An American Family History

William Cross was born about 1730 in Baltimore County, Maryland.

William married Alice Cole on April 24, 1753 in Baltimore County, Maryland. Her parents were not William Cole and Mary Giles. Their daughter Alice married Robert Caples (1717-1801). When William wrote his will in 1769, Alice was named Caples.

William and Alice's children probably included:

Abraham Cross (1751, Elizabeth Ensor),
Temperance Cross (1752, married Michael Looney son of Absalom Looney),
Christopher Cross (1753)
Appie Cross Rice (1753)
Joel Cross (1754)
Elijah Cross (1758, married Nancy Ann Lane),
Jacob H. Cross (1760),
Zachariah Cross (1761),
William Cross(1762),
Florence Cross (1762),
Tilda Cross (1764), and
Aquilla Cross (1766, married Rachel Griffiths).

The family moved from Baltimore County, Maryland to Sullivan County, Tennessee.

Zachariah, Abraham, and Elisha (Elijah) Cross signed the 1777 petition of men living on the north Holston River complaining about the division of Fincastle County. They felt the line was not equitable and the court house was too far away.

William purchased a tract of land called Lowe's Range in April, 1764 from his brother Benjamin and his wife Elizabeth.

Last Will and Testament of William Cross (b. 1730)

William Cross in his perfect senses Desired in the presence of John Foster, Richard Cross, Nehemiah Hick and Mary Miller, that his Wife Alice Cross should have all his Estate of what nature or kind whatsoever, during her life, and after her Decease the whole should be sold and the money divided among his children. The above said William Cross departed this life on Monday morning the nineteenth day of February 1770.

William's wife, Alice Cole transferred the property her husband left her, to her father, William Cole, after her husband, William Cross, died. Four months later her father died. William Cole left his lands, including what Alice transferred to him, to his own children. This left William Cross' sons landless except for the 50 acre plot known as Lowe's Range.