JOHN MYLREA

Will -1881 (Douglas)

In Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in the Isle of Man

Common Law Division, Testamentary Jurisdiction

To his honour, Sir William Lace Drinkwater, Knight, Her Majesty's first Deemster of this Isle

The humble petition of John Allen Mylreaof the town of Douglas, advocate

Sheweth

That John Mylrea, father of your petitioner, departed this life on or about the 6th Day of April one thousand eight hundred and eighty one

That is is necessary that administration of the estate and effects of the said John Mylrea be granted to your petitioner or some other fit and proper person

Wherefore your petitioner prays a hearing hereof and that your honour may be please to appoint him or some other fit and proper person to administer the estate and effects of of the said John Mylrea and petitioner will pray etc etc. A.I.Steele, advocate for the petitioner

Ordered that this petition do come on to be heardat a Court held at Douglas on Monday the 24th day of February 1885 at 12 o'clock at noon. Whereof all proper parties and persons are to have due and lawful notice. Given at Douglas this 18th day of February 1885. Drinkwater

[The remainder of the document was purely procedural, amounting to several pages of proforma]

NOTES

  1. Evidently John died intestate, but he had passed most of his wealth on to his son some years previously
  2. John Mylrea was a truly remarkable man, and his contribution to Manx society was immense
  3. He was memorialised in the Isle of Man examiner in April 9, 1881. The depth and breadth of his contribution to the Douglas community in particular is truly astonishing
  4. He was the youngest son of Thomas Mylrea & Elizabeth Cowin, born in Lonan in 1818
  5. His father was a tailor in Lonan and later in Douglas. Thomas died 1853 and Elizabeth died 1857, both in Douglas but both buried in Lonan
  6. John spent several years in Liverpool learning his craft of book binding, living there with his brother William. His brother Philip was also in Liverpool
  7. John married Jane Cain in 1844 and had a daughter Elizabeth Jane. Jane died 1847 and the child in 1858
  8. John subsequently married Jane Allen in 1848 and had a son John Allen Mylrea in 1849
  9. John Mylrea, the father, was evidently a businessman of some considerable influence if his mortgage activites are a sign of his economic strength
  10. John Mylrea gave his son a collections of mortgages worth over £5,000, with interest attached until the principal sums were paid
  11. John's brother Philip was a tailor in Liverpool who displayed the same talents, and also became immensely wealthy
  12. John Allen Mylrea carved a reputation for himself as a politicial and as a businessman, but in his later years, many of those successes faded away
  13. A tragedy for John Mylrea the book seller is that in his later years, he became blind
  14. Wife Jane died a year after her husband

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