Richard Wells (1609-bef.1667) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Dr. Richard Wells

Born 1 Jan 1609 in Saltash, Cornwall, England

Son of John Wells [uncertain] and Elizabeth (Elyott) Wells [uncertain]

[sibling(s) unknown]

Husband of Frances (Unknown) Wells — married 1638 in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Father of Mary (Wells) Yate, William Wells, Elizabeth Wells, George Wells, Robert Wells, Anna (Wells) Stansby, Frances Wells, Benjamin Wells, Martha (Wells) Salloway, Richard Wells, George Wells and John Wells

Died before 31 Aug 1667 before age 58 in Herring Creek, Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile managers: US Southern Colonies Project WikiTree

[send private message], Allan Thompson

[send private message], Linda Sims

[send private message], Charles Truman Kehoe Markee

[send private message], Christie Fremon

[send private message], and Alvin Thompson

[send private message]

Profile last modified 18 Jan 2024 | Created 30 Mar 2011

This page has been accessed 8,240 times.

Richard Wells resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776.
Join: US Southern Colonies Project
Discuss: southern_colonies

1 Biography
- 1.1 Will As Filed at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, England
- 1.2 From the Maryland Calendar of Wills
  - 1.2.1 Last Will & Testament Abstract
2 Research Notes
3 Sources

Biography

Richard Wells migrated from England to Virginia.

Richard Wells is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

Richard Wells was a Maryland colonist.

Dr Richard Wells, chiurgeon, was a prominent figure in Colonial Virginia and Maryland. There are various myths and legends passed down through the lineages of his eleven children. Richard Wells was born in England. However, the exact birth date and place are not certain. Two conflicting theories as to his heritage are proposed by descendants:

The more popular theory, based upon the style of the seal used on family documents, suggests that Richard Wells was a descendant of the Wells family of Saltash, Cornwall, whose progenitor came to Cornwall from Lincolnshire circa 1530^[1] Their arms had three birds surrounding a chevron with a horse's head above the crest:

Wells Family Coat of Arms

If Richard Wells were of this Cornish Welles branch of the family, the leading candidates for his parents are John Wells and Elizabeth Ellyot, making his christening date 1609. This date of birth would indicate that he was 26 years old when he entered the Colony of Virginia as a bachelor in 1635. This date agrees with "The Globe" ship's list as transcribed by Horatio Somerby circa 1850.^[2] These lists are available at ancestry.com to members. Here is an abstract:

Immigration List Index

The other theory, with not much evidence to support it, was that he spent many years in London, England learning to be a chiurgeon and was much older when he entered the colony of Virginia. This theory would indicate that he was born nearly twenty years earlier, in 1590. This would make his age 45 when he first married, but this theory is also popular. No one has located him among the graduates of the Barber's College of London, but his attendance there seems to be a rallying point. Another area to be explored would be that his will required his son to travel to London to liquidate some property there.^[3] Unfortunately, there is really no concrete proof connecting him to either London or Saltash. Because this profile is already connected to John Wells and Elizabeth Ellyot, the 1609 date of birth remains on the profile until proven otherwise.

There is a book by George Cabell Greer, a Clerk at the Land Office, entitled "Early Virginia Immigrants, 1623 - 1666." It is a compilation of immigrants to Virginia based upon land records rather than ships's lists.^[4] The Richard Wells who immigrated in 1635 does not appear in this book. However, 4 men named Richard Wells appear on the alphabetical list. Note that each of these men had a benefactor who transported him to the Virginia Colony:

Early Virginia Immigrations 1623 - 1666

According to Quaker researcher, Richard M Kelly, who published an article entitled "The Maryland Ancestors of Rachel Wells" in The Southern Friend, "Richard Wells transported himself to Virginia before September 13, 1637."^[5] Although a branch of his descendants converted to the Quaker faith --over 100 years later-- in 1745, Dr Richard Wells was a staunch and strict Puritan. Certainly, he was born in England and immigrated to the Virginia Colony as a bachelor in the 1630s. He was known to have been a chirurgeon, or a physician who had skills in lancing boils, amputations, and bloodletting. In his probate, a chiurgeon's chest was mentioned. Here is a picture of what such a chest may have looked like:

