John Boyd b. 1802 in Philadelphia

John Boyd, Jr. Son of John Boyd & Ann Bessonet Boyd Cabeen, b. April 9, 1802 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

According to Bucks Co. Pennsylvania Newspaper Marriage Notices 1804 – 1834 John Boyd of Bristol m. Susan Yardley of Lower Makefield by C. Lombart @ Morrisville 10 – 30 – 1828 Susan Letitia Yardley Boyd

Henry County Chronicle
Cambridge, Henry Co., ILL, Thursday, Feb. 8, 1877

Death of a Venerable Citizen
John Boyd, senior, well known throughout all this region, died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Susan Y Attwater in this village, on Friday morning last at 5 o’clock. His death was not unexpected, either to himself his friends, the community, for although he had been able to walk about the streets until within a few days of his death, he had suffered greatly from asthma and heart disease, and his liability to sudden death was recognized by all.

John Boyd was born in Philadelphia, April 9, 1802 and was consequently nearly 75 years old at the time of his death. He settled in Osco Township, this county, in November, 1853, and for several years past has resided in Cambridge. He was a man of most venerable aspect, and of such unfailing cheerfulness and good feeling as made him welcome in any circle to which his short and difficult walks upon the street might bring him.

We give place here to the following prepared by an intimate friend of the deceased:

Obituary
“Tell the boys of the 112th that I have just got my furlough, and have gone home.”

John Boyd has gone home. How we shall miss him. Miss his hearty, friendly greeting, his pleasant way to those who knew him best, and whom he loved. Possessed of strong feelings, quick, impulsive, warm hearted, careless ______ as to what said or did, caring little for such things as wealth, or power, or rank, or distinction; no man-worshiper, vigorously denouncing whatever he could ______ wrong; enthusiastically stood by whatever he believed to be right; despising all _______, frauds, false religion, deceit, and hypocrisy; plainspoken, honest and truthful. And yet, under all this meaning recklessness of speech, he was a generous, large-hearted, noble nature, in deep sympathy with all humanity, more especially the humble, the poor, and the lowly, not bound by _____, or form, or ceremony of church religion, his Christ was the example of a pure selfless life.

Head of a large and happy family, a friend of children, always winning their confidence and love. Patriotic, is that at the age of over 80 years he gave his services to his country, through three long years of war, carrying sunshine and cheerfulness to every soldier in the regiment that called him “Father”. Clear in his ideas, broad and comprehensive in his advice, childlike in his disposition, leading a blameless life; a large, generous, tender, able man. If there is a heaven, and good men go there, there is our friend.

John Boyd’s body lies smoldering in the grave, His soul is marching on.

Cambridge, Feb. 6, 1877

Ann Bessonet Boyd Cabeen's Family

Information below comes from "The Cabeen Family, The Bessonet Family and Ann Bessonet Cabeen" by Mrs. Thomas McKeen Chidsey


"This family is of Huguenot extraction and probably descended from Claude de Besonet, sieur de Gatuzieres, Dauphiny, now the Department de la Lozere. At the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685, the family fled from France to England, supposed to consist of a father and three sons, Claude, Alexander and John. Claude Bessonet, presumable the father, was naturalized in London in 1700.


The Claude Bessonet branch settled in Ireland, where the family held a high social position in Waterford, and where Francis Bessonet was minister of the French Church in Dublin, 1765.


Alexander Bessonet went to Batavia, Java, where he died.

John Bessonet came to America, settled first in Bensalem Township, and afterwards in Bristol, where he died in 1778. His name appears as one of the vestrymen in the earliest remaining records of St. James' Church."


"He married Sarah Dye. Their children were:

Elizabeth, born January 13, 1721
Mary, born December 7, 1723
John, born October 21, 1725
Sarah, born May 10, 1728
James, born October 21, 1730
Catharine, born October 7, 1732
Charles, born October 5, 1734
Ann, born January 28, 1736
Margaret, born September 18, 1739
Martha, born January 25, 1742  m. Richard Johnson Oct. 12, 1783
Daniel, born February 25, 1743  m. Sarah Johnson, May 31, 1764


The children of Daniel and Sarah Johnson Bessonet were:

James, born May 14, 1765 d. October 26, 1766
Margaret, born August 1, 1766 d. November 7, 1769
Samuel, born October 26, 1768 d. September 4, 1769
Sarah, born November 4, 1769 d. July 9, 1811
Mary, born July 15, 1771 d. 1796
Elizabeth, born April 6, 1773 d. March 7, 1796
Ann, born April 15, 1775 d. January 10, 1832
Daniel, born July 8, 1779 d. December 1806

