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ANECDOTES AND MEMOIRS
OF
WILLIAM BOEN,
A COLOURED MAN,
WHO LIVED AND DIED NEAR MOUNT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY.
TO WHICH IS ADDED,
The Testimony of Friends of Mount Holly
monthly meeting concerning him.
Philadelphia:
PRINTED BY JOHN RICHARDS,
No. 129 North Third Street.
1834.
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MEMOIRS AND ANECDOTES OF WILLIAM BOEN.
William Boen was a coloured man, who residednear Mount Holly, New Jersey. Like many of hisbrethren of the African race, in those days, he wasfrom his birth held as a slave. But though poor andignorant, in his early days, he was cared for, as allothers are, by the universal Parent of the humanfamily. He became a pious, sober, temperate, honest,and industrious man; and by this means, he obtainedthe friendship, esteem, and respect of all classesof his fellow-men, and the approbation and peace ofhis heavenly Father.
His industry, temperance, and cleanliness, nodoubt, contributed much to his health and comfort;so that he lived to be a very old man, with havingbut little sickness through the course of his life. Hischaracter being so remarkable for sobriety, honesty,and peace—that it induced some younger people toinquire by what means he had arrived to such a state,and attained such a standing in the neighbourhoodwhere he lived. Ever willing to instruct, counsel,and admonish the youth, he could relate his ownexperience of the work of grace in his heart, whichled him into such uprightness of life and conduct.For his memory did not appear to be much impairedby reason of old age.
To a friend who visited him in the eighty-sixthyear of his age, he gave the following account of his[Pg 4]early life, and religious experience. On being asked,whether he could remember in what way, and bywhat means, he was first brought to mind and followthat, which had been his guide and rule of faithand life, and which had led and preserved him sosafely along through time? William answered asfollows: “Oh! yes; that I can, right well. In thetime of the old French war, my master (for I was apoor black boy, a slave) my master sent me to chopwood, on a hill-side, out of sight of any house; andthere was a great forest of woods below me; and hetold me to cut down all the trees on that hill-side.When I went home, in the evenings, I often heardthem talking about the Indians killing and scalpingpeople: and sometimes, some of the neighbours wouldcome in, and they and my master’s family talked ofthe Indians killing such and such,—nearer and nearerto us. And so, from time to time, I would hearthem tell of the Indians killing, and scalping people,nearer and nearer: so that I began to think, likeenough, by and by, they would kill me. And Ithought more and more about it; and again wouldhear tell of their coming still nearer. At length, Ithought, sure enough they will get so near, that theywill hear the sound of my axe, and will come andkill me. Here is a great forest of woods below me,and no house in sight:—surely, I have not lon