Henry Willis Sr
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Henry Willis Sr (1691 - 1740)

Col. Henry "Harry" Willis Sr
Born in Ware Parish, Gloucester County, Colony of Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and [mother unknown]
Brother of [half]
Husband of — married 2 Nov 1714 in Virginiamap
Husband of — married 30 Oct 1726 in Virginiamap
Husband of — married 23 Jan 1734 in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , , , , , , and
Died at age 49 in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County, Colony of Virginiamap
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Henry Willis Sr resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776.
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Contents

Biography

Flag of Virginia
Native Virginian
Notables Project
Henry Willis Sr is Notable.
Col. Henry Willis "Founder of Fredericksburg,"[1] was born 14 Sep 1696 in Gloucester county, Virginia, son of Francis Willis, of Oxfordshire[2]. Son of Captain Francis Willis, I, and Sarah Woodson, Henry grew up in colonial Virginia. He was considered somewhat of a ladies man.

Letter. John Waller at Spotsylvania County, 14 May 1736, to Col. Henry Willis. If you understand that William Moulton is in your oounty next Court, please to issue a summons and petition for his bill to me for £2.4.4 cash due per a bill dated 27 Aug. 1735. [3]

Marriages and Issue

In his youth he fancied three different young women and at one point vowed to marry them all! He eventually did over the course of his life.

It is said that that he had courted all three of his wives as maids and married them all as widows.

First, on November 2, 1714, he married Anne Alexander, widow of John Smith of Purton and daughter of David Alexander and Anne Morgan.[4]

[5] -This Indenture made the fifth day of May in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c. and in the year of our Lord God one thousand seven hundred and thirty Between the Feoffees or Trustees for the Land appropriated for the building and erecting the town of Fredricksburgh of the one part and WILLIAM TODD of Drisdale parish and King & Queen County, Gent. on the other part. Witnesseth that the said WILLIAM TODD by one lease to him by the said Feoffees or Trustees made the bearing date the day before the date of these presents is in actual and peaceable possession of the premises herein after granted to the intent that by virtue of the said lease and of the Statute for Transferring uses into possessions he may be the better enabled to accept a conveyance and release of the reversion and inheritance thereof to him and his heirs forever the said Feoffees or Trustees for divers good causes and considerations them thereunto moving but more especially for and in consideration of fifty five shillings current money of Virginia to him in hand paid at and before the ensealing and delivery hereof the receipt whereof and themselves therewith fully satisfyed and paid they do hereby acknowledge have granted, bargained, sold, remised released and confirmed, and by these presents for themselves do grant, bargain, sell, remise, release, convey and confirm, unto the said WILLIAM TODD one lott of ground in the town of Fredricksburg described in the plat of the said town by the figures 60 situate lying and being on one of the Great Streets of the two called Princess Anne Street and upon one of the lesser called William Street with all woods thereon growing or being together with all profits, commodities emoluments and advantages whatsoever to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining To have and to hold the said granted premises and every part thereof with the appurtenances unto the said WILLIAM TODD and to his heirs forever To be had and held for our Sovereign Lord the King in free and common socage yielding and paying the Quit Rents due and legally accostumed to be paid for the same to the only use and behoof of him the said WILLIAM TODD his heirs and assigns forever under the limitations and reservations hereafter mentioned and not otherwise [that is to say] that if the said WILLIAM TODD his heirs or assigns shall not within the space of two years next ensuing the date hereof begins to build and finish upon the said Lott of the said granted premises one good dwelling house of such dimensions and to be placed in such manner as by one act of Assembly made at the Capitol in the City of Williamsburg me first day ci February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty seven entituled an act for erecting a town in each of the County's of Spotsylvania and King George is directed or as shall be agreed upon prescribed and directed by the Directors appointed for the Settlement and Encouragment of the town of Fredricksburg pursuant to the trust in them reposed by virtue of the said act of Assembly, then it shall and may be Iawfull to and for the said Feoffees or Trustees and their Successors the Feoffees or Trustees for the land appropriated for the building and erecting the town of Fredricksburg for the time being into the said granted premises and every part thereof with the appurtenances enter and the same to have again as of their former estate To have and to hold and enjoy in like manner as the might otherwise have done if these presents have never been made. In Witness whereof HENRY WILLIS and JOHN WALLER, Gent. two of the Feoffees or Trustees have hereunto sett their hands and seals the day and year first above written. Signed Sealed and Delivered in the presence of JOHN GRAME, JOHN MERCER HENRY WILLIS [seal] JOHN WALLER, Junior JOHN WALLER [seal At a Court held for Spotsylvania County on Tuesday May the 5th 1730. HENRY WILLIS & JOHN WALLER, Gent. two of the Trustees of Fredricksburgh Town in this County acknowledged this their Deed of Release for a Lott of the said Town land unto Col. WILLIAM TODD and on motion of JOHN WALLER, Junior in behalf of the said TODD the same was admitted to record. Test JOHN WALLER, Clk. Curt.

