During my recent visit to Edinburgh I found the book, The History of Scotland, Translated from the Latin of George Buchanan with Notes, John Watkins, 1831, which on page 288 says:- “Thus affairs proceeded till about the sixth year of the king’s reign [James III]. There was then at court Robert Boyd, the chief of his family, who besides his large personal estate, was allied to many other great and noble houses; and he had also a flourishing stock of children of his own, particularly Thomas and Robert. He had a brother too, named Alexander, who was well instructed and versed in all polite letters. This Alexander, at the desire of John Kennedy, his kinsman, who, by reason of his declining age, was not so fit for youthful exercises. And with the consent of the rest of the king’s tutors was appointed to teach the king the rudiments of military art; in which knowledge he was supposed to exceed all his contemporaries. …” So what does “was allied to many other great and noble houses” mean in turns of who were these “great and noble houses”? While secondly, what is the meaning of “he had also a flourishing stock of children of his own, particularly Thomas and Robert”? Thomas Boyd would be the Earl of Arran who married in April 1467 Princes Mary Stewart. However, this is the first time in over 3 decades of research that I have seen one of his sons being named as Robert Boyd. Nor do we know how many children “a flourishing stock of children of his own” might mean in terms of the number of his children. Up to this point in 2012, it was thought that Lord Robert Boyd had 9 children – six sons and three daughters. Robert and his wife are thought to have married in about 1440. These were:- 1) James Boyd, b 144x, contract in 1465 to marry Marion Kennedy , but died before 1467, when Thomas Boyd was termed “Master of Boyd”. 2) Thomas Boyd*, Master of Boyd, created Earl of Arran in 1467, b 144x, dc 1474, m 26 April 1467, Princess Mary Stewart. 3) Alexander Boyd*, b 144x, d after 1508, m Janet Colville of Octiltree and was Chamberlain of Kilmarnock 4) Archibald Boyd*, of Nariston, and afterwards of Bonshaw, b 145x d before 4 May 1507, m before 1472, Christian Mure. 5) John Boyd*, b 145x, d ?, living 1482. 6) Adam Boyd, b 1460, married twice, 2nd wife Joan Cuthbert, went with father to Alnwick, England and later moved to Kirk Bielston, Leeds, England 7) Elizabeth Boyd*, b 144x, d before 1498, m 4 March 1467-68 as first wife to Archibald Douglas, fifth Earl of Angus 8) Annabella Boyd*, b 145x m (1) Sir John Gordon of Lochivar, son of William de Gordoun, and (2) Sir Edmund Hay of Talla and Linplum 9) Margaret Boyd*, 145x, d ?, still living August 1502 at Catburnbiris Uvir, m Robert Boyd of Badenheath 10) Robert Boyd, born ?, d ? (I will have to go through my research trip papers since 2004, to see what additional information I can add to each of these children, which I will advise members when I complete that project.) * These are the only children mentioned in The Scots Peerage, Volume 5, 1907. So with six “known” sons, why was only Thomas and Robert mentioned by George Buchanan? And which order of the family was he? >From the way Buchanan has put these children’s names, it would appear that Robert was younger than Thomas. Perhaps even the next brother – ie born before Alexander. So did he flee Scotland with his father in 1469 and go to Alnwick? As Thomas, Earl of Arran, son James succeeded his grandfather Lord Robert Boyd in 1482 and was killed by the Montgomeries in 1484 when Alexander Boyd is said to succeed. So does this mean that Robert had died before 1484 when Alexander became the Head of the Clan or was he passed over because he had also been declared an “Rebel” when he fled with his father in 1469. If he did not succeed, and was older than Alexander, it would also suggest that he either did not marry, or if he did, did not have any children? A second theory, might be that this Robert Boyd mentioned by Buchanan, was the next son after Alexander? But then why did not Buchanan not mentioned Alexander with Thomas and Robert? So if he was born after Alexander, and went with his father to Alnwick, Northumberland, he maybe a source for some of the Boyd families in England from after 1469. This Robert Boyd would now make the tenth “claimed” child for Lord Robert Boyd. Hopefully, this will allow members to search for this Robert Boyd in whatever records might be found for this period. Thank you Mike Boyd Historical Committee House of Boyd Society