Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
NameRev Zachary Boyd 
[257, Zachary Boyd’s own article, vol 3, p. 392], [54, His own article]
[257, Zachary Boyd’s own article, vol 3, p. 392], [54, His own article]Birthca 1585, Possibly Pinkhill
Deathca Apr 1653, Glasgow, Lanarks
BurialGlasgow
GeneralMinister of The Barony, Glasgow (1623-1653) and Vice Chancellor of Glasgow University.
EducationKilmarnock. Glasgow and St Andrews Universities.
Spouses
Notes for Rev Zachary Boyd
He m. 3 times, Margaret Mure was his third wife.
From Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol 3, p. 292:
ZACHARY BOYD (c.1595-1653), Minister of The Barony, Glasgow (1623-1653) and Vice Chancellor of Glasgow University.
ZACHARY BOYD, descended from the family of Pinkill, born about 1585 ; educated at Kilmarnock School,
Univs. of Glasgow and St Andrews (M.A. 1607), and Saumur in France (of which his cousin, Robert Boyd of Trochrig, was Principal). In 1611 he was app. one of the regents there, and in 1615 refused the
Principalship. In 1617 he was pres. to the church of Notre Dame at Saumur but owing to opposition of the French Protestants, he resigned and returned home, where he resided with Dr George Sibbald, Sir William Scott of Elie, and James, Marquess of Hamilton ; adm. to this charge before 26th Nov. 1623; was
pres. by Archbishop, Dean, and Chapter, 2nd Feb. 1628 ; elected Dean of Faculty by the Univ. of Glasgow in 1631 ; Rector for several years and Vice-Chancellor ; was a member of Commission for maintenance of Church Discipline, 21st Oct. 1634, of the Glasgow Assembly in 1638, and of Com
mission of Assembly in 1647 ; died between llth March and 21st April 1653, aged about 68. He bequeathed three bursaries in divinity for the sons of merchant burgesses, the name of Boyd to be pre
ferred. He marr. (1) name unknown, and had issue James : (2) 16th May 1624, Elspet or Elizabeth Fleming (probably sister of Principal Strang s wife), who died Nov. 1636 : (3) after 14th Feb. 1639, Margaret (died about 1692, aged about 74), third daugh. of William Mure of Glanderston (she marr. (2) James Durham, min. of St Mungo s, Glasgow), but had no issue.
Publications A Clear-e Exposition of the Institution of the Lord s Supper ; A Compend of the Bible; A Small Catechism on the Principles of Religion ; The Sword of the Lord and Gideon; The Godly Man’s Choice; A Sermon before a Battail ; The Last Battel of the Soule in Death, 2 vols (Edinburgh, 1628); Two Sermons for the Use of those who are to come to the Table of the Lord (Edinburgh, 1629) ; Two Orienta,
Pearles, Grace and Glory (Edinburgh 1629); Oratio Panegyrica, ad Carolum Magnum Britan. Franc, et Hibern. regem. (Edinburgh, 1633) ; The Balme of Gilead prepared for the Sicke (Edinburgh, 1633) ; The Song of Moses (Edinburgh, 1635) ; Four Letters of Comfort for the Death of the Earle of Haddingtoune and the Lord Boyd (Glasgow, 1640); The Battell of Newburne, 1640 (Glasgow, 1643); Crosses, Comforts, and Counsels (Glasgow, 1643) The Garden of Zion, 2 vols. (Glasgow 1644); The Holie Songs of the Old and New Testament (Glasgow, 1645); The Psalms of David in Meeter (Glasgow 1648); The Well of the Water of life (Glasgow, 1650); Letter to Mr Patrick Lindsay (Glasgow, 1840) ; Four Poems from Zion s Flowers (Glasgow, 1855); Thesaur ab eximio Theolog. D. Rob. Bodio (Bodi ad Ephesios Prcelect.), Vitce Rob. Bodii.- [Neil s Sketch to Preface to Last Battell Glasg. Tests. , Glasg. Marr. Reg.; Wodrow s Biog., ii. ; Wodrow s Anal., i., 167 ; Caldwell Papers ; Baillie s Lett. ; Inq. Ret Gen., 3883 ; M Ure s Glasgow ; Haitian
Miscell. ; The Boyds of Pinkill ; Diet. Nat. Biog.]
______________________
From Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol 3, p. 292:
ZACHARY BOYD (c.1595-1653), Minister of The Barony, Glasgow (1623-1653) and Vice Chancellor of Glasgow University.
