Born in Salem, New York, Boyd attended the common schools and was graduated from Washington Academy, Salem, New York, in 1818. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1823.

Boyd commenced practice in Salem, New York, but shortly afterward moved to Whitehall, New York. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1828 and served for many years, and also served as member of the New York State Assembly in 1840. He was Supervisor of Whitehall in 1845, 1848, and 1849.

Elected as a Whig to the Thirty-second Congress Boyd was United States Representative for the fourteenth district of New York from March 4, 1851, to March 3, 1853. He served as special surrogate of Washington County from 1857 to 1859. He was elected president of the village of Whitehall, Washington County, New York.^[1] He resumed the practice of law.

Boyd died in Whitehall, Washington County, New York, on July 2, 1868 (age 68 years, 337 days). He is interred at Evergreen Cemetery, Salem, New York.

• Finding Aid to John H. Boyd Papers, 1835-1863 at the New York State Library, accessed January 28, 2016

• United States Congress. "John H. Boyd (id: B000718)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• John H. Boyd at Find a Grave
• Govtrack US Congress
• The Political Graveyard

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress