Walter henry Boylan alias Skipper

Info 1a, Walter henry Boylan

Walter henry Boylan was, according to family research some 30 years ago, reputed to be the brother of Susanna harriet Fuller (skipper)
but so far no evidence has been found for this assertion.

However it may originate from newspaper reports of a court case 12 September 1889 , nearly a year after his death, which recorded him as the uncle of George Skipper, Susanah Fuller/Skipper's Nephew But uncle could be taken to mean a sibling of either George Skipper's father OR mother, also Records for Walter's death show: informant George Skipper nephew

According to some Boylan family, Walter was supposedly the son of Charles Boylan and Susanna ? and was born circa 1831 Hingham, Suffolk. however there are no Boylan in Suffolk so Walter, like Susannah, may also have changed his name.

Walter was publican a the Omaramutu Hotel when he died in 1888.
In March 1883 a licence transfer was made for the Omaramutu Hotel from Stewart Bates to Alan Bell the new owner.
( 20 apr 1882 Stewart Bates advertises hotel for sale)
1884 Alan Bell Hetel Keeper Omaramutu adjuged bancrupt,
so it appears Walter henry Boylan most probable purchased the Hotel in 1884
No record has been found of an Application for Liquore Licence in Boylans name.

Walter died 2 Nov 1888 Omarumutu, Opotiki, New Zealand.
Buried Opotiki Cemetery location E01.01

Later research points to a posibility that Walter was half brother to Emma Skipper, Susannah's 1st Cousen, this would still make him uncle to George and John fisher-Skipper as per the court case.

First evidence of a possible connection:
source: notes at Whagarei Library
S.H. Fuller arrive on 12 february 1871 at the Bay of Islands ,
on a small cliper the "Sea Belle" , which she jointly owned with
a Capt Thomas Robertson, with her 4 children,
3 girls and an infant son, also a Mr. Walter Fuller.
As yet we dont know if this Walter was her son or brother! or relative.

sheet 2

The headstone of Walter Boylan's daughter May Snell(nee Boylan) gives her birthplace as Omarumutu Hotel probably circa 1887 and from court case after his death we know both Walter Boylan and the Skipper brothers lived somewhere in the vicinity of Opotiki. The Electorial register of 1879, which includes both Maori and English names, from Omarumutu and Opotiki , shows no sign of Walter Boylan or the Skipper brothers. However

Bay of Plenty Times 4th March 1879
February; Departues for Auckland
S.S. Rowena
Mr.Boylan
Miss Boylan

