William Noland, My 4th Great Grand Uncle
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Week 13 – Prompt: Family Pattern
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WILLIAM NOLAND (FAIRFIELD / KENTUCKY BRANCH)
William Noland was a Revolutionary War patriot and the son of Stephen Edward Noland and Susannah Smallwood of the Fairfield District, South Carolina branch of the Noland family. He was one of six brothers who served during the Revolution: Shadrach, Stephen, James, David, and George. Their uncle Daniel Noland and aunt Henrietta Smallwood also had sons who served during the Revolution.
William Noland was born March 10, 1759, in the Fairfield District of South Carolina, and died May 11, 1857, in Carter County, Kentucky.
Early Life
William was raised in Fairfield District, South Carolina, where his family had settled during his childhood.
Revolutionary War Service
William Noland served as a private in the South Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War.
According to his pension record (S30623), he served under Captains Charles Lewis, Martin, and Gray, and was associated with operations under General Anthony Wayne during the Southern Campaign.
Like many militia soldiers in South Carolina, his service likely consisted of short enlistments and local operations against British and Loyalist forces.
Marriage and Family
William Noland married Mary Ann Cockrell (Polly). They established a large family whose members later settled in Kentucky and surrounding regions.
Connections to the Gilbert family—including Susannah Gilbert and her husband—are documented in pension testimony, where they stated they had known William for forty-five years and had heard his accounts of the war. This timeframe aligns with their marriage and supports her placement within William’s immediate family.
Later Life and Migration
After the war, William remained in South Carolina for a time before migrating west into Kentucky.
By the early 19th century, he was living in Madison County, Kentucky, and later appears in records of Estill County. In his later years, he resided in Carter County, Kentucky.
He was part of the westward movement of Revolutionary War families into Kentucky, where he established himself as a farmer and head of a large household.
Pension and Documentation
William Noland applied for and received a Revolutionary War pension based on his service in the South Carolina militia.
His service is documented through pension records (S30623) and DAR sources (#A084246), which confirm his service under multiple officers and his participation in the Southern Campaign.
Legacy
When William Noland died in May of 1857, an inventory of his estate listed only a roan mare and a saddle, valued at forty-one dollars. After a lifetime that stretched from the Revolutionary War into the mid-nineteenth century—and after decades spent seeking recognition for his service—he left little in material possessions.
What remained instead was his record: a soldier’s service, preserved in documents and memory, and carried forward by those who remembered his story.
Note: For consistency, I’ve used the spelling Noland throughout. In the records, the name appears in several forms, including, Nolen, Nowland, and Nolin.
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