Good morning all In the last few days, I answered a query from Mike Curtiss of the USA (Email [email protected]) which starts with the family of Samuel Boyd (1718 – 1804), whom it was said married Lady Jane Gurney, as his second marriage. This family is said to have come from Knockavaddy, in north eastern County Tyrone, where it is “said” that the Boyd house was built in 1690. But no one seems to know if this house was built by Samuel’s father or grandfather. Mike Curtiss has just replied with this data - “This Wier family comes from a long line of well-documented Covenantors. Thomas Wier (1708-1785) was a grandson of Rev. John Wier and Janet Ferguson, who were Covenantors that emigrated from Scotland to North Ireland in 1664. Their ancestors are documented in the book "Ten Tribes of Wier" and others. I don't know if that fact helps to identify Samuel Boyd (1718-1804) but I hope it can. What I assume to be true and what many sources tell us is that the children of Thomas Wier (1708-1785) intermarried and traveled with children of Samuel Boyd (1718-1804). So just to keep track of who's who: Thomas Wier (1708-1785) and Elizabeth Faulkner had the following children: *Samuel Wier (1760-1810); *Thomas Wier II (1763-1851)(married Mary Withrow, emigrated 1795); *Nancy Agnes Wier (1765-1843)(married James Boyd, emigrated 1795); *James Wier (1769-1840)(married Mary Hamilton, emigrated 1804). Samuel Boyd (1718-1804) had the following children: *William Boyd (1747-1815)(married Margaret Lyons, emigrated 1804); *James Boyd (1758-1845)(married Nancy Agnes Wier, emigrated 1795); *Samuel Boyd Jr. (b. 1759); *Rebecca Boyd (b. 1759)(many sources don't include her); *Jane Boyd (b. 1760)(married James Hamilton, emigrated 1804). Thomas Wier and Elizabeth Faulkner lived near Ballynagilly Township in County Tyrone, "3 leagues from Cookstown". Thomas and Elizabeth were members of Cookstown First Presbyterian Church, where their daughter Nancy married James Boyd in 1783. James Boyd (1758-1845) married Nancy Agnes Wier (1765-1843) on August 4, 1783 at Cookstown Presbyterian Church. James Boyd was a member of Carland Presbyterian Church (marriage is recorded there). The church was originally called "Donoughmore" and later "Dungannon." [this is according to some of the sources I'll list below].” It is the “Covenantors” aspect of the Wier, Ferguson, Hamilton and the Boyd and Gurney families that I would like to look at. 1. I do not know enough about the history of County Tyrone, to know if Covenantor families settled there or when? Does anyone have an sources, about Covenantors in County Tyrone? Or is this a question that I should contact the Local Studies Library in Dungannon in the New Year about? 2. While I am aware that there were some Covenantor Churches in County Antrim, would people wanting to try to find this Samuel Boyd’s Parents in Knockavaddy, need to also contact and go to the Presbyterian Historical Society in Belfast? Or are the Covenantor Church records held somewhere else? 3. As the Boyd, Wier, and Hamilton families have migrated between 1795 and 1804, to Charleston, SC, I am hoping all three = and perhaps others – may have migrated from Scotland together as well. 4. It seems that the family of “Rev. John Wier and Janet Ferguson” came from Dalserf, Lanarkshire, Scotland about 1660. Although this date may not be too certain. I am not sure if he was the Minister in Dalserf or if his Wier family came from Dalserf. Nor is anything given on whom Janet Ferguson’s parents are, to see where she came from. (I am aware of several Ferguson families in Ayrshire, but I have no knowledge if they were also in Lanarkshire.) 5. It is known that the 7th Lord Boyd, third wife, was a strict Presbyterian and brough her children up as such. O1 Robert Boyd, who succeeded his grandfather as seventh Lord Boyd, b November 1595, d 28/8/1628, m 161x, (contract dated October 1614) Margaret Montgomerie[1], widow of Hugh Montgomerie, 5th Earl of Eglinton who died in 1615 or 1616 without issue to either husband, m secondly 161x, (contract dated 9 December 1617), Lady Christian Hamilton, widow with issue of Robert Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay of the Byrnes (who died 9 July 1616) and eldest daughter of Thomas Hamilton, First Earl of Haddington, b between 1588 and 1594, d before 6 February 1646 at the house of her daughter, Lady Ardross, in the parish of Elie and had issue:- And Lady Christian Boyd, is also listed as one of the Scottish Worthies. They only had one son, who died in 1640, whom was succeed by his uncle. I am aware that a number of Boyds were killed during the “Killing Times” due to being Covenantors, but I do not have any list of these people or from where they came in Scotland 6. So, at this time, if it looks like that the Wier Family were Covenantors, and I am assuming that Samuel Boyd’s ancestors were also most likely to have been so, as well. I am also aware that the Boyds of Bonshaw, were said to have had their house pulled down in this period due to being Covenantors, but I have no idea as to whom was the laird at this time, the house was demolished. 7. The other aspect that may held to confirm these “claims” is to find Lady Jane Gurney’s Scottish family and to see if they were (or she was) Covenantors. Thank you for your assistance Mike Boyd Clan Boyd Brisbane, Aust. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1]She was the daughter of Robert Montgomerie of Giffin, see chapter 2/111.