Biographical Sketch (1907):1062, p. 25. "William Magill was born about 1670, probably in Scotland, as the Magills are Scotch-Irish. If born in Scotland, he went to Ireland before 1715, as his son, William, was born in Ireland at that date. From Ireland he came to Augusta County, Virginia., where he died, in October or November, 1749. It is probable he formed a part of the great tide of Scotch-Irish immigration which poured into the new world from 1725 to 1740. Many of these sturdy people landed at Philadelphia, and a colony settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, while the more venturesome spirits pushed on into what was then a trackless wilderness, but is now known as the famous Valley of Virginia. He had two other sons besides William — James and John — and one daughter, Elizabeth; whether older or younger is not known. His wife’s name was Margaret, but evidently she was the second wife, and a widow — Mrs. Margaret Gass — when he married her, as he willed ‘ ye gray mare to her son, David Gass;’ and when the will went to probate, she renounced all claim to any of the legacies in the will, and this left everything to the Magill children, as she was only their step-mother."

Biographical Sketch (1918):966, v. 2, p. 233. "William McGill The First of Rockingham County, Virginia. William McGill, presumably a grandson of Sir Robert Makgill, Tulycaim, Ireland, and either brother or father of Lieutenant Charles McGill, of the Provincial Militia of Pennsylvania, settled in Rockingham County, Virginia, while it was yet a part of Augusta County, about the time that so many of the Scotch-Irish families from the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania were filling up the Borden and other grants on the Virginia frontier. William McGill died in Virginia in 1749. He left a widow, Margaret, a second wife, formerly the "Widow Gass" (Glass), by whom he had no children. The children by the first wife as mentioned in his will were John, James, William, and Elizabeth.

The Magill Record states that the name of John McGill has been found attached to a demand for the militia companies to Augusta County, Virginia, 1776, ‘that all religious denominations be given equal liberties without preference of pre-eminence.’ In his will William leaves John ‘a mare and ye brown cote (coat)’; William inherits his father’s ‘white cote’ and ‘half of the household plenishings,’ and shares with James an equal division of the lands. He is requested to spend the winter on the plantation, retaining there, with his own cattle, the stock of his step-mother and sister, Elizabeth. Whether because of some domestic disagreement or because possess of independent means or independence of disposition, when the will was probated the widow, Margaret Gass McGill, appeared in court and refused to accept any legacy whatever from the estate."

Biographical Sketch (1996):1058, p. 155. "William Magill I ca. 1690-1749 arrived in Pennsylvania from Tullycairn, Ireland. He and Charles Magill are in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1726. He moved to Augusta County, Virginia about 1740 where he was appointed a road overseer in 1745 and constable in 1746. His first wife is unknown. His second wife, Margaret Gass, refused any part of his estate in favor of his children. There is a record of the widow of John Gass in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1738. William Magill died between 10 October 1749 and 29 November 1749 when his will was presented for probate to the Augusta Court."

1747 Church Title:559, v. 2, p. 432-433 (Augusta Parish Vestry Book, p. 4) On September 3, 1747, Edward Erwin and William McGill appointed as Processioners.

1748 Estate Appraiser:559, v. 3, p. 9 (Augusta County Will Book no. 1, p. 84) William McGill served as Appraiser for the estate of Joseph Harrison, the appraisment made on 27 July 1748.

1749 Will:559, v. 3, p. 14-15 (Augusta County Will Book no. 1, p. 202) 10 October 1749. William Magill's will--Wife, Margaret and her son David Gass; sons, James and William, adjoining Charles Campbell; son, John; grandchild, James' son; daughter, Elizabeth. Executor, Robert Cravens, Hugh Campbell. Signed William Magill, Margaret Magill. Teste: Andrew Erwin, Charles Campbell. Proved, 29th November 1749, when Margaret renounced the will.

1749 Will:835 "In the name of God, amen: the 10th day of October, 1749. I, William Magill of Augusta County, Virginia, being sick in body, but of perfect wit and memory, thanks to be God, calling to remembrance the uncertain state of this transitory life, and that all flesh must yield to death when it shall please God to call, do make, constitute, ordain, and declare this, my last will and testament, in manner and form following, revoking and annulling, and by these presents all and every testament and testaments, will and wills, heretofore made by me, and declared, either by word or writings, and this to be taken only for my last will and testament, and one other.

