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Boylan Painters & Decorators
John Boylan (1702-1766) & Rosa (1726-1788) had a son Michael Boylan (27 Nov 1748 - 17 Apr 1801) and much later Christopher Boylan (1761-1764)
Michael Boylan
Michael founded a family run interior design warehouse at 97 Grafton Street, Dublin, selling primarilly imported wallpaper. He later expanded his business to a rented premises at £35/year located at 101 Grafton Street, where he began to manufacture with looms and presses to the rear of a shop. An advertisement in the Dublin Journal on 24 June 1777 states his offering as;
Paper hangings and Plain Rooms done in the neatest Manner by Michael Boylan, No.101 Grafton Street who has now ready for sale a large Allotment of new Patterns, which he will sell on the lowest Terms; the fashionable Plaio Paper now so much used in London and Dublin is done in the neatest Manner with colours of Pea Green, Verditer, Blue, Peach, Fawn, Queen’s Brown, Laylock, Hair, Stone, Lemon, and many other Fancy Colours. Copper Plate and other borders, Cieling and Cornices done in the best White, Stair-case wall coloured, Furniture, Chints and Damascus stripes matched, the much esteemed new fashioned Flock Paper done by him as usual. Said Boylan returns his sincere Thanks to the Nobility and Gentry for their kind Encouragement since his Commencement in Business and begs Leave to ensure them that he will give his utmost Endeavours to give general Satisfaction to all who please to employ him.
On 21 May 1780 he married Bridget Matthews (1764-1787) of Fleet Street, daughter of Margaret & Patrick Matthews, a Slater, Plasterer & Builder. Three sons were born John Boylan (1781), Patrick Boylan (1782-1849) and Michael Boylan (1784) followed by two daughters Maria Catherine Boylan (1785) & Jane Boylan.
The directories of 1780 show the business had expanded to paper staining and house painting. By 1783 he was exporting 6000 yards of Irish paper hangings to Philadelphia.
Bridget died after seven years of marriage and Michael remarried the following year to Susan(na) Byrne (1775-1799) the daughter of Felix Byrne a hemp and flax manufacturer and had at least four more children, Felix Boylan (1789), George Boylan, Redmond Boylan (died young) & Maria Boylan (died young)
In December 1792 and April 1793 Michael represented St. Andrew's parish at a convention seeking to provide rights to Catholics to vote and own land. There was an attempt to charge the group with sedition but they succeeded in petitioning King George III to grant some leniency toward Catholics.
In 1797 he was producing guilded gold and silver wallpapers and took advantage of his father-in-laws trade by offering printed oil cloth flooring.
.. English and Irish Paper Hanging and Floor Cloth Manufactory, No. 97, Grafton Street Dublin. MICHAEL BOYLAN has juft received his new collection of each, which is superior to any heretofore offered for in this city, confiding of Gold and Silver Paper ...
Business was profitable and continued to grow until calamity struck in August.
“Between three and four o’clock, on Sunday morning, a fire broke out in the back concerns of Mr. Boylan, paper-stainer, of Grafton Street; which did that worthy and respectable Citizen considerable damage, not only in the destruction of his warehouse, workshop, but in oils, colours, papers, stamps, etc. to a considerable amount – The front house escaped the fire, but received damage in using exertions to extinguish the flames in the buildings at the rear.”
Michael's losses exceeded £4,000. There was a call of support in the papers to raise funds to return him to business.
“Constantly afforded employ to more than sixty persons, and has been remarkable for acts of disinterested charity and benevolence. It is to be hoped therefore as well from the high characters of those who stood forward, as the intrinsic but unassuming merits of the individual whose misfortune has attracted their attention.”
With the assistance Michael advertised that he was seeking print cutters to help him return to production by the end of the month. .”
In 1798 there was rebellion due to repeal of the reform Michael amongst others had gained for Catholics. In a nonpartisan gesture he contributed £5 to the families of soldiers and yeomen killed in the revolt.
In 1800 he was approached by members of the Dublin Society to evaluate mining deposits of umber and red earth from Wicklow and Donegal for their usefulness. He labeled them as “good painting stuff
Michael is buried with his parents, wives and several of his children in Bluebell Cemetery The choice of this west Dublin Cemetary is curious until one notes that at the time it was a center for the printing trade due to the requirements of ready access to water. It seems plausible that Michael may have had a manufacturing facility there.
