Paul Sylvester Willis (1830 - 1906)

Born 6 Jan 1830 in Winchester, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elsie E. (Howe) Willis — married 25 Nov 1868 in Chester, Vermont

Descendants

Died 10 Oct 1906 at age 76 in Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Hall [send private message]

14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry

Biography

Pvt. Paul Willis served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 30 Aug 1862
Mustered out: Jul 08, 1865
Side: USA
Regiment(s): 14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry - Company B

Paul Sylvester Willis was born on January 6th, 1830, in Winchester, Cheshire County, New Hampshire. He was the sixth child of Caleb Willis and Lydia Willard. In 1850, he worked as a live-in laborer at the Richardson Farm in Marlow, Cheshire, New Hampshire. It was during this time that he met Laura Mariah, whom he likely married in 1855. Their son Frank H. was born in Acworth, New Hampshire on December 5th, 1856, and their daughter Ida Marie was born on January 22nd, 1857, in Stoddard, New Hampshire. Sadly, Laura Mariah passed away on August 11th, 1858, in Stoddard, New Hampshire, at the age of 26.

In 1860, after living with his elderly parents in Alstead, New Hampshire, with only his oldest child Frank, Paul decided to enlist in the army and fight in the Civil War. He mustered with the 14th Regiment, New Hampshire Infantry, Company B, on September 24th, 1862. During his military service, he participated in several battles, including The Third Battle of Winchester, the Battle of Fisher’s Hill, and The Battle of Cedar Creek. The 14th N.H. was mustered out of service in Savannah on July 8th, 1865.

After returning to New Hampshire, Paul moved to Langdon, where he met and married Elsie E. Howe on November 25th, 1868. They lived with his son Frank in Langdon for two years before moving to Winchester, New Hampshire, in 1870. They eventually moved to East Westmoreland, New Hampshire, where they had their daughter Eva Susan on September 28th, 1887. In about 1892, they moved to Westminster, New Hampshire, and then in about 1896, they moved to Brattleboro, Vermont.

In Brattleboro, Paul worked as a farmer while Elsie tended to the household, and Eva attended school. They purchased a house on Highland Street and became part of the community. Paul was a member of the Sedgwick G.A.R. in Brattleboro. Sadly, Paul had to stop working in early 1902 due to health issues. He passed away on October 10th, 1906, at 4:30 am in Brattleboro, Vermont, at the age of 75, from organic heart disease. He was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls, Windsor, Vermont, where he shares a gravestone with his wife Elsie E. and daughter Eva Susan.

Questions and Errata

Documentation shows three marriages, but there is some documentation confusion. The names for the first marriage include

1. First marriage variations - Hannah Tyler, Maria Tyler, and Louise W. Tyler. All variations are within the documentation of his first child Frank H. Willis's. Laura Mariah Tyler did have a sister with the name Hannah. Laura died young, so Paul S.. moved back with his parents when Frank H. Willis was four. Ida M. Willis went to live with her maternal uncle George Benjamin Tyler (25) and his wife Mary (23).

2. Birth Variation - in the Willard family history book, Frank H. Willis and Ida M. Willis were only a month different in birth-dates.

Other Documentation

^[1]1850 U.S. Census; 20 years of age | Enumerated on 08 Oct 1850 | Marlow, Cheshire, New Hampshire | Listed as a live-in laborer for the Richardson Farm

^[2]1860 U.S. Census; 30 years of age | Enumerated on 22 Jun 1860 | Alstead, Cheshire, New Hampshire | Caleb (70) | Lydia (67) | son Frank H. Willis (4) | Ida M. Willis went to live with her maternal uncle George Benjamin Tyler (25) and his wife Mary (23)|No wife, but child. Back with parents

^[3]1870 U.S. Census; 39 years of age | Enumerated on 18 Jun 1870 | Langdon, Sullivan, New Hampshire | Head of Household | Paul S. worked in Saw-Mill | Wife from Vermont - Elsie E. Howe (19) | Son Frank H. Willis from prior marriage | Where is Ida M. Willis (13)?

^[4]1880 U.S. Census; 50 years of age | Enumerated on 10 Jun 1880 | Winchester, Cheshire, New Hampshire | Head of Household | Confirms Elsie E. Howe his wife. |Farmer | Lists son as 24 years old; Lists as Farm Laborer | Lives close to family; On same Census --- Fam.1 Wilber F. Willis (46), Martin P. (13) --- Fam.2 Mary A. (45), Willie F. (21), Mary A. (19)

^[5]1900 U.S. Census; 69 years of age | Enumerated on 09 Jun 1900 | Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont | Head of Household; Owned Home; not Mortgaged; Highland Street | Born Jan 1831; Married for 33 years | Farmer | Elsie E. Howe (49); Born Dec 1850; Married for 33 years; One living child; One total Children | Eva S. Willis (12); Born Sep 1887; Born in New Hampshire. In School – 9 years?

Sources

1. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, “1850 U.S. Census - Marlow, Cheshire, New Hampshire; Roll: M432_428; Page: 370A; Image: 391,” 1850.
2. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, “1860 U.S. Census - Alstead, Cheshire, New Hampshire; Roll: M653_668; Page: 669; Family History Library Film: 803668,” 1860.
3. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, “1870 U.S. Census - Langdon, Sullivan, New Hampshire; Roll: M593_850; Page: 523A; Family History Library Film: 552349,” 1870.
4. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, “1880 U.S. Census - Winchester, Cheshire, New Hampshire; Roll: 761; Page: 307D; Enumeration District: 070,” 1880.
5. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, “1900 U.S. Census - Brattleboro, Windham, Vermont; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 0245,” 1900.

• https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UNH0014RI - Accessed 23 Mar 2018.

• State of New Hampshire. Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New Hampshire (New Hampshire, 1865)

• Head, N. (1865). Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New Hampshire. Concord, New Hampshire: Amos Hadley. Retrieved June 5, 2019, from https://archive.org/details/reportofadjutant01newh/page/n11

• Buffum, F. H. (1882). A Memorial of the Great Rebellion, Being a History of the Fourteenth Regiment New-Hampshire Volunteers, Covering Its Three Years of Service, with Original Sketches of Army Life. 1862-1865. Boston, Massachusetts: Franklin Press: Rand, Avery & Company. Retrieved June 5, 2019, from https://archive.org/details/amemorialgreatr00buffgoog/page/n8

• Buffum, Francis. A Memorial of the Great Rebellion Being a History of the Fourteenth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers (Boston, MA, 1882)

• Willard, J., Walker, C. W., Pope, C. H., & Willard, J. (2016). Willard genealogy: sequel to Willard Memoir. Salem, MA: Higginson Book Co. pp. 115.