Ann (Willis) Lear (abt. 1639 - bef. 1695)

Born about 1639 in Sodington, Worcestershire, England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of James Blount — married 1660 in , Isle Of Wright, Virginia

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jack Wise [send private message]

Biography

Birth may be as late as 1644 per other profiles merged.

"Whereas Hon. Seth Southell, Esqr. and James Blunt, both of North Caroninah, did by their Last Wills give and bequeath unto Anna : first wife of said Blunt and afterwards the wife of said Southwell and her heirs, afterwards wife of Col. John Lere of Vergenea and do Died. Whose Sisters and Brother-in-law, Hazelpony Wood of Ipswich in the Province of Massachusetts in New England, and Francis Jownes and Suzana his wife of Portsm^o in the Province of New Hampshire, said Hazelpony and Suzannah own sisters both by father and mother's side to the above said Anna and so right heirs, in consideration of £250 sell unto our kinsman Thomas Pickeringe of Portsm^o formerly our attorney, all the estate given to our sister Anna Lere by said Blunt and Southell in North Carolina." Dated 4 Jun 1697. Witnesses: James Allen, John Pickeringe. Recorded 6 Sep 1709. (NH Province Deeds, vol. 1, p. 343.)^[1]

The estate was conveyed by Thomas and Mary (Gee) Pickering to William Partridge and Pelatiah Whittemore of Portsmouth and consisted of "a certain estate in North and South Carolina, more particularly the estate of Seth Southel, Esq. in the Province of North Carolina adjoining Salmon Creek, Kendrick Creek, Little River, Peatty Creek and the River Pasquatant, consisting of 12000 acres excepting 4000 acres formerly sold by said Pickering to William Duckenfield." (NH Province Deeds, vol. 7, p. 344).^[2]

From the North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 1, pp. 34, 74, vol. 3, pp. 247, 254: "James Blount came to Chowan Precinct, Colony of Carolina, from Isle of Wight Co., Va. in 1669, where he was living with his family in 1660. Mrs. Anna Blount, his wife, who first appears as "Anna Willis of Ipswich, Massachusetts," married first Robert Roscoe of Roanoke; secondly James Blount, whose will was proved 17 July 1686; thirdly Seth Southel, governor of North Carolina, whose will was proved 3 Feb. 1693/4; and fourthly Col. John Lear of Nasemond Co., Va."^[3]

Further Research Needed

GDMNH states: "Anna, serv. of Rev. Timothy Dalton whose wid. Ruth in 1663 willed her five pounds. She m. 1st Robert Roscoe, had 3 more husbands in the south, James Blunt, Seth Southwell, Esq., Col. John Lear, and d.s.p."^[4]

Her brother-in-law, Francis Jones, deposed on 15 Apr 1696. "The deposition of Francis Jones aged 57 or thereabouts, Testifieth & sayeth that he very well knew Haselphena Willix, Annah Willix and Susannah Willex all three the reputed Daughters of Belshazer Willex sometime of Exeter in New England and Annah his wife of whom the afore mentioned three sisters were borne & owned to be the children of s^d Belshaser & Annah his wife. The Deponent father Testified that he very well knew Rob^t Rosco who married Annah Willex one of the sisters above named, w^ho afterwar<supd</sup> went to Roan Oke, or North Carolina, and as I the s^d Deponent understood s^d Roscoe there died s^d Annah became wife to one blunt & after his decease to one Southwell and last of all the wife of on Coll^o Leare in Virginia & farther sayth not." ^[5]

If GDMNH is correct, she died without issue, so could not have been the mother of John, James, Thomas, Ann and Elizabeth Blount. If she was their mother.

That her estate inherited from Blount reverted to her siblings suggests that she did not have heirs of her body.

More research is needed to confirm or refute whether she had issue and which James Bl(o)unt she married.

Discussion contributed by Lin Wright 06:41, 2 June 2017 (EDT)

Sources

1. ↑ Hall, p. 81.
2. ↑ Hall, p. 81.
3. ↑ Hall, p. 81.
4. ↑ GDMNH, p. 759.
5. ↑ Hackett, p. 47.

• Source: S108 Repository: #REPO23 Title: Ancestral File (R) Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publication: Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998
• Repository: REPO23 Name: Family History Library Address: 35 N West Temple Street CONT Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
• Source: S111 Repository: #REPO24 Title: Ancestral File (R) Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Publication: Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998
• Repository: REPO24 Name: Family History Library Address: 35 N West Temple Street CONT Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
• Hackett, Frank W., "Balthazar Willix," NEGHR, 50:46-48 (Jan 1896).
• Hall, Virginia, "The Daughters of Balthazar Willix of Exeter," NEGHR 68:81-2 (Jan 1914).
• Noyes, Sybil, Charles Thornton Libby and Walter Goodwin Davis.Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1979 (orig. published in five parts 1828-1939.)

Acknowledgement

• WikiTree profile Willis-588 created through the import of Lea and Randol and Ely and Si.ged on May 31, 2011 by Maude Randol. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Maude and others.
• WikiTree profile Willis-746 created through the import of OliveMinverva.ged on Aug 5, 2011 by Ryan Davis. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Ryan and others.
• First-hand information as remembered by Jack Wise, Monday, June 9, 2014.

Ancestral File Number

Ancestral File Number: G5RS-46