Linn Boyd of Tennessee and Kentucky

Linn Boyd was born in Nashville, Tennessee on 22 November 1800 to Abraham and Elizabeth Linn of Davidson County, TN.  He was the grandson of James Boyd. Linn Boyd grew up in a family who valued service to their country. Both James and Abraham served in the Revolutionary War.

At age 19 Linn Boyd was a United States Commissioner (1819) and negotiated a treaty with the Chicasaw Indians for land near the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.  He became involved in politics and worked with Andrew Jackson. 

Boyd moved to the Jackson purchase in Kentucky and farmed in Calloway County in 1826. He gained the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens and was elected to the state legislature in 1827. Linn Boyd served in the legislature at the same time as his father who had been elected from Trigg County.

In 1831 Linn moved back to Trigg County and was elected to the legislature there. In 1832 he married Alice C. Bennett. In 1835 Linn Boyd was elected to the United States House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. He served until 1837 when he was defeated by a Whig.

By 1839 Linn Boyd was back in Washington. He was elected from the First Congressional
District of Kentucky. He served his district and state until 1855.

In 1850 Boyd proposed a "little omnibus" bill which combined the measure for defining the 
Texas boundary and the assumption of the Texas debt with a proposal to organize the New
Mexico territory. 

Boyd was married for the second time after the death of his first wife to Anna Rhey Dixon, a widow and daughter of James Rhey of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. They had one son Rhey Boyd.

In 1856 Linn Boyd was a candidate for Vice President from Kentucky but this proved nsuccessful. He later was elected to be the Lieutenant-Governor in Kentucky but died before he was sworn into office (17 December 1859). He is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Pudacah, Kentucky.

               For More about this Family see  Elder Elijah Martindale Book 

Richard, 

My Boyd is Agnes BOYD who married Jimmy T. GRIMES.  They had 3 children - Helen, Lloyd and Maude.  The notes I have came from a great aunt who was about 80 when she gave the information to a cousin years ago. That cousin is about 70 now and doesn't remember the connections between some of the names now.  Agnes was in some way related to Abraham Boyd, father of Linn Boyd.  My guess is that she was a sister but this is only a guess.  The notes only have an arrow connecting her name and Abraham's. 

The notes go on to say Abraham had 3 sons but only lists 2 - Alfred and Lynn.  It says Alfred married Amez HARRISON and had 3 sons - George Lynn, Abraham and John and 3 daughters - Martha, Adelaide and Agnes. There are some additional notes on Linn Boyd's marriages.

Do any of the above names or information sound familiar to anyone? I just don't know where to go to get any where on the line.  The notes from Aunt Helen (we called her Bibby) has a lot of names mentioned but no dates and it is hard to make sense out of some of the connections. 

Lynn Briggs                Back to Clan Boyd Page
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