Children:

1. Mary Willis, born August 5, 1716; died December 4, 1766; married Hancock Lee, January 23, 1732/33.

2. Frances Willis, born October 12 or 20, 1718.

3. David Willis, born December 17, 1720.

4. Henry Willis, Jr., born September 22, 1722; married Elizabeth Gregory, April 30, 1742.

5. John Willis, born August 17, 1724; died March 5, 1749/50; married Elizabeth Madison.

6. Robert Willis, born March 12, 1725/26, Gloucester Co., VA; died 1766, Goochland Co., VA.

Henry married his second wife on October 30, 1726, Mildred Lewis daughter of John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner; born ca 1700;[6] died in November of 1733. Mildred was a cousin to George Washington. She was widowed twice, John Howell 1st, John Brown 2nd.[7]

Children:

7. John Willis, born 16 July 1728;[6] married Nanny Spotswood[8]

8. Elizabeth Willis, born Jan 12 1729/30; married John Clayton.[9]

9. Anne Willis, born September 14, 1731; married Duff Green;[9] died 1820 Danville, Kentucky.[citation needed][10]

10. Isabella Willis, born June 10, 1733;[11] married Howell Lewis.[9][11]

Finally, Henry married his third wife, Mildred Warner Washington, (widow of Roger Gregory) daughter of Laurence Washington and Mildred Warner. She was born in 1696 and died September 5, 1747. This Mildred was an Aunt to George Washington. [12] She had three daughters by her previous husband, Roger Gregory.[13][14] They married in January, following his second wife's death.[15]

Children:

11. Lewis Willis, born November 11, 1734.

Residence

Willis Hill was first settled by Colonel Henry Willis. Willis, a member of the House of Burgesses, helped establish the city of Fredericksburg when the Colonial Act of 1728 appointed him a trustee of the city. Henry Willis is sometimes referred to as the Father of Fredericksburg.

Henry Willis resided at Willis Hill, now called Marye's Heights. [16]

Death

Henry passed away in September 14, 1740 at 49 years of age in Fredricksburg, Virginia and was buried in the Willis Cemetery, Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg City, Virginia[17]Colonel Henry "Harry" WILLIS Biography

Notes

Henry had one brother, Frances Willis of Gloucester, Virginia.

generation no. 5[18]
Captain Francis Willis IV, born c 1658-60, died c 1719-26. Inherited Virginia estates of uncle Francis of parishes of Gloucester and East Greenwich.
  1. Francis Willis V, born 1689 in Ware River, member of House of Burgesses 1748, married Lady Anne Rich, daughter of Edward Rich.
  2. Henry Willis, born February 1692

Francis Willis who married Elizabeth Carter has a DAR record,[19] but it does not indicate who his parents are. The text for Henry's brother Francis names Elizabeth Carter as the wife of his son Francis. Previously attached as son to this profile, the profile for Francis who married Elizabeth Carter was detached 22 November 2021 (to moved to be brother Francis's son). This Henry also had a son named Francis, by his first wife (shown as born October 1718 in this profile). The DAR record for Francis (m Carter) has Francis born before 1721 in Gloucester County, Virginia and died after 10 February 1782, Gloucester County.[19]