ZACHARY BOYD, descended from the family of Pinkill, born about 1585 ; educated at Kilmarnock School,
Univs. of Glasgow and St Andrews (M.A. 1607), and Saumur in France (of which his cousin, Robert Boyd of Trochrig, was Principal). In 1611 he was app. one of the regents there, and in 1615 refused the
Principalship. In 1617 he was pres. to the church of Notre Dame at Saumur but owing to opposition of the French Protestants, he resigned and returned home, where he resided with Dr George Sibbald, Sir William Scott of Elie, and James, Marquess of Hamilton ; adm. to this charge before 26th Nov. 1623; was
pres. by Archbishop, Dean, and Chapter, 2nd Feb. 1628 ; elected Dean of Faculty by the Univ. of Glasgow in 1631 ; Rector for several years and Vice-Chancellor ; was a member of Commission for maintenance of Church Discipline, 21st Oct. 1634, of the Glasgow Assembly in 1638, and of Com
mission of Assembly in 1647 ; died between llth March and 21st April 1653, aged about 68. He bequeathed three bursaries in divinity for the sons of merchant burgesses, the name of Boyd to be pre
ferred. He marr. (1) name unknown, and had issue James : (2) 16th May 1624, Elspet or Elizabeth Fleming (probably sister of Principal Strang s wife), who died Nov. 1636 : (3) after 14th Feb. 1639, Margaret (died about 1692, aged about 74), third daugh. of William Mure of Glanderston (she marr. (2) James Durham, min. of St Mungo s, Glasgow), but had no issue.
Publications A Clear-e Exposition of the Institution of the Lord s Supper ; A Compend of the Bible; A Small Catechism on the Principles of Religion ; The Sword of the Lord and Gideon; The Godly Man’s Choice; A Sermon before a Battail ; The Last Battel of the Soule in Death, 2 vols (Edinburgh, 1628); Two Sermons for the Use of those who are to come to the Table of the Lord (Edinburgh, 1629) ; Two Orienta,
Pearles, Grace and Glory (Edinburgh 1629); Oratio Panegyrica, ad Carolum Magnum Britan. Franc, et Hibern. regem. (Edinburgh, 1633) ; The Balme of Gilead prepared for the Sicke (Edinburgh, 1633) ; The Song of Moses (Edinburgh, 1635) ; Four Letters of Comfort for the Death of the Earle of Haddingtoune and the Lord Boyd (Glasgow, 1640); The Battell of Newburne, 1640 (Glasgow, 1643); Crosses, Comforts, and Counsels (Glasgow, 1643) The Garden of Zion, 2 vols. (Glasgow 1644); The Holie Songs of the Old and New Testament (Glasgow, 1645); The Psalms of David in Meeter (Glasgow 1648); The Well of the Water of life (Glasgow, 1650); Letter to Mr Patrick Lindsay (Glasgow, 1840) ; Four Poems from Zion s Flowers (Glasgow, 1855); Thesaur ab eximio Theolog. D. Rob. Bodio (Bodi ad Ephesios Prcelect.), Vitce Rob. Bodii.- [Neil s Sketch to Preface to Last Battell Glasg. Tests. , Glasg. Marr. Reg.; Wodrow s Biog., ii. ; Wodrow s Anal., i., 167 ; Caldwell Papers ; Baillie s Lett. ; Inq. Ret Gen., 3883 ; M Ure s Glasgow ; Haitian
Miscell. ; The Boyds of Pinkill ; Diet. Nat. Biog.]
______________________
DNB Main notes for Rev Zachary Boyd
Boyd, Zachary (1585?–1653), Minister and Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow University
Boyd, Zachary (1585?–1653), was a descendant of the family of Boyd of Penkill in Ayrshire. He was born about 1585, and was first educated at Kilmarnock, whence he went to Glasgow University in 1601. He also attended the university of St. Andrews from 1603 to 1607, and graduated there as M.A. Subsequently he went over to the protestant college of Saumur, in France, and was offered, but declined, the principalship of that college. He resided in France for sixteen years, and seems to have left it on account of the religious troubles. In 1623 he returned to Scotland, and was appointed minister of the Barony parish in Glasgow. He died in 1653. The latter part of his life was spent in the management of his parish and of the affairs of the Glasgow University, in which he took a deep interest, and in literary pursuits. Only a part of his writings were printed; some still remain in manuscript in the possession of Glasgow University, to which he left them, along with a money bequest, which not only assisted in providing new buildings, but served to establish some bursaries. His bust, well known to many generations of students, stood in a niche of the quadrangle which was built with his bequest, until a few years ago the university deserted those buildings and moved to its present situation, where the bust is still preserved in the library. Boyd served the offices of dean of faculty, rector, and vice-chancellor in the university during several years. His printed prose works appeared between 1629 and 1650; the printed poetical works between 1640 and 1652. ‘The Battell of the Soul in Death’ (1629), dedicated to Charles I, and in French to Queen Henrietta Maria, while the second volume contains a dedicatory letter to Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia, on the death of her son Frederick, is a sort of prose manual for the sick. About 1640 he published a poem on General Lesly's victory at Newburn, which is marked by the utmost extravagance and absurdity of language and of metaphor. In 1640 he published ‘Four Letters of Comforts for the deaths of Earle of Haddington and of Lord Boyd.’ The ‘Psalms of David in Meeter,’ with metrical versions of the songs of the Old and New Testament, was published in 1648. The manuscript writings of Boyd, preserved in Glasgow University, are very voluminous, and some extracts have been published as curiosities. The chief portions are the ‘Four Evangels’ in verse, and a collection of poetical stories, taken chiefly from Bible history, which he calls ‘Zion's Flowers,’ and which, having been commonly called ‘Boyd's Bible,’ gave currency to the idea that he had translated the whole Bible. The stories are often absurd enough in style and treatment, but the general notion of their absurdities has been exaggerated from the fact that they were abundantly parodied by those whose object was to caricature the presbyterian style which Boyd represented. He seems to have been inclined to oppose the policy of the royalist party even in earlier days; for though he wrote a Latin ode on the coronation of Charles I at Holyrood in 1633, his dedication of the ‘Battell of the Soul’ to the king contained what must have been taken as a reflection on the want of strict sabbatarianism in the episcopal church. In later years he became a staunch covenanter, but did not relish the triumph of Cromwell. In 1650 he preached before Cromwell in the cathedral, and, as we are told, ‘railed at him to his face.’ Thurloe, Cromwell's secretary, would have called him to account, but Cromwell took means to pay him back more effectually in kind by inviting him to dine and then treating him to three hours of prayers. After that, we are told, Boyd found himself on better terms with the Protector. Reflecting many of the oddities and absurdities of style which were characteristic of his time, Boyd seems nevertheless to have been a man of considerable energy and shrewdness, and to have won a fair amount of contemporary popularity as an author.
