He was born in Scotland at Forfarshire (now Angus), the son of Thomas, a merchant, and Rachel Eccles.

He was then made a Secretary to the Military Department of Inspection in Bengal and continued in that post until his death.

His idea was that it should help in finding alternate sources of food to prevent famines and to identify plants that might be commercially useful.

[3] Kyd had proposed that the botanical garden would help in introduction of economically important plants and help the East India Company "outstrip our rivals in every valuable production which nature has confined to this part of the globe".

[2] Kyd made a request in his will that he be buried without any religious ceremony in the botanical garden that he founded, but was instead interred in South Park Street Cemetery.