John Willis Esq. (1671 - 1732)

Born 1671 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British America

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1 Nov 1732 at about age 61 in West Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts

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Biography

John Willis^[1][2] was born in 1671 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA, USA^[1][2] as the first child of John Willis and Experience Byram. He had four siblings, namely: Mary, Samuel, Experience, and Nathaniel. He died on 01 Nov 1732^[3] in West Bridgewater, Plymouth Co., MA. When he was 27, he married Mary Brett, daughter of Elihu Brett and Ann/hannah Turner, in 1698 in Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA, USA.^[4][5][6]

John Willis was also known as Joh Willis, III.^[3] He was buried in West Bridgewater, Plymouth, Mass (Old Graveyard) where is tombstone still stands.^[3]

On 4 December 1732, his son John was granted the administration of his estate. His inventory was taken on 14 December 1732 in Bridgewater. Included in the inventory is land disposed of deed to his son John Willis and daughter Mary Packard.^[7]

John Willis was an enslaver. His inventory lists a Black boy valued at £90 pounds.^[7]

In 1733, his estate settlement divided it to the widow and the children, Mary Packard, wife of Joseph Packard of Bridgewater, John Willis, Margaret Harvey, wife of Nathaniel Harvey of Bridgewater, Marth Willis, Experience Randall, wife of John Randall of East Town in Bristol, and Mehitabel Willis.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 (Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Record for Margrett Willis. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=MATownVital&h=81129077&indiv=try.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Record for John Willis. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=NewEnglandMarriages&h=73816&indiv=try.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Tombstone - U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Record for John Willis. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FindAGraveUS&h=27961292&indiv=try.
4. ↑
5. ↑ Aurie Willis Morrison, Willis, Some Willis Families of New England (, 1929), Page 3.
6. ↑ New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Record for John Willis. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=NewEnglandMarriages&h=73816&indiv=try.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-N4BJ?cc=2018320&wc=M6BX-W38%3A337877001 : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1730-1733 and 1839-1845 vol 6-6U > image 137-138 of 589; State Archives, Boston.Starts at the bottom right hand side.
8. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-N4LR : 20 May 2014), Probate records 1730-1733 and 1839-1845 vol 6-6U > image 202 of 589; State Archives, Boston.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Julie Baldwin for creating WikiTree profile Willis-1998 through the import of Jhoward.ged on May 31, 2013.

• Thank you to Michael Hervey for updating the biography, linking this profile to Margaret Willis, and adding sources.

• Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Julie and others.