Joseph Wells I
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Joseph Wells I (1697 - aft. 1766)

Joseph Wells I
Born in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's County, Marylandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Husband of — married 11 Apr 1721 in All Hallow's Parish, Anne Arundel Co, Maryland Colonymap
Husband of — married 1758 in Cane Creek Mm, Rowan County, Province of North Carolinamap
Descendants descendants
Died after after age 69 in Orange County, North Carolinamap
Profile last modified | Created 9 Jun 2011
This page has been accessed 4,898 times.

Biography

U.S. Southern Colonies Project logo
Joseph Wells I was a Maryland colonist.
Joseph was a Friend (Quaker)

Joseph Wells was born on 30 Sep 1697 in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's County, Maryland Colony. His "paper trail" parents were Thomas Wells and Frances Smith. The records were indexed in the 1920's, and are available at several sources. Here is the file as indexed by FamilySearch.org:

Birth Record as Indexed at Maryland Archives

Joseph Wells had 2 known wives and possibly 3. Rachel is the first wife in question. She is only listed in one place as the mother of his first daughter, Rachel. This would be in the All Hallow's Protestant Episcopal church register in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. An article was written about this in the 1990's.[1] For descendants of Rachel Wells Wright, the Jamestowne Society accepts that her mother was actually Margaret Swanson, who has a lineage back to 1645 Jamestowne Burgess and chirurgeon, Dr Richard Wells.

Joseph Wells was married on April 11, 1721 at All Hallow's Parish, Anne Arundel County, Maryland to Margaret J. Swanson.[2] The All Hallow's church books are available to view online at the Maryland State Archives. Here is a screenshot from the 1721 marriage register:[3]

Marriage Record

The above marriage record is from page 53 of the All Hallow's church book at Anne Arundel County, dated April 11, 1721. On page 54 of the All Hallow's church book, you will find the baptismal record of Rachel Wells, the daughter of Joseph Wells and "Rachel." [4] The All Hallow's Anglican church books are available to view online at the Maryland State Archives. The fact that the marriage and baptismal records are on sequential pages has led to much confusion and speculation regarding whether or not Margaret Swanson could actually be her mother. Here is a closeup from the Maryland State Archives:

Baptism of Rachel Wells

As can be plainly seen, Rachel Wells was baptized on July 12, 1721, three months after the marriage of Margaret Swanson and Joseph Wells. This is the source of the controversy among descendants. Perhaps DNA evidence might be helpful in determining whether Margaret Swanson or Rachel Unknown was the mother of Rachel. In Cane Creek Quaker meeting records, Rachel Wells Wright named her mother, Margaret.

On December 8, 1726, Joseph Wells was living in Anne Arundel County, Maryland and paid taxes on the Mattapony Hundred of Prince George's County (now Frederick County, Maryland).

The birth of Joseph Wells's only documented son, Joseph Wells Junior, was recorded in the All Hallow's Protestant Episcopal church book on July 29, 1729. Here is a screenshot from the church record book at the Maryland State Archives:

Birth Record from All Hallow's Anglican Church Book

Here is an endnote from an analysis paper published by Quaker researcher Richard M. Kelly, to provide evidence for Joseph Wells Sr.'s residence in the 1720s: [5]

Endnote 36 by Richard M. Kelly

By 1742 Joseph Wells Senior had moved to the Monocacy Valley in west Prince George's County. His name is on a petition that sought the establishment of All Saints Parish from Prince George's County.[6] Note that another man named Isaac Wells also signed this petition. According to yDNA comparison of descendants of Isaac Wells and Joseph Wells these two men are unrelated.

Joseph & Isaac Wells signed a petition to create All Saints Parish

Joseph Wells Senior bought land named "Boyling Springs," a forty-acre lot surveyed on June 12, 1743. According to the book "Pioneers of Old Monocacy" by Grace Tracey and John Dern, the land record says he came from Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a research topic to get a copy of this land record. Another research topic is whether or not this land was suitable for a sawmill and furniture-making operation. Joseph Wells Senior and Junior were known to have moved to North Carolina in pursuit of the perfect site for a sawmill and cabinet-making operation.

Mill on a Boyling Spring

The family's early records were from the Anglican, or Church of England, parish records. His daughter, Rachel (Wells) Wright became a Quaker minister. On November 29, 1745, his wife Margaret was received into the Quaker membership. Joseph Wells came to the Quaker faith a few months later, being received into Quaker membership on February 29, 1746. Here is Joseph Wells's conversion, recorded by the Fairfax Monthly Meeting:[7]

Joseph Wells Joins the Fairfax Quaker Church

Joseph and Margaret Wells decided to move into the wilderness of North Carolina in approximately 1746. Two of their children were also involved in this move, specifically Rachel (Wells) Wright, a Quaker Minister, and Joseph Wells, Jr., a Quaker furniture maker. Joseph Wells and his namesake, Joe Wells, Jr., purchased land that was virgin timber. The Wells family had one of the earliest furniture making operations in the North Carolina Piedmont.

