William Willis (abt. 1776)

Born about 1776 in Kentucky, United States [uncertain]

Husband of Nancy (Smith) Willis — married 3 May 1794 in Mercer County, Kentucky, USA

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bill Willis [send private message]

Biography

On the 3rd of May 1794 William Willis and Horace Smith made bond in the sum of 50 pounds stating that "there be no lawful cause to obstruct" the marriage of William Willis and Nancy Smith. [1] We assume that of the two bond makers, William was the prospective groom, and that Horace Smith was a kinsman of Nancy., but not her father, as on the same day Thomas Smith certified that he gave his consent for his daughter Nancy to marry William Willis. [2]

William and Nancy's marriage took place the 10th of May 1794 in Mercer, Kentucky.[3] The marriage did not succeed, as the 1810 census shows Nancy Willis living by herself in Madison County Kentucky, with three children. William, however, has not died as in 1814 he gives his daughter Rachel permission to marry Christopher Durbin in Madison County.[4]

According to an 1816 court record clarify's Nancy and Williams relationship

October 1816

Information being given to the court by Nicholas Hacker that McKinzey Willis, son of Nancy Willis, the father of the said McKinzey having absconded and left this country. It is ordered that the said Nancy Willis be summoned to appear at the next term of this court to show cause if any why the said McKinsey shall not be bound out according to law. Madison County, Kentucky, USA Court Order Book D, pg 268

Clearly William and Nancy have separated. Divorce at that time was not an option for most people, and in Williams case it appears that abandoned his family. It is not clear what happened to him afterwards. A substantial number of genealogists have concluded that he remarried. Some, for example, point to an 1803 marriage record in Pittsylvannia County, Virginia where a William Willis married a Polly Dalton. Some even show him as marrying multiple wives. We have seen no evidence put forward to show that this (these?) William Willis are in fact the same William who married Nancy Smith. In our opinion, the fate of Nancy's husband is unknown.

We know that William and Nancy ad at least three children, per the 1810 census. One of those children was Rachel Willis who married Christopher Durbin in 1814, as discussed previously. Marriage bonds, and parental permission to marry identify a second child as McKinzie Willis

To the Clerk of Madison County

This is to certify that I John Logson am willing for my daughter Mary to be joined in matrimony with McKinzie Willis , given under my hand this 1st dy of May 1820

Test

Christopher K. Durbin,

John Logsdon his mark and seal

Basil White

To the Clerk of Madison County This is to certify that I am willing for my son McKinzie to be joined in matrimony with Mary Logsdon May the first 1820,

Test

Chirstopher K.Durbin

Nancy Willis her mark and seal

Basil White.[6]

Parents of William Willis

Analysis in progress...10 Aril 2023

Currently, 10 April 2023, it seems unlikely that Williams parents were Joseph Willis and Mary. Joseph was almost certainly the son of Joseph Willis and Hannah of Brunswick County Virginia. Three of their sons, Joseph, Edward, and John, immigrated to the Madison County area around 1780, settling in the Chaplain Fork watershed. There were other Willis families who settled at the same time in Chaplain Fork, descendants of a Richard Willis and Ann (often identified as Ann Crowder), who settled in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Mecklenberg is adjacent to modern Brunswick County. Descendants of Richard have YDNA tested and are placed in the Southern Group, Subgroup C, of the Willis YDNA project. The ancestor of that group is almost certainly descended from the Willis line that settled in the 1640's in Gloucester Virginia, either through Francis of Ware River (Gloucester County) or Henry of Fredericksburg (Spotsylvania County).

Joseph of Brunswick County acquired land in Brunswick County while living in Gloucester County. While we do not as yet know who his father was, it is very likely that he is in the branch leading from Francis of Ware River.

YDNA tests show that descendants of William, husband of Nancy Smith, and father of McKinzie Willis, share a YDNA signature that places them in the in the Southwest Virginia and Kentucky YDNA project. That signature does not match that of the Southern YDNA group. As a result, William can not be the son of Joseph Willis and Mary.

Sources

1. [Kentucky US County Marriage records 1783-1965]

2. image of original on Ancestry

3. Virginia US Compiled Marriages 1740-1850

4. Kentucky US Marriage records 1783-1965

5 Virginia US Compiled Marriages 1740-1850.

6. [TBD]

• Source: S15 Author: Dodd, Jordan Title: Kentucky Marriages, 1802-1850 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997.Original data - Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Kentucky.Original data: Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individu; Repository: #R1
• Repository: R1 Name: Richard Schultheiss
• Source: S413 Author: Ancestry.com Title: Mercer County, Kentucky: Marriages (1786-1800) & Wills (1786-1801) Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001.Original data - Ellsberry, Elizabeth Prather, comp. Mercer county, Kentucky Marriage records 1786-1800. Will records 1786-1801. Chillicothe, MO, USA: Elizabeth Prather Ellsberry, c196; Repository: #R8
• Repository: R8 Name: Ancestry.com Address: http://www.Ancestry.com