JAMES T. BOYD

 

 

JAMES T. BOYD was born in the city of New York.  His parents were early settlers of New York.  He received his education in that State and New Jersey, read law in the office of an eminent legal firm of Smith & Rochester, of Rochester, New York, and after being admitted to the bar he practiced law there until 1851, when he came to the Pacific coast, arriving here in September of that year.  He became connected with the law firm of Jane & Noyes, and since then has for over forty years been a leading member of the San Francisco bar.  During the early days he took an active part with the Law and Order party, and was one of those summoned by the sheriff to guard the county jail against the Vigilance Committee.  He made his will, and then went to the jail, shoulder to his musket and stood guard from Saturday noon until just before midnight, when General Sherman, W. T. Coleman and Chief Scannell came to the jail, announced a truce and the order was given to for the married men to return to their homes and the others to remain on guard until morning.  Mr. Boyd was a member of the first convention of the Board of Freeholders which framed the charter for the city of San Francisco.

 

During his active professional career he has been associating with the most eminent members of the bar of the city and State, among them H. P. Jaynes, Hon. J. T. Doyle, William Barber, Judge Delos Lake, Hon. R. F. Morrison, the late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, W. W. Crane, Hon. J. G. McCullough, and his present legal associates, Judge W. W. Cope and W. H. Fifield.  Mr. Boyd has devoted much time to the investigation of titles to real estate, and with this intricate branch of the profession he is very familiar, and his opinion is accepted as authority.  He also has a large and successful experience in the conduct of proceedings in Probate Court; yet the different members of the bar with whom he has been associated were in general practice, and he has thus been engaged and is familiar with all the branches of law.  The legal firm of Cope, Boyd & Fifield is one of the leading and most prominent in the city and State.  Mr. Boyd was prominent in organizing the North Beach and Mission Railroad, and for many years was chosen president of the company.  He has also been interested in the organization of insurance companies, and actively identified with the progress and development of the interests of the city and State.

 

Source: "The Bay of San Francisco" Volume 1. Lewis Publishing Company 1892. Page 448.

Submitted by: Nancy Pratt Melton.