William Bailey "Wiley" Marchant Sr. was born in 1808 to James Marchant and Annie Little in Bedford, Tennessee and was the 4th born in this family of 4 children: two daughters born between 1790 and 1795, John B. Merchant Marchant born August 24, 1800 and William Bailey "Wiley" Marchant born in 1808. Wiley was married three times.
Susan Cox ws born May 24, 1809 to Caleb Cox and Patsey (last name unkown) in Williamson, Tennessee. Patsey and Caleb had 8 children: William born 1805, Susan born 1809. Ann B. born 1817, Eny Dale born 1818, Nancy born 1818, son born 1819, son born 1825, and daughter born 1828. (This hasn't all been confirmed as far as the children at this time.)
Wiley and Susan married in 1827 in Williamson County, Tennessee. Susan was only 15 at the time of marriage.
The children of this union were: Minerva who was born in 1828 in Williamson, Tennessee and died February 4, 1902, in Pulaski, Missouri; William "Bailey" Marchant, II, born in 1830 in Williamson, TN, died February 22, 1892 in Izard, Arkansas and married about 1850 at Lunenburg, Izard County, AK. W. Bailey and Lucy A., his wife, sold 230 acres in Izard County, township 17, range 11 W to Eny Marchant, his step-mother, on January 2, 1871 (Izard County, Arkansas Land Records Book 10, page 2); James C. born May 24, 1835 in Williamson, TN and died September 18, 1836 in Bedford, TN and Thomas I. born July 3, 1837 in Williamson, TN and died April 10, 1918 in Iberia, Miller County, Missouri.
Susan Cox died September 18, 1838 at the age of 29 in Bedford County, Tennessee. She is buried in the Enon Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, one mile north of Unionville, Bedford County, Tennessee.
Wiley married his second wife, Nancy Ann Byler on October 1, 1839 in Bedford, Tennessee. She was born in 1821 and died in 1845. They had three children: Anderson Atkins born in 1841 and died in 1920; Green P. born in 1843 and died in 1844; and John H. born in 1845 and died in 1845. Nancy died at 24 years of age. It was probably during childbirth since her and her son, John, both died the same year. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.
Wiley's third wife was Eny (or Eany) Dale Taylor, a Taylor widow, who was born in 1818 in North Carolina and died February 22, 1893 in Calico Rock, Izard County, Arkansas. (Eny was a sister to Susan Cox.) Wiley and Eny were married December 19, 1845 in Rutherford, Tennessee. They had 9 children: Martha was born in 1846 and died in 1850. Martha was killed on the road from Little Rock to Melbourne, having accidentally fallen out of the wagon, by which she was run over. She is buried in White County.; Wiley Scott born May 8, 1848 in Bedford, Tennessee and died in 1916 in Panama, LeFloe County, Oklahoma; Mary Tennessee born January 4, 1850 in Arkansas City, Arkansas and died in 1919 in Panama, LeFloe, Oklahoma; Richard Edward born December 17, 1851 and died June 16, 1942; Joseph Ephraim born in 1855 in Izard County, Arkansas and died in 1948 in Izard County, Arkansas; Silas Aaron born August 3, 1853 in Pleasant Valley, Izard County, Arkansas and died January 16, 1916 in Panama, LeFlore County, Oklahoma; Susan Ann born January 12, 1858 and died April 26, 1893 in Calico Rock, Izard County, Arkansas; Martin Bell born October 29, 1860 in Izard County, Arkansas and died in 1948 in Van Buren, Arkansas, and Monroe Abraham born August 16, 1862 in Izard County, Arkansas and died November 18, 1948 in Springdale, Washington County, Arkansas.
Wiley fought for the Union during the Civil War (1861-1865)
Wiley served as constable of Rocky Bayou and in the First Arkansas Infantry, Company D, USA during the Civil War. He enlisted July 1, 1862 at Jacksonport, Arkansas. The Muster Rolls show him present from July to October 1862 at Jacksonport, Arkansas The Benton Barracks Muster-out-roll of December 21, 1862 noted that he died November 23, 1862 at St. Louis, Missouri. The Certificate for Undertaker states: "Wilie B. Marchant died November 23, 1862 at the Convalescent Hospital, Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri of typhoid pneumonia and his height was five feet eight inches." The Inventory of the Effects was noted as claimed by a son, Thomas J. Marchant, however, a date was not given. W. B. Marchant is buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road in St. Louis, Missouri, which was probably at that time a part of Benton Barracks.