Cited as a Witness to a Quaker Marriage

The Wells family initially joined the Quaker congregation at New Garden. However, it was quite a distance from the Cane Creek settlement. Rachel Wright and her father, Joseph Wells, were active in the establishment of a new meeting house at Cane Creek. Joseph Wells was one of the first overseers in this church community. Duties included questioning potential new members about their faith.

Joseph Wells Performing Overseer Duties

About 1750 they sold "Boyling Spring", on Tuscorrah Creek near the mouth of the Monquescy, and moved to North Carolina. On 25 Jun 1750, his son Joseph Wells Junior and new bride Charity Carrington Wells received a certificate of removal to Carver's Creek Monthly Meeting in Bladen, North Carolina. This was in order to join Joseph Wells Senior and Margaret Swanson Wells, who had already moved there.

He and his wife were charter members of Cane Creek Monthly Meeting that was established on 07 Oct 1751.

On 13 June 1752 Joseph Sr. gave his son Joseph Jr., 269 acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina.

In September 1752 he sold another 137.5 acres of land to John Marshall.

His wife Margaret last appeared in the Quaker records in 1752 which could suggest that she had passed away some time thereafter. (C-575)

By late 1757, Joseph Wells was finding his overseer duties cumbersome. He requested to be relieved from the position at the last monthly meeting of 1757.

Joseph Wells Requests to Be Replaced as Overseer

It is theorized that this Joseph Wells's wife, Margaret Swanson, died about the time that he resigned his post as overseer. Once his schedule was relieved of visiting people all over the countryside, he sought female companionship for his elder years. In 1758, Joseph Wells and Mary (Underwood) Cook, both widowed Quakers, were married at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in Rowan County, North Carolina.

2nd Marriage for Widower and Widow

This record from a Quarterly Meeting at New Garden Monthly Meeting in Guilford County, North Carolina, is suggestive that Joseph Wells may have been active as a regional representative for the Cane Creek Quakers as late as 09 Nov 1766.

Joseph Wells Appears at Quaker Quarterly Meeting
1766 - Joseph Wells Attends Regional Quaker Elder Meeting

He died after 09 Nov 1766 in Orange County, North Carolina and was buried at Cane Creek Friends Cemetery in Orange (now Alamance) County, North Carolina.

The last Will and probate of Joseph Wells, Sr. has not been located. At the time of his death, there were not regular court meetings or records, due to the political instability in the region. (i.e. the Regulator Movement and the upcoming Revolutionary War.)

By 01 March 1773, Joseph Wells' widow, Mary, requested a Quaker certificate to move closer to her children.

Widow of Joseph Wells Requests Certificate to Move

In recent years, Joseph Wells's father has come into question. YDNA studies have proven that Thomas Wells was not his biological father. Evidently, Joseph's brothers lineages have the yDNA haplogroup G-M201. Joseph Wells's lineages are testing R-M512. The paper trail diverges from the yDNA trail. So, more testing and research is needed to untangle the mystery.(Source was Orin Wells's rootsweb page on the Wells DNA study at FamilyTreeDNA.com. These pages were removed in 2017.) Autosomal matching appears to indicate that the paper trail is sound to this point.(i.e. Through Joseph Wells Senior and his wife Margaret Swanson.) It is yet to be determined whether or not Frances Smith was the mother of Joseph Wells Senior.

Autosomal Match Between Descendants of Joseph Wells

Autosomal DNA testing seems to indicate that Joseph Wells's eldest daughter, Rachel, may have been the daughter of Margaret Swanson. Some question regarding her mother's name is due to her incomplete birth record. There is an article in this Quaker publication that gives some credence to this theory: [5]

The Southern Friend, Article on Rachel Wells Wright

Here is the original Quaker record, as cited in the above article by Richard M. Kelly:

Family Records of Rachel Wells Wright

Viola Holden Jones asserts that DNA evidence proves Thomas Wells and Frances Smith are not parents of this Joseph. Quote: A person I have worked with for years had DNA test that proves Thomas and Frances do not match much to our disappointment. I will look up this information and send it to you. Thomas and Frances should be removed as parents of our Joseph. However, they did have a son Joseph.

