The John Willis Family of Dorchester and Caroline Counties, Maryland

Note: Since posting an article years ago about the John Willis Family, several facts have come to light about his origin and descendants. This article replaces the original and incorporates those facts .

John Willis Sr. was born before 1668 in Wantage, (then) Berkshire, England. He grew up with fond memories of this village before emigrating as a young man to the Province of Maryland. There, John gained employment with the Dorchester County Court at Cambridge and married in about 1687. He and his wife initially lived on rented land, raising a family and working off the cost of his passage to the New World. He farmed the rented property as a primary livelihood since the part time nature of the work at court sessions did not provide steady or sufficient income. In 1702, John was able to patent his own property and acquired 50 acres, which he named ‘Wantage’ after his hometown.

By the time the family moved onto Wantage, John and his wife had six children: John Jr., Andrew, Thomas, William, Grace, and Elizabeth. With two teenage boys to help with the land, the Willises primarily raised cattle and hogs. There were plenty of chores for the younger children. The Willises formed a close friendship with the families of neighbour William and Jennet Jones and with John and Dorothy Stevens who resided at ‘Littleworth’.

As the years went by, John Jr. learned the carpentry trade and married Mary (last name unknown). They moved to rented land close by. Andrew married Jennet Jones, the neighbour’s daughter, and rented land near William Jones’ new property on Shoal Creek. Thomas became a cobbler. William, the youngest son, married Judith Seward, and they lived at Wantage with the elder Willises and Grace, Elizabeth, and Thomas. After Thomas married Grace Bexley, he and John Jr. acquired adjoining land in part of Dorchester County that would become Caroline County. William took over running Wantage, while Judith helped care for an ailing Mrs. Willis. Before long, Mrs. Willis passed away leaving William and Judith along with Grace and Elizabeth living at Wantage with John Sr.

 As the health of John Sr. began to fail in 1712, he made a will rewarding William (and his wife Judith), Grace and Elizabeth for their steadfast support. John Jr. contested the will, but it was allowed to stand. John Jr., Andrew, and William each had children. For the next three hundred years, descendants of these three brothers intermarried with families on the Eastern Shore. The family history is a rich and interesting story of women and men. A handful fought in the revolution. Some were instrumental in establishing the early Methodist church in the region. Most were farmers. Some became doctors and Court justices.

This narrative contains some speculative details about John Willis and his family. However, it is consistent with the provable facts. The following part of the article about the family’s humble beginnings in the New World presents that proof.

Birth and Birthplace

The best clue to John Sr.’s home of origin is the name he gave his land. If he followed the custom of some of his peers, the name Wantage likely came from his hometown. A town of that name is located then in Berkshire, now in Oxfordshire, England, about 50 miles west of London and 80 miles from the city of Cambridge. Internet research shows the town is currently home to several Willis families. The parish registers for St. Peter and St. Paul Church at Wantage list marriages and births/christenings from 1538 onwards. Among the marriages are three generations of men named John Willis, the last of whom might be the father of John Willis Sr. of Maryland¹. The marriage record shows a John Willis married Elizabeth Chapman on 11 Apr 1664. Among the children baptised by this couple is a John Willis on 3 Jan 1668/9. This is strong circumstantial evidence that John Sr. in Maryland is the child of John and Elizabeth of Wantage.

John Willis Sr. was not the only person from Wantage, England, in the Province. A common labourer named Henry Willis came to Maryland in August 1684 at age 21 on the John & Elizabeth bound to John Moore of London for four years². The ship’s record names Henry’s father as Leonard Willis³. Evidence that another person immigrated from Wantage supports the theory that John Sr. did as well.

Possible First Appearance – 1694

The possible first appearance in Dorchester County records of John Willis Sr. is in 1694 when a man by that name was an appraiser of the estate of William Pritchett⁴. A John Willis served as appraiser again in 1700 and 1703⁵. It is logical to assume the appraiser in all three cases is the same John Willis. An appraiser had to be sworn to this duty and served only with the approval of the court. John Sr. served as the Court Crier at the Dorchester County Court and lived on land a few miles from Cambridge, the county capital⁶. Those connections at Court might have led to his appointment as an appraiser.

Land Acquisition – 1702

John Willis patented land from the provincial land office in 1702, acquiring 50 acres called Wantage on the Blackwater River⁷. As already discussed, John may have named this tract after his hometown. John Willis appeared on the 1704 rent rolls as a planter, indicating he was a landholder⁸. Wantage would remain in the family until 1734.

