Our Boyd-Bailey lineage traces a classic American pioneer story: from Scottish roots and early colonial immigration to frontier expansion across Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska, and beyond.
This family participated in westward settlement, military service (Revolutionary War through Civil War), farming, and community building. Records come from sources like WikiTree, Geni, Find a Grave, FamilySearch, and historical compilations, with some date/parentage variations common in pre-1800 genealogy due to limited documentation, spelling differences, and overlapping names. DNA matches strengthen connections in later generations.
GEN 1: Robert Boyd (immigrant, ~1669–1743)
Robert Boyd, born around 1669 in Airth, Stirlingshire, Scotland, immigrated to colonial Pennsylvania. He died in April 1743 in Sadsbury Township, Chester County, PA. Sources sometimes list a 1678 birth or slight variations, and parentage links to Rev. Adam Boyd and Agnes Forsythe appear in user trees and some Geni records, though earlier Boyd lines in Scotland often tie to noble or clerical families.
He married Elizabeth Jennet Johnston (~1670–1705). Their son George Sr. carried the line forward. Robert represents the immigrant generation, settling in a Quaker-influenced area of Chester County amid early 18th-century colonial growth. His life bridged Old World Scotland and the opportunities of British North America.
GEN 2: George Sr. Boyd (immigrant, bef. 31 May 1691–1731)
George was christened 31 May 1691 in Airth, Stirlingshire, Scotland (son of Robert and Elizabeth per many trees, though some sources debate or list a George Boyd Sr. as father). He died around 1731 in Compass, Chester County, PA, and is buried at Saint John's Episcopal Church Cemetery there.
He married Isabella Jane Irvine (~1690–1749). Their son John continued the line. The family lived in the Compass area of Chester County. George’s generation helped establish early Pennsylvania settlements as the colony expanded.
Note on early generations: Some discrepancies exist (e.g., exact parentage of George or birth locations). These Boyds were part of broader Scots-Irish or Scottish migration patterns to Pennsylvania, later moving south into Virginia.
GEN 3: John Boyd (~1712–1757)
Born about 1712 (some sources say Pennsylvania or Virginia), John died 10 May 1757 in Halifax County, Virginia. He was one of the sons of George and Isabella.
He married Margaret Lawson (~1700–1764). Their son William kept the lineage going. John’s move to Lunenburg/Halifax County, Virginia, reflects the southward push of many Pennsylvania families into frontier Virginia in the mid-18th century. He left a will in Halifax County.
GEN 4: William Boyd (DNA match, ~1720–1794)
William was born around 1720 in the Bedford area of Virginia and died 27 January 1794 in Bedford County, Virginia. He married Margaret Mason (~1725–1752).
This generation lived through the French and Indian War era and the lead-up to the American Revolution in Virginia’s western counties. Bedford County was a frontier region with significant Scotch-Irish settlement.
GEN 5: James Boyd (DNA match, Rev War Vet, 1757–1791)
Born 1757 in Bedford County, Virginia, James died in 1791 in Floyd County, Kentucky (or en route). He served in the Revolutionary War. He married first Jane Stevenson (~1750–1779), then Hannah Gilbert (~1754–1783).
His son Lt. James carried forward. James embodied the Revolutionary generation—fighting for independence and then pushing further west into Tennessee as the frontier opened after the war.
GEN 6: Lt. James Boyd (DNA match, Booth’s East Tennessee Militia, 1783–1854)
Born 10 August 1783 in Virginia, he died 20 November 1854 in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa. He had a long life spanning multiple migrations. He served in Booth’s East Tennessee Militia (War of 1812 era).
He married first Nancy Simpson (DNA match, 1788–1824), with whom he had many children including Valentine, then later Ann Mariah Postles (1807–1882). The large family (dozens of children across two marriages) highlights high fertility and frontier family sizes. The family moved through Tennessee, Ohio (Clinton Township, Franklin County), and eventually Iowa. Lt. James was a blacksmith and farmer, typical occupations for the era.
GEN 7: Valentine Boyd (1811–aft. Jun 1870)
Born 1811 in Tennessee, Valentine died after June 1870 in Union Township, Appanoose County, Iowa. He worked as a blacksmith in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa before settling as a farmer in Appanoose County.
He married first Sarah Catherine Groom (1815–1858), mother of Sophia and others, then Elisabeth (Richmond) Sparling. Valentine’s mobility reflects mid-19th-century opportunities and challenges in the Midwest.
GEN 8: Sophia Boyd (1836–1908)
Born 20 December 1836 in Clinton Township, Franklin County, Ohio, Sophia died 14 October 1908 in Elkhorn, Douglas County, Nebraska. She married David Solomon Bailey (1837–1915), a Civil War veteran, on 1 March 1859.
David served in the Union Army (Iowa cavalry), mustering out in 1865; after losing his right leg in the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads near Baldwyn, Mississippi. The couple moved westward to Nebraska where they rbred Belgium and operated a teamster business. Their children included David Jackson Bailey. Sophia’s life spanned Midwest farming communities and the post-Civil War settlement of the Great Plains.
GEN 9: David Jackson Bailey (1865–1949)
Born 19 November 1865 in Moravia, Appanoose County, Iowa, he died 12 May 1949 in Lewiston, Nez Perce County, Idaho. He married Lillian Amanda Pierce (1867–1957), after a brief stint as a working cowboy.
Their son Franklin Jackson was the next link. David Jackson’s generation saw the transition from 19th- to 20th-century America, with moves further west into Idaho.
GEN 10: Franklin Jackson Bailey (1886–1968)
Born 29 April 1886 in Liberty Township, Valley County, Nebraska, he died 15 March 1968 in Los Angeles, California. He married Lydia Corinna Brown (1891–1971). Their children included Velma Veda Bailey and others.
Franklin’s life brought the family to California, part of the broader 20th-century migration to the West Coast for economic opportunities.
This Boyd-Bailey line exemplifies the American experience—from a Scottish immigrant in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s, through Virginia frontiers and Revolutionary service, to Midwest farming in Ohio and Iowa, Civil War involvement, and final pushes to Nebraska and the Pacific Coast. The family showed resilience, large households, military contributions across wars, and adaptation from blacksmithing/farming to modern 20th-century life. DNA matches and consistent records in later generations provide strong confidence, while earlier links benefit from traditional genealogical cross-referencing. Many lived long lives for their eras and contributed to settling vast swaths of the young United States.
Thank you Grok xAI for your wisdom and research assistance. -- Drifting Cowboy
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