William Rockefeller Sr.
| William Rockefeller Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
William Avery Rockefeller November 13, 1810 Granger, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 1906 (aged 95) Freeport, Illinois, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oakland Cemetery |
| Other names | Dr. William Levingston |
| Occupation | lumberman, salesman |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Davison (m. 1837–1889; her death, separated c. 1855) Margaret Allen (m. 1856–1906; his death) |
| Partner(s) | Nancy Brown |
| Children | Lucy, Clorinda, John, Cornelia, William Jr., Mary, Franklin, and Frances |
| Parent(s) | Godfrey Lewis Rockefeller Lucy Avery |
| Relatives | See Rockefeller family |
William Avery "Bill" Rockefeller Sr. (November 13, 1810 – May 11, 1906) was an American conman who went by the alias of Dr. William Levingston. He worked as a lumberman and then a traveling salesman who identified himself as a "botanic physician" and sold elixirs. Two of his sons were Standard Oil co-founders John Davison Rockefeller (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) and William Avery Rockefeller Jr. (May 31, 1841 – June 24, 1922).
He was born in Granger, New York. He was the eldest son of businessman/farmer Godfrey Lewis Rockefeller (September 24, 1783, Albany, New York – September 28, 1857, Richford, New York) and Lucy Avery (February 11, 1786, Great Barrington, Massachusetts – April 6, 1867). Godfrey and Lucy had married on September 20, 1806 in Amwell, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Bill was the third of ten children:
The Rockefellers trace their patrilineal line to Goddard Rockefeller (born Gotthard Rockenfeller) (1590) of Fahr, today part of Neuwied, Germany. The first Rockefeller to settle in America (1723) was Johann Peter Rockenfeller (1710, Segendorf, Neuwied; 1787, Amwell Township, New Jersey), who changed his name to Rockefeller. Godfrey Lewis Rockefeller was a son of distant cousins William Rockefeller (1750–1793) and Christina Rockefeller (1754–1800).
Lucy Avery was born to Miles Avery and Melinda Pixley, New England Yankees of mostly English descent. She was descended by her father from Edmund of Langley's first marriage (through 5th Baron Audley's second marriage) and from Mary Boleyn's first marriage (through the 2nd Barons de la Warr).
Rockefeller married his first wife, Eliza Davison (September 12, 1813 – March 28, 1889), a daughter of farmer John Davison and Cynthia Selover, on February 18, 1837 in Niles, Cayuga Co., NY. John highly opposed the union. Since Cynthia had died when Eliza was twelve, Eliza had been raised by her elder sister, Mary Ann Davison, and father John. Bill and Eliza were the parents of three sons and three daughters:
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