Are the Boylans and the Bullions the same family in Liberty Corner? Before Liberty Corner was Liberty Corner, it was Annins Corner AND we also found in named Boylans Corner (Bullions Corner). And what about that Bernardsville house targeted for a tear down? They say it was John Boylan’s house… but are they sure? While we continue to dig in, we receive more questions, but the story is becoming clearer… so the story is evolving as we continue to validate our research.
Research Preview:
The Boylans of Bernardsville, Bedminster, and Basking Ridge have quite the history. The research is coming in fast and furious but there’s a whole lot of validation that’s still needed. However, we believe we’re on the right track, so we thought we’d share our thoughts. We’re still looking for a research assistant to help cooberate our theory that there are two John Boylan’s that have two disstinct roles in Bernardsville, Pluckemin, and Liberty Corner history.
The Boylans (Bullions) – One of the First Somerset Hills Families
So we’ve been going round and round on this one as we’ve been trying to determine which Boylan built the house in Bernardsville that’s being targeted for demolition. The more we dig, the more we find out about what seems to be one of the least known yet most prosperous families that defended the cause of independence, while also profiting from lucrative businesses in all the towns around Basking Ridge.
The Boylans were among the founding settlers of what was then known as Pluckemin and Vealtown, located at the base of Bernardsville Mountain. First off, many have stated that the Boylan name is pronounced “Bullion.” This is true.
The Boylans also had a store in Basking Ridge at the time the 1751 Pluckemin (Bedminster) Boylan house was built. The first year after the house was built, the ground floor was used as a store; however, as soon as a new store was completed, it was used exclusively as a residence. Aaron’s son, John Boylan, was born in 1746, just five years before his father passed and would die on March 4, 1793, according to the Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 6 (1917), p. 101. In those records, John Boylan was noted as owning four stores in Pluckemin, Liberty Corner (Bullion’s Tavern), Vealtown (Bernardsville), and Vanderveer’s Mills (Bedminster).
The Tree Tells Us Things
When we do our research, one thing we like to do is to affirm the family tree and leave behind an Ancestry family tree for others to leverage their history endeavors. By doing this, our research becomes essential to those who want to know more about the Boylan family. Given what we have noted on our tree, Aaron led the way, and the two Johns had a significant impact on the local business community.
Boylan’s (Bullion’s) Taverns
Originally called Annin’s Corner after the Annin family, the village gained widespread recognition during the Revolution as Bullion’s Tavern before residents finally settled on the name we know today: Liberty Corner. The convergence of Revolutionary War records, period maps, tavern daybooks, geocache documentation, and present-day historic signs tells us beyond doubt that Bullion’s (Boylan’s) Tavern was the original nucleus of Liberty Corner. Run by John “Captain Bullion” Boylan, Aaron’s son, the family name’s enduring legacy is preserved in maps, and memorials in Bernards Township. Boylan’s own daybooks (e.g., Pluckemin ledgers) confirm his operation of a tavern in Liberty Corner. The Anne O’Brien Room at the Dillon Library holds the Somerset Hills Historical Collection, which includes John Boylan’s 18th‑century daybooks.
In 1781, Bullion’s Tavern wasn’t just a watering hole—it was at the heart of a Revolutionary War army march, a local hub that evolved into varied community services, and today remains a historical cornerstone remembered in place names and historic designations. It took us a while to connect the dots, but after conducting genealogy searches, we often found references that intertwined the surnames Boylan and Bullion after they arrived in America. Under John “Captain Bullion” (Boylan), this pivotal community establishment in 18th-century Liberty Corner is underscored by its role in Rochambeau’s 1781 march and the evolution of the village itself.
2nd Buillon’s Tavern Noted in Bernardville This Time
It is documented that Aaron Boylan purchased a substantial tract of land—114 acres—approximately 3 miles north of Liberty Corner, in Basking Ridge, recorded on March 24, 1761, when he purchased it from James Parker, a prominent colonial printer, landholder, and East Jersey Proprietor. There has been a discrepancy regarding the exact acreage, with estimates ranging from 114 acres to as much as 150 acres.
On a sidenote, James Parker and John Parker of colonial New Jersey were related. John was James’s younger cousin or nephew; they were part of the prominent Parker family of Perth Amboy, which produced several influential figures in land ownership, politics, and military service in colonial New Jersey. Vealtown’s Parker Tavern was owned by Captain John Parker of the 1st Somerset County Battalion until his death in March 1781; It was a regular stopover for Continental Army troops, notably linked to the 1779–1780 Morristown encampment at Jockey Hollow.
Before the Old Stone Hotel was built in Bernardsville, another tavern existed. On the same site, the tavern was known as Bullion’s or Boylan’s Tavern during the American Revolution. Owned by John Boylan, also known as “Captain Bullion,” it was noted that John Beck, the first owner of the Old Stone Hotel, died in 1850, just one year after his Hotel opened. But records show that the Boylans were there first.
Bernardsville Boylan Home Targeted For Demolition
If our research is correct, our research indicates that John Boylan Esq. left his Bernardsville house to his sister, Catherine Boyle, as per his will when he passed in 1843. Captain John Boylan (Bullion) would have been his Uncle, and Aaron Boylan would have been his Grandfather. Think it’s time for a deed search down at the Somerset County Clerk’s office.
Should the Boylan House in Bernardsville be saved from the wrecking ball? The Boylan family is so tied to Bernardsville’s history that they’re even mentioned in the Aaron Mellick classic book ” The Story of an Old Farm.”
1914 – The Boylan History – Somerset Quarterly Magazine
In 1914, the Somerset County Quarterly published a story about the Boylans of Somerset County. Yes, the Boylans are one of the original founding families of Somerset County, who settled in Vealtown (now Bernardsville) and Pluckemin (now Bedminster). You’ll see how the family married famous families in the area, including other founding family names: Annin, Vanderveer, Eoff, Dunlop, Bishop Janes, Alward, Blair, and more.
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