Working on Wednesday: William Sill (1757 - 1851), Farmer, Veteran

William Sill (or Sills) is one of my maternal fifth great grandfathers. He was residing in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, by 1800 according to the Pennsylvania Septennial Census of that year which only gives the most general information.

[Year: 1800: Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA.]

We know he owned land in Versailles Township and he's mentioned several times in The Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette. The first reference shows us that he paid his taxes in 1806:

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 3 March 1807. Newspapers.com]

In the next mention of William Sill that I found he was listed as one of the neighbors of a William Richardson who was in the process of losing his land. The description of Mr. Richardson's property gives us clues to the location of my ancestor's land holdings.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 12 May 1807. Newspapers.com]

Early in 1808 his name appears as the lead defendant in a court case scheduled for the January term. I don't know what the cause of the suit was.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 15 January 1808. Newspapers.com]

The 1810 federal census lists him in Versailles Township. (His son Jesse Sills is my direct ancestor.)

[Year: 1810; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 44; Page: 340; Image: 00178; Family History Library Film: 0193670. Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

In 1811 his name appears in another bankruptcy case, this time as a court-appointed custodian of the "certain goods, chattels and effect" of John Hill, a fellow resident of Versailles Township.

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 9 August 1811. GenealogyBank.com]

The 1820 U.S. Census once again shows William and his son Jesse living in Versailles Township.

[1820 U S Census; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Page: 189; NARA Roll: M33_97; Image: 107. Ancestry.com. 1820 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Original data: Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

Although I haven't found any mention of William Sill in the 1830 U.S. Census, we know he was still living in Versailles Township from the following newspaper clipping and we also learn that Jesse Sill was facing a forced sale of his land.*

[Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, 26 October 1830. Newspapers.com]

By the date of the 1840 federal census, it appears that William was living in Jesse Sill's household.

[Year: 1840; Census Place: Versailles, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 441; Page: 520; Family History Library Film: 0020536. Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.  Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.]

William Sill died in 1841 and is buried next to his wife Jane in the McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery. Next time I'm going to try to figure out what's behind this record:**

[Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Pennsylvania Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012. Digital Images, 3–5. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau of Archives and History. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.]

As far as I can tell, William never applied for the 1832 pension which would give us details of his service.


*You can find a definition of the legal term "venditioni exponas" here.
**There are records for at least two men named William Sill and I'm not certain which refer to my ancestor.


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