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William Montford Boylan Sr.

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Birth	:	1 Sep 1777
Death	:	15 Jul 1861
Burial	:	City Cemetery, Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate	:	35.7780190, -78.6323700
Plot	:	Section: E-1. Lot: 43
Inscription	:	Son of John and Eleanor Hodge Boylan, born in Somerset Co., NJ.
Description	:	William Montford Boylan, Sr. was born 1777 to a prominent New Jersey family at the outbreak of the War of Independence. Born in Pluckemin, NJ he was the son of John Boylan and Eleanor Hodge, who served as a Minute Man in the Revolutinary War. The "Boylan House", (photo here) was built in 1751, and is located in Pluckemin across the street from the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church. The house was built by William's grandfather, Aaron Boylan, who also helped provide funds to build St. Paul's Church across the street. The Boylans had a store... Read More	William Montford Boylan, Sr. was born 1777 to a prominent New Jersey family at the outbreak of the War of Independence. Born in Pluckemin, NJ he was the son of John Boylan and Eleanor Hodge, who served as a Minute Man in the Revolutinary War. The "Boylan House", (photo here) was built in 1751, and is located in Pluckemin across the street from the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church. The house was built by William's grandfather, Aaron Boylan, who also helped provide funds to build St. Paul's Church across the street. The Boylans had a store in Basking Ridge at the time the Boylan house was built. John Boylan died in 1793, and his widow Mrs. Eleanor Boylan died in 1846. The house was then left to their son, William Boylan of Wake County, North Carolina. When he died in 1864, he left the Boylan house to his sister, Sarah B. Parker. William M. Boylan Sr. married Elizabeth Stokes McCullouch in Pluckemin in 1801 when he was 24 years old, and she just 21. Boylan Sr. started working in the newspaper industry for his uncle, Abraham Hodge, at the Minerva newspaper in Halifax sometime before 1797. In 1797 they moved their operation to Fayetteville and renamed it the North Carolina Minerva and Fayetteville Gazette. In 1799 they moved to Raleigh and renamed their paper the North Carolina Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser. In addition to his newspaper business, he had a bookstore, and also became president of the State Bank, succeeding Colonel William Polk. Both Boylan and Polk were Federalists of the deepest dye, and strong friends. For many years Hodge & Boylan were printers to the State, and held that position as long as their party remained in power. William Boylan was strongly political and his paper was a staunch supporter of the Federalist Party. His rival, Joseph Gales, headed the Raleigh Register, which was the mouthpiece of the Republican Party in North Carolina. This fierce rivalry eventually resulted in a fistfight between the two men over which Joseph Gales sued William Boylan for $100. Partly due to the knowledge he gained as a result of his work in politics, as a city commissioner and in the state legislature, William Boylan became a shrewd land speculator and purchased two hundred and seventy acres on what were then the outskirts of Raleigh in 1818. In 1818, William Sr. purchased "Wakefield" the plantation once belonging to Raleigh founder, Joel Lane (built ca. 1795). The Lane "Wakefield" house, along with "Montfort Hall", which Boylan Jr. build in 1858, remained in the Boylan family until 1909. William Boylan Sr. was credited with introducing cotton to Wake County, embracing slave ownership to support this cash crop. The senior Boylan also owned plantations in neighboring Johnston and Chatham counties and in Mississippi. These, along with his lucrative businesses, made him one of the wealthiest men in North Carolina. He also became a proponent for public education as well as a railroad magnate. He also later purchased Yates Mill from Samuel Pearson, a water-powered mill that served Wake County for more than 200 years. William Sr. and Elizabeth "Betsy" McCulloch were parents to at 11 known children, many of whom died young. Betsy died in 1825, at age 45, and the widower later married Jane Elliot as his second wife in 1830, by whom one known daughter was born. [See Elizabeth Boylan memorial for more information on his children.] Boylan died in 1861 at the age of 84, survived by his 2nd wife, Jane Elliot Boylan. Only two of his 11 children from his 1st marriage survived him -- Daughter Catherine (who never married) and his youngest son and namesake, William Montford Boylan, Jr., who took up where his father left off, becoming one of Raleigh's leading editors, landowners and businessmen.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is William Montford Boylan Sr.'s memorial?
William Montford Boylan Sr.'s memorial is located at: City Cemetery, Raleigh, Wake County, USA.
When did William Montford Boylan Sr. death?
William Montford Boylan Sr. death on 15 Jul 1861 in
Where are the coordinates of the William Montford Boylan Sr.'s memorial?
Latitude: 35.7780190
Longitude: -78.6323700

Family Members:

Parent

John Boylan

(1746 - 1793)

Eleanor Hodge Boylan

(1751 - 1846)

Spouse

Elizabeth Stokes “Betsy” McCulloch Boylan

(1780 - 1825)

Jane Elliot Boylan

(1791 - 1870)

Siblings

Mary Boylan Davenport

(1781 - 1848)

Children

John Hodge Boylan

(1803 - 1870)

Benjamin McCullouch Boylan

(1808 - 1809)

(1810 - 1849)

(1815 - 1825)

(1818 - 1895)

(1821 - 1821)

William Montford Boylan Jr.

(1822 - 1899)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. City Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7780190, -78.6323700

2. Christ Church Memorial Garden
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7807010, -78.6375360

3. First Presbyterian Church Columbarium
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7794430, -78.6404610

4. Oakwood Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7847595, -78.6293030

5. Church of the Good Shepherd Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7800910, -78.6412450

6. Edenton Street United Methodist Columbarium
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7817370, -78.6428220

7. O'Rorke Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7830030, -78.6216750

8. Mount Hope Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7644005, -78.6461029

9. Hillcrest Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7552640, -78.6311660

10. Dorothea Dix Hospital Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7730000, -78.6615000

11. Caraleigh Mills Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7591100, -78.6582700

12. Oberlin Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7966750, -78.6586950

13. Hayes Barton United Methodist Columbarium
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.8071260, -78.6512500

14. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Columbarium
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7907180, -78.6725850

15. Massey-Gattis Family Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7725020, -78.5895400

16. Community United Church Memorial Garden
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.8009220, -78.6756270

17. Montlawn Memorial Park
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7378006, -78.6468964

18. Jones Family Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.8218485, -78.6250806

19. Carolina Biblical Gardens
Garner, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7355995, -78.6044006

20. Boylan Chapel Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.8187930, -78.5943790

21. Oak Grove Community Cemetery
Method, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7887170, -78.6984990

22. Emery Family Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7445230, -78.6888260

23. Macedonia Cemetery
Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7456017, -78.6977997

24. Inwood Baptist Church Cemetery
Raleigh, Wake County, USA
Coordinate: 35.7310750, -78.6832800