I just joined this list. My own family came from Killarnery Co. Kerry in 1792 which I have been researching for some 27 years now - without much luck. But my interest in joining this list as my role as Chairman of the Historical Committee of the House of Boyd Society. I first went to County Antrim in March 2004, so I could organise an weeks study/research tour of County for House of Boyd Members. This was done in September 2005 (and I went onto Ayrshire afterwards) and I came home with 6 or 7 inches of material on about 200-300 Boyd families form both areas. I will lead another weeks tour to County Londonderry in September 2007. Then again in 2008 to another County in NI. I have about 380 Boyd families World wide of which some 20 so far come form County Antrim I will post these individually shortly. I am just in the process of organising a private trip to Ballycastle, Ballymena and Kilmarnock in March to find more Boyd families The first Boyd to Ireland was an John Boyd to Letterkenny, Co Donegal in 1590. We have no idea why he went to rather than Antrim. A Sir Robert Boyd was involved with the Plantation in County Tyrone in 1609 but it is not known when and where the first Boyds came to Antrim. I have found a John Boyd and his wife Jane Peebles/Peoples who were buried at Derrykeighan in 1615 and a Thomas Boyd who died at Dervock in 1634 and his wife Elizabeth Smeaton were in Dervock in 1615. While a William Boyd and his wife Catharine Mcgdmartine lived at Dunluce - I am currently assuming this was the townland of Dunluce which took in the Dunluce Castle. William left an Will in December 1624, so it is assumed he died shortly afterwards >From collecting America Boyd families it is known that Boyds came form Ballymoney, Ballymena and a number of the towns between Ballymena, Larne, Carrickfergus and Antrim City - besides Belfast. While many of these Boyd families were Presbyterian in Religion, some were Church of Ireland, Quaker and even some Roman Catholic. (I assume that I will find other religions when were get more details about some of these families.) My job is to try to find the known Boyd families so that a Clan Boyd Pyramid can be built; to find out when migration out of Ireland took place and for that matter into Ireland from Scotland; and to try to link these Antrim families to known Cadet Branches in Scotland - mainly Ayrshire. I have a very long way to go to know Irish (or northern Irish history) If you have Boyd members in your family tree - either male or female - I would like to hear form you please (I know will regret making this request, as I try to do work for my trip in March) In case you are not aware, we have our own:- - surname Net Group at BOYD@rootsweb.com - quarterly Newsletter called Dean Road (contact Kevin McLachlan - editor@clanboyd.org) - DNA Group - House of Boyd Society - the House of Boyd Society Website http://www.clanboyd.org - Historical Committee - family database So you may find a lost "cousin" whose went to America some years ago on the Net list. Thank you. Mike Boyd Chairman Historical Committee House of Boyd Society