George Wyllys (bef. 1591 - 1645)

Born before 21 May 1591 in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Bridget (Yonge) Wyllys — married 2 Nov 1609 in Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire, England

Descendants

Died 9 Mar 1645 after age 53 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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George Wyllys migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 387) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

George Wyllys, Governor of the Colony of Connecticut in 1642^[1]

Spelling of his Name

The English records of this family spell the name Willis, Willys, Willes and Wyllys. The Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Volume 21 contain documents and examples of correspondence written by George Wyllys. His name is consistently spelled "Wyllys." ^[2]

Origin

George Wyllys was said to be born in about 1590 (based on the Visitation of Warwickshire when George stated he was aged 29 years in 1629) at the manor house at Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England, the eldest son of Richard Wyllys and his wife Hester Chambre/Chambers, daughter of George Chambre of Williamscote, Oxfordshire. ^[2]

He was baptised at his mother's parish church of Cropredy, Oxfordshire on 21 May 1591. Cropredy is about 5 miles south east of Fenny Compton: ^[3]
[1591] George Wills the sonne of M ^r Rychard Willis & M ^rs Hester his wife was christened the xxi of maij

His parentage is established by two wills. His father Richard left a will dated 10 Jun 1597 naming sons William, George, Richard, a daughter Judith, and the possibility that the unnamed wife (named as Hester in the probate statement in the register) might be pregnant. The will was proved on 16 June 1597 by his wife. ^[4] His brother Richard made his will on 7 December 1639, proved 8 May 1640. He named many people but the pertinent ones, to prove this relationship, are brother William of London, brother George and his wife Mary, children of George (Hester, Amy, Samuel), sister Judith Gilder, and sister Mary Ekins.^[4]

George was the eldest son and heir to his father as shown by the Indenture granted by Sir Robert Cecil on behalf of Queen Elizabeth on 30 April 1600 to George's mother Hester Willis as George's guardian (his "Prochin Ami"). ^[5] This deed granted George the right to enter his lands when he came of age.

George was almost certainly the person who submitted his pedigree to the Heralds at the Visitation of Warwickshire in 1619. ^[6] The pedigree shows the direct inheritance of the Willis arms (argent, a chevron sable between 3 mullets gules) through the eldest son, and gives George's age and the ages of his two children: George (who is named as his son and heir) and Mary. These arms are the same as those which appear on the end of George's monument at the Ancient Hartford Burying Ground. If he was not the eldest son, he would not have had the authority to bear these arms.

On 10 April 1619, George recorded the deathbed wishes of his great-grandmother Amy Willis as her nuncupative will. Amy was living with George and Bridget, and named George and Marie as their two children. Bridget, George the son and Marie all received monetary bequests and George was the residuary legatee. ^[7] A transcription of Amy's will is here.

Immigration

George with his wife, Mary, and children, immigrated sometime in the 1630s. His ship is not known.

There are claims that George Willis was an assistant to the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634, 1635 and 1636.^[1] However, George Willis' name does not appear on the listings in the Massachusetts records. The name of Mr. Pinchon is on the lists during these years. Mr. Pinchon's son married George Willis' daughter, so probably a case of mislabeled identity.

Then again a Mr. Willis was present at court 1 April 1634, when a new freeman's oath was presented and presumably this Mr. Willis took the oath at that time. ^[8] Is there another "Mr." Willis? Actually there is 2 June 1641. Mr. Willis was to assist at Salem Court, which is clearly not George.

Charter Oak

Hartford Years

In 1636, George Willis sent his steward, William Gibbons, and 20 men ahead to prepare his farm and residence. The Charter Oak stood on his property, Lot # 15 on the Hartford map.^[9]

He was assistant Governor, in 1639, Deputy Governor in 1641 and Governor of the Colony in 1642.^[10]

Mr. George Willis had the 2nd highest right in the undivided lands of Hartford. John Haynes had the first at 160 acres. George's was 150 acres.^[11]

