John Boyd | |
---|---|
Born | August 7, 1796 |
Died | May 4, 1873 |
Occupation(s) | settler, politician, philanthropist |
Spouse | Elizabeth McLean |
Relatives | Linn Boyd (brother) |
John Boyd ( August 7, 1796 – May 4, 1873) was an American settler and politician. He served as a Congressman for the Republic of Texas and as a member of the Texas Senate.
John Boyd was born on August 7, 1796, in Nashville, Tennessee. [1] [2] [3] His father was Abraham Boyd and his mother, Nancy Linn. [4] His brother, Linn Boyd, went on to serve as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855. [4]
By 1835, Boyd settled in Sabine County, Texas, with his wife and children. [1] [2] He then served in the Texas Revolution. [2]
Boyd served as a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1845. [2] In 1845, he moved to Limestone County, Texas, where he staked a claim near the Tehuacana Hills, northwest of Tehuacana. [2]
From 1862 to 1863, Boyd served in the Texas Senate. [2] By then, he had become a secessionist, in favor of the Confederate States of America. [1] [2]
Boyd was also a landowner in Nashville. [5] He donated 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land as well as financial assistance for the establishment of Trinity University. [2]
Boyd married Elizabeth McLean. [1] They had nine children, but only three reached adulthood. [1] He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. [2]
Boyd died on May 4, 1873. [1] [3] After his death, the land he owned in Nashville, Tennessee was inherited by his granddaughter, Rachel Douglas Boyd Smiley, the wife of Senator Henry S. Foote. [5] They built a house, Old Central, which was later acquired by Vanderbilt University, on whose campus it still stands today. [5]