Over the course of his life William was mayor of Toronto three times in 1845, 1846, 1847 and was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. In 1846, William married Harriette Mann Dixon from Boston, yet the couple never had any children. William, however, was fond of gambling and Harriette and her mother-in-law, Sarah Anne, spent much time trying to keep The Grange in Boulton hands. William died in 1874, leaving Harriette as the sole owner of The Grange.