no image
Privacy Level: Open (White)

Richard Willis (abt. 1595 - 1640)

Richard Willis
Born about in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married 11 Nov 1617 in Pebworth, Gloucestershire, Englandmap
[children unknown]
Died at about age 45 in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, Englandmap
Profile last modified | Created 29 Jul 2011
This page has been accessed 1,910 times.
English flag
Richard Willis is managed by the England Project.
Join: England Project
Discuss: england

Contents

Biography

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

Will

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.

Research Notes

There are internet trees and published genealogies which wrongly claim this Richard Willis emigrated to Virginia:

  • Robert Barnes, British Roots of Maryland Families, Vol. II., (2002), page 105.
  • Sam Sloan's Big Combined Trees Richard Willis accessed 14 February 2022
  • Horrocks, Philips, Winget, Keeler, Clark, Watson, Lockwood, Strong, Gates and ancestors on Rootsweb Richard Willis accessed 14 February 2022

There are also internet trees and published genealogies confusing this Richard Willis of Fenny Compton, Warwickshire with Richard Willis of Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire.

  • Horrocks, Philips, Winget, Keeler, Clark, Watson, Lockwood, Strong, Gates and ancestors on Rootsweb Richard Willis accessed 14 February 2022
  • Sam Sloan's Big Combined Trees Richard Willis accessed 14 February 2022

Richard has also previously been said to be married to Bridget Young, his brother George's first wife.

  • Sam Sloan's Big Combined Trees Richard Willis accessed 14 February 2022

Sources

  1. Camden, William. The Visitation of the county of Warwick in the year 1619. Taken by William Camden, Clarenceaux king of arms. Vol 12. of Publications of the Harleian Society. London: 1877. p. 311
  2. Record of Pebworth in Church notes of Deanery of Campden Vol.2 transcribed by J H Bloom Volume 19 page 38 FS film 504447 Item 3 Family Search image accessed 13 February 2022
  3. Marriage: "Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1813"
    Pebworth Bishops Transcripts > 1613-1813
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 13 February 2022)
  4. Burial: "Warwickshire Burials"
    Archive: Warwickshire County Record Office; Parish register of Fenny Compton Reference: DR0103/1
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 14 February 2022)
    Mris Joane Willys burial on 11 Sep 1639 in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England.
  5. Burial: "Warwickshire Burials"
    Archive: Warwickshire County Record Office; Parish register Fenny Compton Reference: DR0103/1
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 14 February 2022)
    Richard Willys burial on 21 Dec 1639 in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England.
  6. Will of Richard Willis 1640: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858"
    The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 183
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 5111 #1004007 (accessed 12 February 2022)




Sponsored Search by Ancestry.com

DNA
No known carriers of Richard's ancestors' DNA have taken a DNA test.

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



Comments: 9

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.
Hello PMs, this profile will remain that of Richard Willis of Fenny Compton, Warwickshire as that was the family he was created in. Bridget Young has been detached as his wife - Bridget was the first wife of Richard's brother George. Richard's correct wife Joan Rutter will be linked.

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

posted by Jo Fitz-Henry
I have asked a question about Richard Willis in G2G I would be grateful if the PMs and members of the TL would contribute any thoughts.
posted by Jo Fitz-Henry
The Richard Willis the Younger of Fenny Compton, Warwickshire by his will of 1640 died in Fenny Compton as a widower with no children.

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.

posted by Jo Fitz-Henry
It seems that Fen Ditton in Cambridgeshire and Fenny Compton in Warwickshire (birthplace of this Richard's parents) have been confused.

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

posted by Jo Fitz-Henry
This profile appears to be conflated with another, which someone else can sort out.

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)

posted by Patrick Griffith
edited by Patrick Griffith
• In Note I., at the end of this article, are reprinted from the Register, xxxiii. 356, my reasons for thinking George Wyllys of Hartford to have been a son of Richard Willis of Fenny Compton, who died June 10,1577, and whose epitaph is printed at the close of Note II.; and that his mother was Bridget, daughter of William Young of Kingston Hall. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 37
posted by Andrea (Stawski) Pack
Willis-3203 and Willis-710 appear to represent the same person because: Clear Duplicate
posted by Andrea (Stawski) Pack
Willis-2490 and Willis-710 appear to represent the same person because: Clear Duplicate
posted by Andrea (Stawski) Pack
Willis-3203 and Willis-2490 appear to represent the same person because: Clear Duplicate
posted by Andrea (Stawski) Pack

Rejected matches › Richard Willis (abt.1832-)

W  >  Willis  >  Richard Willis

Categories: Fenny Compton, Warwickshire