William Cordra Maples was born on 1 July 1766 in Halifax County, Virginia, the son of Josiah (also an American Revolution patriot) and Ruthea Sweeney (her father, Moses, was also an American Revolution patriot) of Virginia.

On 6 October 1790, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, he married Nancy Long (1772-1850), daughter of Edward Long (also an American Revolution patriot) and Jane of Loudoun County, Virginia. They had the following known children:

• Josiah Maples was born in 1794.
• William was born in 1795.
• John was born in 1797.
• Edward was born in 1798.
• Moses was born in 1802.
• Peter was born in 1804.
• James was born in 1806.
• George, date of birth unknown.
• Isaac, date of birth unknown.
• McCampbell, date of birth unknown.

The Patriot died on 26 October 1847 in Huntsville, Madison, Alabama.

The obituary of William Cordra Maples from "The Democrat, Huntsville, Alabama, November 17, 1847; Soldier of the American Revolution Died at the residence of his sons, in Madison County, Alabama., on the 26th Oct. William C. Maples in the 81st year of his age. He was a native of Virginia and was one of the guards at the age of 15 years on Dan River, when the Battle was fought at Guilford Court House. He immigrated to East Tennessee in the year 1796 and served as a volunteer in the War of 1812 and immigrated to Alabama in the year 1833. He had been a member of the Baptist Church for the rise of fifty years; he was a faithful and useful member of that society and filled the office of a Deacon and Clerk for the Church for a number of years; he was esteemed as a father in the Gospel, a tender husband, and obliging neighbor. He departed this life in the triumph of a living faith 'In the hope of that eternal life with God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.' He left a numerous train of connections scattered almost from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The Athens, Tennessee and Lynchburg, Virginia papers are requested to copy. "In the War of 1812, William C. Maples served as Sergeant in Captain William Mitchell's Company of Mounted Infantry, East Tennessee Volunteer Militia, in Regiment commanded by Col. Samuel Wear. He entered service on September 27, 1813. He did not receive a pension for either service. William was a faithful and useful member of the Baptist Church. He served as a Deacon and Clerk for the Church for a number of years. He was known as a tender husband and an affectionate father to his children. He was an agreeable and obliging neighbor."