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Thomas Boyd, Knight

Male Abt 1323 - 1365  (42 years)


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  • Name Thomas Boyd 
    Suffix Knight 
    Nickname Thomas Boyd of Dean Castle 
    Born Abt 1323 
    Address:
    Kilmarnock
    Kilmarnock
    Scotland 
    Gender Male 
    Died 1365 
    Address:
    Kilmarnock
    Kilmarnock
    Scotland 
    Notes 
    • {geni:about_me} Thomas Boyd
      * Birth: 1320 - Kilmarnock, Renfrewshire, Scotland
      * Death: 1365 - Dean Castle, Scotland
      * Father: Robert Boyd
      * Married: Faith Fleming, Margaret Douglas

      Sir Thomas Boyd; 2nd feudal Baron of Kilmarnock; captured along with David II at Battle of Neville's Cross 1346. [Burke's Peerage]

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      The following is from 'Family Annals' by John Russel, as provided by Sally Walmsley of NSW (Aus):

      We know little about the first Sir Thomas Boyd, who succeeded to the Boyd estates. He evidently followed the Family's war-like traits, as he accompanied King David II to Durham, and was captured by the English at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. Either he or his son built Dean Castle, replacing the wooden fort atop the motte. Dean Castle was to be centre of the Kilmarnock Estates until the 1700's.

      We do not know to whom Sir Thomas was married. He left three sons.

      Links
      * http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id=I19177


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      Sir Robert Boyd was a great and worthy companion to King Robert the Bruce. For faithful service Sir Robert was granted lands that had been forfeited by Bruce's enemy John Baliol such as Kilmarnock, Bondington, Hertsham, Kilbride and Dalny.

      http://home.austarnet.com.au/dfgoonan/BOYDpg.htm

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      Sir Robert Boyd; a Scots commander at Battle of Bannockburn 1314, rewarded by Robert I the Bruce with the feudal barony (a territorial entity held from the crown) of Kilmarnock , captured by the English at their victory over the Scots of Halidon Hill 1333 and died soon afterward. [Burke's Peerage]

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      Notes from Sally Walmsley [Geniedash@bigpond.com]:

      Sir Robert Boyd III was said 'to have inherited the noble virtues of his father in no ordinary degree'. Brought up during the war of liberation against King Edward, he was amongst the first of the Scottish nobility to join Robert Bruce in his rising. Much of what has been written about Bruce is misleading. In addition to his being Earl of Carrick , Lord of Annandale and Keeper of the Royal Forests of Scotland, Bruce was Lord of the Manor of Huntingdon, owned a town house in London and a suburban manor in Tottenham. Two years before the rising, his brother Alexander took his MA at Cambridge. Bruce was no wild Scottish chieftain, but an educated noble of Flemish extraction.

      In 1306, the titular King of Scotland was John Baliol, a 'lamb among wolves' who had achieved the throne through the backing of Edward of England and John Comyn of Badenoch, head of the most powerful family in Scotland at that time. Baliol had fled to France with no intention of returning, leaving Scotland virtually kingless. Bruce had seemingly started planning his rising in 1304, but everything hinged upon the support of John Comyn, a difficult person: the Red comyn must either support Bruce or be dead. The climax came in 1306, when Bruce met the Comyn in Greyfriars church in Dumfries. As they stood before the alter and argued, knives were drawn, and John Comyn fell wounded. According to legend, Bruce ran out of the church crying 'I doubt I have slain the Red Comyn'. Kilpatrick answered his "Do you so doubt? Then I'll mak siccar', and rushed into the church followed by Sir Robert Boyd and finished the job. Legendary as this may be, the fact is that both John Comyn of Badenoch and Sir Robert Comyn were both killed. This was the signal for Bruce's uprising to start. Bruce first went to his castle at Lochmaben, and then to Glasgown to secure the Clyde for his supplies from Ireland. Sir Robert Boyd took Rothesay castle from the sea, and laid siege to Inverkip. Six weeks after the Comyn's death, Bruce was crowned King of Scotland at Scone. For his support in the rising, the King awarded Sir Robert Boyd III with the lands of West Kilbride and of Portincross or Ardneil, which later became the patrimony of the younger sons of the Boyd family, until 1737.

