The purpose of this challenge, which is hosted by Amy Johnson Crow, is to write about one ancestor every week in 2024, according to a given prompt. I will be writing about ancestors and other family members.
Patrick BOYLE was born in Donegal Ireland, and arrived in Melbourne from Ireland on “The Pomona” in 1857.1 Also travelling with him were his wife Margaret McCLINTOCK and daughters, Ellen, Annie and Margaret. They quickly settled in to life at Violet Town, where Patrick became a successful farmer, on the banks of the Honeysuckle Creek. Margaret died in 1862, just 5 years after their arrival. 2
Patrick remarried in 1866 to Maria Chute.3 They had 4 daughters and 3 sons – Hanora, James, Thomas, Theresa, Francis, Maria and Catherine. Patrick died in 18914 in Violet Town and is buried in a large family plot with both wives and his daughter Ellen who predeceased him.
When I first started to research my family, about four decades ago, and knew very little about how to go about finding information about my family, I decided to go to the Violet Town Cemetery. This cemetery was only about an hour from home, and all I knew about Patrick Boyle was that he lived there.
The Boyle family plot at the Violet Town Cemetery, Violet Town, Victoria, Australia
This family plot is slightly unusual, as Patrick Boyle is buried there with both his first and second wife, and with his married daughter. I thought it strange that his married daughter would be buried in the family plot.
This sent me on to a huge learning curve to find out if there was anything else that I should know. I found that his daughter, Ellen Boyle, was murdered by her husband, Richard Chute, when she was aged 20. She was the mother of a toddler, and a baby who was only a few days old, and in her arms at the time of her death. 5
It does get a little more curious. Ellen Boyle’s husband was Richard Chute. It was Richard’s sister, Maria, who was Patrick Boyle’s second wife. I do wonder at the tragedy of Patrick Boyle’s daughter being murdered by his brother in law.
I have written more about Ellen’s tragic story here6
PASSENGER LIST, SS Pomona 1857, Boyle family; Public Records of Victoria. VPRS 947/P0000, Apr - Jun 1857.
DEATH CERTIFICATE: Margaret Boyle, citing death 15 November 1862, at Violet Town,Victoria, Australia; 3/1862 Births Deaths Marriages, Victoria. Jones Family Papers, privately held by Jennifer Jones, Bendigo.
MARRIAGE: Patrick Boyle and Maria Chute, 10 April 1886,at Violet Town,Victoria, Australia; 1606/1886 Births Deaths Marriages, Victoria. Jones Family Papers, privately held by Jennifer Jones, Bendigo.
DEATH CERTIFICATE: Patrick Boyle,11 September 1891, at Violet Town, Victoria, Australia; Reg: 249/1891 Births Deaths Marriages, Victoria. Jones Family Papers, privately held by Jennifer Jones, Bendigo.
INQUEST: Ellen Boyle, 14 November 1871, at Violet Town, Victoria, Australia. Public Records of Victoria (PROV) VPRS 24/PO Unit 267 Item 1871/313
INQUEST: Ellen Boyle, Tracking Down The Family published by Jennifer Jones 30 May 2020
That's a fascinating albeit gruesome story Jennifer. In you linked blog I see by the comments that the notes about the children. Did you get any further with that?
Nice to meet you at the Hang Out yesterday.
Jenny from Western Australia
The murder is awful but explains why Ellen would be buried with her parents.
Patrick's daughter Margaret Hogan inserted a death notice in the Melbourne "Advocate":
BOYLE.—On 11th September, at his residence,
Violet Town, Patrick Boyle, aged 63 years.
R.I.P. Inserted by his sorrowing daughter,
Margaret Hogan.
Family Notices (1891, September 26). Advocate (Melbourne, Vic. : 1868 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169276676
It seems Patrick left a will too.