Thank you Frances and Brian. As Brian knows, I cannot find any trace of my GGF, John James Boyde, before 1891. My father reckons that farming was so poor c1880 that the family tried fishing - but were sea-sick! But I still cannot find any trace of him.

I am planning to research every John Boyd(e) between 1855 & 1873. Thanks for your help, and I hope the formatting works this time!

James