Sources

  1. ↑ p.206 Willis Family The William and Mary Quarterly Vol. 6, No. 4 (Apr., 1898), pp. 206-214 Published by: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture https://www.jstor.org/stable/1915875?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
  2. ↑ p. 360 Virginia, Biographical Encyclopedia, Vol 1 by Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, 1853-1935. Published 1915 https://archive.org/stream/encyclopediaofvi01tyleuoft#page/360/mode/2up/search/willis
  3. ↑ https://htracyhall.org/ocr/IRH-Genealogy/Cabinent%202/Drawer%204/New%20Folder%20(5)/JamesKincaid/JamesKincaid-0001_OCR.pdf
  4. ↑ p.25 "A sketch of the Willis family of Virginia, and of their kindred in other states. With brief biographies of the Reades, Warners, Lewises, Byrds, Carters, Champs, Bassetts, Madisons, Daingerfields, Thorntons, Burrells, Taliaferros, Tayloes, Smiths, and Amblers" by Willis, Byrd Charles, 1847-1912; Willis, Richard Henry, 1849- joint author, Published 1898 https://archive.org/stream/sketchofwillisfa00will/sketchofwillisfa00will_djvu.txt
  5. ↑ 1730-1731 Spotsylvania County, Virginia Deed Book B; [Antient Press]; Page 38
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 John Fredrick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Fourth edition, Volume 2, pg 556 (accessed 18 February 2020).
  7. ↑ p.26 "A sketch of the Willis family of Virginia, and of their kindred in other states. With brief biographies of the Reades, Warners, Lewises, Byrds, Carters, Champs, Bassetts, Madisons, Daingerfields, Thorntons, Burrells, Taliaferros, Tayloes, Smiths, and Amblers" by Willis, Byrd Charles, 1847-1912; Willis, Richard Henry, 1849- joint author, Published 1898 https://archive.org/stream/sketchofwillisfa00will/sketchofwillisfa00will_djvu.txt
  8. ↑ Possibly Spotswood-24? Source for her maiden name is needed (Dorman has "Nanny _____" as the wife of John Willis born 16 July 1728).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Volume 2, page 557 (accessed 18 February 2020).
  10. ↑ Dorman (page 557) has Ann's death in 1804.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 DAR record for a descendant of "Mary Isabella Willis", wife of Patriot Ancestor Howell Lewis, son of Patriot Ancestor Mary (Howell) Lewis:
    • Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 18 February 2020), "Record of Howell Lewis", Ancestor # A069956.
    • Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 18 February 2020), "Record of Mary (Howell) Lewis", Ancestor # A070069.
  12. ↑ p.26-27 "A sketch of the Willis family of Virginia, and of their kindred in other states. With brief biographies of the Reades, Warners, Lewises, Byrds, Carters, Champs, Bassetts, Madisons, Daingerfields, Thorntons, Burrells, Taliaferros, Tayloes, Smiths, and Amblers" by Willis, Byrd Charles, 1847-1912; Willis, Richard Henry, 1849- joint author, Published 1898 https://archive.org/stream/sketchofwillisfa00will/sketchofwillisfa00will_djvu.txt
  13. ↑ See Mildred Washington's profile for sources for her Gregory children (accessed 18 Feb. 2020).
  14. ↑ See also:
    • Clayton Torrence, "A Virginia Lady of Quality and Her Possessions: Mrs. Mildred Wills, of Fredericksburg", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1948), pp. 42-56 (Published by: Virginia Historical Society). https://www.jstor.org/stable/4245518
  15. ↑ Text had marriage date of 23 January 1732, citing A sketch of the William family.... Mildred Lewis's profile has her death in 1733 and his marriage to his third wife as 5 January 1733/4, citing the entry for Henry Willis in "Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties" (online database, accessed 13 February 2020). That entry includes a reference to 'a deed January 6, 1733, between herself, Henry Willis and John Washington, of Gloucester, "in view of her intended marriage with said Willis,..."' - implying they were not yet married on 6 January 1733/4. Mildred Washington's entry includes the following:
