Little is known of Boyd's life apart from her works. In publishing her novel The Happy Unfortunate, or, The Female Page (1732), she explained that she hoped to attain enough money to provide for herself (she was often ill) and her ailing mother. Presumably, the revenue from this publication enabled her to open up a shop selling stationary, plays, almanacs, etc. Much of her poetry is occasional and inscribed to nobility. She also wrote a ballad-opera that is a mix of comedy, necromancy, and masque.