William Deaton was born around 1813 in North Carolina. He married Flora Deaton, and they had at least five children: Noah, born on October 26, 1838; Sarah, born around 1840; Catherine, born on July 21, 1848; Margaret, born around 1851; and John, born around 1854. The family lived in Moore County, North Carolina, and Deaton worked as a farmer. By 1860, he owned $275 of personal property. They moved to Rocky Springs, North Carolina, in the 1860s, and Deaton worked as a merchant there. By 1870, he owned $150 of real estate and $40 of personal property. He died sometime after 1880.