    • 1734-1742 Spotsylvania County, Virginia Deed Book C; [William Armstrong Crozier]; Mildred Willis, late Mildred Gregory, now the wife of Henry Willis of Spts. Co., Gent. By Indenture Jany. 5, 1733. Between sd. Henry Willis of first part, sd. Mildred of second part, and John Washington of Gloucester Co. of third part, reciting a marriage was to be speedily solemnized between sd. Henry and sd. Mildred, etc.; sd. Mildred in persuanee of authority reserved by sd. Indenture, etc.; my son, Lewis Willis, etc.; sd. Henry Willis, my husband, etc.; my three daughters, Frances, wife of Francis Thornton, jr.; Mildred and Elizabeth. Witnesses: Augustine Washington, Jno. Taliaferro. Dat. Dec. 15, 1739. Recd. May 6, 1740.
    However, I believe that the introduction naming her Mildred Willis is relevant to the Dec. 15, 1739 date, not the "Jany. 5, 1733" date & that they were married after 6 January 1733/4. ~ Noland-165, 22 November 2021
  16. ↑ Willis Hill During the Civil War https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/photosmultimedia/willis.htm
  17. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181986311/henry-harry-willis : accessed 15 June 2022), memorial page for COL Henry Harry “Harry” Willis (1696–14 Sep 1740), Find A Grave: Memorial #181986311 citing Saint Georges Episcopal Burial Ground, Fredericksburg, Fredericksburg City, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Megc (contributor 47532676) .
  18. ↑ p.13 "A sketch of the Willis family of Virginia, and of their kindred in other states. With brief biographies of the Reades, Warners, Lewises, Byrds, Carters, Champs, Bassetts, Madisons, Daingerfields, Thorntons, Burrells, Taliaferros, Tayloes, Smiths, and Amblers" by Willis, Byrd Charles, 1847-1912; Willis, Richard Henry, 1849- joint author, Published 1898 https://archive.org/stream/sketchofwillisfa00will/sketchofwillisfa00will_djvu.txt
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 19 Feb. 2020), "Record of Francis Willis", Ancestor # A200119.
  • Burial: Willis Cemetery, Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg City, Virginia, USA
  • WILLIS FAMILY.
(Continued from Vol. V., pp. 24, 171; Vol. VI., p. 27.)
Henry Willis was burgess from Gloucester county in 1718 and 1723. In 1726 "Henry Willis, of Gloucester county," obtained a patent for land in Spotsylvania. When, in 1727, Fredericksburg in that county was laid out, he was one of the trustees. (See Va. Hist. Register and books in the land office.) Major Byrd Charles Willis, his grandson, says in his account of the family: "Col. Henry Willis was the founder of Fredericksburg, and called by the Historian Howe 'the top man of the place,' and lived at Willis' Hill, just outside of Fredericksburg, now called Marye's Heights.
He was married three times, and had children by all. His sons by first and second wives died without male heirs; one of them left a daughter, Mrs. Mary Daingerfield, of Spotsylvania County (the grandmother of my wife). His daughters married a Lee, a Lewis, and a Green.
Mr. Lee lived in Fauquier county, Va. ; Lewis settled in Granville county, N. C. The Cobbs, of Georgia, are descendants of hers.
Green went to Kentucky, had two sons, Willis and William, the father of Duff, the present editor of The Washington Telegraph.
His last wife's maiden name was Washington, full sister of old Gus. Washington, father of George Washington, the first President of the United States. She had been married twice before, first, to a Mr. Lewis, by whom she had no children; second, to a Mr. Gregory, by whom she had three daughters "
The first wife of Col. Willis was Anne Alexander,* daughter of David Alexander and Anne Morgan, his wife, and widow of John Smith, of Purton, whom she married October 18, 1711.
In the York records, under date September 26,1698, there is an ejectment suit brought by Thomas Buckner and Sarah his wife, and David Alexander and Anne his wife, the said Sarah and Anne being daughters and co-heirs of Oapi Francis Morgan, son of Francis Morgan, about land acquired by their grandfather Morgan [who was a justice of York county]. In the act in Hening's Statutes docking the the entail of John Smith's property (Hening's Statutes, V., p. 399), Samuel Buckner and David Alexander are named trustees. The last was certainly a brother of Mrs. Willis. In 1770 Morgan Alexander, of Gloucester, son of David Alexander, was a student at William and Mary. Samuel Buckner was certainly a son of Thomas Buckner and Sarah Alexander.
OF Wareriver Parrish