Feb 1639: Several Parcels of land on the Connecticut River belonging to mr: Georg willes Esqr: (1) about 7 acres 3 rods +/- with house, outhouses, yards, gardens or orchards; (2) one hundred ten acres & two roods in the parts in the Southmeadow, swamp and oxpasture; (3) twenty five acres, one rood, & twenty parches in Hockanum along the great river; (4) nine acres, two roods, thirty parches in Hockanum; three acres & two roods of swamp; (5) four acres swamp; (6) five acres in Hockanum bought of Mr. Gregory; (7) seven acres of meadow and swamp bought of Will. Gibbens; (8) Swamp twelve acres bought of Gregory and John Moody; (9) five acres mortgaged to Mr Sam: Willys; (10) six hundred acres of upland on the east side of the great river; (11) six acres bought of Capt John Cullett in the waste land at Hoccanum^[12]

A 1641 entry in the Massachusetts records indicates that he was a partner with Robert Saltonstall and William Whiting in the Dover and Piscataqua patents (parts of what is now New Hampshire)^[8]

Death & Probate

George Wyllys, late of Fenny Compton in Old England, died 9 Mar 1644 [1644/5]]^[13]

His will, dated 14 Dec 1644, left buildings, lands, etc. at Hartford and Tunxis to wife Mary Willis, and to my sonne Samuel. "I doe give to my son George all my Land and buildings upon the west side of the River, in the bownds of Wethersfield,... prvided he doe com over into New England and settle himselfe and family heere..." otherwise the bequest to be at the discretion of his wife, Mary. Land, buildings, etc at Fenny Compton in Old England son George to enjoy bur for want of heirs, then to my son Samuel; "or this failing to the right heirs of me George Willis." To dau. Hester £400; to dau. Amy £350. Other items etc are left to wife Mary, Samuel, Hester and Amy. "I give to Mr. Fenwick, Mr. Heynes, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Webster, Mr. Whiting, Capten Mason, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Stone and Mr. Warham, twenty shillings apeece as a token of my love. I give Mrs Huet £5 out of the debts due to me fro her deceased husband; and to Mr. Smith £5 out of the debts he oweth me; and to William Gybbins, £10 out of Mr. Smiths debt." A note was added 22 Feb 1644, and another 4 Mar 1644/5 leaving money to the poor in several towns. ^[14][15]

Besides having his name on the Founder's Monument in the Ancient Hartford Burying Ground, there is a replica of his gravestone, that was created in 1899. ^[16]

Marriages and Children

George married twice.

• He married on November 2, 1609 at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, as his 1st, to "Brigett Yong" (or Bridget Young), daughter of William Yonge and his 2nd wife Mary Bonner.^[17] She was buried at Fenny Compton on March 11, 1629[?/30] leaving her husband and their three children.^[2]
• He married in 1630, as his 2nd, to Mary (Smith) Brisbey, widow of Alexander Bisbey and daughter of Francis and Alice (Ferneley) Smith of Stratford-on-Avon..^[2] George and Mary had one son.

Children of George and Bridgett:^[2]

1. George Wyllys^[2]
2. Marie, only daughter in 1619.^[6]
3. Hester Wyllys; m Capt. Robert Harding^[2]
4. Amy Wyllys; m John Pynchon^[2] 6 Nov 1645^[13]

Child of George and Mary:^[2]

