Michael Boylan
1831 - 1886
Farmer & Confederate Cavalryman
of Collin County, Texas
A biography by
Brenda Kellow, CG, CGI,
copyright 2000, an excerpt from her book,
Charles C. Stibbens, Soldier of the Battle of
San Jacinto, Citizen of the Republic of Texas.
Richardson, Texas: By the Author, 1992.
Please respect the copyright and do not reprint
or post on the Internet or any electronic media without the author's written
permission.
Michael Boylan was born
in Connaught County, Ireland in 1831 and died in September 1886 in St. Paul,
Collin, Texas at age 55. Michael married Mary Agnus Stibbens on 25 May
1874 at the St. Paul Catholic Church. Mary was born in January 1851 in
Anderson, Texas to Charles and Elizabeth Stibbens. She died in 1884 in St.
Paul, Collin, Texas, at age 33. Mary is buried by her husband and two
sons in the St. Paul Catholic Cemetery.
Unfortunately, there is
much information on Mary which may never surface. We know for a fact that
she is the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Stibbens. Her father was a
soldier of the Battle of San Jacinto and a Citizen of the Republic of Texas.
According to family legend, Mary was a highly respected, loving wife and
mother. The reason for the sketchy information on Mary is because of her
untimely death at age 33. However, we can document her life, and that of her
husband and children, through legal records.
Soon after Mary came to
St. Paul with her parents, she met Michael Boylan , an immigrant to Collin
County from Connaught County, Ireland. They were married in the St. Paul
Catholic Church by Father Martiniere. "Mame," as she was called by her
husband, was given away by her proud father. She was the first of his
children to marry. We know this to be true because his name appears as a
witness on their marriage record. Mary was age 23 and Michael was 43. We can
correctly assume this is Mary's first marriage. Michael married first
Clementine Bell on 19 March 1864. The author knows of no genealogy on the
Boylan family at this writing.
The information on
Michael Boylan begins in St. Paul, Collin County, with the 1860 Census.
He is listed as single and moderately wealthy. Two years later he
volunteered as a cavalryman in the Confederate Army under Captain Gabriel
Fitzhugh's Company, 16th Regiment. The 1870 Collin County Census lists his
age as 48. His occupation is farmer. He is listed as having real estate
valued at $3,000 and a personal estate valued at $850. It further states his
parents are foreign born, he is illiterate and he is a citizen.
By 1880, the census
shows Mary and Michael and their family living next door to her brother,
William Alfred, and his family. This time Mike's age is 37! Probably, this
is a mistake? His age should be 47. Mike's parents continue to be listed as
being born in Ireland. Mary's age is 27 which is consistent with other
census records. Their three children, John, Mike and Mary are ages 5, 3 and
6 months, respectively. Their personal fortune continues to steadily
increase.
The 1880 census is the
last census on which Mary Stibbens Boylan will appear. Mary died in 1884 at
the very young age of 33. The same age as our Lord when he died. She is
buried at St. Paul Catholic Cemetery. The children at her death were ages
10, 7 and 4. There is a stone for Mary and the lot is clean and tidy.
The death of young
parents is always tragic for the children. In this case, the children were
well provided for in the will of their father.
1st. I, Michael Boylan of
the County of Collin, State of Texas, being of sound and disposing mind but
infirm of body, and expecting in the course of nature to be called from this
world before a great while, desire to make and publish this my last will and
testament and I hereby revoke and declare null and void any and all other wills
and testaments that I may at any time of my life have previously made, I
therefore in the first place commit my soul to God and my body to the earth, to
be buried according to the rites of the Roman Catholic Church of which I am a
member and I will and bequeath a sufficient amount from my estate for my
executor to be hereinafter appointed, to enclose my grave and that of my
deceased wife in a simple and decent manner by a plank fence and necessary posts
.
2nd.
I desire that all stock, horses, mules, cattle, hogs together with the corn and
cotton of which I shall die possessed shall be sold at most advantage, as also
all other personal property which I may own and the proceeds applied for the
benefit of my heirs.
3rd.
All the balance of my property consisting of one hundred and twelve acres of
timber land and one hundred and fifty acres of land in the farm on which I now
reside and of which I die seized and possessed, I will and bequeath into the
possession of each as they shall reach legal age respectively and I appoint Mr.
Philip Corbett of
Collin County, State of Texas as the executor of this my last will and testament
to carry into effects its provisions, and I desire that he shall be the legal
guardian of my children until they become of age and the administrator of my
property aforesaid for their benefit as witness my hand this nineteenth day of
August in the year of our Lord 1886.
