William Nichol (mayor)

William Nichol (1800–1878) was an American banker, Whig politician and planter. He served as the mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, from 1835 to 1837.

William Nichol
BornFebruary 12, 1800
DiedNovember 23, 1878
Resting placeMount Olivet Cemetery
Occupation(s)Banker, planter, politician
Political partyWhig
Parent(s)Josiah Nichol
Eleanor (Ryburn) Nichol.

Early life

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He was born on February 12, 1800, in Abingdon, Virginia.[1][2][3] His father was Josiah Nichol, an immigrant from Ireland, and his mother, Eleanor (Ryburn) Nichol.[1][2] They moved to Nashville when he was still a young boy.[1]

Career

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He served as the first President of the Bank of Tennessee.[1][3] From 1835 to 1837, he served as Mayor of Nashville.[1][4] Later, he was a planter in Davidson County, Tennessee and Arkansas.[2]

Personal life

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He married Julia Margaret Lytle on 6 October 1825.[1] His father-in-law, William Lytle, was a wealthy landowner who had served as captain in the American Revolutionary War.[2] They had four sons, Josiah II, William Lytle, Charles Alexander James Edgar and Harry D., and six daughters, Eleanor Ryburn, Margaret, Ann Lytle, Julia, Jane F. and Lizzie B. Nichol.[1] They resided at Belair, a historic mansion in Nashville from 1835 to his death.[1][3]

 
Belle Air at 2250 Lebanon Road, Nashville

Death

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He died on November 23, 1878, and he is buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery.[1] His wife died in 1890.[3]

Legacy

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His granddaughter (Harry's daughter), Julia Nichol Sharpe (1875–1931), was married to William Percy Sharpe, who served as Mayor of Nashville from 1922 to 1924.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN
  2. ^ a b c d William S. Speer, Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans: Biographies and Records of Many of the Families Who Have Attained Prominence in Tennessee, Genealogical Publishing Com, 2010, pp. 277-278 [1]
  3. ^ a b c d James A. Hoobler, A Guide to Historic Nashville, Tennessee, The History Press, 2008, p. 26 [2]
  4. ^ Nashville Library
  5. ^ Mrs. Percy Sharpe's Funeral Held Today