Bay of Plenty 1st April 1879 S.S. Rotorua for Auckland and Sydney Mrs Boylan

1885  Tauanga Electoral Roll
Boylan Walter Henry, gentleman, Opotiki

1885-6 Electoral Rolls
Walter henry Boylan 
Tauranga, Bay of Plenty

1911   Bay of Plenty Roll
Boylan May, spinster, Opotiki
Snell Chrles frederick , Goring Street Opotiki, Labourer

1914 Snell May, Ford St, md.

1928
Snell Charles Frederick , Opotiki, labourer
Snell May, Opotiki, married.

sheet 3

Bay of Plent Times 19 sep 1889 R.M. COURT, OPOTIKI, September I2th, 1887.? (Before R.S. Bash, Esq, R.M.)
E. O. Ross, executor of the late Walter Boylan, V. - G Skipper, for £5, for use of a horse. E. O. Boss, sworn, deposed- That he brought the case as executor of the late W, Boylan, (authority produced). A horse or the value thereof, was claimed. Witness had the horse in his possession for a considerable time prior to the death of Mr Boylan. Defendant came for the horse to go to Gisborne. Witness saw Boylan two or three days before his, death, and he then blamed witness Very much for giving it. Mr Litchfield gave witness a receipt for the horse, but it was very indefinite. He also gave witness other papers, which witness submitted to show that Boylan did business in a rather slack manner; papers submitted to prove signitures. Cross Examined by defendant Witness was not told by defendant's uncle that the horse was defendant's. He remembered telling defendant that witness wanted the mare. Witness got the horse and went home that night. Witness remembered getting the receipt produced. For the defence: George Skipper, defendant, sworn, deposed- While Mr Sams was in the force witness bought the mare from him for £4 10s. She previously belonged to Sisam, who lent her to Douglas for about 18 months to drive in a baker's cart. After witness lent her to his uncle, three days before the latter died, witness, rode her to Gisbourne. "Witness bought her from Wagner. He never gave a receipt, or received any money for her. The receipt Ross produced was for a mare. Witness sold her to Annie Humphries, and made out that receipt, and his brother witnessed it. Cross-examined by; plaintiff Witness did not know on what date he bought either of the mares. J. D. F. Sams, sworn, deposed- It was about March in 1885 when defendant bought the horse from him for, he thought, £4 10s, Mr English saw the bargain made. Has Often seen the horse. Saw it with Douglas. W. M. English, sworn, deposed- He remembered, the purchase. The brand was an M in a half circle on the near rump. Had frequently seem it in Douglas' possession. He remembered being in the hotel, This was after defendant's uncle's death. The brand was very distinct on the mare- one that would grow larger K Wagner, sworn, deposed- He remembered selling defendant a mare about three years ago. She had no brands. Defendant paid witness for the mare. J. Skipper, sworn, Deposed- He remembered the purchase of the mare. Also the purchase or a mare- from Wagner. He witnessed the purchase, Did not know the mare, for the mare defendant owned now was branded with an M in a circle. Cross-examined by plaintiff- Could not remember what became of the mare purchased from Mr Wagner. Judgment from defendant with costs 18s, and witnesses' expenses,

Bay of Plent Times 19 sep 1889
R.M. COURT, OPOTIKI, September I2th, 1887.?
(Before R.S. Bash, Esq, R.M.)

E. O. Ross, executor of the late Walter Boylan, V. - G Skipper, for £5, for use of a horse.

E. O. Boss, sworn, deposed- That he brought the case as executor of the late W, Boylan, (authority produced). A horse or the value thereof, was claimed.

Witness had the horse in his possession for a considerable time prior to the death of Mr Boylan.
Defendant came for the horse to go to Gisborne. Witness saw Boylan two or three days before his, death, and he then blamed witness Very much for giving it.

Mr Litchfield gave witness a receipt for the horse, but it was very indefinite. He also gave witness other papers, which witness submitted to show that Boylan did business in a rather slack manner; papers submitted to prove signitures.
Cross Examined by defendant Witness was not told by defendant's uncle that the horse was defendant's. He remembered telling defendant that witness wanted the mare. Witness got the horse and went home that night.
Witness remembered getting the receipt produced.

For the defence: George Skipper, defendant, sworn, deposed-
While Mr Sams was in the force witness bought the mare from him for £4 10s. She previously belonged to Sisam, who lent her to Douglas for about 18 months to drive in a baker's cart.

After witness lent her to his uncle, three days before the latter died,
witness, rode her to Gisbourne. "Witness bought her from Wagner. He never gave a receipt, or received any money for her. The receipt Ross produced was for a mare. Witness sold her to Annie Humphries, and made out that receipt, and his brother witnessed it.

Cross-examined by; plaintiff Witness did not know on what date he bought either of the mares.

J. D. F. Sams, sworn, deposed-
It was about March in 1885 when defendant bought the horse from him for, he thought, £4 10s, Mr English saw the bargain made. Has Often seen the horse. Saw it with Douglas.

W. M. English, sworn, deposed-
He remembered, the purchase. The brand was an M in a half circle on the near rump. Had frequently seem it in Douglas' possession. He remembered being in the hotel, This was after defendant's uncle's death. The brand was very distinct on the mare- one that would grow larger

K Wagner, sworn, deposed- He remembered selling defendant a mare about three years ago. She had no brands. Defendant paid witness for the mare.

J. Skipper, sworn, Deposed- He remembered the purchase of the mare. Also the purchase or a mare- from Wagner. He witnessed the purchase, Did not know the mare, for the mare defendant owned now was branded with an M in a circle.