Sources
Four Letters of Comfort, 1640, reprinted Edin. 1878; Four Poems from Zion's Flowers, by Z. B., with introductory notice by G. Neil, Glasgow, 1855; The Last Battle of the Soul in Death, Edin. 1629.
H. C.
Original date of publication: 1885
Boyd, Zachary (1585?–1653), was a descendant of the family of Boyd of Penkill in Ayrshire. He was born about 1585, and was first educated at Kilmarnock, whence he went to Glasgow University in 1601. He also attended the university of St. Andrews from 1603 to 1607, and graduated there as M.A. Subsequently he went over to the protestant college of Saumur, in France, and was offered, but declined, the principalship of that college. He resided in France for sixteen years, and seems to have left it on account of the religious troubles. In 1623 he returned to Scotland, and was appointed minister of the Barony parish in Glasgow. He died in 1653. The latter part of his life was spent in the management of his parish and of the affairs of the Glasgow University, in which he took a deep interest, and in literary pursuits. Only a part of his writings were printed; some still remain in manuscript in the possession of Glasgow University, to which he left them, along with a money bequest, which not only assisted in providing new buildings, but served to establish some bursaries. His bust, well known to many generations of students, stood in a niche of the quadrangle which was built with his bequest, until a few years ago the university deserted those buildings and moved to its present situation, where the bust is still preserved in the library. Boyd served the offices of dean of faculty, rector, and vice-chancellor in the university during several years. His printed prose works appeared between 1629 and 1650; the printed poetical works between 1640 and 1652. ‘The Battell of the Soul in Death’ (1629), dedicated to Charles I, and in French to Queen Henrietta Maria, while the second volume contains a dedicatory letter to Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia, on the death of her son Frederick, is a sort of prose manual for the sick. About 1640 he published a poem on General Lesly's victory at Newburn, which is marked by the utmost extravagance and absurdity of language and of metaphor. In 1640 he published ‘Four Letters of Comforts for the deaths of Earle of Haddington and of Lord Boyd.’ The ‘Psalms of David in Meeter,’ with metrical versions of the songs of the Old and New Testament, was published in 1648. The manuscript writings of Boyd, preserved in Glasgow University, are very voluminous, and some extracts have been published as curiosities. The chief portions are the ‘Four Evangels’ in verse, and a collection of poetical stories, taken chiefly from Bible history, which he calls ‘Zion's Flowers,’ and which, having been commonly called ‘Boyd's Bible,’ gave currency to the idea that he had translated the whole Bible. The stories are often absurd enough in style and treatment, but the general notion of their absurdities has been exaggerated from the fact that they were abundantly parodied by those whose object was to caricature the presbyterian style which Boyd represented. He seems to have been inclined to oppose the policy of the royalist party even in earlier days; for though he wrote a Latin ode on the coronation of Charles I at Holyrood in 1633, his dedication of the ‘Battell of the Soul’ to the king contained what must have been taken as a reflection on the want of strict sabbatarianism in the episcopal church. In later years he became a staunch covenanter, but did not relish the triumph of Cromwell. In 1650 he preached before Cromwell in the cathedral, and, as we are told, ‘railed at him to his face.’ Thurloe, Cromwell's secretary, would have called him to account, but Cromwell took means to pay him back more effectually in kind by inviting him to dine and then treating him to three hours of prayers. After that, we are told, Boyd found himself on better terms with the Protector. Reflecting many of the oddities and absurdities of style which were characteristic of his time, Boyd seems nevertheless to have been a man of considerable energy and shrewdness, and to have won a fair amount of contemporary popularity as an author.
Sources
Four Letters of Comfort, 1640, reprinted Edin. 1878; Four Poems from Zion's Flowers, by Z. B., with introductory notice by G. Neil, Glasgow, 1855; The Last Battle of the Soul in Death, Edin. 1629.
H. C.
Original date of publication: 1885