Captain P. Boylan

Captain P. Boylan, of Cleveland, Ohio, was born in Baltray, County Louth, Ireland, about the year 1833. His father and grandfather, Christopher and Nicholas Boylan, respectively, were first branch pilots of the port and harbor of Drogheda, on the river Boyne. They owned a pilot boat called the Gazelle of sixty-five tons, the only pilot boat of that port.

Capt. P. Boylan first went to sea with his father in the Gazelle, in 1845, remaining thereon until 1847. From the Gazelle he went to serve his apprenticeship in the full-rigged brig. Lady Florence, with Capt. Edward Bishop, serving part of his time in the schooner Lord Byron, with Captain Owens. From the Byron he was sent on board the bark Jeanette, Captain Moore, in 1848, loading railroad iron in Cardiff, Wales, for Boston, Mass., from which place he went to St. Andrews and loaded lumber for Drogheda, Ireland, when he returned to the brig Lady Florence, remaining thereon until 1850. He next went on the brigantine Isabella with Captain Kelly, and loaded railroad iron in Newport, Wales, for New York, arriving there in June, 1850. At Brooklyn, N. Y., he helped load a cargo of Indian corn for Belfast, Ireland, arriving in Belfast October 10, 1850, going back to the brig Lady Florence, where he finished his apprenticeship in 1851. He was then made mate of the same brig, remaining there until January 3, 1852, after which he was made mate of the schooner Monkey, Captain Moore. He shipped at Liverpool March 15, 1852, in the full-rigged ship Joseph Walker with Captain Oxley, for New York, the vessel carrying six hundred and fifty (650) passengers to America. Leaving the Walker at New York he went to Oswego where he shipped before the mast in the schooner Oregon, Captain Thompson. Then he went to the schooner Mary Frances, Captain McGann, and to the brig Halifax, Captain Graham, in the same year, becoming mate of the schooner Elizabeth with Capt. R. H. Hudson, in 1853. In the year 1834, he sailed as mate of the brig Arabian with Capt. Daniel McLaughlin, leaving her in July, to become master of the schooner Elizabeth. This vessel was lost the same year through springing a leak off Long Point, Lake Erie, went down December 5, with a cargo consisting partly of coal and partly of a traveling museum of stuffed birds and animals, which was on its way to Toronto. The museum, which was valued at $25,000 belonged to a man named Davis, of Cape Horn, and but $9,000 worth of it was recovered.

Captain Boylan sailed the schooner Albion in 1855, and the brig Arabian in 1856, purchasing the vessel three years later and sailing her for eight years. Then he sold her and bought the schooner E. P. Ryerse, spending the next eight years on board that vessel. The Ryerse collided with the schooner Bahama, of Dunkirk, and was lost in September, 1874. Captain Boylan libeled the Bahama for the loss of his own vessel and won the suit, receiving the Bahama in return. He sailed the Bahama until the fall of 1879, when she went ashore in a storm at Sand Beach, Lake Huron with a cargo of coal for Racine. He abandoned the vessel to the underwriters as a total loss, receiving the insurance of $7,500, and in 1882 he purchased one-half of the schooner Orantes, disposing of his interest that fall, and purchasing the schooner Arcturus until 1888, when he sold her and retired.

On January 29, 1855, he was married to Miss Julia Curran, of Cleveland. Their children are: Margaret J., wife of Joseph Meehan; Annie, wife of Manly Tello; Nicholas J. and Thomas E., coal merchants; Mary Frances; and Christopher, who is an oil merchant in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mrs. Boyland died in 1866, and in 1884 Captain Boylan married Miss Mary Prendergast, who was born in Cleveland.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.