W.A. [William Alexander] Bingham was the second child and eldest son of Green Berry and Martha {Rush} Bingham. He was born in Louisiana, but when he was a small boy the family moved back to the Hohenlinden, Mississippi area due to his father's dissatisfaction with the area in Louisiana where they had settled.
William obtained his spiritual training as a young man with his family at Double Springs Church, Webster Co., MS. As a young man, he was considered to be quite frivolous by the church elders and was even requested to leave the church on the grounds that he was caught in the compromising position of 'fiddling'.
In August 1892, he was restored as a member of the church and soon became a very respectable member of the body. In the ensuing years, the church records reveal that he was on several investigative committees that were appointed by the church to rule on wrong-doings on the part of the church members. In those days, the church was a powerful force in the community, and all activity rotated around the Church and its rulings.
Later records reveal that William Alexander Bingham was appointed from time to time to represent the church at association meetings. Ironically, Brother Bingham became as critical as his religious peers. In February 1898, he offered the resolution that became a part of the church doctrine to wit, 'the church endorsing discipline when a member of the church is guilty of playing such plays as "Sandy Land" with music or playing music resembling such." It seems that nobody is more zealous than a converted 'fiddler'.
In 1901, William requested letters of dismissal from Double Springs Church, as did many of the Bingham family. They moved their membership to the Old Cumberland Baptist Church in eastern Webster County, where he was ordained as a Minister of the Gospel on June 16, 1918. The scripture used at the ordination was John 1:14.
William Alexander was married four times. He is buried between two of his wives: #3, Evaline Champion and #4, Bamer "Fields" Bingham Lollar. He was also married to #2, Nancy Elizabeth Williams, who is buried in Double Springs Cemetery, Webster County and #1 Margaret V. Clementine Shaw. According to family legend, she is buried in Trickham Cemetery, Coleman Co., TX in an unmarked grave.
William Alexander was the father of eight known children.