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Francis Willis (1718 - 1782)

Francis Willis
Born in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 30 Sep 1742 in Gloucester County, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 63 in Berkeley, Virginia, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 28 Aug 2012
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Contents

Biography

1776 Project
Francis Willis performed Patriotic Service in Virginia in the American Revolution.

Francis Willis of Whitehall (in Gloucester County), was born about 1717 in Virginia, the child of Francis Willis and Anne Rich. He married Elizabeth Carter on 30 Sep 1742 (Abingdon Parish Register) and had issue:[1]

  1. Francis Willis; m. Elizabeth Perrin, daughter of John Perrin.
  2. Robert Carter Willis; will proved in Berkeley county, 21 Oct 1783, in which he directs his land to be equally divided between his two sons, Lewis Burwell Willis and Roberth Carter Willis, his estate to remain in the hands of his wife, Martha Willis, to bring up his children, etc. His will directs that his property, in the event of the death of his sons, to go to John McKain, son of his sister Elizabeth.
  3. Priscilla Willis; m. 1) Col. William Kennon, 2) David Flower of Wilmington, NC
  4. Henry Willis, b. 8 Nov 1760 (Abingdon Parish Register)
  5. Elizabeth Willis; m. ___ McKain.
  6. Richard Willis; d. Berkeley County, Will proved 24 Jun 1799 gives his property to his "nephew," Perrin Willis, and his "niece," Ann Rich Willis.

1765. York County Deed. From Francis Willis, Esp., of Gloucester County, and Elizabeth his wife, to William Nelson 1,756 acres in Bruton parish, lately belonging to his father, Francis Willis, Esq., and embracing three different tracts conveyed to his father by Sir Wm. Gooch, baronet, Baldwin Matthews Smith, and David Long, about 1749.[1]

Power of Attorney:[1]
"'Berkeley County, Virginia, February 10, 1782. I do hereby certify that some time in the year 1768, I put into the possession of William Kennon and Priscilla his wife (my daughter) two mulatto wenches, Mary and Page, then without children, for their use and benefit, & never vesting any right or title in them to the said Kennon and wife, he being in debt before he married my Daughter, which, I believe, was the chief reason and cause of it. As the cause of this Gift upon courtesy has ceased by the death of the sd William Kennon and his wife, my daughter, I doe therefore think proper to take back into my own possession the said negroes,' etc. Continuing, Francis Willis, appoints his son Robert Carter Willis his attorney to take back the slaves, etc.; and there is. on the back of the paper, a certificate, 12 February 1782, from Robert Carter Willis before the clerk of Berkeley county that 'Francis Willis, Sen. made oath to the contents of the paper.'"

Priscilla's second husband David Flowers apparently wasn't so easily persuaded and wrote to Francis on 30 Mar 1782, that no proof had been provided and that as "his [Col. Kennon's] wife has since become my wife, and, of course, what was my wife's is now mine; but if 'tis the property of Col. Kennon's orphans, let it appear, and I shall hold nothing from them, I am sure."[1]

Research Notes

Married 9/30/1742 in Gloucester Co VA to Elizabeth Carter[2] b. 1725 Lancaster Co VA

1751 Talbot Co MD Record: In 1751, Francis Willis contributed three pistoles for his annual subscription to Mr. Bacon's school in Talbot County, Maryland. His wife is believed to have contributed one doubloon. Francis is believed to have had warehouses and a bakery on Mockjack Bay according to the Virginia Gazette. Died 2/1782 Berkeley Co VA Probate

Will

Will of Francis Willis: Berkeley County, Virginia, February 10, 1782. I do hereby certify that some time in the year 1768, I put into the possession of William Kennon and Priscilla his wife (my daughter) two mulatto wenches, mary and Page, then without children, for their use and benefit, and never vesting any right or title in them to the said Kennon and wife, he being in debt before he married my Daughter, which, I believe, was the chief reason and cause of it. As the cause of this Gift upon courtesy has ceased by the death of the said William Kennon and his wife my daughter, I doe therefore think proper to take back into my own possession the said negroes, " etc.

Francis Willis, appointed his son Robert his attorney to take back the mentioned slaves, etc and there is on the back of the paper, a certificate, 12 February 1782, from Robert Carter Willis before the clerk of Berkeley county that Francis Willis, Sen. made oath to the contents of the paper". [3]

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Tyler, Lyon G. “Willis Family.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 3, Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 1897, pp. 171–76. JSTOR.
  2. “To George Washington from Francis Willis, 7 February 1774,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/02-09-02-0348. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Colonial Series, vol. 9, 8 January 1772 – 18 March 1774, ed. W. W. Abbot and Dorothy Twohig. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994, pp. 467–468. SEE ALSO footnote # 3
  3. http://lewis-genealogy.org/genealogy/Lewis/Willis-1.htm#3




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Francis 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 Francis:

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Categories: Patriotic Service, Virginia, American Revolution