Boyden was educated at
Tiffin Boys' School,
Kingston upon Thames, and
King's College London, where he read history. Upon graduation he worked as a schoolmaster at
Henry Mellish Grammar School in Nottingham and at Tiffin School, while widening his teaching experience by lecturing in the extra-mural departments of
Nottingham,
London and
Southampton universities. Following service in the
Royal Air Force during
World War II, he qualified as a barrister at
Lincoln's Inn and became Director of Extramural Studies at
Durham University from 1947 to 1959, serving as chair of the National Institute for
Adult Education from 1958 to 1961. Boyden was also a councillor on
Durham County Council from 1952 to 1960, representing
Durham City, and a member of the executive of the
Fabian Society. Boyden was
Member of Parliament for
Bishop Auckland from 1959 to 1979, preceding
Derek Foster. He was a junior minister for
Education and Science from 1964 to 1965, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Building and Works from 1965 to 1967, and junior minister for Defence from 1967 to 1969. After his career as a junior minister was over he served as chairman of the Select Committee of Expenditure (1974–79) and as secretary of the Anglo-French Parliamentary Committee (1974–79). ==Notes==