Death of John Willis Sr. – 1712

John Willis made a will on 18 September 1712 and died soon after. The will was presented for probate on 24 November 1712⁹. John Sr. had six children surviving at the time he wrote his will. The will only names four of the six. Eldest son John contested the will in part because two children were not named.

In his will, John Sr. provided that:

1. 1. Son William and his heirs would inherit all land , a mare, a cow, and three yearlings;
   2. Daughter Grace would inherit a horse, two cows, three yearlings, and all the land if William died without issue;
   3. Daughter Elizabeth would inherit a horse, bed and furniture, and a great chest; and
   4. Son John would inherit 12 pence.
   5. The will named William Jones and Rice Levena as executors.

John Willis Jr., eldest son of the deceased, filed a will contest on 3 December 1712, asking that administration not be granted the executors because there were only two witnesses to the will, there were two more children not mentioned in the will and he did not believe his father to be of sound mind at the time of making the will. William Jones, one of the witnesses to the will and a named executor, appeared in support of John Jr¹⁰.

The Court ordered on 20 February 1712/3 that all parties appear in April to give evidence regarding John Sr.’s mental condition at the time he made his will¹¹. I have found nothing resolving the dispute in the Dorchester County court records, nor any reference to the contest in the probate records of the Prerogative Court. However, apparently the Court ruled against the contest because probate continued under the named executors. Had the Court sustained the contest, the Court would have nullified the will and appointed an administrator. Instead, Inventories and Administration Accounts filed by the executors for the estate of John Willis in 1714 and 1715 indicate that probate moved forward¹².

A few other comments regarding the terms of the will and its administration are in order. First, the will does not name a spouse of John Willis. We can logically assume that she predeceased John. Were she alive, he likely would have named her in the will with a life estate in the land or otherwise provided for her care by their adult children. Last, the will does not use a married surname for either daughter. We can conclude that they were unmarried in 1712.

Unnamed Children of John Willis

Andrew – Andrew is a proven son.

1. 1. An inventory of the estate of John Willis filed at the April 1714 Court Session names Andrew as a son¹³.
   2. Andrew continued to live reasonably close to Wantage and his father-in-law was a former neighbour. William Jones, one of the executors of John’s will, owned land adjacent to Wantage and is the father of Jennet Jones who married Andrew Willis. Also, Andrew Willis and William Jones are noted in the 1718 will of Thomas Ennals and in a 1722 land sale as having had land adjoining each other at the head of Shoal Creek¹⁴. The head of Shoal Creek is about three miles from Cambridge (near the current Cambridge-Dorchester Airport) and a mile or so from the headwaters of the Little Blackwater River.
   3. In a 1730 deposition, Andrew Willis, then aged about 40, gave a sworn statement about the location of a boundary marker for a tract of land called “Littleworth” or “Stevens”. Littleworth frequently appears in the land records as having been adjacent to Wantage. Andrew’s knowledge of the boundary would logically derive from having lived at Wantage as a youth¹⁵.

Thomas – Thomas is also a proven son.

1. 1. John Sharp sold a 50-acre tract of land on Marshy Creek Branch above Hunting Creek to John Willis Jr. on 10 March 1717¹⁶. Less than five months later, Sharp sold an adjoining 50 acres to Thomas Wallis (Willis)¹⁷. Clerks frequently varied the spelling of the name Willis, sometimes within the same document. Those variants include Wallis, Wallace, Wallice, Willace, Willes and Willous. In fact, John Willis Sr. appears in early rent rolls as John “Wallis” in possession of “Wantige”¹⁸.
   2. Thomas Willis died intestate in 1722. Grace Wallis (Willis) administered his estate in 1722-1724¹⁹. The 15 Nov 1722 inventory filed by Grace Willis was also signed by Andrew Willis and John Willis as kindred. Their relationship to Thomas is not stated, but certainly they were his brothers.
   3. Andrew Willis and William Willis each named a son Thomas, presumably after their brother.

In conclusion, the John Willis family of Dorchester and Caroline Counties included sons John, Andrew, Thomas and William, and daughters Grace and Elizabeth. Assigning accurate dates of birth to the children is problematic. Andrew was born in about 1690. John Jr. was the eldest son and therefore born at least by 1689. A deposition given sometime between 1746 and 1752 establishes that William was born between 1694 and 1700²¹. Grace was named before Elizabeth in the 1712 will, indicating she was likely the elder of the two. The relative ages of Thomas and William are also uncertain, but I suspect William was the younger. It was not uncommon for the youngest son, the last to leave the household, to serve as a caregiver for ageing or ill parents. Such service would put him in good graces with regard to inheritance. The same could be said of a daughter who remained in the household and unmarried.

Establishing a birth order is not necessary to the analysis, but provides a theoretical picture of the family consistent with the known facts. A feasible order of birth satisfying that criterion is:

1688 – John Jr.                                               1694 – William

1690 – Andrew                                                1696 – Grace

1692 – Thomas                                                1698 – Elizabeth

Disposition of Wantage

William Willis and his wife Judith apparently lived at Wantage until 1734, when they sold it for six pounds to Richard Seward, likely Judith’s brother. However, two weeks prior to that sale, eldest son John Willis sold the same land to Henry Ennalls for 20 shillings.²² The two sales are a puzzle that is not solved by the deed or probate records.

By 1734, John Jr. lived many miles from Wantage in what later became Caroline County and had no apparent claim to his father’s former tract. However, John Jr.’s earlier will contest and the fact he was the eldest son may have created some cloud on the title in the eyes of Richard Seward, the prospective buyer. William or Seward may have asked John to relinquish any claim to the land prior to Seward buying it. John could comply by conveying his interest, if any, in the land to William (or Seward), clearing title so his brother’s transaction could proceed. Such a transaction would account for the very low price paid in John’s deed. The 20 shillings paid to John likely compensated him for his time and travel between his home and Cambridge to complete the transaction²³.

However, the puzzle is that John Jr. deeded his interest to Ennalls and not to William or Seward. Something is missing in the record – a power of attorney under which Ennalls was acting on William’s or Seward’s behalf, or a subsequent transaction from Ennalls conveying John’s interest to either Seward or William. Regardless of this mystery, the record is clear that the Willises had no connection to Wantage after 1734 since Richard Seward still possessed the land twenty years later²⁴. William and Judith Willis and their likely son Thomas Willis appeared in later land records of Dorchester County. Those records show them on land some twenty miles west of the Wantage farm. That land was adjacent land owned by Richard Seward’s parents, adding support to the idea that Richard and Judith were related and very possibly brother and sister.

DNA Project

 The Willis DNA Project (at https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/willis/about/news) has 542 members, 214 with paternal lines surnamed Willis. Of these, thirteen are in the “Maryland Group” believed to be descended from John Willis Sr. who came from Wantage. I invite anyone interested in testing to determine if they are related to one of these Maryland cousins to contact the administrator at the above link.

