According to a letter written by Isaac Wakeland in 1936 (in the possession of John Wakeland, my grandmother's uncle from which she had obtained a copy), this Wakeland was the eldest of three children:

My great grandfather served in two wars, the French and Indian, and the Revolution. On General Green's retreat from the Carolinas with the British in pursuit, he with many more Americans lost their lives by drowning at the fording of the Yadkin River that was at the flood stage.

Much of the material in this letter however, is considered dubious according to many Wakeland researchers. Commonly, being "one of three" is a often-found archetype in unverifiable family histories which have been transmitted orally through several generations.

The only Wakeland listed in the Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives is a James Wakeland (Wakelee). It is probably a misprint as well. The family line of this James Wakeland or Wakelee can be found in History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield. It is not clear to me if this family is really connected to ours, though I do not think that it is.

From Marna Wakeland Wilson:

These are the Service Records for William K. Wakeland...

He was in the War of 1812 and appears on the Company Muster Roll from Sept to December 1812. Commencement of Service was Sept. 1812 and expiration of service was Dec. 23,1812. The term of service was 4 months and 1 day and the pay was $6.66 , totaling $26.86. He was allowed 8 days for traveling. The distance from the place of service was 65 miles and the distance from the place of discharge to place of residence was also 65 miles. He enlisted in Henderson Kentucky. He was with Capt. Robert Barnett's Company 6th Regiment Kentucky Detached Militia and he was a Private.

William joined the Militia again on November 15, 1814 at Camp Jackson as a sub for John C. Rogers.He left the service at Orleans with an excused absense May 15, 1815 due to sickness. He was 925 miles from the place of residence. He was paid for 6 months of service and was paid $8.00 a month with a total of $48.00. He was a private with Capt. Gannaway's Company of Infantry 13 Reg't Kentucky Detached Militia.

Other assorted documentation about William Cook Wakeland from Marna Wakeland Wilson:

18th Century Newspaper Virginia Gazette:

David Rodgers deceased....... William Kook Wackland and Mary Wackland administrators of his estate Buckingham County, Virginia Nov. 16, 1769

18th Century Newspaper, Virginia Gazette, Thursday Oct. 8, 1772:

Taken up on Back Island Creek, Buckingham County, a bright bay mare, branded on the near shoulder D and on the rear buttock C, has a bald face, her hind feet white, is about four feet four, five inches inches high and 11 or 12 years old. William K. Weakland

18th Century Newspaper Virginia Gazette:

David Bowles Deceased........ William K Wakeland his administrator will sell all his personal estate on Back Island Creek in Buckingham County, Virginia December 19 1777 consisting of horses, carpenters tool, wearing apparel etc; All persons having demands against the said estate, are requested to bring in their accounts on or before tha day of the sale and those indebted are thereto desired to make immediate payments to William K. Wakeland.

From the Magazine Of Virginia Genealogy:

December 7 1780..... William Cook Wakeland signed a petition by the Buckingham residents asking that all clergymen be required to give allegiance to the State.

Virginia Supreme Court District of Kentucky Order Books 1783--1792.......

June Court 1788...

Pg. 446 Andrew Beal vs Peter Watts on debt. The defendant failing to appear, plaintiff to recover against the defendant and William C. Wakeland, his appearance bail, 19 pounds, 4 shillings, 9 pence, with 5% interest from August 17, 1787 and costs. Defendant to have credit for 7 pounds, 15 shillings, paid August 22, 1787.

June court 1788...

Pg. 59 William Cook Wakeland to pay Gideon Watts 75# of tobacco for attending one day in June Court and one day in July Court and one day this term, as witness for him against Smith. Also to pay John Gill for the same and to pay Adam Fisher the same.

June Court 1788...

Pg. 68 Jesse Smith to pay John Smith 100# of Tobacco for attending one day in June Court, one day in July Court and two days in August Court as witness for him in the suit against Wakeland.

Mercer County Kentucky 1789 Tax List: 11-3-1789 William C Wakeland four horses.

October 26, 1786 Signed a petition in Mercer County Kentucky

November 8, 1786 William Wakeland versus Robert Corbin Mercer Co.Ky.

1790 suit in Mercer County Kentucky

The Last Will and Testament for William Cook Weaklin in the Bourbon County Kentucky Estates Will Book A, Page 135 from Marna Wakeland Wilson:

In the name of God, Amen, I, William Cook Weaklin, of Bourbon County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, being at present weak of body, yet by divine goodness in perfect mind and memory, for which I do bless almighty God and therefore do make and appoint this to be my last will and testament in the manner and form following. First, I desire freely to surrender my soul into the hands of of God, who gave it into the arms of Jesus Christ, by whose merit and righteousness alone I expect salvation and hope to stand justified before God at the last Day and as for my body, I leave it to be decently buried by my surviving friends, at the discretion of my executors, whom I shall hereafter appoint and as for my temporal estate or goods, which God has blessed me with, I do give and distribute in the manner following.

