The Charleston Daily News
Charleston, South Carolina
16 March, 1868

Death of Mr. William H. Gilliland.

    Another of the fathers of our city has departed. William H. Gilliland died last evening at quarter before 8 o’clock. He passed away peacefully in the fulness of his years, honored, esteemed, and now lamented by our whole community. Few there are that attain so ripe an old age as he; few indeed who close a long and well-spent life with so placid an end.
    Mr. William H. Gilliland was born November 15th, 1788, in County Antrim, Ireland. He emigrated to this country in early childhood, and soon began to show that aptness for mercantile pursuits that marked his after career. He commenced business in 1812, as a member of the firm of Gilliland, Ferris & Co. During the war with Great Britain, Mr. Gilliland was an active merchant, and visited Florida, which was then a Spanish province. His ventures were characterized with judgment and a thorough knowledge of the times, and proved almost uniformly successful.
    The firm was later successfully changed to Gilliland & Geager, Milliken, Gilliland & Dick, and Fleming, Gilliland & Co. About the year 1830 he became interested in the wholesale dry goods business on Hayne-street, and the firm was then known as Gilliland, Son & Howell. The death of his eldest son, Mr. Wm. Gilliland, caused a change in the style of the firm to Gilliland, Howell & Co., which name was retained up to the breaking out of the late war, when a dissolution took place. During the past two years Mr. Gilliland was engaged in business with his son, Mr. Daniel B. Gilliland, under the name of Gilliland & Son, as auction and commission merchants, No. 30 Hayne-street.
    During his long mercantile career Mr. Gilliland suffered many reverses, but his energy and business capacity enabled him to overcome these temporary checks. His store in Hayne-street was burned at three different periods, but in each instance he manfully put his shoulder to the wheel, and succeeded in restoring all that was lost. At the commencement of the war the wholesale establishment of Gilliland, Howell & Co. was known throughout the South, and was one of the most flourishing firms in the city.
    Aside from his business reputation, Mr. Gilliland was known, loved and revered as a man. His good deeds and charities were constant and liberal, though always unostentatious. He served his fellow citizens in a number of civil positions with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.  Though for many years a public official, he never filled any post for profit, being content to serve his country for his country’s good. For over a quarter of a century he was one of the Board of Aldermen, and frequently acted as Mayor ad interim. He was also until his death one of the commissioners of the Orphan House, and ever took a lively interest in that institution. As a member of the different civic societies, he was always foremost in advocating their advancement, and many of them owe their present flourishing conditions to his efforts in their behalf. The first meeting of the Hibernian Society was held at his house about the year 1812, and for fifty-four years he was an active and zealous member of the Society. As a graceful compliment to his many virtues, and in recognition of more than a half century of devoted membership, he was chosen, about one year ago, upon the death of the late James E. Robinson, to the presidency of the Society.
    Mr. Gilliland was through life a consistent Christian and an upright gentleman. He became connected early in life with the Presbyterian Church, and was for years an elder and one of the strongest supporters of the Central Church. A fortnight before his death he seemed as well as usual, but the inroads of four-score winters upon his system were not much longer to be resisted, and he intimated to more than one friend that he felt that his end was at hand.
    His funeral services, we understand, will take place to-morrow forenoon.

-- transcription by Kate Maynard, 2011