The Moylans of South Philadelphia
The Moylans of South Philadelphia |
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New! Read about Seán Moylan of Ireland
 Jasper Alexander Moylan, Esq. 1757 - 1812 |
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No Photo Available. Jasper John Moylan 1786 - 1871 |
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No Photo Available. Jasper Henry Moylan 1809 - 1854 |
 Joseph McK Moylan 1842 - 1911 |
 Joseph Hickman & Anna Gibson Moylan 1864 - 1941 |
 Myrtle Olive Moylan Lewis 1900 - 1941 |
 William Moylan Lewis 1920 - 1987 |
Welcome to the Moylan Family website! This site is dedicated to the genealogical and historical research of the Moylan family that originated in Cork County, Ireland and migrated to Philadelphia in the 1700s. My name is Linda and I'm a 5th great granddaughter of Jasper Moylan Esq of South Philadelphia.
Jasper was born in County Cork, Ireland to John Moylan, a prominent family who owned ships with ports of call along the established trade routes, including Spain, Portugal,and India. Jasper was educated in Law at the Inn in Spain, then joined his brothers in Philadelphia. There he became an established attorney and many noted figures, such as William Read (son of George Read the Signer) apprenticed for Jasper to learn his trade.
Jasper was most noted for his role in the formation of in the Insurance Company of North America, with the novel concept to provide a way to insure shipments that were lost asea. Today you know this company as CIGNA.
Jasper and first wife, Eleanor Barry, were noted as some of the first Catholic families in Philadelphia. Eleanor died suddenly of yellow fever, leaving one infant son, my ancestor. Jasper later married Isabel Hoops Mease, the widow of one of his late clients. Jasper and Isabel had one daughter, Maria Moylan Walsh.
This database starts with John Moylan, born 1650 in Cork County, Ireland. I have little information about John and his family but I've learned he owned ships and he had at least one son, John, from which my line descends. Son John, a butcher, was born in 1680 and had at least 4 sons: Daniel, John, Richard, and Denis. Jasper Moylan was the son of this third John.
John Moylan, a butcher, carried on his grandfather's business with success. John's shipping business, with many ports of call abroad, afforded John the ability to provide the best of higher education to his sons during a time when Catholics were denied secondary education in Ireland. This gave his sons a great advantage and contributed to their success and diversity.
John Moylan had 10 children, 6 by his first wife, Ann Doran, and 4 by his second wife, Alicia Joyce. All of his sons, but Jasper, were born of his first wife. All of his sons were noteworthy in their time and most directly contributed to the freedom or our nation.
| Dr. Francis Moylan, 1735 - 1815 | |
| Appointed Bishop of Cork in 1786. See Catholic Encyclopedia. | Brevet Brigadier General Stephen Moylan, 1737 - 1811 |
| Muster-Master General, Secretary and Aide to General George Washington, Quartermaster General, Commander of The 4th Regiment, Continental Light Dragoons and Commander of the Cavalry, Continental Army. American agent of Barclay, Moylan and Co. Commissioner of Loans, Philadelphia. Founder of the Dancing Assembly and Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and member of the Knights of Columbus, Philadelpiha. Paulbearer in George Washington's funeral. See Catholic Encyclopedia, Quartermaster Foundation, 4th Continental Light Dragoon, Stephen Moylan. | |
| James Moylan, 1741 - 1784 | |
| Continental Commercial Agent to L'Orient, France. Partner, House of Gourlade and Moylan, L'Orient, France. Member of Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, Philadelphia. See John Adams Diaries, Benjamin Franklin Papers, France and America in the Revolutionary Era The Peacemakers Stephen Moylan. | |
| John Moylan, 1745 - 1799 | |
| Clothier General, Continental Army, 22 Mar 1781, Philadephia. Shipping merchant in Cadiz before 1781. Shipping Merchant, Philadelphia, Cork. See Stephen Moylan. | |
| Denis Moylan, 1748 - 1813 | |
| Cork Merchant and Banker. | |
| Jasper Moylan, Esquire, 1757 - 1812 | |
| Ensign, Philadelphia Associators, Pennsylvania Militia, Continental Army. Philadelphia Attorney. Founder of the Hibernian Society for the Relief of Emigrants and the Insurance Company of North America, Philadelphia. Member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Dancing Assembly, Philadelphia. See Stephen Moylan. | |
Jasper John Moylan, only son of Jasper, Esq. spent his life asea, serving the Navy. Jasper may have served on the USS Philadelphia and a prisoner of war in Tripoli as a young single man. Not long after he married he served as Boatswain for the Wooster's NY Sea Fencibles in the War of 1812. Jasper married Eliza Githen/Giffin of NJ and had 1 son, Jasper Henry, and 3 daughters that survived that I have been able to uncover.
