  william avery "bill" rockefeller, sr. (november 13, 1810 â may 11, 1906) was an american con artist who went by the alias of dr. william levingston. he worked as a lumberman and then a traveling salesman who identified himself as a "botanic physician" and sold elixirs. two of his sons were standard oil co-founders john davison rockefeller (july 8, 1839 â may 23, 1937) and william avery rockefeller, jr. (may 31, 1841 â june 24, 1922). == family == bill rockefeller was born in granger, new york. he was the eldest son of businessman/farmer godfrey lewis rockefeller (september 24, 1783, albany, new york â september 28, 1857, richford, new york) and lucy avery (february 11, 1786, great barrington, massachusetts â april 6, 1867). godfrey and lucy had married on september 20, 1806 in amwell, hunterdon county, new jersey. bill was the third of ten children: *melinda rockefeller (september 12, 1807 â may 2, 1880), married to william harris *olymphia rockefeller (april 20, 1809 â ?) *william avery "bill" rockefeller (november 13, 1810 â may 11, 1906) *norman rockefeller (october 27, 1812 â january 20, 1905) *sally ann rockefeller (september 28, 1814 â march 3, 1884) *jacob s. rockefeller (july 14, 1816 â august 14, 1892) *mary rockefeller (february 18, 1819 â july 15, 1819) *miles avery rockefeller (july 27, 1821 â ?) *mary miranda rockefeller (june 17, 1824 â november 12, 1879) *egbert rockefeller (february 8, 1827 â september 20, 1878) == 
1810_births 1906_deaths American_people_of_English_descent American_people_of_German_descent Confidence_tricksters People_from_Allegany_County,_New_York People_from_Freeport,_Illinois People_from_Walsh_County,_North_Dakota Rockefeller_family