Settler and Founder of Fredericksburg VA
Married three times:

  1. Ann Alexander
  2. Mildred (Lewis) Howell Brown (1691-1732), daughter of John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner
  3. Mildred Warner {Washington} Gregory (1690-1747), daughter of Lawrence Washington and Mildred Warner
BURIAL
Willis Hill Cemetery
Maryes Heights, Fredericksburg City, Virginia




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Images: 2
Colonel Henry "Harry" Willis 1696-1740
Colonel Henry
Henry Willis, Founder of Fredericksburg
Henry Willis, Founder of Fredericksburg


Comments: 20

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Isabel Cr.
Does anyone else find it odd that Henry and his third wife would have named their only child together after both of their previous spouses? The name Lewis Willis appears even in trees that supposedly aren't related. I've always wondered WHY.
posted by Isabel Cr.
Dreyer-373 Sjana Lee (Dreyer) Bauer
It's a common name. Not so unusual :)
posted by Sjana Lee (Dreyer) Bauer
Dreyer-373 Sjana Lee (Dreyer) Bauer
There are several broken links on this page. I wanted to remove them as I am one of the PM's, but it is also a PPP. Any suggestions?
posted by Sjana Lee (Dreyer) Bauer
McClain-3310 Scott McClain
The PPP status doesn't prevent you from editing it to remove broken links - please do go ahead and do that. PPP status just adds certain extra protections concerning merges, adding/removing relationships, and a few other items, to ensure collaboration on these widely-shared ancestors. You can read more about it on this help page: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Project_Protection
posted by Scott McClain
Awbrey-135 Stuart Awbrey
In the list of spouses the marriage date for Mildred Warner is 1733. In the Bio under Marriages and Issue the date is given as 1732.
posted by Stuart Awbrey
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
probably an old/new date issue... I'll see if I can find a source that would show whether or not January 1732/3 is meant (official records tended to use old style and did not always do the double-dating; WikiTree guidelines say to use new style for dates in the datafields, which can only accommodate 4-digit years).

See https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Date_Fields#Julian_vs._Gregorian_Calendar for WikiTree guidelines & my favorite explanation page - Sue Roe's The Problem of Dates.

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
hmm. seems it should be marriage in January 1733/4, if death of his second wife - in November 1733 - is correct.

Yup. Text on 2nd wife Mildred's profile says Henry married (3) 5 Jan. 1733/4.

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
All done. It looks like deeds prior to the marriage are dated 5 & 6 January 1733 (official, "old style" date), so they were married after 6 January 1733/4. I did not find a collaborating source for the 23 January date, but it is after 6 January, so I just changed the year in the datafield from 1733 to 1734. I added a footnote about the marriage date to the text. Thanks for pointing out the descrepancy!
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Hi! It looks like the children have all been sorted now. I've locked the profile (PPP) and also am switching project management from Virginia Project to US Southern Colonies Project (since he's pre-1776). Thanks to everyone who worked on Henry & his family!

Cheers, Liz

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
I'm still working on profiles attached as children who are his children by Mildred Lewis, but I've corrected the text of this profile to agree with Dorman (which also agrees with Mildred Washington's profile - she had just the one son by Henry; Mildred Lewis had a son and three daughters by Henry Willis).

I replaced the US Southern Colonies project box with Virginia's & added the Virginia project account. Once his children are straightened out, the profile should probably be protected (PPP).

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Three sets of merges to go, and I think the children will be straight (the two Henrys & the two Ann Duffs who are attached; Elizabeth has a proposed merge also).
posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
Noland-165 Liz (Noland) Shifflett
From what I can tell, his daughter born 1733 who married a Clayton should be daughter of Mildred Lewis, not Mildred Washington. Biography currently has her as daughter of Mildred Washington:

10. Isabel Willis, born June 10, 1733; married FNU Clayton.

Mildred Washington's profile notes that she and Henry Willis married in 1734, so she could not have been the mother of his daughter born in June 1733:

Isabella a.k.a. Mary Isabella[9] could not have been the daughter of Mildred Washington and Henry Willis. Isabella or Mary Isabella was born June 10th, 1733. Henry Willis and Mildred Washington married January 5th, 1734[9]. Another point of contention is Mildred Lewis' date of death and the birth date of Isabella or Mary Isabella Willis. Henry Willis could not have married Mildred Washington if Mildred Lewis died in 1732 and Isabella being born in 1733.

[9] 39 of pages 39-47, Lewis Family: Lyon G. Tyler, The William and Mary Quarterly Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jul., 1902), pp. 39-47

edit - grrr. and Dorman has his daughter who married Clayton as Elizabeth, born in 1729, and his daughter Isabelle married to Howell Lewis.

posted by Liz (Noland) Shifflett
edited by Liz (Noland) Shifflett

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Categories: Willis Cemetery, Maryes Heights, Virginia | Fredericksburg, Virginia | Gloucester County, Virginia Colony | Virginia Colonists | Virginia, Notables | Notables