William Rule

Ancestor Number

A099806 »

Date of Birth

Ante 1743

Place of Birth

Possibly Holland

Date of Death

Circa 1782

Place of Death

Cocalico Twp., Lancaster Col, Pennsylvania

Spouse(s)

X Frederick

Children

John Albert Rule

American Revolution Service

Capt. John Patterson, Col Walter Stewart. 2nd Regt, Paline

State of Service

Pennsylvania

Donor

This is the Patriot for four generations of women in my family, Norma Whiteman McClarren #196505, Margaret McClarren White #839852, Rebecca White Vajdak #854608 & Rachel Margaret Mohr # 854610

William Rule, A009806, was born before 1743, possibly in Holland. He married a Miss Frederick, first name unknown, before 1765.

His only son, John Albert Rule, was born in 1765 in Pennsylvania. The Rule family lived much of their lives in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 1790 Census for Cocalico Township shows a “Widow Rule” as the head of the house and four others who are probably her son, her son’s first wife and their two children.

Famous painting of the Battle of Yorktown. There is family lore that William said he fought with General Washington.

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Rule served as a Private in the 2nd Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line, under Captain John Patterson and Colonel Stewart.

He served under Col. Stewart in battles along the New York and New Jersey border in July 1778. In that same month, he also fought at Green Springs, New York. At the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 he suffered a severe musket ball wound to the upper hip. Unable to be amputated, it festered and eventually took his life sometime in 1782. After the Rule’s death, the court appointed a relative as a guardian for this son. No one ever submitted any of the pay vouchers or script for his service, for unknown reasons.

The family spoke the German language, calling it “speaking the Dutch,” for generations, possibly lending credence for the belief that Rule was born in Holland. There are several published biographies for his sons who state the family was of Germanic origins.

Rule does not have a marked grave and few records are associated with him. It is believed he was buried in one of the older cemeteries in Cocalico Township that has disappeared with time. His courage and sacrifice would help to build this country and ultimately allowed four generations to join DAR.