American Historical Ephemera & Photography

Group of more than 100 items spanning approx. 1806-1860s, including correspondence with land agents, receipts, indentures, estate documents, and more. While there is a small amount of personal correspondence, most documents relate to Boyle's extensive land holdings and many are associated with Moore, Morton & Company's Illinois Land Agency in Quincy, Illinois. 

The archive includes: a receipt signed by John Boyle, 10 January 1815, requesting repayment of a debt;  a manuscript affidavit dated May 1823 providing a "Descriptive list of lands in Pike County, in the Military Bounty tract, State of Illinois, owned by John Boyle of the City of Washington"; a land indenture between members of the Hines family and John Boyle relating to a parcel of land in the City of Washington, 16 April 16 1830; bills of sale including one, dated September 20, 1832, signed by Thomas C. Wright, Indian Agent and auctioneer; Washington Corporation taxes on numerous properties in all the years 1836-1846; lists of property distributed to Boyle family members upon John Boyle's death; and a variety of county, city, and state tax documents from locales including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and various Illinois counties. A personal and political friend of Andrew Jackson, the archive also includes a letter addressed to the "President of the United States," possibly Jackson who served from 1829-1837. The letter is in poor condition and has portions (including the date) missing, but it appears to indicate Boyle's acceptance of of an appointment and his intention to fulfill the role and responsibilities to the best of his ability.

[With:] CDV reverse image of male silhouette on cardstock mount identified as "J. Boyle" (residue bottom left corner, scuffing, toning).

John Boyle was considered one of the most prominent Irish-Americans of his day and was described in Thomas D'Arcy McGee's book Irish Settlers in North America published in 1855. His rags to riches story began when he came to America from Ireland as an indentured servant ca 1801. An educated man, he found employment as a ship's clerk during the passage and managed to work off the cost of his indenture. Eventually he worked his way to Baltimore where he taught at a seminary for young women and married Catherine Anne Burke of the same city. The couple settled in Washington, D.C. and Boyle embarked upon a decades-long career in the Department of the Navy. Rising to Chief Clerk of the Navy Department, Boyle also served at times as Acting Secretary of the Navy. He was active in the buying and selling of land, mainly land grants that had been awarded to Revolutionary War soldiers, and amassed a considerable fortune via his land transactions.