Mary (Pillar) Boyd (1738 - aft. 1824)

Born 5 May 1738 in County Tyrone, Ireland

Ancestors

Wife of Andrew Boyd — married 1765 in Ireland

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jason Lee Edwards [send private message]

Mary (Pillar) Boyd was born in Ireland.

Mary was a Friend (Quaker)

Biography

Mary Pillar was born 5 May 1738 to James Pillar and Mary Greer in County Tyrone. She married out of the Society of Friends to Andrew Boyd in 1765 and they moved to Baltimore, Maryland.^[1]

On 19 April 1765, the minutes of Grange Men’s Meeting reported that they were “informed that Mary Pillar is married to a Man of another Society, contrary to the mind of her Parents & her Father’s Counsel, as well as the known Rules of our Society & it being expected that said Mary will, in a short time, Embark with her Husband for America.” They appointed James Morton, Jonas Shaw, and Thomas Greer to visit with her, “lay the Evil of her Proceeding before her, & prepare a suitable Testimony of Denial against her.”^[2]

On 24 April 1765, the men appointed to meet with her reported “that she appeared much Concerned & expressed her Intention of Adhering to the Profession she was Educated in.” The “Paper drawn up against her said misconduct…was read & with some alteration approved.”^[3]

Shortly thereafter, Mary and Andrew Boyd left for America. On 28 June 1765, the minutes of Grange Monthly Meeting report that a paper “was left by Mary Boid at her leaving this Country for America in w’ch She Condems her Conduct in marrying out of the Society and expresses much Sorrow for the same.”^[4] The next month, on 19 July 1765, her confession was again read and considered. The meeting determined that “She has felt a degree of Godly Sorrow for her Inconsiderate Conduct…and the Meeting taking into Consideration that as she is gone to a Strange Country, it may be of service to her to be under the Notice of such Friends as may have her Everlasting Welfare at heart.” James Morton and Thomas Greet were instructed to “prepare such a Certificate as may be honest & Suitable on the Occasion.”^[5] Thomas Greer was “desired to take a Coppy thereof and Transmit the Originial to Sam’l Morton of Philadelphia.”^[6]

However, it appears that the certificate never made to her. On 13 April 1787, the following was recorded in the minutes of Grange Monthly Meeting:

Application having been made by our friend Wm Pillar concerning a Certificate for his sister Mary Pillar otherwise Boyd who Removed to America about the year 1765 and the Records having been serched it appears that a Certificate or Recommendation was signed for her at a Mens Meeting held the 30th of 8th Month that year w’ch it appears was sent to the care of our Friend Sam’l Morton Now Deceased but that said Certificate did not Reach the Monthly Meeting within the bounds of w’ch she settled.^[7]

A search was made of the records, and a new certificate was issued on 6 July 1787.^[8] On 25 July 1789, she was received in to membership in Baltimore, Maryland, with the note “Mary Boyd procuc’d (a certificate) from the Mens & Womens meeting held at Grange near Charlemont in the Kingdom of Ireland dated the 7th of the 6th month 1787.”^[9]

She was still living on 9 July 1824 when she removed from the Baltimore Monthly Meeting to the New York Monthly Meeting.^[10]

Research Notes

No record of her death has been located.

Sources

1. ↑ Ireland, Society Of Friends (Quaker) Births, image, FindMyPast, Family List of James Pillar and Mary Greer, Grange Monthly Meeting, page 11, (accessed 31 December 2021); citing Archive Reference GM5.2, Ulster Friends Trustees Ltd. “Mary Born 3 mo. 5th 1738 married out of society in the year 1765 to Andrew Boyd & settled in Baltimore North America & had several Chil’dn.”
2. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 19 April 1765, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.1A, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
3. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 24 April 1765, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.1A, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
4. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 28 June 1765, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.1A, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
5. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 19 July 1765, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.1A, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
6. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 30 August 1765, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.1A, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
7. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 13 April 1787, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.2, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
8. ↑ Ireland, Society of Friends (Quaker) Congregational Records, database with images, FindMyPast, Minutes of 6 July 1787, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing Records of Grange Monthly Meeting, Archive Reference GM1.2, Ulster Friends trustees Ltd.
9. ↑ U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, database with images, Ancestry, Minutes of 25 July 1789, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing the records of Gunpowder Monthly Meeting, Baltimore Maryland, 1785-1797.
10. ↑ U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, database with images, Ancestry, Record of Members, (accessed 21 January 2023); citing the records of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Baltimore Maryland, 1785-1797. “Mary Boyd…9 of 7 Mo 1824 removed to N. York Mo Mtg.”