William Nichol (1800–1878) was an American banker, Whig politician and planter. He served as the mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, from 1835 to 1837.
Early life He was born on February 12, 1800, in Abingdon, Virginia.Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TNWilliam 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 James A. Hoobler, A Guide to Historic Nashville, Tennessee, The History Press, 2008, p. 26 His father was Josiah Nichol, an immigrant from Ireland, and his mother, Eleanor (Ryburn) Nichol. They moved to Nashville when he was still a young boy.
Career He served as the first President of the Bank of Tennessee. From 1835 to 1837, he served as Mayor of Nashville.Nashville Library Later, he was a planter in Davidson County, Tennessee and Arkansas.
Personal life He married Julia Margaret Lytle on 6 October 1825. His father-in-law, William Lytle, was a wealthy landowner who had served as captain in the American Revolutionary War. 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. They resided at Belair, a historic mansion in Nashville from 1835 to his death.
Death He died on November 23, 1878, and he is buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery. His wife died in 1890.
Legacy 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.Mrs. Percy Sharpe's Funeral Held Today
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