Research Notes

A merged profile had a death conflict. The bio originally stated that he died in 1804-- that is the death of his son, Joseph Wells II.

Sources

  1. "The Maryland Ancestors of Rachel Wright" by Richard M Kelly & published in The Southern Friend, Journal of the North Carolina Friends Historical Society v16 #1& 2, Spring & Autumn 1994. p35-63.
  2. "Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4V7-T4K : 11 February 2018), Joseph Wells and Margaret Swanson, 11 Apr 1721; citing Westminster Parish,Anne Arundel,Maryland, reference ; FHL microfilm 13,279.
  3. All Hallow's Protestant Episcopal Church (All Hallow's Parish (South River Parish), Davidsonville, Maryland, Anne Arundel), Marriages, births, burials from 1669 from Parish Records, MSA SC 2458 Collection, SCM 221-1; digital images from microfilm, Maryland State Archives, page 53 of 227.(http://msa.maryland.gov/)
  4. All Hallow's Protestant Episcopal Church (All Hallow's Parish (South River Parish), Davidsonville, Maryland, Anne Arundel), Marriages, births, burials from 1669 from Parish Records, MSA SC 2458 Collection, SCM 221-1; digital images from microfilm, Maryland State Archives, page 54 of 227.(http://msa.maryland.gov/)
  5. 5.0 5.1 "The Maryland Ancestors of Rachel Wright" by Richard M Kelly & published in The Southern Friend, Journal of the North Carolina Friends Historical Society v16 #1& 2, Spring & Autumn 1994. p35-63.
  6. Pioneers of Old Monocacy: The Early Settlement of Frederick Co., Maryland 1721-1743 by Grace L. Tracey and John P. Dern & Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1987 p80 & p371 citing Maryland Diocesan Archives held by the Maryland Historical Society.
  7. Fairfax Monthly Meeting Records, Loudoun County, VIrginia on ancestry.com citing 25 June 1748.
  • "Maryland Marriages, 1666-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4V7-T4K : 11 February 2018), Joseph Wells and Margaret Swanson, 11 Apr 1721; citing Westminster Parish,Anne Arundel,Maryland, reference ; FHL microfilm 13,279.
  • Pioneers of Old Monocacy: The Early Settlement of Frederick Co., Maryland 1721-1743 by Grace L. Tracey and John P. Dern & Genealogical Publishing Co. in 1987 p80 & p371 citing Maryland Diocesan Archives held by the Maryland Historical Society.
  • Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Minutes 1746-1776; Collection: Baltimore Yearly Meeting Minutes; call#RG2/B/F351 1.1
  • Haverford College; Haverford, Pennsylvania; Minutes, 1760-1900; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes; call#Q032011-1-01
  • Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy v6 (Virginia)




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Joseph by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Joseph:

Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.



Comments: 11

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DNA proves that Joseph Sr. is not the son of Thomas Wells and Frances (Smith) Wells.
posted by Viola (Holden) Jones
Interesting. Who would you think would be the true parents of Joseph, Sr.? I descend from him and would be very curious to know. Can you tell us more about the lack of DNA evidence?
Actually Maryland Marriage Index states that Joseph was married to Rachel (Unknown) b. 1792. Margaret Swanson was b. 1805. I am one who is still unconvinced that Margaret was mother of my ancestor, Rachel Wells Wright.
A number of trees identify Rachel as a Swanson, which could explain difficulty working out whether DNA could disambiguated the Parentage of Rachel Wells Wright.
posted by Anonymous Hankins
Wells-8054 and Wells-1574 appear to represent the same person because: dups with same birth date and same wife with same marriage date
posted by N Gauthier
Wells-16324 and Wells-1574 appear to represent the same person because: dups with same siblings and same 3 wives with same marriage dates
posted by N Gauthier
Need to figure out which Joseph Wells that Swanson-188 is married to, I'm guessing it is Wells-8054.
posted by William Foster Jr
Wells-8054 and Wells-1574 do not represent the same person because: DNA has proven that Thomas and Frances is not the parents of Joseph Wells.
posted by Viola (Holden) Jones
Wells-8054 and Wells-1574 appear to represent the same person because: Three wives are not uncommon.
posted by Sheri Havens
Wells-1574 and Wells-8054 are not ready to be merged because: These two people clearly are intended to represent the same person. However, because there are way too many wives and because the death information is significantly different, it's possible that at least one other man's biographical details have become associated with this Joseph Wells.

Please work out the biographical information and propose the merge again.

posted by Ellen Smith
Wells-1680 and Wells-1574 appear to represent the same person because: same dates, places and wife
posted by Robin Lee

Rejected matches › Joseph Wells II (1729-1804)