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Richard Willis was the third born son of Richard Willis and Hester Chambers of Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England. He had elder brothers George (first born and heir to Richard the father) born around 1591 (from age given in the Visitation of Warwickshire 1619 [1] ), and William. There were also younger sisters Judith and Mary, who was born posthumously in either 1597 or 1598, as Richard the father died on 10 June 1597. Allowing for equal spacing of these five children and no twin pregnancies, Richard was born around 1594 or 1595. The parish registers of Fenny Compton do not survive before 1627, so there is no record of his baptism date.
Richard married Jone Rutter from Mykleton (now Mickleton) at the parish church of Pebworth, Gloucestershire on 11 November 1617. Mickleton is 17 miles west-south-west of Fenny Compton, and Pebworth is 3 miles north-west of Mickleton. A transcription made in the early 20th century of the original Pebworth register gives this entry for the marriage, where the transcriber has misread Rutter for Dutten: [2]
Ricardus Willis de ffenny Compton & Johannis Dutten de Mykleton Nov. 11 [1617]
... while the Bishops Transcript for Pebworth for the same event reads: [3]
[1617] Richardus Willis de Mykleton et Jona Rutter matrimonio copulator undecimo die mesis Nonabris
Jone died in September 1639 and was buried at Fenny Compton on 11 September. [4]
[1639] M ris Joane Willys wife of Mr Rich. Willis Septemb: 11
Richard wrote his last will on 7 December, two months after Jone's death (see below).
He was buried at Fenny Compton on 21 December 1639. He would have been in his mid forties when he died. [5]
[1639] M r Richard Willys Decemb: 21
Richard's will was written on 7 December and proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 8 May 1640. [6] A transcription of his will is here.
Richard requested to be buried in the churchyard at Fenny Compton between his wife's grave and the chancel wall. He may have thought that he would recover from whatever ailed him and have the chance to marry again, as he wrote about "the heires of my bodie lawfully begotten or to bee begotten". He didn't name any children and split his land holdings between his brother William and nephew George.
There are internet trees and published genealogies which wrongly claim this Richard Willis emigrated to Virginia:
There are also internet trees and published genealogies confusing this Richard Willis of Fenny Compton, Warwickshire with Richard Willis of Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire.
Richard has also previously been said to be married to Bridget Young, his brother George's first wife.
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Richard is 24 degrees from Herbert Adair, 19 degrees from Richard Adams, 17 degrees from Mel Blanc, 21 degrees from Dick Bruna, 18 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 33 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 18 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 22 degrees from Marty Krofft, 15 degrees from Junius Matthews, 15 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 20 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Fenny Compton, Warwickshire
Richard had no known children at his death (1640 in Fenny Compton). The five children attached have been/will be removed.
The England Project will also comanage this profile with you to add project protection. There are incorrect internet trees which say that this man emigrated and had children. Project prevention will prevent children being added again. I will send a Trusted List request from the England Project account.
Please contact me if you have any questions about these profile reassignments.
Jo, England Project Managed Profiles Coordinator
Whoever the Richard Willis of this profile is, he was not the son of Richard and Hester Willis of Fenny Compton, and I propose to detach this profile from that family if there are no objections.
The marriage with Jane Henmarsh is not correct. She married Richard Willis of Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire who was a barrister of the Inner Temple in London. Her two sons Thomas and Richard became Baronets created by Charles I. None of the family emigrated. If there are no objections, I will move references to Jane Henmarsh to a Research Notes section.
Jo, England Project Managed Profiles coordinator
In any case, it was George Willis the son of Richard and Hester (Chambre) Willis who married Bridget Young.
If there was a Richard who married a Bridget Young and went to Virginia, he was not the son of Richard and Hester.
Richard Willis the younger of Fenny Compton made his will 7 December 1639, proved 8 May 1640. He mentions, among others: brother William Willis of London; nephew George Willys; brother George Willis and Mary his wife; nieces Hester and Amy Willys; nephew Samuel Willis; brother in law Thomas Guilder and sister Judith his wife and their children; brother in law John Ekins and sister Mary his wife; brother in law John Rutter; sister Elizabeth Robertes; sister Mary Millington; brother Thomas Harris; sister Anne Powle and Thomas her son; cousins Richard, Edmund and Bridget Harris, children of said Thomas Harris by Bridget his wife late deceased; sister in law Anne Smith and Hester her sister; cousin Margaret Grant. Brother William Willis and nephew George Willis joint executors. (Genealogical Gleanings in England, Vol. I)
He died 21 December 1639 in Fenny Compton, wife Joan dying 21 September. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS65-Z9HQ-B)
edited by Patrick Griffith