William was born in Nottingham, England, in 1615 and sailed to Virginia Colony aboard the Merchant Ship "Bonaventure" in 1634.
Following William's death in 1684, the government continued leasing the property from William's widow, Ann Macon, for "...an allowance of 12,000 pounds of Tobacco for the use of her Tavern House as committee chambers, assembly roome, clk's office, and council chamber, etc.
Macon was secretary to Sir William Berkeley,[1] who was appointed Governor of Virginia by King Charles I for two nonconsecutive terms.
Martha's father, William Woodward, owned a large tract of land along the Pamunkey River above Johns Creek.
In the same year, he was named Churchwarden in St. Peter's Parish and was actively involved in managing affairs in that post until the time of his death.
The vestry had the duties of appointing the clergymen, investigating cases of suspected moral delinquency, and setting and collecting the parish levy to cover expenses.
It was also their responsibility to ensure that illegitimate children were provided for, that indigent orphans were indentured, and that the sick and elderly were lodged and boarded at the parish's expense.
Another report says he was buried in the family plot on Macon's Island, and that the gravestone was destroyed by the Federal Army in 1862 during the American Civil War 160 years after his death.
He was also the great-grandfather of Nathaniel Macon, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1801–1808 and senator from North Carolina from 1815-1828.
They had two children, and their daughter, Unity West, married Frances Jones's brother-in-law, William Dandridge.