a minister in Tenn. I'm not sure how my ancestor, Joseph Ray, is related to Benjamin Ray, they are about 14 years apart. Cheryl
Roy Vest
August 18 @ 3:09pm
Cheryl, please contact me at L.L.vest@gmail.com would love to see how we connect though Joseph M. Ray
David Boyd
September 3 @ 2:09pm
Thanks, Cheryl. Of all the potential connections between the Rays and Boyds, the one I circulated is the best I have seen. In fact, it is the only one I have seen with any supporting detail. You are correct that the 14 years between Benjamin and Joseph is suspiciously close. However, if that 1756 were to be out by two or three years then it becomes more likely. A large number of Boyds arrived in the US (Pennsylvania) in about 1710 and gradually moved south. My analysis of the DNA results has not helped me identify any Boyd as being closer to the Rays than any other. We are all equally close. Hopefully as more people test that position will change. Keep digging!
Robert Boyd Robert Boyd has a question!
August 20 @ 7:34pm
“ I have a couple of questions- First- With all of this Boyd DNA data can we now tell which of the two primary Boyd beginning stories is correct? The main two I know about are the one that says the Boyds came over as vassals in the Norman invasion from France (therefore the deeper DNA should lead to northern France). The second is that the Boyds most likely came from the nearby Isle of Bute (therefore the deeper Boyd DNA indicates Celtic). The second question- I am listed in the second "extensive main Boyd line" on the list. Is it possible both the main lines lead back to the founder of the clan or is one "false" in that one of the two does not connect to the original founder of the clan? Last question- if on GEDmatch a relation is shown as 3 generations back (female DNA test not Y). Do I count as the first generation meaning 3 back is my grandparent's generation or am I zero meaning 3 generations back is my great grandparents? ”
David Boyd
September 3 @ 1:56pm
So that’s haplogroup A1b1b2b, Robert? If yes then then it appears that we took the surname “Boyd” in the 1500s. Our Adam would have taken the surname Boyd at that time and not have been an indigenous European. We could spend many an hour taking a guess at when, why and how but at this time it will just be a guess. Taking the Big-Y will allow you to dig down deeper inside the male lineage, but it is not intended to offer the sort of matching with others that you get in the Y-37, Y-67 and Y-111 tests. I took the test when a sale was on and it helped me understand more about my paternal origins. Now for the Boyds of Kilmarnock. We could be paternally connected, but my guess is that it’s unlikely. However, to get the certainty you require a male with that confirmed lineage would need to take the test. I would expect him to be a R-U198 but I have no grounds for saying this other than it’s a northern European DNA and most tested Boyds are in this group. So back to the two Y-DNA questions – Neither.
Laurence Boyd Laurence Boyd
July 24 @ 12:45am
Laurence Boyd - sorry the post duplicated
Laurence Boyd Laurence Boyd
July 24 @ 12:42am
I am Laurence Boyd and have done significant research to find ancestors Boyd Kin on the Estate of Ardgour - 1740’s onward From the 1740s researchers have found births and marriages of some twelve Boyd families in the Old Parish Registers for Kilmallie. Of interest are the farms of Stronchreggan, and Drumfern and Cuil Farm, home farm of the Macleans and Blaich farm. All in the area of Estate of Ardgour – owned by the Macleans. Family tree and research known on the following families has been documented in more detail in section five of our book. They are believed to be closely related Kin. Twelve Families Closely Related 1.0 Ewen Boyd abt 1740s-1750s married Anne Kennedy - four children 2.0 Neil Boyd abt 1753 married Sarah McEachern - five children 3.0 Donald Boyd c 1745 married Ann McDougall - six children 4.0 Malcolm Boyd 1738-1803 married Ann McGrigor - four children 5.0 John Boyd 1767-1784 married Jean McMaster - six children 6.0 Allan Boyd 1776-1860 married Marjory Cameron - one child Allan 7.0 Ewen Boyd before 1760 married Margaret McMillan - two children 8.0 Donald Boyd abt 1763 married Marjory Cameron - four children 9.0 John Boyd c1750s married Ann MacMillan - two sons 2nd son is an assumption? 10.0 Allan Boyd (Smith) abt 1750 married Jannet McPhee - three children 11.0 Flora Boyd of Druinfern married 1784 Dugald McLauchlan of Maryburgh - no children 12.0 John Boyd (Smith) 1740 to 1750 married Mary Cameron - one child Sarah 1777-1862 Boyd Kin on the Estate of Ardgour - 1740’s onward From the 1740s researchers have found births and marriages of some twelve Boyd families in the Old Parish Registers for Kilmallie. Of interest are the farms of Stronchreggan, and Drumfern and Cuil Farm, home farm of the Macleans and Blaich farm. All in the area of Estate of Ardgour – owned by the Macleans. Family tree and research known on the following families has been documented in more detail in section five of our book. They are believed to be closely related Kin. Twelve Families Closely Related 1.0 Ewen Boyd abt 1740s-1750s married Anne Kennedy - four children 2.0 Neil Boyd abt 1753 married Sarah McEachern - five children 3.0 Donald Boyd c 1745 married Ann McDougall - six children 4.0 Malcolm Boyd 1738-1803 married Ann McGrigor - four children 5.0 John Boyd 1767-1784 married Jean McMaster - six children 6.0 Allan Boyd 1776-1860 married Marjory Cameron - one child Allan 7.0 Ewen Boyd before 1760 married Margaret McMillan - two children 8.0 Donald Boyd abt 1763 married Marjory Cameron - four children 9.0 John Boyd c1750s married Ann MacMillan - two sons 2nd son is an assumption? 10.0 Allan Boyd (Smith) abt 1750 married Jannet McPhee - three children 11.0 Flora Boyd of Druinfern married 1784 Dugald McLauchlan of Maryburgh - no children 12.0 John Boyd (Smith) 1740 to 1750 married Mary Cameron - one child Sarah 1777-1862
Bobby Cayton Bobby Cayton has a question!
April 27 @ 9:44am
“ I don't see my kit number on the list. Help? ”
Chad Ray
April 28 @ 9:06pm
Have you found your results? There was one posted yesterday under Carroll Radford. Is that one yours?
David Boyd
April 29 @ 10:45am
Can't see you on the DNA results table, Bobby. Suggest you ask Bob Boyd who administers our project. It could be that you have only just joined the project and it takes a week or so for your results to appear in the table.
Bob Boyd
July 3 @ 12:24pm
Bobby, your kit number isn't displayed because you have no STR results to display. Your only test is an autosomal test transferred from another testing company.
Carroll Radford Carroll Radford
May 12 @ 1:53pm
Love this group and the wonderful administrators , especially Bob! Thanks for helping us learn about our heritage and our rare haplogroup. Hopefully we can eventually discern the facts about where and/or when our Ray (Radford) line intersected with our Boyd patriarch. To know who that Boyd was would be awesome, but just narrowing down the possibilities are the current goal.
David Boyd
June 24 @ 10:30am
I have you on my list of Rays, Carroll, so will keep you posted.
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