John Boyd, who settled in Ireland in 1716 and bought the estate of Crosspatrick, near Killala, Co. Mayo, belonged to a branch of family whose arms were registered at the Lyon Office in 1672 (in which year registration was first compulsory) by John Boyd, Dean of the Guild of Edinburgh, recognised by the Lyon Office to be descendant of the Lords Boyd, and from his crest descended from Thomas, second son of Alexander, 3rd Lord Boyd.

Burkes' Peerage also describes him as "descended of the Family of Kilmarnock."

I would point out this is where the genealogy of our branch of the family is not clear. Obviously there is no mention of any of the ancestors that were the links between John Boyd of Crosspatrick and John Boyd, the Dean of the Guild of Edinburgh or Thomas Boyd, second son of Alexander.

I have been informed that the Dean John Boyd left no male heir which makes it impossible that there was a direct link to our family from him. My unlcle's statement above does not exactly claim to be descended from that John Boyd but only from the same branch. Whether the link with Thomas is just wishful thinking or not I cannot say, but the possibility is rather firm as no details of interlinking ancestors and no other explanation for why there maybe a link is offered above.

Still there is a possiblity with the same surname there may be a link and even if not, the very yearning of my ancestors to prove a link with the Boyd Nobility is an indication of the cultural influences that made being of the correct 'blood' so crucial.

In history there are numerous cases where bogus claims were made in order to advance the cause of people who may have had the skills to climb up the social ladder but not the correct lineage. For me the fun part of genealogy is going back in time and seeing the stories of ancestors and how they lived in context of generations. If my ancestors were peasants the only shame to me is that their stories and genealogies were not kept for posterity.

The male line of the Boyds of Crosspatrick is: