Willis of Killesher Parish, County Fermanagh, Ireland

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: County Fermanagh, Ireland
Surnames/tags: Willis Ireland

Willis of Fermanagh

The Willis name is not found among the Plantation lists of Fermanagh, the first members of this family were already in the area before 1600. The Cole family (later to be the Earls of Enniskillen) remembered that the Willis family came from Devon and arrived with the Coles in Fermanagh before the early 17th C. Plantation period in Ulster. ^[1]

This connection between the Coles and the Willis family probably began with William Cole (c.1575-1653) in the first Elizabethan forays "beyond the pale" as the early story of these military adventurers swings between England, Ireland and the Continent, particularly in the Netherlands. In 1585 – 1587 Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester led 6000 English soldiers, including companies from Connaught who served for two years in the Netherlands in aid of Dutch rebels fighting the Habsburgs, Sir Walter Raleigh fought there too. When Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex brought his army to Ireland in 1599, it included Captain Humphrey Willis and 2,000 veterans from the Lowlands led by Henry Docwra.

About 1720, shortly after John Cole began building Florence Court in 1718, George Willis built a family home next door on Rourkefield, in the townland of Aghatirourke, now the international nature reserve and geo-park of Aghatirourke. By the 18th C., the estate of Florence Court would be completely surrounded with townlands occupied by second and third generation members of the Willis family.

Willis as a family name is of Norman origin; there are several derivations; not all people with Willis as family name have genetic connections.

Willis may be a derivation of the given name "William".

Willis as a family name also arrived in England with the Norman family of Willes in Newbold Comyn and Fenny Compton, Warwickshire for whom the spellings of 'Willis,' 'Willys,' and 'Wyllys' and appear in records from 1330. Their family name was derived from the name de Welles, which evolved from the Norman name de Vallibus (de vallibus meaning "of the valley") The family name of de Vallibus had derived from the Vaux family of Harold De Vaux, a relative of William the Conqueror. Variations of this surname include Welles, Wells, and Wyllys.

THE WILLIS FAMILY OF FERMANAGH, IRELAND

There are three possible ancestral families for the Willis families of Fermanagh -

• Captains Humphrey Willis and William Willis
• A Willis from Devonshire who arrived in Fermanagh with William Cole in 1693 ^[2]
• A Willis from Lancashire of the d'Anyers Willis family who settled in Ireland about 1650
• George Anthony Armstrong Willis reports that Lord Enniskillen in conversation with Frances Armstrong Willis in June, 1962, stated definitely, that the Willis family of Fermanagh originally came over with his people from Devon before the Plantation of Ulster. ^[3]
• Local tradition records that the Willis family in Fermanagh is descended from Captain Humphrey Willis who had served as the first sheriff of Fermanagh in 1585, before serving in Holland and later guiding Henry Docwra in his invasion of Northern Ireland in 1599.

There is no Willis recorded in the Fermanagh Census of 1659

The earliest two Willis names proven so far in Fermanagh are those of Robert Willis of Drumaran in the civil parish of Cleenish and George Willis of Aghatirourke in the civil parish of Killesher appear among the Freeholders of Killesher 1747 - 1768. A Freeholder in this context was a person who owned his land, or for the whole of his life held the lease over an area of land worth 40 shillings. As the generations spread out, it has proved impossible to differentiate between the descendants of Robert and George Willis because of the limited selection of given names shared among the Willis families for many generations in this area. We can only assume that Robert Willis of Drumaran and George Willis of Aghatirourke were closely related and treat all the known Willis families as members of one extended family.

• Achadh tigh ui Ruairc – the field of Ruarc’s house.
• Ruarc was the son of íomhair, Lord of Tullyhaw - It is thought they were Vikings.
• Aghatirourke in English means “Field of the House of O’Rourke” and O’Rourkes were living there in 1609 when the the first map of Fermanagh was drawn by the English administration
• Following the end of the nine years war and the flight of the earls, the plantation of Fermanagh with English and Scottish settlers is well underway. Aghatirourke is still occupied by 60 – 90 Irish tenants
• Following the rebellion 1641-1650. Catholics were required to convert to the Church of England or move off confiscated lands, including Aghitirourke.
• noted in the census of 1659 – Aghatirourke (Agheteerourky) is an area of 2019 acres
• The Willis family were the first leaseholders, as retainers of the Cole family they took up their land at the same time as the Coles took up their land at Florence Court.
• George Willis built Rourkefield House around 1720.

Those town lands in the original barony of Clanawley estate, Fermanagh, known to have been occupied by a member of the Willis family are highlighted here - Aghatirourke, Aughnahoo, Beihy, Bohevny, Brookfield, Calkhill, Cavanreagh, Cerreens East, Clontyferagh, Clontymullan, Cloonatumpher, Cloonycrum, Clyhannagh, Cohan, Coragh, Cordarragh, Corradreenan East, Corradreenan West, Corrawully, Cottage, Croaghrim, Crossmurrin, Crumderg, Cullintra or Marlbank, Curragh, Derryhowlaght, Doohatty, Drumclownish, Drumduff, Druminiskill, Drumlaghy, Drumnacabranagher, Drumoghill, Drumsillagh, Edenmore, Finlane, Gortaree, Gortatole, Gorteen, Gortermoan, Gortmaconnell, Gortnakelly, Gortgullenan, Gubbacrock, Innishee Island, Killesher, Killinab [Killernam], Killyblane, Killybracken, Killykeeghan, Kilnameele, Knockageehan, Lamore, Lankill, Lea, Leamnamoyle, Leffa, Legnabrocky, Legnavea, Lisblake, Lisdeverrick [Lisdivrick], Lisgally, Lismoonly, Marlbank, Moneen, Moneyouregan, Mullaghbane, Mullinahenshin, Newtate or Drummoan, Rossmacawinny, Rossoy, Screen, Stumpy's Hill, Tattenamona, Tromogagh, Tryan or Brookfield, Tully, Tullyhona

Sources

1. ↑ Ulster Settlers Database
2. ↑ Letter of Introduction provided for Elizabeth (Godber) Willis when she emigrated to Australia with her daughters - dated Florence Court; 12. 1851 - "I have much pleasure in saying that I have known Mrs. Willis all her life, She and all her family for more than two hundred years have been most respectable tenants upon the Cole Estates, her Ancestor having come out from England in the days of Queen Elizabeth. She is a most respectable, honest and industrious woman and has brought up her family most correctly." (Seal) - (signed) Enniskillen
3. ↑ page 6 of A Short History of the Family of Willis of Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland with particular reference to the senior branch – compiled in 1957 at Margarets, East Harting, Sussex by George Anthony Armstrong Willis

• Aghatirourke in Griffiths Valuation Griffiths Valuations
• Aghatirourke in Open Street Map Aghitirourke : Open Street Map
• Aghatirourke in Townlands.ie Townlands - Killesher : Aghatirourke
• Aghatirourke in Placenamesni.org Placenames : Northern Ireland

See Also

For a history of Fermanagh -

YOUTUBE - McGuires of Fermanagh

YOUTUBE - Hugh Maguire (Lord of Fermanagh)

For Aghatirrourke and surrounding countryside -

YOUTUBE - For views from Cuilcagh 2008

The Legnabrocky Trail follows the western edge of Aghatirourke townland -

YOUTUBE Cuilcagh Mountain Legnabrocky Trail

Country life -

YOUTUBE - Hands:Fermanagh