Gillim descent from Robert 4th Lord Boyd
 

While handling grandma's estate about five years ago, we came across two
sketches which were carefully wrapped in tissue paper, placed in an envelope
noting "take special care of these" and then placed in the family bible.
The sketches were of Robert, 4th Lord Boyd and William, the 4th and Last
Earl of Kilmarnock. We knew that the Gillim's were of Scotch heritage, but
other than the Reid's (grandma's maiden name) coming from Glasgow, we
weren't exactly sure of the relationships to the Scots.  Our curiosity got
the better of us so we started researching the family history.  We knew that
the Boyd's must have played an important role in this, otherwise, grandma
wouldn't have cherished these sketches.
 
 
                                  
                     William Boyd 4th Earl of Kilmarnock

We were fortunate in the fact that another ancestor of ours, Robert Reid had
already done extensive research back in 1900.  We took what he had completed,
used the many, many resources available on the Internet today, contacted
several genealogical societies, and eventually, hooked up with Richard G. Boyd,
who has been a tremendous help researching our Scottish ancestors.
To make a long (4 years worth of research) story short:

We do descend from Robert, 4th Lord Boyd (1517-1590) who in 1535 married his
cousin, Margaret (the daughter of Sir George Colquohoun and Margaret Boyd,
the sister of Robert's father). Robert succeeded his father, 3rd Lord Boyd,
who died in 1550.  Robert was indeed a noble man of great parts, as his
accounts show, possessing all of the talents and qualities of his ancestors
that truly rendered the name of Boyd illustrious.

                               
                                   Robert Lord Boyd

It appears that in addition to feuding with the Mure's, the Boyd's had an
ongoing feud with the Montgomery's.  In 1484, when he was just 16 years old,
James, 2nd Lord Boyd (daughter of Princess Mary and Thomas, Earl of Arran),
was slain by Hugh Montgomery* Avenging his cousin's death, the 3rd Lord Boyd
slew Patrick Montgomery in 1523 and then Neil Montgomery in 1545.
Robert, the 4th Lord Boyd, however, attempted to put an end to the ongoing
feud.  In 1563, the same year in which their children were born, Robert, 4th
Lord Boyd and Hugh Montgomery, Earl of Eglinton entered into a mutual bond
of defense hoping to end their long standing feud. It's interesting to note
that their respective children, also born in 1563, were later married when
they were both just 14 (Robert's daughter, Egidia [Giles] and Hugh
Montgomery, 4th Earl of Eglinton were married in 1576). Perhaps pledging
their children to one another was part of the deal--who knows.
The 4th Lord Boyd's signature appears on the 1560 Treaty of Berwick between
Elizabeth I and the Scottish reformers whereby Elizabeth of England agreed
to send soldiers to Scotland to help drive out the French.

In 1561, Robert, 4th Lord Boyd signed the Book of Discipline of John Knox,
which was the first Reformed confession to be written in English. It was
adopted in 1560 by the Scottish Parliament affirming that the "true Kirk" is
distinguished by the true preaching of the word, the right administration of
the sacraments, and the maintenance of discipline.
Robert fought for Queen Mary at the Battle of Langside in 1568 and was later
sent by her to talk with Queen Elizabeth about the rebellious subjects in
Scotland. He was even provost of Glasgow from 1574 to 1577.
In 1578 and again in 1586, he was one of the Commissioners appointed by
James VI (who was now ruling since Mary Queen of Scots had abdicated and was
imprisoned) to form a treaty with England.

By his marriage to his cousin Margaret Colquohoun, the sole heiress of her
father, Sir George Colquohoun of Glens, the estates of Glens, Bedlay,
Benheth, Stablegreen, all of Glasgow, and many other lands passed to the
Boyds. Both Robert and Margaret are buried in Metropolitan Church of
Glasgow.

The Gillim line continues through Robert and Margaret's grandson, Sir Thomas
Boyd of Bedlay (third son of Thomas, 5th Lord Boyd) who was born in 1574.
On 10-22-1603 in Ayr, he married Grizel Cunnningham, the daughter of Jean
Blair and Alexander Cunningham, who was slain in the great feud between the
Cunninghams and the Montgomery's.  Their daughter, Lady Margaret, married
Robert Reid, of Braehead Castleton in 1650.  It's also interesting to point
out that their other daughter, Lady Agnes, married Sir/Rev. William Wallace
of Failfuird in about 1652.  This Wallace line later married into the Dunlop
family from which the Reid family also descends.

Robert Reid and his brother, James, both fought at both the battles of
Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge The swords used by the Reid brothers still
remain in the family; one is in England and the other is in the US.  After
the defeat at Bothwell Bridge, James was forced to flee to Ireland
forfeiting all of his property. (In Ireland, James compiled a number of
genealogies of the KER/KERRs, as was credited with "introducing Dissenters"
into Ireland.)  Robert Reid, however, was allowed to remain in Scotland,
because he was married to Lady Margaret Boyd of Bonshaw, a member of one of
the most prominent families in Scotland at that time.

This is where the Reid name becomes prominent in our line of heritage.  It's
interesting to note that whichever "path" we chose to explore in our
genealogical research, the Boyd name kept popping up. Not only do we descend
from Alexander, son of 1st Lord Boyd, but we also descend from his sister,
Elizabeth Boyd, daughter of 1st Lord Boyd. She married Archibald "Bell the
Cat" Douglas. Their daughter, Lady Mary married Cuthbert Cunningham, who's
daughter Ellen married Alexander Dunlop.  It was much later in the late
1700s that a Dunlop married into the Reid family, who married into the
Gillim Family.

 Also, on our American side of the family, we have the Boyd ancestors
(Ireland to PA) who married into the Coopers and Rowans.  It's said that
many of these Irish Boyds who emigrated to the States are descendants of Sir
Thomas Boyd, who was one of the first "undertakers" sent to settle the
Ulster-Scot area and to preserve the faith of the crown. He was said to be
one of the first Boyd's in Ireland and was given 1,500 acres in the Strabane
Barony in county Tyrone.  Petition of Ulstermen, 1718

Given the vast number of Boyd's that we ran across during our research and
given how they intertwined with the other families from which we descend, we
can now see why grandma was most proud of her Boyd sketches and her Boyd
heritage!

* This was the closest the Boyds were to come to the Scottish throne.
   I believe it was a plot by some of Scotland's most powerful families.
  James Boyd had Royal blood.  The Montgomeries and other families
   certainly didn't want a Boyd sitting on the throne!  RG Boyd
 

Susan Gillim

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