William R. King

Birth Name: William Rufus DeVane King

Date of Birth: April 7, 1786

Place of Birth: Sampson County, North Carolina, U.S.

Date of Death: April 18, 1853

Place of Death: Selma, Alabama, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, as well as small/distant amounts of Scottish and Irish

William R. King was an American politician and diplomat. He served as Vice President of the United States, from March 4, 1853 to April 18, 1853, his death. He was elected to the position in 1852. He was also a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina, from March 4, 1811 to November 4, 1816, a U.S. Senator from Alabama, from December 14, 1819 to April 15, 1844, and again, from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852; President pro tempore of the United States Senate, from July 1, 1836 to March 4, 1841, and again, from May 6, 1850 to December 20, 1852; and U.S. Minister to France, from April 9, 1844 to September 15, 1846. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party until 1828, and a member of the Democratic Party subsequently. He was a Unionist, and helped draft the Compromise of 1850. He is the only Vice President to have taken the oath of office on foreign soil, while in Cuba.

Vice President King was the son of Margaret (DeVane) and Pvt. William Rufus King, who fought in the American Revolution. His family was wealthy. He is often theorized to have been the first LGBT person to serve as U.S. Vice President.

Vice President King’s paternal grandfather was Col. Michael King (the son of Michael King and Isabel Ferguson). Vice President King’s grandfather Michael was born in North Carolina. Vice President King’s great-grandfather Michael was the son of Henry King, whose father was from Norwich, Norfolk, England; and of Catherine Clark, whose father was also English. Vice President King’s great-grandmother Isabel was the daughter of John Ferguson and Anne Woodnut, who was born in England.

Vice President King’s paternal grandmother was Mary Catherine/Katherine Snell (the daughter of Roger Snell and Ann Pickering). Roger was the son of Roger Snell, who was English, and of Mary Rebecca Casell. Ann was the daughter of Richard Pickering, whose parents were from Yorkshire, England; and of Mary Rebecca Farwell.

Vice President King’s maternal grandfather was Thomas Bell DeVane, Jr. (the son of Thomas Bell DeVane/DeVaughn and Margaret Sullivant). Vice President King’s grandfather Thomas was born in New Hanover County, North Carolina, to parents from Barbados. He fought in the American Revolution. Vice President King’s great-grandfather Thomas was the son of Thomas DeVaughan. Margaret was the daughter of Darby Owen Sullivant, whose father, and maternal grandparents, were from England; and of Ann Dew, who was from Calvert, Maryland.

Vice President King’s maternal grandmother was Mary Larkins (the daughter of John L. Larkins and Tabitha Jenkins Canty). Mary was born in North Carolina. John was the son of Thomas Larkins, whose parents were English; and of Sarah Rowe, whose grandparents were all English. Tabitha was the daughter of John W. Canty, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, to parents from England; and of Margaret Kershaw, whose parents were also English.

Sources: Genealogies of William R. King – https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com