Chiurgeon's Chest

Sometime in the late 1630's, Dr Richard Wells, at that time living in Charles City County, near the Jamestowne settlement, married a woman named Frances.^[6] Eventually, the couple made land entries further south, in Norfolk. There is the theory that Frances was the sister of Jerome White, an English surveyor who was living in Virginia circa 1637. Because Jerome was of the White family in Essex, England, the surname White has been attached to her for many years. However, this theory appears to have been disproven.^[7]^[8] The White family fled England for Italy because they refused to abandon their Catholic faith and give allegiance to the Anglican church. Richard Wells was such a strict and unyielding Puritan, it seems unlikely that he would have married outside of his own faith.

From its inception, the Colony of Virginia had established that only the Anglican, or Church of England, faith could set up churches within the boundaries of the colony. However, in the area of Upper Norfolk, there was a growing community of Puritans. In 1645 - 1647, Puritan Dr Richard Wells was elected by the community of Upper Norfolk, Virginia as a Burgess. This service, as a Virginia Burgess prior to 1700, qualifies him as a Jamestowne Society ancestor.^[9] Here is a transcription from a list of Burgesses present at Jamestowne on November 3rd, 1647:

Richard Wells Present at a Meeting of Burgesses

About the same time that Dr Richard Wells was serving as a persecuted Puritan Burgess in Virginia, Lieutenant Governor Stone opened the Colony of Maryland to Puritans and Catholics, promising religious toleration of all Christian faiths. This brought 50 new Puritan families from Virginia to Maryland in 1649.^[10] Coincidentally, King Charles I was beheaded during the Puritan Revolution in England the very same year.^[11] In 1652, Dr Richard Wells, his wife Frances, and their eleven children immigrated from Virginia to the Herring Bay area of Anne Arundel County, Maryland. There, Wells received grants of land for each of his children. His first land grant from Lord Baltimore was for 600 acres. This tract of land on the Herring Bay was called "Wells."

In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Dr Richard Wells continued his service in the political arena. The Puritan Revolution was at it's apex. King Charles I had been beheaded in 1649. Puritan Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, a position that he held from 1653 until his death in 1658.^[12] Dr Richard Wells was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission of Maryland by Governor Stone on July 22, 1654. He also served in various other positions in the Colony of Maryland. At this time, Puritans were holding more and more power in the colonies. On July 12, 1658, Dr Richard Wells was appointed Justice of the Peace. After Oliver Cromwell's death, he was a member of the Puritan Council of 1658.

For several years he was very active in politics. However, according to Newman, after the death of his wife and three of his children, "he took very little interest in public affairs."^[13]

Richard Wells died in 1667.^[14] He made his will on June 22, 1667. The will was probated on August 31, 1667 at Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Supposedly, due to the need to liquidate holdings in England, his will was presented to the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in 1668. One of his five surviving sons traveled to England for the probate. The original document survives on microfilm there.

Will As Filed at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, England

Here is the original document, as found in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, probated on November 14, 1668:

Richard Wells Will, Page 1

And page 2, which names his eight surviving children. Of course, his wife is not named because she predeceased him:

Richard Wells's Will, Page 2

From the Maryland Calendar of Wills

Here is the will of Richard Wells as filed in the court of Maryland. It encompasses 4 pages in the Maryland Calendar of Wills:

Page 1 of Richard Wells Will

Pages 2 & 3 Bequests

Charles Calvert Signature on Richard Wells Will Entry

Last Will & Testament Abstract

: Bullets and line breaks added for readability.