(Signed) Michael
Boylan his X mark
Signed, acknowledged and
published in the presence of the subscribed witnesses and in that of each other.
Thomas Barry
George W. Stibbens
George W. Nesbitt
CODICIL
St. Paul, August 24th,
1886.
My attention being called
to the fact that I have omitted to mention the names of my children in my
foregoing will, I therefore desire to supply the omission in this codicil. They
are John Boylan, Michael Boyland
(sic), and Mary Elizabeth Boylan
whom I
have designated in my will aforesaid as my three children.
(SIGNED)
Michael Boylan
his X mark
Witnesses:
George W. Nesbitt
Elizabeth Stibbens her X
mark
John Boylan, his X mark
In the Proof of Will,
George W. Nesbit and George Stibbens estimate the estate "at say, Two
Thousand Five Hundred Dollars probably a little more."
In the Order Appointing
Guardian, Philip Corbett makes an application for Guardian of the children.
After Philip entered into a bond for $5000, he took the prescribed oath and
was granted their legal guardian. John Burns, John Gallagher and F.M. Brooks
were appointed to appraise and inventory the property belonging to the
minors.
The application follows:
Your petitioner Philip
Corbett would respectfully show that Michael Boylan departed this life,
September 1886. That at the date of his death he left the following children
to-wit; John age 11 years (male) Michael (male) 9 years of age, Mary (female)
age 7. That your petitioner has been a neighbor and acquaintance of said Michael
Boylan for 15 years, that the mother of said children is dead and your
petitioner was nominated and appointed guardian of said children by the last
will of said Michael. That all of said parties reside in Collin County and the
children are entitled to an estate of probable value of Two Thousand Dollars,
all of which is in Collin County, petitioner prays letters of guardianship be
granted him on Estate of said Minors and of their persons.
Philip Corbitt,
Sworn to before me this
September 6, 1886.
J.W. Waddill,
Clerk
Filed September 6th,
1886.
After the three children
became adults, their portion of the estate of their father was permanently
conveyed to them in 1901. Michael, Jr., received two portions totaling 114
A. in the M. Phelan Survey and the S. Barrow Survey. Mamie received 43 A. in
the M. Phelan survey and 40 2/3 A. situated in the Thomas Chambers survey,
adjoining the properties of A.H. Burns, John Gallagher and J. Housewright .
John probably received his portion earlier as he was not mentioned in this
instrument. However, he did sign this document as did Michael, Mamie Scanlan
and her husband, W.J. Scanlan.
The children of Mary
Agnus Stibbens and Mike Boylan are:
i. JOHN P. 3 BOYLAN was born 11 February
1874 on the family farm at St. Paul. He never married. John died at
St. Paul on 5 March 1926 and is buried at St. Paul Cemetery. If
John's birth year is recorded correctly on his tombstone, which is
doubtful, then he was three months old when his parents were
married. This author feels the tombstone date is highly suspect!
ii. MICHAEL 3 BOYLAN Jr., was born in 1877.
He also never married. Naturally he had no issues. He died in 1907
and likewise is buried at St. Paul Cemetery.
+ 10. iii. MARY "MAMIE" ELIZABETH BOYLAN, born
27 January 1880; m. WILLIAM JAMES SCANLAN.
2. MARY "MAMIE"
ELIZABETH BOYLAN was born 27 January 1880 in St. Paul, Collin, Texas. She is
the first daughter of Mary Stibbens and Mike Boylan. Mamie died on 19
February 1939. She married William James Scanlan on 9 January 1900. William
was born in Painesville, Ohio on 5 February 1877 to James and Mary Masterson
Scanlan.
Mary Elizabeth Boylan,
known by the family as Mamie, Irish for Mary or Marie, was
born on 27 January 1879 on the family farm that was a part of the Mercer
Phelan survey. Mamie was barely four years old when her mother died; seven
when her father died. She had been reared with the Philip Corbitt family as
stipulated in her father's will. William and "Mamie" lived on the family
farm on the Mercer Phelan survey. Their home place stood until 1986 when the
new owner built a new brick home. William died on 4 March 1947 and is buried
in the St. Paul Cemetery. Mamie died on 19 February 1939 and is likewise
buried at St. Paul by the side of her husband.
Surname Index
Recommended Citation:
"Michael Boylan,
EARLY SETTLERS OF COLLIN COUNTY." Collin County, Texas History
and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004 ].
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