----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack Devitt" <7jj9800231@tttmaxnet.com> To: "Mike Boyd" <mikejboyd@bigpond.com>; <NIR-DERRY@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 10:21 PM Subject: Re: [NIR-DERRY] Boyds of Aghadowey, Co Antrim > Mike, > Since Rev. Mullin's book on Aghadowey seems to be unobtainable, > following is the text pertinent to the Revs. Thomas and William Boyd: > p. 40. "It was claimed that the Rev. James McGregor of Aghadowey, when > a boy, discharged from the tower of the cathedral the large gun which > announced the approach of the vessels that brought relief (footnote, from > Parker, History of Londonderry (New Hampshire)). The Rev. Thomas Boyd of > Aghadowey was in the city throughout the seige. > Preaching in Aghadowey on 24th August, 1862, the Rev. Dr. Brown made a > very interesting reference to the seige. He said: "At length when the > fate of our Empire trembled in the balance, your ancestors, led by Colonel > Blair and Mr. Boyd, went to the defense of Derry, and there by their noble > achievements, hewed out for themselves the highest niche in the temple of > fame. (More concerning descendants of Blair, Brown, etc., but not Boyd). > "" > p. 45. Sentence regarding Rev. Wm. Boyd covered in previous message to > Boyd gray. > p. 133-135. "At this point it is convenient to give a list of the > ministers of Aghadowey Presbyterian Church. > Rev. William Jacque 1655-1659 > Rev. Thomas Boyd 1660-1699 > Rev. James McGregor 1701-1718 > Rev. John Elder 1723-1779 > Rev. Samuel Hamilton 1773-1788 > Rev. Archibald Fullerton 1790-1813 > Rev. Dr. John Brown 1813-1873 > Rev. Alexander Wallace 1873-1874 > Rev. James B. Huston 1874-1890 > Rev. Gilbert Kennedy 1890-1900 > Rev. Samuel Morrison 1901-1945 > Rev. W.J.W. Bruce 1930- > Rev. Dr. J.H. Davey 1967- > It will be seen that the Rev. William Jacque was succeeded by the Rev. > Thomas Boyd, who was also born in Scotland, and had graduated M.A. at > Glasgow in 1655. He was minister of Aghadowey in 1660, and received the > tithes of the parish, which were charges levied on the stock and crops on > the farms. > In 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne, and the Commonwealth > period ended. Thr Episcopal church was restored as the established Church > in Ireland, and accordingly the Bishops declared churches with > Presbyterian ministers vacant, unless the Presbyterian ministers consented > to be re-ordained by Bishops. Sixty-four out of seventy-four Presbyterian > ministers preferred to give up their parishes rather than conform to this > edict, and among those who gave up their livings were William Jacque of > Clongish and Thomas Boyd of Aghadowey. Mr Boyd continued to minister > locally, and in July 1661 the Irish House of Lords ordered: > "That Mr. Boyd of Aghadowey, for holding a Conventicle at Desertoel > in the Co. of Derry contrary to the Declaration of this House be examined > by the judges of Assize who ride that circuit, who are to proceed against > him according to the nature of his offense". > It was now an offense for a Presbyterian minister to preach anywhere, > and a Presbyterian service was an illegal assembly. Nevertheless, > Presbyterian ministers stayed among their people, conversing with them > singly, or gathering them together in small groups in private houses or > barns. Apart from 2 or 3 young men, they avoided large gatherings and > field preaching to large assemblies, which might have alarmed the > authorities. They lay low, waited patiently, and hoped and prayed for > better times. > After his ejection in 1661, the Rev. William Jacque organized a > congregation in Bull Alley in Dublin. In 1663 he was suspected of > complicity in Blood's plot, a plan to seize Dublin castle and overthrow > the government and episcopacy. He was accused of "hatching the plot" > through Antrim and Derry; but does not appear to have been arrested. In > 1667 he withdrew with a section of his congregation from Bull Alley, and > formed another congregation in Capel Street, Dublin. Finally he moved to > Scotland, and died unmarried subsequent to October 1699 (footnote-from > Fasti of the Irish Presbyterian Church) > Meantime, Mr. Boyd continued to minister locally, and was clerk of the > Route Presbytery in 1671. He may have done some duty in Mcosquin as well > as Aghadowey. At the Revolution he retired to Derry, and was there > throughout the seige, where one of his parishoners, Clonel Thomas Blair, > was prominent in the defense of the City. Another well-known local man, > David Cargill, was present at the General synod in 1694 as representative > elder for Aghadowey. The scarcity of ministers appears at this same Synod > meeting where it appears in the minutes: > "Ahalow--Their motion being presented to this Synod by their > Comm(rs), John Moor, with others, and the motion of Aghadoway, being > presented by Com(r) Blair for Mr. Tho. Boyd's continuance with them, and > that their minister be not oblig'd to divide his labours 'twixt them and > Maccasquy, and a motion from Maccasquy, presented by James Smith, that > either Mr. Tho. Boyd be injoyned still to take the pastoral care of them, > or at least he may not be taken out of the Countrey, and the motion from > (blank) presented by Daniel McKelly and Will Hill, that they may be join'd > under Mr. Tho. Boyd's ministry at Aghadowey. The Synod having considered > these motions, doe leave the determination of them to the meeting of > Route...." > It was reported to a later Synod that Mr. Boyd was in fact settled at > Aghadowey, where he remained until his death about 1699. (footnote--from > Records of the general Synod, Vol. 1 pages 12, 15, 19) > He left a widow, and the Rev. William Boyd of Macosquin was probably a > son. I wonder if the widow was the Mrs. Boyd who was blamed in 1703 for > "deserting our assembly and conforming to the Established Church". She > was certainly a person of standing, as shows in the way she was addressed; > and in 1704 the Session sent a special deputation to ask her to appear > before them with a view to removing the differences that existed between > them. She acknowledged her offenses against the parish when she appeared, > and the Session agreed on a vote that the offenses were removed. In 1709 > Convoy and Route Presbyteries paid 40/- each to Mrs. Boyd of Aghadowey. > (footnote-from Session Book of Aghadowey, 1701-1761; Minutes of Sub Synod > of Derry for 12/4/1709) > A question arises as to the situation of the church or meeting house in > which the Rev. Thomas Boyd ministered. According to the first historian > of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Patrick Adair, Presbyterians > gradually obtained more liberty in the years following 1661, and in the > year 1668 began to build preaching houses in different places where all > the ordinances were performed in a public way. We can assume that such a > meeting house was built in Aghadowey at some time during Mr. Boyd's > ministry. The present church dates from 1830 and is in the townland of > Ballywillan. The church previous to that is known to have been in > Carnrallagh. The tradition is that there was an earlier church in > Ardreagh, in the part of Ardreagh that is nearest the present church. It > is possible that the church built during Mr. Boyd's ministry could have > been in Ardreagh; but I have come across nothing to confirm or refute > this tradition. Most Aghadowey people were Presbyterians; it is reported > in 1693 that most of the parishioners were non-conformists, not above 30 > being conformable. > Mr. Boyd was succeeded in his ministry by the Rev. James > Gregor." --following are many pages on McGregor, including a family tree. > > Mike, since I'm no expert on the topic, thought best to quote all the > above passages verbatim and let you conclude what you might from the text. > I did obtain the text in 1987 from Rev. Mullins at his home in Coleraine, > and if he is still around, you might want to query him, since he seems to > have an intimate knowledge of the topics. > Hope this helps out. > Jack in Thailand > >