James Boyd was a steadfast Royalist, joined the Association at Cumbernauld in favour of Charles I in January 1641, he was one of the Committee of War for the South 16 April 1644,[3] and for Ayr 24 July 1644,[4] and 18 April 1648.[5]
He was included in the list of the nobility to be summoned to the Committee of Estates, in Cromwell's letter to Lieutenant-General David Leslie 17 January 1650,[6] and was fined £1,500 under the Cromwell's Act of Grace on 12 April 1654,[7] a sum afterwards, 9 March 1655, reduced to £500.[8] His steady support of the royal cause appears to have financially embarrassed him, as he was obliged to wadset several portions of his estate to Sir William Cochrane of Cowdoun.[9]
Lord James is said to have paid great attention to the trade of Kilmarnock, and to have established a school in the town for "the educatioune and learning off zoung ones"[sic].[10] His will was confirmed at Edinburgh 23 October 1655, and he appears to have died in March 1654.[11]
Family
Lord James married, prior to 1640,[12] a woman named Catherine, the second daughter and co-heir of John Crayke of the city of York, the eldest, but disinherited, son of Ralph Crayke of Marton, Yorkshire. She was baptized at Bridlington on 3 January 1619.[12][13] In commemoration of this marriage the words "James Boyd and Catherine Craik", with the family arms, were sculptured on one of the towers of Dean Castle, the family seat at Kilmarnock.[14] They had issue:[15]
^Balfour 1904, p. 173 cites Complete Baronetage, vol. ii p. 384 Where she is called Eva
^Balfour 1904, p. 173 cites Funeral entry in Lyon Office.
References
Attribution
Balfour, Paul, James (1904). The Scots Peerage; founded on Wood's edition of Sir Robert Douglas's peerage of Scotland; containing an historical and genealogical account of the nobility of that kingdom. Vol. 5. Edinburgh: D. Douglas. pp. 172, 173.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)