“B” is for Boyce, Ker (1787-1854)

“B” is for Boyce, Ker (1787-1854). Merchant, bank president. Born in Newberry District, Boyce opened a store in the town of Newberry in 1814. After prospering as a young upcountry merchant, he opened a store on King Street in Charleston and later established a factorage and commission house. As he prospered, he invested in other enterprises and from 1837 to 1841 he was president of the Bank of Charleston. Boyce represented Charleston in the S. C. House of Representatives (1832-1839) and in the S.C. Senate (1840-1847). In the General Assembly he was an influential advocate for the state’s commercial interests. By the time of his death, Ker Boyce was one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina and the entire South, despite the fact that he owned only a handful of slaves and had no planting interests.