I give and devise to my beloved wife Mary Weaklin, all my personal estate together with the plantation I now live on as long as she contines in her widow hood. It is my desire that the above mentioned part of my estate shall be equally divided amongst my children, including the parts they have already received, at the decease or marriage of my wife.

I give and divise to my son Bowles Weaklin, two hundred acres of land, it being part of the tract of land I now live on to him and his heirs forever. He shall have free toleration to settle on any part of said land, not withstanding the above, so as not to interfere with my present settlement and at the decease or marriage of my wife, he shall have possession of the whole exclusive, such parts as I shall hereafter mention. I give and devise Turner Rogers, 100 acres of land including his present settlement, to be taken off the South and East corner of my tract of land, leaving a pass way between my pasture and cornfield fences. I give and devise to Betsy Weaklin and William Canady Weaklin 500 acres of land lying upon the Ohio, it being the balance of the tract that I let Bowles have, to be equally divided amongst them, according to quantity and quality to them and their heirs forever. Now in case Bowles does not establish the right of the land I now live on agreeable to contract, then my son Bowles Weaklin shall have two hundred acres of land upon the Ohio and Turner Rogers, 100 acres, it being the land said Bowles was to have in place of this.

Lastly I constitute and appoint my wife Mary Weaklin Executrix and my son Bowles Weaklin Executor of this my last will and testament this 29th day of December in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred ninety two.

Signed by the Testor in our presence, who witnessed it in his presence and in the presence of each other.

William Cook Weaklin

Witnesses: Sam Henderson, Edmond Woolridge, John Jamison and William Hall

MAY COURT 1793

This will was produced in court, proved by Sam Henderson, John Jamison

Edmond Woolridge and William Hall and ordered to be recorded.

Inventory of the estate of Wm. Cook Wakeland was taken from LDS film# 0183132 Bourbon County Kentucky Court Orders from Marna Wakeland Wilson:

September Court

September 16, 1793

In obedience to an order of the honorable Court Of Bourbon County we the subscribers have appointed the estate of William Cook Wakeland deceased as follows:

One negroe woman

21 head of cattle

17 head of sheep

29 head of hogs

1 chest

2 guns

1 side saddle

1 grinding stone

1 mare colt

1 bay horse

1 black horse

2 iron wedges

5 axes

3 feather beds and furniture

1 loom

6 chairs and table

4 wheels spools, joiners tools, plantation tools, castings, smoothing irons,

Spice mortar, books and pewter.

OCTOBER 1793

This inventory was returned to court and ordered to be recorded.

Further information about William Cook Wakeland from Marna Wakeland Wilson:

The following Marriage Record was found in the Mercer County Kentucky Marriage Records:

Turner Rogers to Nelly Watts with Gideon Watts a surety, November 24, 1790. Consent of William Watts for marriage, same date Witnessed by WILLIAM COOK WAKELAND and Peter Watts.

Turner Rogers was mentioned in the Will of William Cook Wakeland and was given 100 acres of land. His relationship with William Cook Wakeland is not certain and many people have assumed that Turner was a son of his, but I do not believe it is so. Roger Turner has been written about many times in that locality in court cases, etc and William Cook Wakeland was a witness at the wedding of Roger Turner and his wife Eleanor "Nellie" Watts. There are many connections between the Watts, the Rogers, and the Wakelands. No mention was made of the relationship between Turner Rogers and William Cook Wakeland in the will of William Cook Wakeland, but I just feel like he was taken in by the Wakeland's as a child. William referred to the surname Weaklin everytime he mentioned one of his children in his will, not so with Turner.

Turner Rogers was also a witness at the marriage of William Cook Wakelands daughter" Mary" to Robert McGill. Rebecca Wakeland another daughter of William Cook Wakeland was also a witness. Both girls signed their names Wakeland and William Cook Wakeland signed as the father of Mary. " Turner Rogers signed Turner Rogers!!!" Again it was never signed Turner Rogers Wakeland!! This will undoubtedly be one of lifes little mysteries, but for now, I am convinced that I am right and after "extensive" research, I am going to put Turner Rogers with his own family. I have much information on the Rogers and the Watts family and they were very close to William Cook Wakeland in business and personally. William and Mary were the administrators of the estate of David Rogers in 1769 and he may have been the father of Turner Rogers. Turner was only three when this man died and Wm. Cook may have taken him in. No one has ever found where the surname for Mary Richards came from and it is my conclusion that she may have been Mary Rogers (not Richards) and was the the sister of David Rogers, father of Turner Rogers.