After reading four years of messages on Anne Boyd and John Sharp, I thought many subscribers would have an interest in the following. (I am a descendant of Catherine Boyd, d/o Robert II, and Alexander McConnell of PA and Rowan NC.) The Boyds Catharine's paternal line came from Ireland and first appeared in America when her great-grandfather Robert Boyd (1678-1743) settled in Chester County, PA (near Philadelphia) in the 1720s, alongside a settlement of McConnells in Upper Octorara. He may have been among three brothers, who came over at that time. Records show Robert was literate, but wife Jennett signed with her mark. Tax records for Sadsbury Township, Chester Co., show Robert entered the rolls in 1729 for the 500-acre tract, but other documents show the family lived there earlier; deed records show the purchase took place in 1726. Robert and Jennett had at least three sons, John, Robert Jr. and James, and perhaps William. True to the dominance of the Ulster Scots in the northern Ireland textile industry, a 1736 deed of land to son John shows Robert Sr. was a tailor. In that deed, John is cited as the second son while Robert Jr. signed as a witness. James Boyd, the eldest, is cited in later legal documents. The Boyds were known in the councils of state, and the Pennsylvania Archives includes correspondence to Thomas Penn about complaints the �three Boyds� had lodged against John Carnahan, the local magistrate. The 1733/34 letters refer to the Rev. Adam Boyd and to �the old man Robert Boyd,� who is accused of trying to �rake up dirt� on local officials. Robert Sr., and Jennett are buried in Upper Octorara Church Cemetery in Chester Co. Robert's monument still stands there, but Jennet's grave is only indicated by a space between the grave of Robert and that of his son, John (1705-Sept. 21, 1750). John appeared on the local tax lists from 1734 to 1749, but little else of note emerges from the official record. After his death, his brother William Boyd and son-in-law William Beatty were appointed guardians of John's minor children. A large number of appraisers suggest a large estate for John, although records include nothing more than the 200-acre deed of land from his father in 1736. John and his wife Lettice had at least eight children, according to probate records: Robert II, Frances (m. William Beatty); Anne (m. John Sharp; Lettice; James (d. before 1736, s.p.); Joseph (d. before 1763, s.p.), Andrew, and Rebecca, who was born posthumously. Widow Lettice was still living in 1753, but she appears to have died before the family farm was sold. The children kept the land in Chester County until Sept. 7, 1763, when it was sold to Samuel McClelland, a local man. Robert Boyd II Robert II (c. 1730-Sept. 8, 1793) participated in the French and Indian War as a captain with his own company. The Officers and Soldiers, Province of Pennsylvania contains five references to Capt. Robert Boyd, including his service in the garrison at Ft. Augusta. This Capt. Boyd commanded troops that included his brother-in-law, John Sharp. Before leaving Pennsylvania for Rowan/Iredell Co., NC, Robert II married Anne (Clark?) and began their family, including Catharine, who was born around 1761 in Pennsylvania. Besides his joint holdings with his siblings, Robert and Anne also owned a tract in Sadsbury Township that they released to John Boggs of Will Town Township on Oct. 22, 1762. Robert II and Anne remained in Iredell until after the Revolution before heading west, leaving Catharine behind with her new husband Alexander McConnell. The family moved first to Lincoln Co., KY, where daughter Sarah was married, and then just north of Nashville to what is now Madison, TN. Robert also owned land in Sumner Co., TN, just east of Nashville. Robert and Anne belonged to the Spring Hill Church, and descendant Howard V. Jones of Cedar Rapids, Iowa believes Robert was buried in the church cemetery, as instructed in his will, after he died in 1793. Among the children: � John (Aug. 3, 1758-Dec. 2, 1814) married Anne Bone, daughter of James, and eventually settled in Coles Co., IL after owning land in Sumner County, TN and KY. � William first lived in the Madison, TN home of his parents, but lost the land thanks to a defective title. He moved to Triune, Williamson Co., TN. His son, Col. Marcus Boyd, moved to Greene Co., MO and fathered, among others, the acclaimed attorney and Congressman Semphronious �Pony� Boyd who also represented Bald Knobbers in their 1886 trial. Both Pony and his son served as American ambassadors to Thailand. � Mary married John Boyd, probably a cousin, and lived in Sumner Co. � Sarah �Sally� (1760-after 1824) married Peter Blair and settled in Sumner Co., TN. � Lettice (c. 1756-1799/1800) married Robert Chambers and moved to Georgia and Alabama. Her eldest son was Gen. Joseph Boyd Chambers, and her descendants today include a family of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. � Frances married William Edmondson and lived in Arrington, Williamson Co., TN. This branch of the Boyd family seems to have maintained the closest contact with Catharine Boyd McConnell Wasson and her offspring; whether those ties continued in Missouri is undocumented. In the 1840s, the Edmundson sons � Robert Boyd and Thomas � moved to Greene County, MO, just east of Springfield and northeast of the McConnell settlement. Although Robert B. Edmondson's family moved on after his death, Thomas' children farmed and received considerable education for the day. Through marriage, their cousins included Samuel, Flavius and Sam Freeman, prominent lawyers and businessmen of modern Springfield in the 20th century.