Frances Josephine Boylan

The sudden and melancholy death of Miss Fannie Boylan, who has visited Tauranga for successive years ever since she was a child, will create great grief and concern amongst her numerous friends. Frances Josephine Boylan was born in Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand , in 1860. She was known as 'Fanny'. Her parents were Thomas and Mary Theresa Boylan who married in Dublin, Ireland, in 1847. Auckland physicians baffled by Fanny's suffering from acute pain for many months sent her to Tauranga, where a change of air was deemed advisable. She succumbed to an incurable disease after a week's severe illness. Frances died at age 19 in Tauranga on 24 February 1879. On Sunday last services were held in the Auckland churches, with reference to the lamented death of Miss Fanny Boylan.

OBITUARY. THE LATE MISS BOYLAN. A Tauranga correspondent sends the following relative to the death of Miss Boylan, daughter of Mr. T. Boylan, and niece of Mr. J. T. Boylan: - The sudden and melancholy death of Miss Fanny Boylan, who has visited Tauranga for a successive number of years ever since she was a child, will create great grief and concern amongst her numerous friends in Tauranga as well as in Auckland, as she had endeared herself to everyone who had the happiness to know her, by her sweet and amiable disposition. Miss Boylan had been a sufferer for many months from acute pain in her chest, which baffled her Auckland physicians, as she sometimes seemed perfectly well. A change of air being deemed advisable she was brought to Tauranga, where, after a week’s severe illness, she succumbed to what was afterwards discovered to be an incurable disease. She passed away without any pain and in perfect consciousness to the end. She asked for the xiv. chapter of St. John to be read, and joined with a clear sweet voice in all the prayers and hymns. She bade an affectionate goodbye to all present, and sending her love to the absent, her gentle spirit passed away to the realms of everlasting peace. She was buried in the beautiful little cemetery of Tauranga, the service being rendered by the Ven. Archdeacon Brown, with whom she was always an especial favourite. The funeral was large and most impressive. She was borne to the grave by her sorrowing brothers and several young friends, followed by a number of young ladies dressed in white, carrying wreaths of flowers, which they cast upon the coffin as it was lowered into the grave. (New Zealand Herald, 3 March 1879, p. 2).