Reverend William, Sr. was born about 1747 to Thomas and Sarah Sanderson Hickman, of King and Queen County, Virginia. He and his sister lived with their grandparents until William reached the age of fourteen. Their parents had died when they were young. Family records state William married Mary Goode, a sister of Rev. John Goode.  However, William stated in his manuscript his first wife was the daughter of John Shackelford, of King and Queen, by her he had thirteen children. He and his wife  moved to Buckingham County, Virginia in 1770  where they became interested in the preaching of John Waller and James Chiles. After their move to Cumberland County, they saw their neighbors; the Bondurants, Maxeys and Eppersons being converted.  Mary soon accepted the Baptist religion and later William was baptized by Reuben Ford. William and Mary had thirteen children; seven daughters and six sons. Some of these children were; William, Jr., Lettice, PASCHAL, (RIVER RAISIN), Benjamin, Sally Cunningham, Betsy Todd, Polly Hunter, James and John.  In 1814, after the death of his first wife, William married Mrs. Elizabeth Abbett.  By Elizabeth, William had the following sons; Edwin A., Ezra, James H., John Gano.

In the spring of 1776 William Hickman and several others started on a visit to Kentucky.  They came through Harrodsburg where Thomas Tinsley was preaching. Reverend Tinsley stated he would not preach unless William Hickman preached first. William returned to Virginia, where he continued to preach. It was said William's preaching was in a plain and solemn style and the sound of it was like thunder at a distance.

In 1784 he brought his family to Fayette County, Kentucky.  By late 1787 Major's Station was in need of an organized church. John Major made a visit to Hickman's home in hopes of persuading him to relocate to Dry Run.  Hickman agreed and in 1788 built a home on old Steele's Ferry Road between the Lexington and Leestown Road.

William Hickman had gone to South Benson Church to preach on January 24, 1834.  On the trip returning home he became ill.  To sick to continue the journey home, he stopped in Frankfort at a home of a friend.  William Hickman remained too ill to return home.  He died in Frankfort on January 28, 1834. He and his two wifes are buried in the D.A.R. lot located in the Frankfort Cemetery.

Sources:
The Forks of Elkhorn Church, by Ermina Jett Darnell
Capital on the Kentucky, by Kramer

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