Reverend John Boyd (1679August 30, 1708) was a Presbyterian minister in the United States. He was ordained the first pastor of Old Scot's Church, by the First Presbytery, which met in America on December 29, 1706.Elizabeth Boyd Henry Tennies, 1000 Years of Hystory: The Boyds - Scots-Irish Unsung Heros, 2007, Page 86 He was the first Presbyterian minister ordained in America.Walter Irving Clarke, Old Tennent Church. General Assembly Publicity Department, Phila, Pa., 1931,Henry Goodwin Smith, The History of the "Old Scots "Church of Freehold. Transcript Printing House, Freehold, NJ, 1895 The event was described by the Rev. Hugh McCauley as "the small beginning of the great stream of organized American Presbyterianism".Hugh B McCauley, The Old Scots Memorial. MacRellish and Quigley, Trenton, NJ., 1900, Page 5-6 He was also the first pastor of Old Scot's Church. He was considered important to the Presbyterian history and the Synod of the Northeast placed a 25 foot monument in his honor at the Old Scots Burying Ground in 1900. His monument was restored by the Synod of the Northeast in 2002 and the top Spiral on the monumentJonathan Rifkin, "Historic Monument Honors Minister", Asbury Park Press, November 7, 2002, Page 48 was replaced at that time."Historic Monument Honors Minister", Asbury Park Press, November 7, 2002, Page 48
Early years
Rev. Boyd was born in Kilmarnock Scotland, which is the "ancient home of the Boyds".George P. Hays. Presbyterians, JA Hill Publishers, 1892, Page 67-69 He likely grew up at this location with his brother RobertJournal of Presbyterian History, Volume 3, The Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, 1906, Page 356 till he went to the University. He was educated in the fourth class of the University of Glasgow in Scotland. According to early Presbyterian histories, it is likely that the Reverend Boyd left Scotland with the leading Presbyterian ministers Francis McKemie and John Hampton in the fall of 1705.
Death
Rev. Boyd died August 30, 1708, leaving no descendants at his death and no will. Peter Watson became the executor of his will by the Governor decree.East Jersey Deeds, Book J., Page 295 Governor Richard Ingoldsby, "...granted letters of administration upon the estate of [Reverend] John Boyde (sic) of Monmouth County to Peter Watson."Frank Symmes, History of the Old Tennent Church. George W. Burroughs, Cranbury, NJ., 1904, Page 65 Records of the Presbytery, in a reference to his passing, state: "the Reverend John Boyd, being dead, what relates to him ceases".Walter Irving Clarke, Old Tennent Church. General Assembly Publicity Department, Phila, Pa, 1931, page 4
Original tombstone
The tombstone had actually been a table stone five feet in length, originally laid horizontally on a bed of stone and lime. The inscription on his gravestone, translated from the original Latin, reads:
References
External links Find a Grave - Rev. John Boyd