Son of James Pennington, Jr. (1752-1845) and Rachel Vick Pennington (1755-1833). James and Rachel were married on June 8, 1780 in Southampton, Virginia and they were the parents of six children: William Vick, Newitt, Burwell W., Phillip, Patsy Willis and Elizabeth Ann Pennington.

William Vick Pennington married Mary Elizabeth "Polly" Henry on December 1, 1808 in Garrand Co., Kentucky and they had sixteen children. All sixteen children were born in Kentucky before William V. and his wife moved to Indiana then on to Adair County, Missouri. The family can be found on the 1850 Federal census living in Charleston, Clark County, Indiana. By the 1860 census William and Mary were living in Pettis Township, Adair County, Missouri and by the 1870 census William and Mary were living with their son, John Thomas Pennington, south of Kirksville in Adair County near Millard, Mo. By 1878 their son, John Thomas Pennington had moved to Mooresville, Livingston County, Missouri after his father's death. Mary Elizabeth Pennington continued to live in the Millard, Mo. area until her death on June 15, 1881.

See his wife, Mary's memorial, for a list of their children, dates and other info. about them.

---William, age 91, files for Pension Feb. 6, 1875, living Adair Co., MO., P.O. Millard. He married Dec. 1, 1808 to Polly Henry in Garrard Co.,(Makes X). Wit: J.L. Wheeler, M.B. Fancannon, John Rickey, B.F. Heiny, Before G.F. Heiny, Clerk of Court.
---N.J. (Newitt James) Pennington files Nov. 25, 1875: "I can furnish you with the following testimony. I will give you a copy of Robert B. Henry's statement: Carrolton, Ky., Nov. 1, 1875. I know that Wm. Pennington was drafted into the service of the U.S. some time in the summer of 1814. I do not remember just what month, he belonged to Capt. Wm. Woods Co. I was at his house when he started to service. I went with him to Harrodsburg place of big rendavos from there he went to Shipensport there he was discharged on account to being throughed from a horse and cripled he was discharded in Nov. 1814. In reading the discharge after he came home."
---It was alleged he enlisted in June or July 1814 at Maxwells place in Garrad Co., Ky., served as private in Capt. Wm. Woods Co., Shipensport, Ky., he was thrown from his horse and his leg smashed. On account of that injury was discharged in Nov. 1814. In 1875 his son (the original document does not claim any such relationship) N.J. Pennington was living in Millard, MO., and referred to a Robert B. Henry of Carrollton, K.Y., but did not state his relationship to soldiers wife.