William Billingsley (1691 - bef. 1745)

Born Nov 1691 in Calvert County, Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Sumner) Billingsley — married 1716 in Calvert County, Maryland

Descendants

Died before 16 Dec 1745 before age 54 in St. Mary's County, Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Liz Shifflett [send private message]

Biography

William Billingsley was born in November 1691 in Calvert County, Maryland, to William and Clearanna (Bowler) Billingsley. About 1716, he married Mary Sumner, who was born in Calvert County, Maryland in the 1690s.^[1]

"They moved to St. Mary’s County, Maryland where he engaged in farming evidently using rented land as there does not appear any record showing he ever owned any real estate. The deed records of St. Mary’s county were destroyed by fire many years ago and the above statement applies to records now on file at Annapolis."^[2] ~ The Billingsley Book (see Sources, below)

William and Mary (Sumner) Billingsley had nine children:^[3]

• Mary Wood
• Ann Hardesty
• William Billingsley
• James Billingsley
• "five younger children"
  • Margaret
  • Claire, Clearanna^[4]
  • Francis
  • Siare, Sias^[5]
  • Elizabeth

Mary died in December 1740. William wrote his will August 11, 1745, and died before December 16, 1745.^[6]

Will

Will of William Billingsley, 1745, St. Mary's County, MD^[7]

In the name of God, Amen. I William Billingsley of St. Mary's County, in the Province of Maryland, being of Perfect Memory thanks be to God for the same tho sick and weak in Body and not knowing how soon a Change may come, knowing we are all mortal, I make this my Last Will and Testament revoking all others heretofore made in any kind whatsoever as followeth.

First, I give my Soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it to me and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be Buried at the Discretion of my Executor hereafter named.

First I desire that Funeral Charges Just debts to be Paid then the rest of my estate as followeth.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Wood an hogg about two years old.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Hardesty one Ewe and Lamb.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son William Billingsley and my son James Billingsley my two negroes Sambo and Ben. I also desire that my son William make his choice of them by Christmas after my death. I also desire that my son James have a young horse named Spark that I promised him for learning his younger brothers and sisters to read and that he comply with this part of the agreement.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my five younger children, Margaret, Clare, Francis, Siare and Elizabeth all the rest of my personal estate to be equally divided amongst them or the survivors such as shall come to age to recieve the same and

lastly I hereby ordain and appoint my son Willim Billingsley Executor of this my Last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11th day of Aug. Anno Dom. 1745.

Witnesses:

Rachel Billingsley

James Kuch

The will was probated by his son William Billingsley. On December 16, 1745 Rachel Billingsley and James Kuch testified as witnesses.

Research Notes

A ged import gave him a middle name (Washington) and the suffix: III (no source).

Sources

1. ↑ Shown as "169-" in The Billingsley Family in America
2. ↑ from the placement of this passage, it's likely William and Mary married in Calvert County, before the move
3. ↑ Named in William's will, transcription above]].
4. ↑ "Clearanna" elsewhere in The Billingsley Family in America
5. ↑ transcription error? "Sias" elsewhere in The Billingsley Family in America
6. ↑ The Billingsley Family in America
7. ↑ Transcript obtained from a 1999 capture by archive.org's WayBack Machine. See also this abstract, in the Maryland State Archives (accessed 17 March 2022).

• The Billingsley Family (Billingsly - Billingslea) in America, Harry Alexander Davis, Washington, D.C., 1936
• WikiTree profile Billingsley-97 created through the import of Hughes Family Tree.ged on August 26, 2011 by Kenneth Hughes.
• Profile and biography for Billingsley-135 entered by Liz Shifflett October 7, 2012, based on information in The Billingsley Family (Billingsly - Billingslea) in America.
• The WikiTree profile Billingsley-72 was created through the import of breesefam.ged on 09 May 2011. This profile had "William W" for first name... I did not move the W to be middle initial. It also included birth as 1691-11, Calvert, Maryland, USA (Imported only 1691 and marked as uncertain.
• Additions from a gedcom import of March 2018 cited WikiTree as source for MyHeritage information: Billingsley in WikiTree