Sarah (Lewis) Willis (abt. 1675 - bef. 1710)

Born about 1675 in Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Woodson Jr. — married 1691 in St. John's Church, Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died before Nov 1710 before about age 35 in Henrico County, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

Sarah, daughter of John Lewis of Henrico and Sarah (—?—), was born circa 1675 at Henrico County, VA, and was "a dozen or thirteen years of age" when her father's estate was settled in 1689.^[1]

On 2 April 1688, Sarah was called "one of the orphans of John Lewis" when Nicholas Perkins and Robert Woodson were securities for her tuition.^[2]

She was called daughter and a minor by the inventory of John Lewis of Henrico's estate taken 2 December 1689.^[3][4]

On 1 December 1689, Sarah's husband Robert Woodson acknowledged to "my brother-in-law, William Lewis, my full share due my wife Sarah, one of the Orphans of John Lewis."^[2]

She married in October 1692, at St. John's Church, Henrico County, VA, Robert Woodson Jr, son of Robert Woodson and Elizabeth Ferris; after obtaining a license on 11 Nov 1691; children (surname WOODSON):^[5][6][7][8]

1. Sarah - b. c 1692; m. Joseph PARSONS
2. Mary - b. c1685; unm.
3. Agnes - b. c1697; m. Richard WILLIAMSON

Sarah died before Nov 1710 at Henrico County, VA, when her husband asked to be "liberated" from the Henrico County Quaker community to marry again.^[9]

Research Notes

• Needs Relationship Review: See Conflated? research note below. Spratlin-29 16:41, 8 May 2023 (UTC)

Conflated?

See 7 May 2023 Comment by Offutt-240 in profile of attached father Lewis-239.

First Wife

Tidewater Virginia Families may be mistaken that Robert Woodson Jr's first wife was Elizabeth Lewis. She was supposedly named as one of the orphans of John Lewis Sr, deceased, in a summons of Robert Woodson Jr to the April 1688 Court after he alledgedly received his wife's portion of John Lewis' estate, but that was actually Sarah.^[10]

Woodsons and Their Connections says she was probably d/o Maj John Lewis and Isabella (poss. Miller), but that is known to be incorrect.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Henrico County, Virginia, Order Book 3, (info in Ancestry tree 11821371), John Lewis; giving "Henrico Co. Court Records pp [304-5] December 1688: Wm Lewis, Exec Jno Lewis dec'd, peticoning for ye tuition of Sarah Lewis his sister now an Orph: of about a dozen or thirteen years of Age, & ye sd Orph: in court expressing her desire thereof & ye husb: of her mother consenting thereto, His peticon is by ye Court granted (untill she be capable of choosing a guardian) Provided he give security for her estate according to law."
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Laura Knight, Once a Knight is Enough: Knight Genealogy, "Woodson Records 1611-1781," (online: the author, 30 Apr 2019); giving 2 Apr 1688, d/o John Lewis under guardianship of her brother. [1]
3. ↑ Benjamin B Weisiger, compiler, Colonial Wills of Henrico County, Virginia, Part 1, 1654-1737, (Richmond VA: self published, 1976), p 27 (item p.105).
4. ↑ John Meriwether McAllister and Lura Boulton Tandy (editors), Genealogies of the Lewis and Kindred Families, (Columbia MO: S W Stephens Publishing Co, 1906), Ancestry.com, p 156.
5. ↑ Edward P Valentine, Valentine Papers (Virginia), Vol. 1-4, 1864-1908, (Provo UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2001), Woodson Family of Albemarle, v3, p 1970 (image 676 of 775); giving Oct 1692, "Robert Woodson Jr., for marriage with Sarah Lewis. License Retd. by Mr. tho. Cocke, Sr. who granted same."
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Henry Morton Woodson, Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections, (Columbia MO: E.W. Stephens Publishing Co., 1915), Internet Archive, p 25, 33.
7. ↑ Josiah Staunton Moore, Lewis William Burton and Robert Alonzo Brock, Annals of Henrico Parish, Diocese of Virginia, (Richmond VA: Williams Printing Company, 1904), Internet Archive, Marriages, St. John's Church, p 226; giving 1691, "Robt. Woodson, Jr., with Sarah Lewis."
8. ↑ Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1989), Chapter 15: The Woodson Family, p 405 (image 419 of 736); giving Stephen.
9. ↑ U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, (Lehi UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2014), Virginia, Charles City, Henrico Monthly Meeting, The Record Book, 1699-1757, p 64 (images 73-4 of 437); giving 12th of 10 mo 1710, Robt Woodson Jr and Rachel Watkins intentions of marriage, Wm Porter Jr and Henry Watkins Jr to give report on their clearness, 9th of 12 mo 1710, Robt Woodson Jr and Rachel Watkins 2nd intentions of marriage, nothing against them, granted liberty to accomplish these intentions when they see fit.
10. ↑ Benjamin B Weisiger, compiler, Colonial Wills of Henrico County, Virginia, Part 1, 1654-1737, p 44 (item p.677).

See also:

• Marriages of Henrico County, Virginia, 1680-1808 complied by Joyce H. Lindsay, Richmond, Virginia, 1960.
• FHL Collection. Quote from page 95: 1691. Robert WOODSON and Sarah Lewis. Deeds, Wills, etc., 1688-1697. p357.