Will dated 22 Jun 1667 Anne Arundel Co., MD (Probate 31 Aug 1667 in

To son Richard, 100-acre Wells 420 acre Little Wells and Wells Hills where he is not seated.
To son George, 300-acre Planters Delight and 475 acre Wells Neck, both in Baltimore Co.
To son John, 1500-acred Lankfords Neck in Talbot Co.
To son Robert, 350-acre West Wells in Anne Arundel Co.
To son Benjamin, 280-acre Benjamin's Choice in Anne Arundel Co.
To daughter Martha, "some time" wife of Antony Salloway - 12 pence.
To daughter Ann, "supposed wife" of chirugeon Dr. John Standsby, as a reward for her disobedience - 12 pence.
To daughter Mary, wife of Thomas Stockett, 3 cows and 100 pounds to be paid in the city of London within 12 months.

Five sons residuary heirs of cattle, goods, money in England, servants, negroes, and all things in Maryland, Virginia, or England, they executors.
Witness: Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner, William Liccolne
Source: First Families of Anne Arundel Co., Md, Donna Valley Russell, Catoctin Press

^[15]

Research Notes

This was in the original profile & needs a source:

Richard Wells Sr. received the following land grants in Maryland ... he accumulated additional land by trading his ... Chyrurgeon blood letting services for acres.

Wells Neck - 1100 acres Anne Arundel 1658 Wells ------ 600 acres Anne Arundel 1659 Benjamins Choice 280 acres Anne Arundel 1663 Little Wells 100 acres Anne Arundel 1663 Wells Hills 450 acres Anne Arundel 1664 West Wells 350 acres Anne Arundel 1664

Sources

↑ https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-Richard-Wells/6000000001103923043
↑ SOMERBY, HORATIO G. "Passengers for Virginia, 1635." In The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 2:1 (Jan. 1848), pp. 111-113; vol. 2:2 (Apr. 1848), pp. 211-212; vol. 2:3 (July 1848), p. 268; vol. 2:4 (Oct. 1848), pp. 374-375; vol. 3:2 (Apr. 1849), p. 184; vol. 3:3 (July 1849), pp. 388-390; vol. 4:1 (Jan. 1850), p. 61; vol. 4:2 (Apr. 1850), pp. 189-191; vol. 4:3 (July 1850), pp. 261-264; vol. 5:1 (Jan. 1851), pp. 61-62; vol. 5:3 (July 1851), pp. 343-344; v: According to an index of these volumes, Richard Wells entered the Colony of Virginia in 1635, aged 26.
↑ First Families of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Donna Valley Russell, Catoctin Press, 1999.
↑ Early Virginia Immigrants 1623 - 1666, by George Cabell Greer, Clerk, Virginia State Land Office. page 350.
↑ The Southern Friend, Journal of the North Carolina Friends Historical Society, Volume XVI, Number 1, Spring 1994. "The Maryland Ancestors of Rachel Wells," by Richard M Kelley p 51
↑ Anne Arundel gentry : a genealogical history of twenty-two pioneers of Anne Arundel county, Md., and their descendants, by Harry Wright Newman. pp 631-637
↑ White, Jim, "Richard Wells & Frances White Virginia - Maryland 1635 & 1637, c)2009.
↑ https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/wells/12134/
↑ William Glover Stanard & Mary Newton Stanard, "The Colonial Virginia Register, A List of Governors, Councillors and Other Higher Officials, and Also of Members of the House of Burgesses, and the Revolutionary Conventions of the Colony of Virginia," published 1902 by Joel Munsells Sons Publishing, Albany NY; pp 65 & 66. (Available on Google Books.)
↑ Anne Arundel gentry : a genealogical history of twenty-two pioneers of Anne Arundel county, Md., and their descendants, by Harry Wright Newman. pp 631-637
↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England
↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell
↑ Anne Arundel gentry : a genealogical history of twenty-two pioneers of Anne Arundel county, Md., and their descendants, by Harry Wright Newman. pp 631-637
↑ Jamestowne Society: Wells, Richard - A8602; died 1667, Upper Norfolk Co.: 1645-48 (Burgess). accessed 17 October 2020
↑ Prerogative Court Wills of Maryland Liber 1 folio 287 avail. on microfilm at [1]

Richard Wells (1609 - bef. 1667)

Contents