William Harper's will was dated 19 Aug 1941 and was proved 25 Jan 1942. It is recorded on page 125, Will Book B, in Anderson Co., SC. The will specified that his estate be divided equally among his children, but did not provide their names. Nancy Harper, widow of William Harper, Sr., filed a petition 2 Mar 1847 in the Court of Equity in Anderson Co., SC, requesting relief from provisions of the Probate Court. (She had not been mentioned in William's will.) The final decree of this court named all of the heirs, and listed those still living in South Carolina. Nancy in her will, dated 12 Dec 1856 and proved 2 Jan 1857, did not leave anything to any of William's children, which seems to indicate that she was not their mother. This is also borne out by the fact that she had to resort to court action in order to obtain a reasonable settlement from William's estate, which should not have been necessary if she were their natural mother. The 1850 census of Anderson Co., SC, show Nancy's age as 50. This would make her younger than William's children. Records of the Big Springs Baptist Church, Williamston, Anderson Co., SC, list William and Elizabeth Harper as charter members (prior to 1801). The records of this church show that William was one of the first deacons and the minutes show that he died 3 Jan 1842. A pedigree chart by Mrs. Walter H. Stephens, Dallas, TX, indicate that William had Revolutionary War service. This has not been pursued for documentation. Records in the National Archives contain an application for a pension for RW service from Orange Co., NC. The application was filed in 1834, but was denied until further information was supplied. Apparently, it was pursued no further.