Thomas Boyd 1872? GA to 1956? Dade City FL
Any info on Thomas Boyd is appreciated; here is what I have:
Father of Henry Robert Ray Boyd 1/29/1929 - Jewett Texas
My grandmother, Orbie Alice Groom, later know as Johnnie Knott, was introduced to Thomas Boyd (TB) in Jewett, Texas by her dad WA Groom and older brother Eric Groom. They were married and had my dad, Henry Ray Boyd, later known as Henry Robert Ray, on January 25, 1929. On my dads birth certificate it notes that my grandmother had a previous child that did not survive.
At some point, the family moved away. Aunt Joann thought they went to Winnipeg Canada, Aunt Billie thought North Dakota. Joann thought that daddy may have been born in Winnipeg which is contradictory to his birth certificate but you never know.While gone, TB reportedly drank and beat my grandmother and one night she took his money and car and returned to Texas.
My dad and Aunt Billie went to see TB in 1953 in a nursing home in Dade City, Florida and met his sister (probably younger) who lived in Clearwater, FL. It is likely she helped care for him or was visiting him there at the same time. While there, daddy and Aunt Billy picked oranges in Tampa. Prior to this, I’m not sure if my dad had seen TB before & if so probably only a time or two.
Daddy thought TB was born in Lawns Colorado about 1872 most of which probably came from Daddy’s birth certificate which is not clear.Daddy also said TB probably went by the name William Boyd and possibly other names.Daddy also said that TB told him that he (daddy or TB?) was a ½ brother to Hopalong Cassidy a.k.a William Lawrence Boyd.It is worth noting that Hoppy was born in Ohio and that TB’s travels to Alaska could have him in that area around the time Hoppy was conceived but that Hoppy’s parents are fairly well documented and do not include TB.
My mother, Norma Jean Bailey, later know as Jeannie Grinnell, recalls that TB was 57 at daddy’s birth which is what his Birth Certificate says although his picture holding Henry at age 1 does not look this old.When Henry had his first son (me), he wanted to tell TB, but found out that he had passed away shortly after. Mom remembers getting a notice or something about this, possibly from his sister or the nursing home. I’m not sure where he is buried.
TB was reportedly a rolling stone that moved around a lot. When I (Henry’s 1st Son - James) was a young boy, I heard that TB had killed a man in a bar and fled. Later I heard that he killed a man in Alaska over a claim during the gold rush and escaped the revenge of his brothers by floating down a river. There are border crossing records that support this and list a cousin of his in Canada on one of them. I'm not sure if these are one and the same or two different stories but suspect the same.
I’ve heard from several relatives that he went by several names such as William Ray Boyd, Thomas Boyd, TB Boyd and possibly Henry. The fact that he retired in Florida near a sister might suggest he was from that area as most people like to return home when they retire. Henry’s Birth Certificate is hard to read.It clearly has Kansas City Mo as the place of his birth, but then that is crossed out and something else is written over it and says something like L??ns ^Co, GA.I suspect it says that TB was born in Lawns, Lowns or Louns and the Co means County instead of Colorado as daddy thought. Checking, there are two or three counties in Georgia that fit this description: Laurens, Long and Lowndes. Surprisingly, the latter is on the southern border of Georgia with Florida where TB retired and died.If the county of birth was called out verbally the transcriber may have wrote it like it sounds and thereby misspelled it, which is very common on old documents.
Putting it all together, I think Thomas B Boyd aka William Boyd aka TB Boyd was probably born in 1872 but possibly later than that being that he went by different names, he might have misrepresented his age too.The alias names and his attempt to be anonymous during that time makes it hard to find concrete information today.I believe he was born was in Laurens or Lowndes County Georgia and that he had a younger sister, possibly other siblings and from his dress in his pictures and the fact he had a car in 1930, I believe he was fairly wealthy.His sister was in Clearwater which is a wealthy area too.Prior to meeting my grandmother, I suspect he had been in Kansas City MO and so she reported that on Henry’s birth certificate before learning different and correcting it.His occupation was Salesman and not farmer or laborer.The source of his wealth is unknown and I've been unable to find any concrete information about him.
Any information is appreciated:JamesRay26 “at” hotmail.com