John Boyd was a free person of color in the 19th century, born on

New Providence New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 246 ...

island in the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

. He was self-taught with a beautiful hand writing. Governor

James Carmichael-Smyth Major-general (United Kingdom), Major-General Sir James Carmichael-Smyth, 1st Baronet, (22 February 17794 March 1838) was a British Army officer and colonial Administrator of the Government, administrator. Biography Early life and family Carm ...

of the

Bahama Islands The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the arch ...

, made him Clerk of visitors of the King's School. Governor James Carmichael-Smyth commenting on John Boyd's beautiful penmanship told the colonial office "If your Lordship has time to look at the minutes herewith enclosed; your Lordship will not look at them with less interest for their being in the handwriting of a free black man of the name of Boyd whom I have appointed Clerk of the Visitors." John Boyd had what may be the first book published by a native born black from the

in 1834 called "The Vision and Other Poems in Blank Verse."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, John People from New Providence