JESSE BOYD - NC to IN
JESSE BOYD, one of the few
remaining old settlers of Orange County,
Indiana, was born in Randolph
County, N.C., May 4, 1818, and is the third
of six children, only two
yet living, born to WILLIAM and MARY (HOPWOOD)
BOYD, the parents now being
dead. The parents of WILLIAM BOYD were
WILLIAM and HODA (DAVENPORT)
BOYD, and they were natives of Ireland,
coming to this country in
the eighteenth century and settling in
Virginia. William Boyd, Sr.,
served the Colonies fathfully in their
struglle for independence.
JESSE BOYD in 1839 started West on foot from
his native county, and after
walking 600 miles arrived in Orange County,
Indiana, where he found employment
in the construction of the old
turnpike, but afterward engaged
in the manufacture of wheat fans.
ELIZABETH HOLLOWELL becames
his wife March 13, 1842, and about this time
Mr. Boyd engaged in farming.
This has always been his occupation, and
although he commenced life's
battle a poor boy, he has with the help of
his wife accumulated about
1,000 acres of land, but having given about
700 acres to his children
he now only owns 300 acres. Mrs. Boyd was born
in Orange County previous
to 1812. To Mr. and Mrs. Boyd these children
have been born: WILLIAM L.,
born June 23,1843; MARY A., born November
1,1844; ROBERT H., July 8,1846;
FRANKLIN, March 1,1848; CHARLES, August
25,1853; ELWOOD, November
29,1859; MARTHA J., November 10,1861; JAMES
M., May 27,1864, and JESSE,
born July 20,1866. The mother died May
2,1881. She was one of the
true pioneer women of her day and bravely
aided her husband in his efforts
to build a home. Mr. Boyd married his
present wife October 12, 1882.
She was MISS MARIA E. BROWN, daughter of
Hutcheson and Harriet (BANKS)
Brown, both of whom are now dead.
Hutcheson Brown was one of
the early pioneers of Washington County,
Indiana, and was a typo on
the first paper published in that county.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Boyd belong
to the Society of Friends.
Source: Goodspeed's "History
of Orange, Lawrence and Washington
Counties" first published
in 1884.
Thanks to Karen Schrode from Ohio, USA