George Edward Willett (1757 - 1811)

Born 17 Apr 1757 in Prince Georges County, Maryland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 6 Jul 1811 at age 54 in Nelson County, Kentucky

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Biography

Sergeant George Willett served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

George Willett is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A125819.

Notes for GEORGE E WILLETT: George E Willett was born on land called Bealington, Prince Georges County, Maryland. He was a sergeant in Colonel Cox's Militia that served under George Rogers Clark of Ft Nelson, Virginia. This area was later Louisville, Kentucky. His brother, Samuel, was a private in the same regiment. They fought against the Indians who had been incited by the British. They were engaged in many bloody battles from 1782 until 1794. The Indians were defeated at the battle of "Fallen Timber" in northwestern Ohio before Kentucky was freed of the threat from Indian attacks.

George E Willett received a Virginia land grant that reads as follows:

Beverly Randolph, Esquire, governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia To all to whom these presents shalt come Greetings:

Know ye that by virtue and in consideration of a certificate granted by the County Court of Jefferson, under the Act of the General Assembly for the relief of certain poor persons now resident on the Western Frontier, there is granted by the said Commonwealth unto GEORGE WILLETT assignee of Richard Simmons a certain tract or parcel of land containing four hundred acres by Survey, bearing date the 13th day of October, 1783, lying and being in the County of Jefferson on the north side of the Rolling Fork, and on the Main fork of 's Creek and bounded as follows... To have and to hold the said tract of land with it's appurtenances to the said GEORGE WILLETT and his HEIRS forever. In witness whereof the said Beverley Randolph Esquire, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia here unto set his hand and caused lesser seal of the said commonwealth to be affixed at Richmond on the twenty fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred & Eighty nine and of the commonwealth the fourteenth.

George E Willett married Elizabeth Sanders, the daughter of Samuel Sanders and Anna Gordon. They built their home on the Virginia Land Grant, that George E Willett had received in what eventually became Nelson County, Kentucky. Elizabeth Sanders had three brothers: Samuel, Joseph, and Joshua Sanders, and a sister - Nancy. Her brothers first lived in Pottinger's Fort and then moved to Green County, Kentucky.

George E Willett, with his younger brothers and sister, in 1778, received from their mother a slave named Minta. Minta is mentioned as a tithable of George E Willett in the 1785 and 1788 tax lists of Nelson County, Virginia. George E Willett was listed as living on Pottinger's Creek and his brothers Samuel Willett and James Willett were residing nearby. In the 1810 census George E Willett has in his household his wife, five sons, 2 daughters, and nine slaves. He wrote his will on July 1, 1811 and it was probated in Nelson County, on August 19, 1811. He named his wife and all his children except his two oldest daughters in his will, the oldest daughters having received their inheritance at the time of their marriages. Elizabeth, the widow of George E Willett, died of the cold plague on March 23, 1815. They are both buried in the old orchard on their property in unmarked graves.

George E Willett and his wife Elizabeth had no church affiliation. In the Gethsemane Monastery baptismal records when George W Willett, their son was baptized in 1865, his parents were given with the word "infidel's", a term then used to denote they were not practicing members of any church.

The names of their children have been taken from his will, a Guardian Account in Nelson County, dated August 15, 1814, which names his six minor children, and an account written by their son George E Willett when they had a suit against his nephew John Willett who had been the guardian of his youngest daughter, and one of his executors. Most of his heirs were named: Mary Slaughter, formerly Mary Willett; Jacob Grafft and Nancy, his wife, formerly Willett; David Grafft and his wife, Susan, formerly Willett; John Willett, Samuel Willett, Richard Willett, George W Willett, William R Price and Elizabeth, his wife, formerly Willett. His son Griffith Willett, and daughter Mary Eliza were not named in the suit.

More About GEORGE E WILLETT: Military service: Sgt., Colonel Cox's Militia serving under George Rogers Clark at Fort Nelson, Virginia

Children of GEORGE WILLETT and ELIZABETH SANDERS:^[1]

1. RICHARD5 WILLETT, b. 25 Dec 28 1800, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. Aft. 1886, Waverly, Union County, Kentucky.
2. NANCY WILLETT, b. Abt. 1788.
3. SUSAN WILLETT, b. 14 Mar 1792.
4. JOHN S WILLETT, b. 1794.
5. SAMUEL WILLETT, b. 8 Sep 1796, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. 29 Nov 1867, Union County, Kentucky.
6. GRIFFITH WILLETT, b. 5 Oct 1798.
7. JAMES WILLETT, b. 1802.^[2]
8. GEORGE WASHINGTON WILLETT, b. 8 Oct 1804.
9. ELIZABETH WILLETT, b. Abt. 1806; m. WILLIAM PRICE.
10. MARY ELIZA WILLETT, b. Abt. 1808; d. Nov 1895; m. ANDREW H SLAUGHTER (doctor), 3 Apr 1833.
11. MARY WILLETT, b. Abt. 1788. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Family Tree of Ann Whalen
2. ↑ James Willett died young and is buried in an old orchard on Bealington
3. ↑ Mary Willett died young and is buried in an old orchard on Bealington

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 12 Apr 2021), "Record of George Willett", Ancestor # A125819.

• George E. Willett at Ancestry.com