And, first being sorry from the bottom of my heart for my sins past, most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same, I give and commit my soul to God, my Saviour and Redeemer, in whom and by the mercies of Jesus Christ, and believed to be saved, and to have full remission and pardon of all my sins, and that my soul with my body at a general day of resurrection shall rest again with joy, and thro' the mercies of Christ's death and passing, passes and inherits the kingdom and heaven prepared for his elect and chosen and my body to be buried in such a place where it shall please my executors hereafter to appoint;

And now for ye settling of my temporal estate, and such goods and chattels and debts as it has pleased God far above my desserts to bestow upon me, I do give and dispose as followeth: That is to say,

First, I will that all my debts and dues that I owe, in right and conference to any person or persons whatsoever, shall well and truly be paid within convenience time after my death, by my executors;

I order that my wife, Margaret, to have six of my best ye cows and one bay two-year-old mare, and ye half of ye household plenishing, and ye gray mare to her son, David Gass;

And as for my land, I order it to be divided between my sons James and William, and ye line to run a straight course from ye river by ye upper end of James meadow, and toward a little spring between and Charles Campbell, and James to have ye end he now lives on, and William ye end that I now live on.

I order my son, John, to have ye young mare, yearling mare, and as for ye rest of ye young cattle, I order them to be equally divided among my children; and likewise my hogs, I order them to be equally divided between my wife and my children;

I order my brown coat for my son John, and ye white coat to William; and ye half ye household goods to William, and one chest to be excepted for my wife, more than her equal share and ye patter and one pot to my wife, also above her equal share.

I order my grandchild, James' son, to have one heifer of a year old. I order my wife's share of ye creatures, & William and Elizabeth, to be maintained on ye plantation this winter and my funeral charges to be taken of ye whole estate.

My saddle and tools I order, with ye plow irons, to William; and ye big Bible, I leave it to James. As witness my hand, this tenth day of October, 1749. Order Robert Creaven and Hugh Campbell to be my executors. Memorandum -- Before signing, William is to have ye black mare and ye gray horse.
Signed, William Magill; Marget Magill (her mark); Andrew Erwin; Charles Campbell (his mark)

"At a court continued and held for Augusta county, the 29th day of November, 1749. This last will and testament of William Magill, deceased, was presented to court by Robert Creaven and Hugh Campbell, the executors therein named; and being proven by Andrew Erwin and Charles Campbell, the witness thereto subscribed, is admitted to record, and on motion of the said executors; who made oath thereto according to law, certificate is granted them for obtaining a probate thereof in due form, and Marget, the relict of said deceased, personally appeared in court, and declared that she would not receive or take any legacy of legacies to her given or bequeathed through, by or any part thereof, and did renounce all benefit or advantages which she might claim by the said will."

1750 Land Purchase:1101 On 1 June 1750 King George II granted to William Magill "300 acres on the south side of the North River of Shanando and joining the land of William Thompson" for the sum of thirty shillings. Assume William claimed the lands several years before his death in 1749 and this represents the final completion of the transaction.

1758 Military Provisions:1065, v. 7, p. 171, 179-180. "At a General Assembly, begun held at the Capitol, in Williamsburg on Thursady the fourteenth day of September . . . in the year of our Lord 1758, being the first session of this assembly, Chapter I, an Act for the defence of the frontiers of this colony, and for other purposes there-in mentioned . . . be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that so much money as shall be necessary for the purposes shall be paid by John Robinson, esquire, treasurer . . . The Schedule to which this act refers. To the Militia of the County of Augusta, and for Provisions furnished by sundry inhabitants of the said county, viz . . . To Sampson Archer, John McKay, Robert Minnis, Henry Smith, John Snmith, Adam Stephenson, William McGill, jun., Robert Boyd, William McGill, sen., Matthwe Patton, Moses Hall, Peter Venenian, John Young, Michael Erhart, William Minter, Richard Wilson, John Shanklin, Edward Megary, Paul Shever, James McClure, James Fowler, Joseph Skidmore, Nicholas Huffman, Henry Peninger, and Robert Megary, three shillings each. [Note: Assume this reimbursement occurred posthumously.]

1758 Estate Settlement:559, v. 3, p. 51 (Augusta County Will Book no. 2, p. 280) 15 November 1758. Accounts against estate of William Magill paid by Hugh Campell and Robt. Cravens. Legacies paid, viz: to James, John, William, Margaret McGill, Hugh Campbell, John Jones, Robert Dickson, John Berry, Ro. Fouller (to each of these £9.1.6).