Person:John Boyle (18)

He was educated at Mount St. Mary's College, Emmittsburg, Md. He was engaged in farming for a short time, but in early manhood became an active politician. He was elected a judge of the Orphans' Court of Carroll County. He then served as a member of the Maryland Legislature. He was appointed Chief Justice of the District Court in 1835 and in 1837, was elected a member of Carroll County's first delegation of the house of Delegates, after which he was appointed clerk of the Circuit Court by Governor Lowe to fill an unexpired term. He was elected to fill the next term and acted in that capacity for sixteen years. He served in the Confederate Army, the only man from Taneytown known to have done so. This may explain why Boyle's home at 79 W. Main St. was chosen by Confederate cavalry commander Col. Thomas Rosser as his headquarters during his unit's occupation of Westminster in September, 1862. The house is still know today as "Rosser's Choice." During the war he was treasurer of the Western Maryland Railroad. He was a deep thinker and an ardent friend of Senator Gorman. He always controlled his county politics. He was a man of reserve, yet affable. He furnished the material for many of the political speeches made by prominent politicians. He was a Democrat. In religion, he was affiliated with the Catholic Church. He spent most of his life in Westminster, where he died. He is buried in St. John's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Westminster.