Origins of the clan , previously known as Kilmarnock Castle, ancient stronghold of the chiefs of Clan Boyd The name Boyd is said to be descriptive, being derived from the
Scottish Gaelic buidh which means
fair or
yellow. Black also states that the surname Boyd may be derived from the
Scottish Gaelic for the
Isle of Bute which is
Bòd. In 1205 Robert de Boyd (or Robertus de Boyd) called out "Confido!" (I trust) and indicated the same with his first two fingers of his right hand raised and thumb crossing the palm—a royal gesture and utterance, that subsequently became the clan motto and symbol according to clan history. The high ground the Boyd detachment took as part of a flanking action at Largs was called Gold Berry Hill. Robert Boyd and his infantry were successful in surprising the detachment of Norsemen and caused them to retreat in such haste and panic it helped lead to the disastrous melee at the beach for King Haakom's men. The name "Gold Berry" was often written beneath the early heraldic family shield for this reason. In the 1290s, the Boyds began their association with another Ayrshire legend, William Wallace, fighting alongside other independence-seeking Scots clans to dislodge the English during the dark days following the death of Alexander III with no clear royal successor. In 1306 Duncan Boyd was executed for supporting the cause of Scottish Independence. During the later years of the
Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir Robert Boyd, probable grandson of the Robert Boyd from the Battle of Largs fame, who survived as a trusted commander of William Wallace, was a strong supporter of King
Robert the Bruce and was one of the key commanders at the
Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. (The clan's Bannockburn Shield, a field of cobalt blue with a red and white checker medieval counting board originated at this time and is one of the relics of Dean Castle) Boyd himself was killed in revenge by Alexander Stewart, brother of Alan, on 9 July 1439 at Craignaucht Hill in the parish of
Dunlop. Boyd's scout only saw one of the Stewart detachments and so the Boyds were expecting their enemy to be inferior in number. He was succeeded by his uncle,
Alexander Boyd, 3rd Lord Boyd, 12th chief, who was a favourite of
James IV of Scotland who made him
Bailie and Chamberlain of Kilmarnock.
16th century Alexander's son was
Robert Boyd, 4th Lord Boyd who according to historian William Boyd had the estates and honours of Lord Boyd restored to him in 1536 by
James V of Scotland. Although according to the
Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia the estates and honours were restored during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. Robert had two children, Robert and Margaret. Margaret married Neil Montgomery of Lainshaw, but the connection between the two families was not friendly and her father Robert Boyd, along with Mowat of Busbie, assassinated Neil Montgomery at Irvine in 1547 in revenge for the death of his cousin, James Boyd, in 1484. The Boyd family were restored to royal favour when Robert Boyd, a descendant of the first Lord Boyd received confirmation of all the family's estates and honours from
Mary, Queen of Scots. After the Queen's escape from
Lochleven Castle, Lord Boyd was one of the first to join her and fought for her at the
Battle of Langside. He later made many visits to her when she was held captive in
England. He died in 1590.
17th century and Civil War During the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms the Clan Boyd supported the royalist cause. They were rewarded after the
Restoration (1660) when William, Lord Boyd was created
Earl of Kilmarnock.
18th century and Jacobite risings The third earl opposed the
Jacobite rising of 1715 and commanded a regiment of Ayrshire volunteers for the government. However his son, the fourth earl, did support the
Jacobite rising of 1745 and fought for
Charles Edward Stuart at the
Battle of Culloden in 1746, after he had made him a member of the Privy Council with the rank of general. Boyd was captured at the Battle of Culloden and taken to the
Tower of London. He was beheaded on
Tower Hill on 18 August 1746. All of the Boyd titles were then forfeited, however his eldest son succeeded through his mother to the title of
Earl of Erroll and changed his surname to Hay. (See:
James Hay, 15th Earl of Erroll).
Modern history The 22nd Earl of Errol died in
Kenya in 1941. His daughter was entitled to succeed in the earldom of Erroll and the chiefship of the
Clan Hay but was excluded from the barony of Kilmarnock which could only pass to males. Consequently, the brother of the 22nd Earl resumed the surname of Boyd and succeeded to the barony of Kilmarnock. ==Clan Chief==