New Jersey Volunteers - Bessonett's Coy - Muster Roll shows Daniel Bessonet as the Captain of the 4th Battalion
"At the end of the Revolutionary War, Captain Daniel Bessonet of the British Army, being loyal to the Mother Country whose cause he had espoused, emigrated from Philadelphia to Halifax, with other refugees, accompanied by his wife, Sarah Johnson Bessonet, his three daughters, Mary, Elizabeth and Ann, and his son Daniel. He died December 1, 1783, aged 40 years. His wife, Sarah Bessonet, died December 3, 1790, aged 42. These three daughters were remarkable for their beauty and their grace of manner. Halifax being a garrison town, they probably led a life of gaiety and excitement, resulting in the early death of Mary and Elizabeth. Consumption, the disease of which they died, was probably induced by exposure to the night air in thin ball dresses, as well as by the unhealthiness of the climate."

Meeting Ann Bessonet

We know that John was married to Ann Bessonet of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Ann's family lived for a time in Pennsylvania. Her father, Daniel was a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, so they were forced to leave this country at the end of the war. They settled in Halifax.

According to the Bessonet Cabeen Manuscript, Ann's two sisters died of consumption in the same year, 1796. "Benjamin Etter, the husband of Mary Bessonet, is said to have been very proud of his beautiful wife. After her death in 1796, he was anxious to marry her youngest and only remaining sister, Ann, Elizabeth and Mary having died in the same year. Persecuted by his attentions which were distasteful to her, she desired to leave Halifax. She had a kind and faithful friend in Mrs. Wright, the wife of a clergyman of the Established Church, who not only encouraged her in her desire, but gave her practical assistance. Ann Bessonet, having found a sum of money apparently mislaid upon a windowsill, took it to Mrs. Wright, and was told by her that it was not lost money, but her own. By this means she was enabled to go from Halifax to Philadelphia. She took passage in the vessel commanded by Captain John Boyd, sailing between Philadelphia and Halifax, and afterwards married Captain Boyd in Philadelphia.

After her marriage -- probably immediately after -- she sailed with her husband on a voyage to Lisbon. Three years before his death, which occurred in 1805, his health failed and he left the sea and removed with her to Bristol, PA. Their son, John, was born in Philadelphia in 1802, their daughter, Mary Ann in Bristol, PA in 1803.

John Boyd died in 1805, aged 27 years, and was buried in Bensalem, PA. Soon after she married Robert Cabeen.

Ship Superb Sailing from Philadelphia, PA

John Boyd was the Master of the Ship Superb, originating from Philadelphia and traveling to Cork, Hamburgh, Havanna, Jamaica and other points along the way. They shipped cargo such as sugar, gum, varnish, and spirits of turpentine.

According to an index held at the National Archives, the Ship Superb was built in Massachusetts in 1788. I was registered in New York, Nov. 12, 1801.

Log Entries from the Ship Superb

"Lying in at Halifax" from April 27, 1798 to May 18, 1798.

May 18 left Halifax towards Philadelphia.

Thursday, May 17, 1798 - Light breezes from the northward the first part of these 24 hours. At 8 a.m. got the passengers on board. Got a ________ out to a ship in the stream.

Friday, May 18, 1798 - Light breeze and clear for the first part of these 24 hours. At 7 a.m. hove up and got underway. At 8 we was brought to at George's island over _____ by a boat from the island over ________ by a boat from the island and 2 men ________. Got clear made sail in company with ship Gadsden of Charleston at noon Cape Sambro lighthouse ______ dist of 8 or 9 miles got the boat in and stowed the anchors

May 22, 1798 - under way to Philadelphia. While in Halifax time was spent working on the boat. Some of the things they took on board -- ballast, deck nails, 2 gallons paint, oil, varnish, asirits of turpentine, 16 yards of canvas, 85# beef, burch broom. 8 oars.

Friday, May 27, 1798 - Light winds and hazey all these 24 hours the captain did withdraw shore apeals and log book and ships papers were given up to begin the ships way got fore and main of qmaster was oblidged to put the logwood up at publick _____ to pay the ships disbursements. Winds to the southward.

Thursday May 31, 1798 - Came into South Street Warf at 4 pm in Philadelphia.

They were busy then calking, painting, etc. on the boat.

Friday, July 14, 1798 last date entered

Ship Superb

John Boyd - FOUND!

The life of John Boyd is a puzzle that we have worked to solve for a number of years . . . finally with a little persistence, some great assistance from "internet cousins" and a little document from a library in Pennsylvania, we have been able to learn more about the life of such an elusive fellow. We'd like to tell you the little bit that we know about him in hopes of learning more . . . .

John was the Master of the Ship Superb, originating from Philadelphia, PA. He was at sea as the captain at least from 1797 to 1800. In 1802, his health failed and he left the sea and removed to Bristol, PA. He died in 1805 and was buried in Bensalem, PA. His widow went on to marry Robert Cabeen.