Jasper Henry Moylan, not pictured, is the eldest son of Jasper above, making the third Jasper in his line and my third great grandfather. I have little information about this Jasper. It seems he did not serve the military nor was involved in a war. He grew up, married, and raised his children in New Jersey until about 1848 when he moved to South Philadelphia. He was still a young man when he died, was a member of the Knights Templar, and the Knights paid his entire burial expense when he was interred in Lafayette cemetery.
Joseph McK Moylan, pictured on the right, is a son of Jasper Henry, great grandson of Jasper Moylan, Esq. and my second great grandfather. Joseph was a private in Company A, 20th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Grand Army of the Republic in the Civil War. Joseph was also a member of the Knights Templar, as was his father. Joseph McK and his wife and family are interred in Fernwood Cemetery.
Joseph Hickman Moylan, pictured, is the eldest son of Joseph McK Moylan, and is my great grandfather. Joseph did not serve in the military. Joseph had 3 children with his first wife. The youngest child and his first wife died and he married my great grandmother and had 6 more children. All of Joe's sons served the Navy or Merchent Marines during WWI and Joe and children had to contend with the roaring 20s and Great Depression of the 1930s. Joseph and wife Anna are interred in Fernwood Cemetery with some of their children. Joseph's first wife, Mary Smith Moylan, is interred in neighboring Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.
Myrtle Olive Moylan Lewis, pictured, is the second child of Joseph Hickman and Anna Gibson Moylan and is my grandmother. Myrtle married my grandfather, William Hall Lewis in 1918. My father was born in 1920, and they divorced in 1925 just before my dad's 5th birthday. Her photo on the right was taken in 1921, during the middle part of her short marriage and the roaring 20's style is evident in her attire. Myrtle was 40 years old when she passed away and is interred next to her parents and sister Laura in Fernwood Cemetery.
My father, William Moylan Lewis, is the only child of Myrtle Moylan and William Lewis. My father worked for the Philadelphia shipyard from his teenage years until he retired. He was drafted into the Army Air Forces and served WWII and flew missions as a tail gunner and radio operator. My took night clases in electronics at Villanova after his return from the war, and built their first TV. My parents moved to Oklahoma after his retirement, and he is interred in Highland Cemetery in Durant, OK with my mother, a native Oklahoman.
My descendency, beginning with John Moylan b. 1650 is as follows: John -> John -> Jasper -> Jasper -> Jasper -> Joseph -> Joseph -> Myrtle Moylan Lewis -> William Moylan Lewis -> ME!
I am a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution on this line, and a member of Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic as Joseph McK Moylan's wife was before me.
The Trees section of this site provides selected family trees that you can traverse and link to more detail. The Research link lets you search for people and veiw more detail. The Timeline provides a number of options that can be turned on, such as weather events, presidents, births and deaths as an aid to perspective. The Cousin Calculator is a tool that allows you to determine your relationship to someone else in your family tree. And if you think your line is related or you have more information, please Contact me! I hope you enjoy this site!
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