(1784-1797)
William was only three years old when he moved into the Walnut Street house with his mother, father and six siblings. He was most likely schooled at home with his older brother Tommy. Their tools of learning in the home were pencils, books and slates (like a small blackboard). Billy would not often eat with the adults, but would instead eat in the kitchen with the servants until his table manners were good enough to join his father's many dinner guests.
Billy would have been taught how to read, write, spell, and draw. He may have attended the Episcopal Academy, which was begun by his father. He was said to be very close to his father and some people thought he might follow in his father's religious footsteps. Billy died on January 22, 1797 at the age of 13. Although there was a yellow fever epidemic in 1797, historians do not think that Billy died of yellow fever. It wasn't at all unusual for children to get sick and die from lack of good medicines 200 years ago.
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 1859 |
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 2005 |