William Henry Boulton

Who was William Henry Boulton?

William Henry Boulton was a lawyer and political figure in Canada West. He served as mayor of Toronto from 1845 to 1847 and in 1858. Boulton died in Toronto in 1874.

Boulton was born in York in Upper Canada in 1812, the grandson of D’Arcy Boulton. He studied law and entered practice with Gamble and Boulton. He was also a keen cricketer and his public support of the Canadian cricket team is said to significantly furthered his political ambitions.

He was first elected to Toronto city council in 1838. In 1844, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada representing Toronto as a Conservative member and he was reelected in 1848 and 1851. He opposed the bill making King's College a secular institution; at that time, it was affiliated with the Church of England in Canada. He supported making the Legislative Council elective. He was supported by the Orange Order in Toronto and was also viewed as a member of the Family Compact. In 1854, he became deputy grand master for the order in British North America. After he left politics, he continued to practice law.

His former residence, "The Grange", is now part of the Art Gallery of Ontario.