1. Samuel Wyllys, bpt Feb, 1631 at Fenny Compton; m Ruth, daughter of Gov. John Haynes

The Wyllys Papers contain an informative and in depth sketch of Governor George Wyllys.^[18]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} History and Genealogy Unit, 1999 "George Wyllys, Governor of the Colony of Connecticut 1642." Connecticut State Library, accessed 14 May 2016.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} Welles, Lemuel A., 1924 "Sketch of Gov. George Wyllys." Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Historical Society, Archive.org accessed 14 May 2016, Vol 21, Pages IXX-XL.
3. ↑ Baptism: "Oxfordshire, England, Church of England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1538-1812"
   Parish register of Cropredy, Oxfordshire > 1572 - 1654 > image 9 of 79
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 17 February 2022)
   George Wills
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Jones, Roderick Bissell. "Wyllys-Harris-Chambers-Calcott" The American Genealogist 44: 1 at American Ancestors
5. ↑ General Livery of the lands of the late Richard Willis to his son, George Williss
   Doc Ref No CR0149/2 Warwickshire Record Office online catalogue
   Date 30 Apr 1600
   Description Indenture between Sir Robert Cecill, knt, principal secretary to the Queen and master of the Court of Wards and Liveries, and Richard Kingesmell, esq., surveyor of the same Liveries, on the one part, and Hester Willis, widow, as Prochin ami of George Willis, son and heir of Richard Willis, her late husband on the other part. The Queen has granted a general livery of all manors etc. that George has inherited on the death of his father, and Hester has supplied a true valor of the same. 30 April 42 Elizabeth. Attached: a valor [indented] of the manor of Fenny Compton. Seals missing.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} 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
7. ↑ Will of Amy Willies of Fenny Compton 1619: "Staffordshire, Dioceses Of Lichfield And Coventry Wills And Probate 1521-1860"
   FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 13 February 2022)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Shurtleff, Nathaniel. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England (William White, Boston, 1853-) Vol. 1 1628-1641. For Pinchon see years 1634-1636; 1 Apr 1634 p. 117 joint patent owner p. 324
9. ↑ Trumbull, James Hammond. The Memorial History of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1. Boston: E. L. Osgood, 1886 p. 271
10. ↑ Talcott, Mary K. The Wyllys Family of Connecticut. New England Historical and Genealogical Register 37:33 (1883) [https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11684/33/245600069 at AmericanAncestors ($)
11. ↑ 'Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society Vol. 6 Hartford Town Votes Vol. 1 1635-1716 (Hartford : The Connecticut Historical Society, 1897) pp 16, 22
12. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society (Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1912) Vol. 14 Original Distribution of The Lands in Hartford Among the Settlers 1639 p. 10
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} White, Lorraine Cook, ed. Hartford. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002. p. 465
14. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records.Volume 1. Hartford District 1635-1700. Hartford, Conn., R.S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904. [https://archive.org/stream/digestofearlycon00manw#page/42/mode/2up pp 42, 43.
15. ↑ Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850.) p. 468-472; digital images, Google Books, (Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850.) AKA Colonial Records of Connecticut. Volume I. 1636-1665 accessed May 2023)
16. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 26 October 2019), memorial page for George Wyllys (1590–9 Mar 1645), Find A Grave: Memorial #17265174, citing Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .
17. ↑ Richardson, Douglas, 2011 Magna Carta Ancestry ... 2nd Edition. Page 387, GoogleBooks.com accessed 14 May 2016.
18. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society. Volume XXI. The Wyllys Papers. Hartford, Conn. : Published for the Society, 1924

See also:

• Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, in 5 vols. (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2013). See vol. V, page 431. Text: Bridget Yonge, married, George Wyllys (or Willis), he was born about 1590-1. They had one son, George, and three daughters, Mary, Hester, and Amy. His wife, Bridget, was buried 11 March 1629. He married 2nd, Mary Smith, daughter of Francis Smith, by his wife, Alice. The had one son, Samuel. He immigrated to New England.
• Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut, pp.696
• George Wyllys, Wikipedia page
• Harris, Gale Ion, 1989 "Wyllys-Harris-Chambers-Hamlin-Smith." The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database accessed 14 May 2016. AmericanAncestors.org.) Vol 64, Page 226
• Haynes Family, Wikipedia, "Wyllys-Haynes family"
• Lockwood, John Hoyt. Westfield and Its Historic Influences, 1669-1919: The Life of an Early Town, with a survey of events in New England and bordering regions to which it was related in colonial and revolutionary times, Volume 1, published online by Google Books, 2007 (http://books.google.com/books?id=pPgLAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false); originally published privately, 1922.
• Marlyn Lewis.
• Willis, Charles E. & F. C. Willis, A History of the Willis Family of New England & New Jersey [Richmond, Va.: Whitmore Garrett 1917] pp 36, 72
• Hubbard, George David Read, Ancestors and Descendants of Josiah Hosmer, Jr. (Brooklyn, N.Y.: privately printed, [1902])
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, et al., Hale, House and Related Families, Mainly of the Connecticut River Valley (Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1952) p. 725 -- Information on dtr. Amy and Pynchon.
• Morse, Abner, A Genealogical Register of the Descendants of Several Ancient Puritans (n.p., 1855–61)
• Historical Catalog of The First Church of Christ in Hartford (The Church, 1885) Page 256.