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On October 1, 1667, a deed was recorded between Thomas Wyllys, of Lancaster, and Mary, his " now wife," to Abraliam Weekes. Additionally, a marriage contract in 1670 refers to Mary Willis, widow, and has provisions in favor of her children, Richard, John and Eleanor Willis. "This Mary Willis was doubtless the widow of Thomas Willis". [1]
Comments regarding the parents of Thomas[2]
Please note the following concern about this Thomas Willis's parents (from http://genforum.genealogy.com/willis/messages/8187.html )
Having browsed this forum and come across numerous mentions of an American line descended from Richard Willis (of Horningsea and Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire) and Joan/ Jane Henmarsh, the daughter of William of Balls Park, Hertfordshire, I feel I should offer some additional evidence in support of those who do not believe this to be the case.
Richard Willys/ Willis was the son of Thomas Willys or Willis (the family also recorded as 'Willowes' in wills and documents of the period) and Elizabeth Hasell (who was the daughter of John Hasell; this family can be found in various editions of Burke's Landed Gentry under 'Hasell of Dalemain'; there too her husband Thomas is listed as 'Willowes (see Willys baronets)'.
This Thomas (A), with his brother George and sister Elizabeth, was the son of another Thomas (B), of Eyhall (or 'High Hall', Cambridgeshire; he purchased the manor in 1535, which had previously been held by his wife Joan ffolkes/ Fowkes' first husband, Stephen Hovell [of a family long established in Suffolk, at Wyverstone; his son with Joan was ancestor of the line which was later 'of Elstree']. Joan was the daughter of Martin ffolkes of Westley Waterless [just on the Cambridgeshire side of the border with Suffolk]. From her brother William descends the extant line of ffolkes baronets. Again, Thomas, husband of Joan is listed as 'Willowes, ancestor of the Willys baronets')
Thomas (B)'s will (where his name is 'Willowes'; it is however indisputably the same individual owing to his marriage to Joan ffolkes and ownership of Eyhall, as is corroborated by various sources) specifies his children's names as above (most pedigrees only list Thomas (father of the above-mentioned Richard) and another 'son and daughter'), as well as his siblings: Edward (whose will- wherein he refers to himself as 'of Ixning (Exning) in the County of Suffolk', specifically of a farm called 'Howstars'- was probated September 1576; see below), George and Elizabeth. Of George and Elizabeth no further details seem to be available, but Edward's will (wherein he too is named 'Willowes') lists four children: Edward (whose christening is recorded in 1564; his father's brother George is listed as a godparent); Thomas, Henry and Philip.
Of previous generations nothing concrete has been established: that there are numerous Willowes individuals not dealt with on pedigrees of the Willys baronets in Burke's and elsewhere (this makes sense as such pedigrees generally focus on the direct line of descent, with little attention given to collaterals) recorded as 'of Horningsea' and the surrounding area in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is indisputable, as various available sources detail them; also some Willowes/ Willises resided in Suffolk, the next county to Cambridgeshire, something which makes sense considering the family connections to the ffolkes, Hovell and other families of Suffolk. A likely candidate for 'great ancestor' of the line- who raised the Willowes/ Willys/ Willis family to the level of gentry- is Thomas Willowes, a glover of Cambridge, who established a scholarship at Gonville and Caius College by devising lands in his possession- at Teversham, Fen Ditton, Fulbourn and Cherry Hinton- to the university. He died in 1502/3.
Leaving aside this background, the Richard Willys/ Willis who married Joan/ Jane Henmarsh had four children: Thomas (created a baronet in 1641); Richard (created a baronet in 1646); William (a Colonel of Horse under Charles I, who married his first cousin Thomas's widow, Katharine Offley, the daughter of Sir John Offley of Madeley) and Elizabeth, who married Sir William Man, son of Sir Christopher Man of Canterbury. These details are solidly established and referenced in not only Burke's pedigrees, but various other sources such as county visitations. The baronetcy descending from Thomas died out in 1732 with the 6th baronet; that granted to Richard died out in 1701 with his son, Sir Thomas Fox Willis.
It is therefore clear that, as has been stated previously by various individuals, the Thomas born to Richard Willis and Jane Henmarsh is not the same as the Thomas who settled in Virginia, U.S.A.
Thomas the Immigrant was born about 1625. An entry in the Middlesex records, December, 1687, speaks of John and Richard Willis as brothers. John Willis died May 4, 1688 {Christ Church Register).
(23) "Mr. Willis." Thomas Wyllys was a "sidesman" of Lancaster Parish 1657. There is recorded in Lancaster a deed dated October 1, 1667, from Thomas Wyllys, of Lancaster, and Mary, his "now wife," to Abraham Weekes. There is in Middlesex (formerly a part of Lancaster) a marriage contract dated February 6, 1670, between Mary Willis, widow, and Matthew Bentley, shoemaker, making provision in favor of her children, Richard, John and Eleanor Willis. This Mary Willis was doubtless the widow of Thomas Willis. Her second husband, Mat- thew Bentley, was one of the leaders of the adherents of Nathaniel Bacon in Middlesex and vicinity. At Middlesex Court February, 1677, Matthew Bentley was summoned to answer the charge that during the late rebellion, when in command of forty or fifty men-in-arms at Major Lewis' plantation, in New Kent county, he killed three hogs and four sheep, used a great deal of corn, and took meal for the whole rebel army at Major Pate's. In this case Bentley took an appeal to the General Court. On July 23d, Colonel Christopher Wormeley, of Middlesex, sued Matthew Bentley and others for trespass and for taking from him in October, 1676, twelve beeves, forty sheep, twelve bushels of salt, &c, &c. He obtained judgment for 435. In Middlesex, March, 1677, Mr. William Gordon and Mr. Alexander Smith became securities for the good behavior of Matthew Bentley. The will of Matthew Bentley, dated January, 1685-6, was proved in Middlesex February, 1685-6. He left Mary Allden a young mare; Robert Allden "a cloth serge suit I now have and my great cloth coat; " John Willis his broadcloth suit with gold buttons on it; son, Richard Willis, executor, and to have the remainder of his estate. Matthew Bentley died January 8, 1685, and Mrs. Mary Bentley September 27, 1684. It appears from the register of Christ Church Parish, Middlesex, that Thomas and Mary Willis had the following children:
Mr. John Willis " qualified as executor of Anthony Barlow, June, 1685. An entry in the Middlesex records, December, 1687, speaks of John and Richard Willis as brothers. John Willis died May 4, 1688 {Christ Church Register). His will, dated April, 1688, and proved in Middlesex in July, included bequests to Elinor, John and Mary Allden, John Barlow, and brother, Richard Willis. Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Willis, probably married, first, Robert Alden (births of children of Robert and Eleanor Alden are noted in the register, 1683-85), and, secondly, Kemp. There is in Middlesex a deed dated October 5, 1717, from Eleanor Kemp, of Essex, widow, to her daughters, Mary Nalle and Catherine Terbetts, and to person named Allden. She speaks of the land where her brother, Richard Willis, lived and died, and conveys a considerable amount of land in Essex and Mid- dlesex. Richard Willis, the brother of John and Eleanor, was appointed a justice of Middlesex April, 1698. He appears to have married several times.
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