Cross-examined by plaintiff- Could not remember what became of the mare purchased from Mr Wagner. Judgment from defendant with costs 18s, and witnesses' expenses,

sheet 3

LOW Boylan Reunion 1975
A family proud to have had seven generations live in Whangarei held a reunion at the weekend (1975) which brought together Maori and Pakkeha decendants who had hardly realised they were related. Thanks to the painstaking research by by Mesdames Alva Turnbull and Irene Wilson, however, about 30 of their long "lost" relatives from Taranaki were able to share in the celebration of what would have been a 96th wedding anniversary in Whangarei. John Low, jnr. had married Eliza Albania Fuller in 1879 in the Settlers Hotel, then owned by the bride's mother. A Scott from Edinburgh, John came in the Ship Jura to Auckland, (1860-61) started a Whangarei Photography business on the corner of James and Cameron Sts. and sold out to John Eccles in 1880 for 20 pounds. Meanwhile his father , John snr. (and jane low ) had emigrated on the ship Rob Roy in 1865 and working as a tin smith and plumber in the town. His gravestone rests in Waiarohia Cemetery, Selwyn Ave. Whangarei. The family's Taranaki connection arises from a distinguished elder brother of Mrs. Sussanah Fuller, who owned the original Settlers Hotel from 1871 to 1884. Walter henry Boylan was a renowned violinest and master mariner. Queen Victoria sent him a parchment scroll in recognition of good work in bringing settlers saftly across the Tasman to New Zealand, where he was destined, like his sister, to be a Hotel Keeper. The only surviving son of the Low-Fuller marriage, Mr. Leonard Edwin Low, 84, was able to be at the reunion, though his only sister alive, Mrs Ruby Winifred Body, 79, was not. They both live in Auckland. Cutting a commemorative cake for the 96th wedding anniversery was the eldest grand-daughter of the wedding couple, Mrs Hilder Foster, of Kensington. A tragic year for the family was in 1916 when three mothers amongst the decendants died. A short time later, the respective fathers also died, leaving seven ophans.

LOW Boylan Reunion 1975

A family proud to have had seven generations live in Whangarei held a reunion at the weekend (1975) which brought together Maori and Pakkeha decendants who had hardly realised they were related.
Thanks to the painstaking research by by Mesdames Alva Turnbull and Irene Wilson, however, about 30 of their long "lost" relatives from Taranaki were able to share in the celebration of what would have been a 96th wedding anniversary in Whangarei.

John Low, jnr. had married Eliza Albania Fuller in 1879 in the Settlers Hotel, then owned by the bride's mother.
A Scott from Edinburgh, John came in the Ship Jura to Auckland, (1860-61) started a Whangarei Photography business on the corner of James and Cameron Sts. and sold out to John Eccles in 1880 for 20 pounds.

Meanwhile his father , John snr. (and jane low ) had emigrated on the ship Rob Roy in 1865 and working as a tin smith and plumber in the town. His gravestone rests in Waiarohia Cemetery, Selwyn Ave. Whangarei.

The family's Taranaki connection arises from a distinguished elder brother of Mrs. Sussanah Fuller, who owned the original Settlers Hotel from 1871 to 1884. Walter henry Boylan was a renowned violinest and master mariner.

Queen Victoria sent him a parchment scroll in recognition of good work in bringing settlers saftly across the Tasman to New Zealand, where he was destined, like his sister, to be a Hotel Keeper.

The only surviving son of the Low-Fuller marriage, Mr. Leonard Edwin Low, 84, was able to be at the reunion, though his only sister alive, Mrs Ruby Winifred Body, 79, was not. They both live in Auckland.

Cutting a commemorative cake for the 96th wedding anniversery was the eldest grand-daughter of the wedding couple, Mrs Hilder Foster, of Kensington. A tragic year for the family was in 1916 when three mothers amongst the decendants died. A short time later, the respective fathers also died, leaving seven ophans.

The above Report states Susannna owned the Settlers hotel 1871-84, but recent research show that in 1871 the hotel was owned by the widow Rachael Naylor, however in that year it was burnt down and Rachael Naylor sold the land to George Miller of Whangarie, however Miller sold the land on to Robert Thompson in 1874. It was not untill 1876 that the hotel was rebuilt. First evidence of Susannah Harriet Fuller is as proprietor of the rebuilt Settlers Hotel in 1879 then 2 years later she took a mortgage to buy the Hotel and surrounding lots.