He was a highly esteemed individual who's obituary reads,
“In Grafton Street, Mr. Michael Boylan, an eminent paper-stainer and house painter, a man who, during a successful and fortunate period of 30 years, acquired the love and esteem of all who knew him.”
John & Patrick Boylan
Four days after Michael's death 20 year old John and 19 year old Patrick approached the task of taking over the family business.
“John and Pat. Boylan, Sons and Successors to the late Michael Boylan, with respect inform the Nobility, Gentry, and Public, that the business will be conducted in the same extensive manner as in the lifetime of their late Father, and hope by their Knowledge and Attention, to merit a continuance of that Patronage for which their House has been so Grafton Street in the 1800's eminently distinguished – They have just received from London a supply of the newest Patterns; also some of the best English Rush Matting, from 3 to 15 feet wide."
They married into the wealthy Dillon's of Lismullen, Co. Meath, John to Mary Margaret Dillon and Pat to Alicia Dillon (1783–1809). (Query if their brother Michael married Elizabeth Dillon)
John and Mary had at least two children Michael Dillon Boylan (1803-1838?) & Richard Dillon Boylan (1804-1888)
Pat & Alicia had two children also by the same names, Richard Boylan (1805-1885) & Michael. Their marriage was short-lived as Alicia died aged 26.
"Alicia was cut off by a long and lingering illness. She adorned and delighted society, a cheerful and vivacious woman, possessing a meek and Christian strength."
By 1810 the majority of buildings on the street had been converted from residential to retail units and the leaseholder wished to redevelop the block in which Boylan operated their business from. They moved the shop to 102 Grafton Street. The manufacturing was moved to a purpose built facility at 49-50 Baggot Street on the corner of James's Street East. It had reinforced beams to hold 21 foot wide looms
Pat married again in September 1812 to Elizabeth Markay (1792-1858) the daughter of a wealthy farmer from Naul, Co. Meath. Pat & Bess expanded their family with the births of Anne, Patrick, Elizabeth, Michael, Mary, Catherine, Margaret, Edward, Joanna, James & Francis.
In 1817 Boylan's supplied wallpaper to Westport house, Mayo. Around this time John became a silent partner as he wished to pursue other ventures, whilst Patrick continued to grow the business opening another manufacturing facility at 47 Clarendon Street. He leaned more heavily on his grandfather's trade to offer decorative stucco plasterwork.
He supplied the crimson flock paper for the State Bedroom in Castle
Coole, Fermanagh. His men were, in his own words...
"... at work in six or seven different counties... often from 6 to 12 months employed in noblemen’s houses"
On 3 Aug 1826 the Secretary General of the Board of Health, proposed measures to counteract the alarming progress of fever in Dublin. One of the suggestions was to evaluate Baggot Street hospital taking over Boylan's manufacturing facility to house the sick, as the floors could take the weight of numerous beds.
Due to the Napoleonic war legislation was enforced on paper stainers to display a licence on their premises. In 1833 Patrick paid £190 in duty and excise on printed papers. There was an enquiry into stained paper available on the market in which duty had not been paid. Patrick was requested to provide an account of his perspective on the trade. He describes how every room of his house had to be licensed should any employee mislay a tool of the trade.
He claimed...
"the only persons in Dublin now who furnish their houses in any style or magnificence are professional men, or men in business, who have amassed fortunes’'
As a result of the enquiry they ceased taxation on printing in 1836.
In 1853 Boylan's exhibited at the Irish Industrial Exhibition, Dublin. The examples of their wares included gilt-carved tables with marble tops, stone table-tops painted in the Etruscan style of imitation marble, pillars for busts, ornamented tripod, pedestals and vases, ornamental doors along with specimens of their wallpaper hangings.
Links to research:
The death certificate of Anna, Patrick's eldest daughter is the same location as a record which is witnessed by an Eva Delplanque. Eva Moloney (Delplanque) is Hugh Boylan (painter)'s son in law's sister in law. Query if Hugh is a descendant of one of the branches.