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1. W.P.W. Phillimore, editor, Berkshire Parish Registers, Marriages, Volume 1, (London:Phillimore & Co., 1908), I:17, John Willis and Annis Robinson, 31 Mar 1600; I:30, John Willis and Alice Lindsey, 19 Aug 1639; and I:41, John Willis, Junr [?] and Elizabeth Chapman, 11 Apr 1664. Also, John and Elizabeth Willis registered the birth or christening of a son John on 3 Jan 1668/9.
2. Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1661-1699, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1990), II:471.
3. Id. at 471, and Phillimore, Berkshire Registers, I:34, Leonard Willis and Margaret Powell, 8 Sep 1652; I:39, Leonard Willis and Anne Bell, 10 Sep 1659. Henry, born in 1663, fits as a son of either marriage. There is no proven connection between John Willis Sr. and Leonard and Henry of Wantage. However, the names Leonard and Henry appear several times in the descendants of John Willis Sr.
4. Skinner, Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court, VII:61. Court Session 1694 – In the probate of the estate of William Pritchett, John Haslewood of Dorchester County exhibited the bond of Hannah Charlescroft, administratrix of William Pritchett. Securities Richard Owen, Jarvis Cutler. Also inventory by appraisers John Frank and John Willis. Probate Book 15C:125.
5. Skinner, Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court, VIII:180. Court Session May 1700 – In the probate of the estate of Patrick Donelly, attorneys exhibited the inventory of Patrick Donelly by appraisers David Jenkins and John Willis, Probate Book 18A:62, and XI:4. Court Session Oct 1703 – In the probate of the estate of Daniell Seare of Dorchester County, attorneys exhibited Inventories of the estate of Daniell Seare by appraisers John Willis & William Walker. Probate Book 20:4.
6. McAllister, Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester County, Maryland, Volume 9 (Liber Old No. 13: Liber Old No. 14, folios 1-373),(Cambridge, MD, 1963), IX:36. 14 Old 130, 14 Mar 1746 – Deposition of Thomas Pierson, planter of Dorchester County, aged about 60 years, states that John Willis now living in St. Mary’s White Chappel Parish near Hunting Creek was to the best of deponent’s knowledge the eldest son of John Willis who lived on Blackwater River about 4-5 miles from Cambridge, and who was formerly Cryer of Dorchester County Court.
7. FHL Film No. 13078, Maryland Land Office, 194. On 10 Sep 1702, John Taylor assigned to John Willis all right, title and interest in 50 acres of land, part of a warrant for 2,389 acres granted to Taylor on 15 Oct 1692, Book CD4/194, and Id. at 194. On 3 Mar 1702/3, the Maryland Land Office issued a survey certificate to John Willis for a tract of 50 acres called Wantage on the Blackwater River, beginning at lowermost bounder of Littleworth, then N 36 deg E 100 perches, N 36 deg W 80 perches, S 36 deg W 100 perches, then straight line to the beginning. Book CD4/194.
8. Hunt, 1. John Willis is mentioned in the “Quit Rents” of 1704 as being a “planter” on file in the Library of Congress and the The National Archives, London, and Keddie, Leslie and Neil, Dorchester County, Maryland, Rent Rolls 1688-1707 Volume #3, (The Family Tree Bookshop, 2001), 75. Wantige was surveyed for John Wallis on 3 Mar 1702, lying on the Blackwater River beginning at the lowermost bounded tree of “Littleworth”. It encompassed 50 acres and the rental was 8 shillings.
9. Cotton and Henry, Calendar of Wills, IV:23. Note that the date given in this source for the submission to probate is 24 Nov 1714. This date conflicts with the date John Willis, Jr., filed a protest to the will and the dates of activity in the Prerogative Court records. I conclude the correct date for submission to probate is 24 Nov 1712. Dorchester County Will Book 14:12.
10. Id. at 23.
11. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdwillis/DCWillsWillis.htm#John1712, Sandra Willis who abstracted numerous documents from primary records in Dorchester, Caroline and Talbot Counties created this site.
12. V.L. Skinner, Jr., Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court, Volume XIII, 1712-1716, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2008), 113, 124, 132, 153 and 157, Probate Book L22:256, 368, 378, 452 and 456.
13. F. Edward Wright, Judgment Records of Dorchester, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, (Lewes, DE: Delmarva Roots, 2001), 33. L36A:203, Inventory of John Willis, Dorchester County – £23.14.1 – Appraisers John Kirke, Arthur Smith. Next of Kin: Andrew Willis (son), William Willis (son). FHL 975.2 P28w
14. Jane Baldwin Cotton, The Maryland Calendar of Wills, IV:167-9. Will Book 14:631, Will of Thomas Ennals dated 7 May 1718 – To Thomas Hayward and heirs, 50 acres part of “Ennalls Purchase” (plantation where Andrew Willis lived), at head of Shoal Creek, and on branch lying between Wm Jones and Andrew Willis’, proved 13 Au 1718, and, James A. McAllister, Jr., Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester County, Maryland, Volume 1 (Libers Old No. 1 – Old No. 2), (Cambridge, MD, 1960), I:71. 2 Old 161, 13 Mar 1722 – Land sale from Thomas Hayward to Henry Ennalls, land devised to grantor by Col. Thomas Ennalls, dec’d, at head of Shoal Creek where Andrew Willis lived adj land where William Jones lived, part of “Ennalls Purchase”, 50 acres more or less.
