James Boyd

Who was James Boyd?

James Boyd LL.D. was a schoolmaster and author.

He was the son of a glover, was born at Paisley and after receiving his early education partly in Paisley and partly in Glasgow, he entered Glasgow University, where he gained some of the highest honours in the humanity, Greek, and philosophical classes. After taking his degrees of B.A. and M.A., he devoted himself for two years to the study of medicine, but abandoned this pursuit; entered the divinity hall of the university of Glasgow, and was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Dumbarton in May 1822. Towards the close of that year he removed to Edinburgh, where for three years he maintained himself by private tuition. In 1825 he was unanimously chosen house governor in George Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh. The university of Glasgow conferred on him the honorary degree of doctor of laws.

Boyd became classical master in the high school of Edinburgh on 19 August 1829. The largely attended classes which he always had decisively proved the public estimate of his merits. For many years before his death he held the office of secretary to the Edinburgh Society of Teachers.