James Thomas Willis (abt. 1833 - 1905)

Born about 29 Dec 1833 in Kentucky, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Maybelle Belle (Bennett) Willis — married 2 Feb 1871 in Tulare County, California, USA

Descendants

Died 17 Jul 1905 at about age 71 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jennifer May Siebe [send private message]

Biography

UNCONFIRMED Match -- depends on whether James Thomas Willis as father is valid or younger brother Thomas Willis is valid. This seems close, but is Cyntha A. mother or step-mother? 1850 census shows James T. Willis born 1838 in Kentucky, USA. The household is living in Part of Washington County, Kentucky, USA. The other members of the household are: Thomas (b. 1790 KY), Cyntha A. (b. 1807 KY), Sidney A. (b. 1837 KY), Mary (b. 1843 KY), Andersen (b. 1845 KY), Sarah E. (b. 1847 KY), Martha B. (b. 1848 KY), and Martin D. (b. 1850 KY). ^[1]

1870 census shows J. F. Willis was born around 1834 in Kentucky, USA. He is living in Meadow Lake, Nevada County, California, USA. (Comparing the F to his occupation, Teamster, and a later listing with France, it is quite possibly a T - so this seems a highly probably match.) ^[2]

California marriage record for Willis, J. T. and Bennett, M. B. on Feb. 2, 1871. ^[3]

1880 census shows Thomas Willis was born around 1833 in Kentucky, USA. He is married to Maybell. The family is living in Visalia, Tulare County, California, USA. His father was born in Kentucky, USA, and his mother was born in Kentucky, USA. ^[4]

Wife's headstone at Visalia Public Cemetary reads: May Belle, wife of J. T. Willis, died June 11, 1881, aged 24 years, 5 mos, 12 ds. ^[5]

!! This would mean he married a 15-year old, they had 4 children, and she died after only 10 years married. !! Was there an earlier wife and family? (If he was born in 1833 or 1838, that seems possible. Alternatively, has the line been mixed up and May Belle's "J. T." was actually a son and born later?)

Graveyard record lists Willis, James T., at the Mission City Cemetery in Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, California, USA. He died July 17, 1905, in San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA, USA, aged 71 years, 7 months, 19 days (putting his approximate birth date at Dec. 29, 1833. ^[6]

UNCONFIRMED information lists James Thomas Willis, born 18 Nov 1831, in Kentucky or Iowa, as son of James Thomas Willis (1787 KY - 1830/8 ??) and Frances Fanny Welborn (b. circa 1791 KY). Birth date doesn't match up, but death in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA, in 1905 and burial in Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, California, USA, does match. ^[7]

CONFLICTING INFORMATION!! with what I've entered so far: "James Willis. James was born ca 1783 in Georgia, according to the 1850 census. He died in Marshall Co., Mississippi. This is my ancestor. He apparently had two wives and we know the maiden name of neither. My ancestor, James Hamilton Willis, was of the first marriage as were David G., R. B. and Polly. Matthew G. Willis. He was born 20 Sept 1785 and died in 1844 in Johnson County, Arkansas. His wife was Sarah Rice." and "Thomas Willis. Thomas was born ca 1794, probably in SC and married in 1812 in Muhlenberg County, KY to Frances (Fanny) Welborn. Thomas died before 1838" ^[8]

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Can you contribute information or sources?

Sources

1. ↑ 1850 United States census records, listed as household with Thomas Willis as oldest member.
2. ↑ 1870 United States census records, listed as James F. Willis being only occupant of household.
3. ↑ Tulare County Index record, book/page A-252 according to Cagenweb.com
4. ↑ 1880 United States census record, listed as household with Thomas Willis as head.
5. ↑ Image from Maybelle Bennet Willis Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 9 June 2020), memorial page for Maybelle Bennet Willis (31 Dec 1856–11 Jun 1881), Find A Grave: Memorial #68651620, citing Visalia Public Cemetery, Visalia, Tulare County, California, USA ; Maintained by Edward Kimball (contributor 47384632) .
6. ↑ Data at Santa Clara County Historical & Genealogical Society
7. ↑ Data from RootsWeb.Ancestry.com with claimed source "Information was received from Suzanne C. Gunnar via E-mail: suzannegunnar@cox.net Dated: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 13:04:30 -0700 (Pacific Daylight Time) The information was received from Nelda Buchanan who in turn received it from Carol Strickland in South Carolina. The information is in the form of a Descendency for Edward Welborn or Willbourne. Carol states that she acquired "most" of this information from the Welborn book, she found at the Anderson County Library."
8. ↑ From writeup by "betty" on Genealogy.com

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 9 June 2020), memorial page for James Thomas Willis (28 Nov 1833–17 Jul 1905), Find A Grave: Memorial #151383640, citing Mission City Memorial Park, Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, California, USA ; Maintained by Rick (contributor 48639030) .