James Willis (1806 - 1877)

Born 1806 in England

Husband of Edith (Andrews) Willis — married 10 Jul 1826 in Bristol, Gloucester, England

Husband of Mary Ann (Prictor) Willis — married 15 Jun 1841 in Potterne, Wiltshire, England

Descendants

Died 2 Feb 1877 at about age 71 in Prince Edward Island, Canada

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Biography

James Willis was born about 1806 in England^[1] He was the son of John Willis, a farmer, ^[2] Mother unknown.

On July 10, 1826, James married Edith Andrews in Bristol, Gloucester, England. ^[3] They lived in Alderton, Wiltshire, where they had (at least) 7 children, some of whom died in childhood. James worked as a baker.^[2]

Edith died in 1838. According to family lore, she "died suddenly while getting dinner"^[1] On the 1841 UK Census, James and his children are listed as living on HIgh Street in Potterne. For some unknown reason, the ages of James and his 5 living children (John, Louisa, William, Henry and Eliza) are all off by 5 years. ^[4]. They are listed as James (30), John (7), Louisa (5), William (4), Henry (3), Eliza (2), whereas their actual ages would have been: James (35), John (12), Louisa (10), William (9), Henry (8), Eliza (7).

On June 15, 1841, James married Mary Ann Prictor^[5] In 1842, they emigrated to Prince Edward Island, where they had four more children. They settled in New Wiltshire, where they farmed.

John died on February 2, 1877 and was buried in the Clyde River cemetery.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Vernon E. Hargrave, The Descendants of James Willis and Samuel M. Smith, 1980, pg 10.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "15 June 1841: James Willis, of age, widower, baker of Potterne, son of John Willis, farmer, married Mary Ann Prictor, of age, spinster, of Potterne, daughter of Robert Prictor, carpenter. Witnessed by Joseph Goulding and June Pearse." - from Potterne town records, as reported in Vernon E. Hargrave, The Descendants of James Willis and Samuel M. Smith, 1980, pg 8
3. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch; citing Bristol, Gloucester, England, reference it1 p.272; FHL microfilm 1596644 - James Willis and Edith Andrews, 10 Jul 1826
4. ↑ 1841 UK Census, Wiltshire, Potterne (High Street), 12, Pg 15-16 – James Willis and 5 children
5. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," index, FamilySearch; citing Potterne,Wiltshire,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 1279345 - James Willis and Mary Ann Prictor, 15 Jun 1841

See also:

• Past and Present of Prince Edward Island: Embracing a concise review of its early settlement, development, and present conditions, MacKinnon, Donald Alexander, Warburton, Alexander Bannerman, 1906, pp430-31 - Albert P Prowse
• PEI Public Archives