Clan Boyd Society,
International
Copy of a letter from George W. Boyd to Edward Steele Boyd
Cannonsville (NY) 23 Oct 1898
Dear
Edward S. Boyd
A short time ago a letter came addressed to Elisha Boyd from you. Will
try to answer it; Father Elisha Boyd died
in 1877 aged 82 years. His
father was William Boyd born in Cambridge,
MA, March 15, 1750. His
wife was Marjary Taylor born in Newington,
Conn, March 7, 1758. We
have a record of his children which I will give you. Never heard of
Abram
(Abraham) Boyd before your letter came.
William and his wife settled in
West Springfield, where they died, he in June 1835, she Oct 17, 1833.
Will give you any other information cheerfully if I can.
Yours Truly
George W. Boyd
Cannonsville, NY.
PS. John, brother of my father did live, a few years ago, in the center
of NY state. Margary's children lived in Croton, near Treadwell, NY.
Huldah
in Cannonsville, Reuben and his descendants-most of them in the West,
Julius' in Mass., Sabra in Franklin, NY. I think all of father's
brothers
and sisters are dead. (George goes on to list the children of
Wm. and
Margary. This list is included in the children below)
1. Marjery Boyd
b. ca. 1782-83
m. Thomas WOLCOTT 13 Jan 1802 b. 1782
2. Amos Boyd
b. 1785
m. Celestia STEELE
b. 1789
3. Huldah Boyd
b. 1788
m. Orange POMEROY
b. 1789
4. Betsy Boyd
b. 22 May 1789
m. Ellis RIPLEY 28 Dec 1833 b
1788
5. Rueben Boyd
b. 7 Dec 1791
m. Rebekah BOND 28 Nov 1813 b. 1797
6. Elisha Boyd
b. 13 Mar 1794
m. Patty REMINGTON
b. 1800
7. Eunice Boyd
b. 7 Jne 1796
m. Russell WOOD 2 Dec 1824 b.
1787
8. Julius Boyd b. 7
Apr 1801
m. Eliza CLAPP 20 Oct 1826 b. 1806
9. John Boyd b.
21 Jly 1803
m. Eunice LOVELAND
b. 1806
10. Sebra Boyd b. 23 Jne 1806
m. Erastus JACKSON b. 1809
Copy of letter to Edward S. Boyd
February 18, 1945
Your Grandfather, Thomas Parsons Boyd,
was born August 18th, 1809.
He was the son of Thomas Boyd and Susannah Smith.
The Boyds for two
generations before Thomas were farmers and lived up on old Shelburne
Hill,
Massachusetts. Thomas was named for his father and Beulah Parsons.
Thomas Boyd with his children including Thomas Parsons, when Thomas
Parsons was 14 years old, removed from Shelburne to York, New York
having married Miriam Allis after the
death of Susannah. They are buried
in the Griegsville Cemetery. I am of the opinion that Griegsville is
but a post
office and village in the township of York, but am not sure.
About 10 years after going to NY State grandfather married Anna
Steele
who was in East Bloomfield, New York a little east of Griegsville.
She
was the daughter of Sergt. Elisha Steele
of Bethlehem, CT. Thomas
Parsons was quite lame after I began to know him. Sometimes he used
a
cane.
He went south to Florida, bought land there and planted it with oranges.
About the time they got to bearing a heavy freeze wiped the orchard
out
and he gave up although I think he spent several winters in Florida.
There was a chapel at Griegsville or near there where grandpa was very
much interested and I should say he was interested in the church. I
think Grace De La Vergne could tell you more about that. Her address
is:
Mrs. M. De La Vergne, 46 Wyndham Rd., Rochester 12, NY.
A part of his Florida experience was to bring up some Osage Orange slips
or young trees which he planted on each side of the lane from the
Griegsville Highway to the house and through the farm as division fences,
where there were no stone walls, and believe me they made a real fence.
Neither horses, nor cattle or pigs tried to go through them and Will
had
many scars when he tried it. No short cuts by trying to get over the
fence. The hedges grew so tall that when riding on loads of hay or
wheat
we could just see over the tops of them. He told me I could remember
the
size of his farm by the number of days in the year - 365 1/4 acres,
but
never could explain to me where the 1/4 acre came from.
He was a well read man and full of humor. I remember once when a very
small fellow he had me worried. He had been digging potatoes in the
garden back of the house and my job was to fill the basket, a bushel,
and carry it into the kitchen. He had me pile on more potatoes and
cautioned
me not to let them fall off and he didn't see how I was to do it.
Another time he asked our father if we were disturbed by his music
during the
night. He had heard some fellows rustling among the grape vines on
the
wide verandah back of the house and he took his melodian and carried
it
out on the verandah and entertained them for several hours with gospel
hymns. It was a bright moonlight night and they could be seen when
outside the arbor, being hidden when inside the arbor. Towards dawn
he
shut up his melodian and told them they could go home but he would
rather if they needed grapes to have them come and ask for them and
he
would give them all they wanted". Children of Edward and Helen:
1. Harmon Shove Boyd b. 24 Sep 1896
d. 14 Mar 1980
m. 1st Elizabeth Ryder HOLDEN 4 Oct 1919 daughter of Wm. HOLDEN
and
Eliza RYDER. She was born 7 November 1893 in Ashburnham, MA and
died 5
February 1939 from tuberculosis.
m. 2nd Estella S. ISHAM daughter of Austin ISHAM. She died 17
Mar 1989
in Orlando, FL of a heart attach. Harmon and both wives
are buried in
South Cemetery, Woodbury, CT. [JBD]
2. Anna B. Boyd
b. 30 Sep 1898
d. 1989
Florida m. Payl Hyde HARBACH 1 Mar 1923 Meriden, CT of Southbridge,
MA
3. Burton Steele Boyd b. 28 Aug 1903
d. 5 Sep 1978
Died in Southington, CT and buried in Rocky Hill, CT
m. Gertrude Viola LEARNED 14 Feb 1925 (1 son: Edward Boyd)
Harmon Shove Boyd, son of Edward S. Boyd and Helen Amanda Shove, was
born 24 September 1896 in Woodbury, CT. He married 1st 4 Oct 1919 Elizabeth
Ryder HOLDEN daughter of William HOLDEN and Eliza (RYDER). She was
born
7 November 1893 and died 5 February 1939. He married 2nd Estella
S. ISHAM
daughter of Austin ISHAM. Harmon died 14 March 1980 at
Fairfield,
Connecticut. Estella died 17 March 1989.
He graduated from Amherst College, class of 1917, Phi Beta Kappa, having
prepared at Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA. Fellow in math Rice
Institute, Houston, Tx 1917-1918; ABA Graduate School of Banking,
Rutgers University 1944. Lab assistant Bureau of Standards, Washington,
DC 1918-
1919, ass't physicist 1919-1920; general manager Woodbury (CT) Electric
Co; treasurer Woodbury Savings Bank 1923 until retirement. Treasurer
Town of Woodbury 1931 to retirement. [Amherst College Biographical
Record,
1951] He was member and treasurer of the 1st Congregational Church
in
Woodbury. [JBD]