My maternal great grandfather's tombstone in Arlington, IL has Thomas Boyland, Native of Royal Tara, County Meath, Ireland.
I don't know if this is an actual place or if he was just proud of where he was born and "bragging" about being from near the Hill of Tara.
Does anyone have knowledge if Royal Tara was an actual place in 1823?
Thanks
Pat
Pat,
Please see attached regarding the Hill of Tara - County Meath.
Credit: Wikepedia.com
Hi Mr McCoy,
This is from his headstone in Arlington, IL. After his records, the short poem appears to be of "unknown" origin, although people have tracked it to France or Scotland in the 1700's. Have you seen it before?
On west side of stone:
In memory of
Thos. Boyland
Native of Royal
Tara County Meath
Ireland
Born Aug. 15. 1823
Died Aug. 4. 1888
Remember man as you pass by
as you are now so once was I
as I are now so you will be
Remember man , and pray for me.
On a side note, I found a record of a Thomas Boyland's Baptism on Dec 12, 1823 in Athboy parish to an Edward Boylan and Catherine Cunningham. Any idea of the age of a typical baptism in the early 1800's. Does four months seem to be about right?
Thanks
Pat
Pat,
The name "Thomas Boylan" in Athboy does not tie with your "Thomas Boyland".
The surname "Boyland" is mainly a Church of Ireland, or Anglican name.
The surname "Boylan" is Roman Catholic with some exceptions. If you access the Tithe Records for the 1820's you will see that Boyland is recorded mainly in County Monaghan. There are a few in Dublin which is not far from Tara. www.nationalarchives.ie/genealogy ; - Tithe Records
A Nicholas Boyland is leasing land from Lord Gormanston, near Stamullen in 1834, which is approx. 15 miles from Tara.
In regard to the poem on the cemetery stone, I am not aware of it. Thanks for sharing.
Best Wishes,
Mr McCoy,
Thomas was Roman Catholic. Names were changed/transcribed poorly, etc. I have Skeffington's on my mother's side and their names in censuses were Skiffington's and Skeffington's. Even the Boylands were sometimes Boylan's over the years. I'll try to dig some more, but I found Edward Boylan and Catherine Cunningham's marriage in 1817 and another baptism of a Mary in 1818. Seems like a long stretch between 1818 and 1823 between children so I looked in deaths to see if maybe children had died very young, but didn't find any. I will try to find some corroboration, maybe find Thomas and his wife Mary O'Brien's marriage and that will have parents names.
Thomas also could have anglicized the name when he arrived, "to fit in" or someone at customs wrote it that way and he just left it. The search continues.
Thanks