15. James A. McAllister, Jr., Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester County, Maryland, Volume 5 (Libers Old No. 7 – Old No. 8), (Cambridge, MD, 1962), V:145. 8 Old 404, 13 Jun-30 Sep 1730 – Commission to John Hodson, Mark Fisher, Thomas Nevett & Henry Ennalls, Jr to perpetuate bounds of Patrick Brawhaun’s land at the head of Blackwater called “Hoggs Island.” Deposition of Andrew Willis, about age 40, regarding the first bounder of “Littleworth” or “Stevens.”
16. Id. at 16. 7 Old 51, 10 Mar 1717 – John Sharp of Dorchester Co sold to John Willis, of the same county, carpenter, 50 acres, part of “Sharps Prosperity” on Marshy Creek Branch above Hunting Creek. Wits Thomas Noble, Jane Noble. John Nichols, attorney for John Sharp. (Note that Thomas Noble and John Nicols co-owned “Hampton” located on west side of Hunting Creek, bought from Richard Bennett 15 Jan 1713, 6 Old 230)
17. Id. at 23. 7 Old 68, no day or month 1717 – John Sharp of Dorchester Co sold to Thomas Wallis, of the same county, 50 acres, part of “Sharps Prosperity” on the south side of the head of Marshy Creek branch out of Great Choptank River above Hunting Creek. Bounded on one side by land sold to John Willis. Wits Jerem? Thomas, J Lookerman. Acknowledged 19 Aug 1718
18. Keddie, 75.
19. Skinner, Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court, XVI:60, 61 and 151. Filings by John Pitts, gentleman, of Dorchester County, bond of Grace Wallis, administratrix of Thomas Wallis, and inventories of the estate of Thomas Wallis, and Skinner, Administration Accounts of the Prerogative Court, Libers 1-5, 1718-1724, (Westminster, MD:Family Line Publications, 1995), 138. L5:38, Account of Thomas Wallis of Dorchester dated 13 Mar 1723 – Account total £12.17.7, Payments totaled £18.5.2 made to Patrick Mackalister, Mr. Charles Ungle, John Sharp, John Pitt, Edward Billeter, William Edmondson. Administratrix Grace Willis.
20. The land near Hunting Creek was located within St. Mary’s White Chapel Parish. Unfortunately, the church records for that locale that might prove the marital status of Thomas or Grace do not survive.
21. James A. McAllister, Jr., Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester County, Maryland, Volume 10 (Liber Old No. 14, folios 374-741), (Cambridge, MD, 1963), X:74. 14 Old 658, 11 Nov 1746 to 27 May 1752, Commission to perpetuate the bounds of John Harrington’s land called “Rosses Range” and “David Ropies”, and Return. Nine men and women give depositions regarding this land on Hobson’s Creek. Among them are William Willis, age about 52; Judah (Judith) Willis, age about 50; and Mary Seward, age 68.
22. Maryland Land Records, 9 Old 223, 30 Jul 1730 [or 1734], John Willis of Dorchester County, planter, for 20 shillings to Henry Ennalls, of same, gentleman, “Wantage,” 50 acres, originally taken up by John Willis, dec’d, on Blackwater Riv., adjoining “Littleworth.” Signed by his mark, John Willis. Witnesses: William Murray, Bw. Ennalls. Acknowledged 30 Jul 1734, and 9 Old 214, 15 Aug 1734, William Willis and wife Judith of Dorchester Co., planter, for 6 pounds to Richard Seward, of same, “Wantage,” 50 acres near head of Blackwater River adjoining “Littleworth.” Signed by marks, William Willis, Judith Willis. Witnesses: Henry Trippe, Cha. Lowndes. Dorchester County Court (Land Records) MSA CE46 10, http://mdlandrec.com
23. I believe the date of John’s transaction to be 30 July 1734, not 1730. The extant deed book is a copy of the original. The recopied document states the date of the deed in words rather than numbers, “One thousand seven Hundred and thirty.” I believe the scribe who recopied it missed the last two words of the date, which under the style of the day should have been “and four”. If John intended his transaction just to clear title for William’s sale, the following logically occurred. John showed up at the Dorchester County Court when it was in quarterly session. Henry Ennalls drafted a deed that John signed (by mark, he could not read or write). The court justices, including Henry Ennall’s brother Bartholomew, witnessed the signing, and John acknowledged the deed in open court, verifying its validity. All this occurred on a single day, 30 Jul 1734, which limited the inconvenience to the citizen who travelled some distance from Hunting Creek to Cambridge. The payment in the deed was for time and expenses. Sixteen days later Richard Seward bought the land from William and Judith Willis with assurance that John would not be able to successfully protest the sale.
24. 24. James A. McAllister, Jr., Abstracts from the Land Records of Dorchester County, Maryland, Volume 11 (Liber Old No. 15, folios 1 – 368), (Cambridge, MD, 1963), XI:52, 15 Old 247, 11 Aug 1754-15 Mar 1755, Commission to perpetuate the bounds of Richard Soward’s land called Wantage. A deposition of Thomas Soward, about 30 years old, mentions the widow Brawhawn; John Stevens grandfather of the present John Stevens; Richard Soward, brother of the deponent; and a bounded tree of Littleworth and Wantage between Roger Woolford’s plantation and Brawhawn’s, about 15-16 years ago.