      Click here for Photo of Portencross Castle (use browser back arrow to return)

      Robert Bruce's reign was soon in trouble. Three months after he was crowned, he was defeated by the English at Methven , and again near Tyndrum, and had to go into hiding, his queen and daughter sent with the ladies of his supporters to Kildrummy castle in the charge of the earl of Athol, Alexander Lindsay and Sir Robert Boyd. The follow year the king returned. Douglas and Sir Robert Boyd led the attack on Arran from Kintrye, but their attack on Turnberry castle, Bruce's own castle, failed. Bruce then raised his standard at Loch Troclin Galloway, where he defeated an English force sent to capture him. He marched north to defeat the English at Loudoun Hill, defeated John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, at Barrs Hill, and subdued the Earl of Ross. In 1308, Parliament was called at St Andrews and re-affirmed Bruce as King: Sir Robert was present as a member of Parliament. During the next few years, Bruce consolidated his position, capturing all the English-held castles except Stirling, and repulsing an expedition of Edward II of England in 1310. The climax came in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn, where Sir Robert Boyd was one of his principle commanders. 'Blind Harry' wrote of this battle:-

      Ranged on the right the Southron legions stood,

      And on this right the fiery Edward Bruce,

      With him the experienced Boyd devides the sway,

      Sent by the King to guide him through the day.

      After the battle, the King awarded Sir Robert Boyd III with the lands of Harishaw and Bondington, by a charter of 1316. These seem to have been followed in 1320 with the lordship and barony of Kilmarnock, fortfeited by Lord Soulis. He also obtained the lands of Trabock in Kyle, parts of Dalsinton and Bridburgh in Dumfries, and the Glenkins of Galloway. Added to his existing holdings, these properties were to set the future of the Boyds, as substantial barons below the great magnate families of Douglas, Stewart and Randolph. Dean Castle north of Kilmarnock was to become the Boyd' s stronghold: it was probably a primitive fortification on the motte when it was granted to Sir Robert.

      Sir Robert Boyd III was one of the guarrantors of the Treaty of Peace between the kings Robert Bruce of Scotland and Edward III of England, ratified by the English parliament in Jun 1323 and renouncing any claim to Scotland. But fighting was still in his blood. Sir Robert was captured at the battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, and died soon afterwards. He left three sons-

      Sir Thomas Boyd I

      Alan Boyd - was killed at the siege of Perth, where he was in command of the Scottish archers.

      James Boyd - witnessed a charter in 1342.
    • Notes from Sally Walmsley :
      We know little about the first Sir Thomas Boyd, who succeeded to the Boyd estates. He evidently followed the Family's war-like traits, as he accompanied King David II to Durham, and was captured by the English at the battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. Either he or hs son built Dean Castle, replacing the wooden fort atop the motte. Dean Castle was to be centre of the Kilmarnock Estates until the 1700's.

      We do not know to whom Sir Thomas was married. He left three sons.
    Person ID I6000000010347255090  Ancestors of Donald Ross
    Last Modified 4 Jan 2017 

    Father Sir Robert Boyd, Knt., 1st Baron Boyd of Kilmarnock,   b. 1298, Noddsdale Water Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Jul 1333, As prisoner of the English after the Battle of Halidon Hill Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 35 years) 
    Mother 2nd wife of Robert Boyd,   b. 1295, Kilmarnock,,Renfrewshire,Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Kilmarnock, Renfrew, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Married 1319  Kilmarnock,,Renfrewshire,Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F6000000000172856668  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Margaret Douglas,   b. 1320 
    Children 
     1. Thomas Boyd of Kilmarnock,   b. Abt 1355, Kimarnock Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Aft 1409  (Age > 55 years)
    Last Modified 14 Mar 2021 
    Family ID F6000000012621160878  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart