William Willis (abt. 1727 - 1801)

Born about 1727 in Chester, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Harlan) Willis — married 20 Nov 1753 in London Grove Township, Chester, Pennsylvania

Husband of Hannah (Matthews) Willis — married 23 Oct 1770 (to 10 May 1798) in Warrington, York County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 25 Sep 1801 at about age 74 in York, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Laura Gerwood [send private message], Dennis Orr [send private message], and David Willis [send private message]

Biography

William Willis, son of Edward Willis and Catharine Maris, was born about 1727^[1] in Thornbury, Chester County, Pennsylvania. ^[2] In April 1732, when William was only four or five years old, his father died. In 1734, Catharine married second John Pusey of London Grove, Chester County, by whom she had eight more children. William was probably apprenticed to a mason during his teenage years.

On April 14, 1752, when William was about twenty-five, he acquired a 202-acre share of a 480-acre tract on Codorus Creek in Manchester Township, York County.^[3] Manchester was just a few miles north of the City of York. This tract would become William’s homestead.

First Marriage

William was married twice. His first wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Harlan, was born about 1734 in London Grove Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, the township where William had grown up. Her parents were James Harlan, a Quaker, and Susanna Oborn. They were married on November 20, 1753, in London Grove Township.^[4]

William was a Friend (Quaker)

’’William Willis, son of Edward Willis late of ye Township of Birmingham in ye county of Chester and province of Pennsylvania deseased and Betty Harlan daughter of James Harlan of Londongrove in ye county aforesaid…20, 11m, 1753…in a public meeting at Londongrove.’’

The following names are listed in the third column of the guest list:

William Willis [groom]

Betty Willis [bride]

Jno. Pusey [William's stepfather]

Cathe: Pusey [Catherine Maris, William's mother]

Mary Taylor [Mary Maris, Catharine's married sister]

Ann Harlan [Betty's sister]

Lyddia Pusey [William's half-sister]

Dinah Flower [Betty’s paternal first cousin]

Joel Willis [William's brother]

Thos. Flower [Betty’s paternal first cousin]

David Harlan [Betty's paternal first cousin)

Stephen Harlan [Betty's paternal first cousin]

Richd. Flower [Betty's paternal first cousin]

Jos. Taylor (husband of William's aunt Mary Maris]

Sarah Lamborn [possibly Sarah Swayne, wife of Robert Lamborn]

Jane Albin

On April 27, 1754, William and Betty obtained a Certificate of Removal to move from New Garden Monthly Meeting (the Quaker meeting that served residents in or near London Grove in Chester County) to Warrington Monthly Meeting (the Quaker Meeting that served residents of Warrington and surrounding townships in York County, including Manchester Township). They were received at Warrington Monthly Meeting on July 20, 1754.

The York County Courthouse

In April 1754, William was awarded the masonry contract for the construction of the historic York County Courthouse:^[5]

In April, 1754, the county commissioners entered into an agreement with William Willis, a skillful bricklayer, and one of the first English Quakers, who located in Manchester Township, to erect the walls of the court house…. The building was not completed till 1756…. This court house stood from 1756 to the fall of 1840s.’’

…from September, 1777 to June, 1778…the members of the Continental Congress held their deliberations within its hallowed walls. The Articles of Confederation were passed by Congress while sitting here, which alone would make it an historic building. It should never have been destroyed, but the people of York County, like Americans in general, did not, at that time, properly reverence historic old landmarks….which, if it now stood, would be one of the greatest and most important objects of veneration in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.’’

Land Transactions

As noted previously, William’s homestead land in Manchester was part of a 480-acre tract purchased jointly by John Wright, James Wright, and William Willis on April 4, 1752. Between the years 1755 and 1801, William engaged in at least two dozen other land transactions (York County Deed Book and page numbers in parentheses):

On May 27, 1755, William acquired two lots in the town of York that had been laid out by the Proprietors Thomas Penn and Richard Penn. Lot Number 121 was described as “lot of ground situate on the north side of Philadelphia Street…65 by 230.” Lot 122 was described as “lot of ground situate on the south side of High Street in the said Town of York and marked in the General Plan of the said Town Number 122…65 by 230.” Each lot required a small annual rent payment of seven shillings. William’s ownership of these lots overlapped with the years William was supervising the construction of the York County Court House. On May 8, 1758, William Willis of York Town, mason, sold Lot 122 to Jacob Doudle of York Town, tanner, for £110. (A:288-290)

Between the years 1760 and 1800, William engaged in numerous land transactions. During the 1760s and 1770s these included:

September 1, 1760. William purchased from Jacob Boozer for £12 a house and lot, number 323, on Water Street in York Town. (A:288–290)

June 2, 1762. William sold Lot 121 to John Mundorf of the Town of York, Yeoman, for £20. (A:574–576)

October 1, 1766. William bought two 32½ by 230 foot lots in the town of York (including Lot 330 in the Town Plan) from Jacob Kern, tailor, for £3 and 16 sh. and agreement to pay required annual rent to the Proprietors of Pennsylvania. The lot was located at the south side of High Street and west side of Codorus Creek. (C:231–233)

February 18, 1773. William had surveyed 200 acres warranted to him in Dover Township.^[6]

June 8, 1774. Jacob Caige of Heidelberg Township and Rudolf Caige of Windsor Township, yeomen, sons of Hans Caige (Kaigy), dec’d, sold 600 acres located west of Codorus Creek in Manchester Township to William Willis of Manchester Township, and James Wright of Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, and heirs of John Wright, late of Hellam Township, for £1,100. Each buyer owned a 1/3 share. (F:169–170)

October 5, 1775. William Willis of Manchester, mason, leased to Stophel Shlagle of York Town, wheelwright, the right to construct “a Dam across the Run (that passeth through the Land of the said William Willis) on a Ridge of Rocks a little above where the said Run Crosseth Newberry Road” and to :“Dig repair and maintain a Race or Ditch of suitable width and Depth to convey the said Water for a Mill or like Waterworks …” (F:401)

June 3, 1779. William Willis of Manchester, farmer, for £6, sold to Stophel Slagle of Manchester, miller, 2 acres, 96 perches to maintain the dam near William’s land. (2P:279, recorded June 13, 1801)

In 1779, William was one of the highest payers of tax on the Manchester tax list.^[7]

William's land transactions during the 1780s, 1790s, and 1800s included the following:

May 2, 1781. William Willis of Manchester, mason, bought 81¾ acres in Newberry from Joseph Updegraff of York Town, hatter, for £500, adjoining land owned by William Garretson, son of John Garretson, Joseph Updegraff, James Bane, and Joseph Hutton. (2E:311–313, recorded May 5, 1788).^[8]

May 2, 1781. William Willis of Manchester, mason, sold two tracts in Manchester, one 88 acres and the other 7 acres, to Joseph Updegraff of York Town, hatter, for £600. (2E:308, recorded May 5, 1788)

May 5, 1788. William Willis of Manchester, mason, sold 35 acres of his homestead land in Manchester to Michael Smuck of the Borough of York, weaver, for £35. (2E:326)

May 3, 1794. William purchased 102 acres in York Township from John Dollman for £20. (2I: 533-534)

April 14, 1795. William Willis of Manchester, mason, sold a lot in the town of York to John Lee of the Borough of York, copper smith, for £200. (2K:402)

June 22, 1795. William Willis of Manchester, mason, sold 20 acres in Dover Township to Peter Witteright of Dover, yeoman, for £20. (2K:501)

June 22, 1795. William Willis of Manchester, mason, sold 27 ½ acres in Dover Township to Jacob Hoffman of Dover, yeoman, for £27 10sh. (2K:502)

October 17, 1795. Mortgage income due William Willis was assigned to Christian Sinn. (K:205, recorded October 23, 1780)

September 4, 1797. William Willis of Manchester Township, yeoman, and Hannah his wife sold the city lot he owned on the south side of High Street on the west side of Codorus Creek in the town of York to Jonathan Jessop,^[9] clockmaker, for £300. Witnesses were John Love and Abraham Mosser. (2N:35–37)

October 20, 1800. William Willis of Manchester sold to Stephen Reitinger of Manchester, yeoman, 22 acres 87 perches in Dover for £25 10s. 9p. (2Z, 112, recorded October 23, 1814)

May 23, 1801. William Willis of Manchester, farmer, sold 37 acres in Dover Township to George Nailer, Baltzer Hamm, and Christian Hamm of Dover, for 18 shillings, 6 pence. (2P:259)

June 13, 1801. William Willis of Manchester sold 74 perches of land to Peter Sando of Manchester, miller, for £13 9sh 4p. (2P:281)

June 13, 1801. William Willis of Manchester, farmer, entered into an agreement with Peter Sando of Manchester, miller, regarding improvements to be made to accommodate Sando’s mill. (2P:282)

On March 9, 1803, pursuant to the directions given in William’s will, John Love and William’s son Samuel Willis, who were the executors of William’s estate, sold 214 acres owned by William’s estate, called Rockey Spring and located on Conewago Mountain in Dover Township, to Andrew Hake of Manchester Township, yeoman, for $102.29. (2Q:296)

Activities in the Community

William was an active participant in Quaker activities from the time he moved to Manchester until the time of his death.^[10] In 1754, the Quakers living around York had obtained permission from the Warrington Monthly Meeting to hold their own meeting in York. Eleven years later, William Willis contributed £15 to a fund to build a meeting house. William laid the bricks:

All the best bricks in those days were imported from England. The ones which form this building came from there, and were laid by William Willis, whose business was that of a brick-layer and farmer.’’^[11]

The meeting house was located on West Philadelphia Street in York and is still standing. It was restored in the 1970s.

William and his family members were guests at numerous Quaker marriages. The last record of William‘s attendance at a Quaker marriage was on May 14, 1800, at the marriage of William Leech and Jane Garretson.^[12]

William participated in the general affairs of his community, including putting up security for law offenders, serving on York County’s Grand Inquest Court, serving on juries, and surveying or assessing new roads.^[13]

At the July session of court, 1768, county commissioners, Joseph Updegraff, Hugh Dunwoodie, and William Gemmill requested that the county prison be enlarged:

It was too small for a work-house and prison, and the walls are not safe, whereupon the court ordered them to erect an additional building. It was erected of blue limestone, from the quarries near York, the next year. The work was superintended by William Willis. It stood on the corner of South George and King Streets, familiarly known as ‘the old jail corner’, was used until 1855, and torn down a few years later….’’^[14]

Family

In 1766, one of William’s servants ran away. In such cases, the servant’s master typically posted a notice. The following reward notice posted by William paints a colorful picture:^[15]

FIVE POUNDS Reward

RUN away from the Subscriber, living near York Town, in Pennsylvania, a Dutch Servant Man, named George Linenger, 5 Feet 8 or 9 Inches high, between 20 and 30 Years of Age, deep black Hair and Beard, fresh coloured, has a down Look, speaks bad English, says he is a Hemp Heckler and Weaver by Trade; had on, and took with him, a light blue Lincey Jacket, a Leather ditto, a red body Ditto, a broad brimmed Wool Hat, check Trowsers, Leather Breeches, black Yarn Stockings, and Shoes, with Nails in the Soals: he took other things in a Dutch Pillow Case, also a Gun, and two Dogs, the one a yellow Hound, the other a black Cur Dog, with a white ring round his Neck, and carries his Tail curled. Whoever takes up said Servant and brings him to his Master, shall have Five Pounds Reward, paid by WILLIAM WILLIS.

On July 8, 1769, Betty died, leaving five children, ages four through fourteen: John, Susanna, Hannah, Lydia, and Joel.

On October 23, 1770, William married second Hannah Matthews, widow of Samuel Richardson of Frederick County, Maryland. Hannah was born about 1738, probably in Maryland. The following is the record of William’s marriage to Hannah:^[16]

23rd of 10th mo. 1770. …William Willis of Manchester township in the county of York and province of Pencilvania and Hannah Richardson widow of Samuel Richardson late of Frederick County in the province of Maryland…this twenty third day of the tenth month in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy…in York Town in the county of York aforesaid.

A list of the attendees whose name appeared in the third column of the guest list (bride and groom and their closest relatives) includes the following:

William Willis [groom]

Hannah Willis [bride]

Wm. Morthland

John Willis [William’s son]

Susanna Willis [Susanna (Stanton) Willis, recent widow of William’s first cousin Henry Willis Jr.]

Susana Pusey [William’s half sister]

Margaret Matthews [Hannah’s sister]

Hannah Matthews [Hannah Holmes, wife of the bride Hannah’s brother William Matthews]^[17]

Joel Willis [William’s brother]

George Matthews

William and Hannah had three children: Mary, Elizabeth, and Samuel.

About 1768, William’s first cousin Henry Willis Jr., a resident of nearby Newberry Township, died. His widow, Susanna (Stanton) Willis, moved to Manchester, where William looked after her and her children. Three of Susanna's sons, Joseph, John, and William, became stone masons.

Final Years

In the 1790 census for Manchester Township, William and Hannah were living near Samuel Fisher, husband of William’s daughter Susanna. Also living in the household were two males under age sixteen and three other females.

On May 10, 1798, Hannah died.^[18]

In the 1800 census for Manchester Township, William is listed as follows:

One male 45 or over [William]

Two females 16–25 [probably Mary, age 25, and Elizabeth, age 22]

One male 16–25 [probably Samuel, age 22]

One male 10–15

William wrote his will on July 30, 1800. He died September 25, 1801 “in the seventy-fourth year of his age.”^[19] His will was probated October 7, 1801.^[20] His executors were John Love and William’s young son, Samuel. Witnesses were Amos Lewis, William Kirk, and Isaac Kirk. Named in William’s will were his five children by Betty Harlan—John, Susannah (wife of Samuel Fisher), Hannah (wife of Samuel Wilson, her second husband), Joel, Lydia (wife of William Farquhar)—and William’s three children by Hannah Matthews: Betty, Mary, and Samuel. A grandchild named in the will was Samuel Speakman (son of William’s daughter Hannah by James Speakman, her first husband).

William divided his estate among his eight children:

To son John Willis – my land in Newberry Township, consisting of 120 acres, where he now dwells.

To daughter Susanna – the best case of drawers now in my house and 1/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To daughter Hannah – £50 and 3/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To son Joel – £50, an annuity of £6 due from Peter Landas, and 3/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To daughter Lydia – four acres of meadow and 3/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To daughter Mary – four acres of meadow, a feather bed, a bureau, a cow, £70, and 3/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To daughter Betty – £80, a feather bed, a bureau, a cow, £7, and 3/16 of the residual of my real and personal estate.

To son Samuel – the remainder of my dwelling, ussages, and tract in Manchester, 25 acres in York, a horse, two horses for a payment to the estate of £10 each, a desk, and a third of my grain as yet unsold and grain remaining in the ground in the year of my death.

On August 19, 1803, an account of the residual of William’s real and personal estate was filed. It consisted primarily of “goods and chattels rights and credits” and “the advance of sales including grain, hay, flax & etc. not carried out”, less payments and expenses, yielding a net balance to be distributed totaling £608.^[21]

William Willis’ house is still standing and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its address is 135 Willis Run Road.

Sources

1. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 285. York Monthly Meeting, York, York County, Pennsylvania: “The following death records were reported at dates named: ‘Our esteemed friend Hannah Willis, an elder, departed this life 5-10-1798. William Willis, an elder, died 9-25-1801, in the seventy-fourth year of his age’.” The date of death reported for William is consistent with the date his will was probated, October 7, 1801. Hannah Willis was William’s second wife.
2. ↑ William's father Edward was on the tax lists of Thornbury between 1726, the year of his marriage to Catharine, and 1730.
3. ↑ Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Patent Books A-14, page 403 to A-17, page 309. Patent A-16-164 to John Wright, James Wright, and William Willis. Land Records, Roll #29.8. The deed was recorded in York County Deed Book C, pages 244-248. The amount paid was £74 8sh.
4. ↑ Bjorkman, Gwen Boyer. Quaker Marriage Certificates, New Garden Monthly Meeting, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1704-1799. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1990. Page 105.
5. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 308.
6. ↑ Land Records, Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. York County Warrant Index, 167, Warrant Number 157. Survey date February 18, 1773. Date of return April 30, 1795.
7. ↑ Tax List of York County, 1779. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications, 1989.
8. ↑ The deed states that Joseph Updegraff had purchased this land from William Matthews (William Willis’s brother-in-law) and his wife Hannah (Holmes) Matthews on March 15, 1781. Property “adjoining lands of James Bane” is mentioned in William’s will. Joseph Updegraff’s cousin Derick Updegraff (son of Herman Updegraff) had previously sold a tract of 134 acres in Newberry Township, York County to Joseph Updegraff for £200 on May 10, 1776.
9. ↑ Jonathan Jessop was a brother of William’s daughter-in-law, Hannah Jessop (wife of William’s son Joel Willis).
10. ↑ Walmer, Margaret B. 100 Years at Warrington. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1989.
11. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 284.
12. ↑ Walmer, Margaret B. 100 Years at Warrington. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1989. Pages 117-118 .
13. ↑ York County Quarter Sessions, Books 4, 5, and 6. LDS microfilm 1449257.
14. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 305.
15. ↑ Pennsylvania Gazette. 27 Feb 1766.
16. ↑ Walmer, Margaret B. 100 Years at Warrington. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1989. Pages 49-50.
17. ↑ Evidence that the maiden name of the widow Hannah Richardson is Matthews is that Hannah “Willis” is listed as a sister of William Matthews (husband of Hannah Holmes) in William Matthews’s will. York County Will Book H, pages 326–328, York County Archives, York, Pennsylvania; written December 20, 1790, probated May 21, 1792.
18. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 285.
19. ↑ Gibson, John, ed. History of York County, Pennsylvania. Chicago, IL: F. A. Battey Publishing Co, 1886. Page 285.
20. ↑ York County Will Book K. Page 264.
21. ↑ William Willis. Orphans Court. Book H. Page 427. Click here.