Ancestry user DorisMelton45 has a family tree on Ancestry.com for herself, and her husband, Jim Melton (administered by DorisMelton45). One branch on Jim's tree dead-ends at a Sarah Willis b. 1820 in Tennessee. There are several pieces of evidence leading me to conclude that this Sarah Willis is a member of THE MARYLAND GROUP of the Willis Y-DNA Project at Family Tree DNA. Her Willis heritage then traces back to John Willis 1660-1712 of Dorchester County, Maryland. The challenge is to confirm it from the DNA evidence and then figure out the path back.
The Evidence:
1. The paper trail.
In following the various census records, I am able to determine that Sarah Willis, married to Lambert Bunch, was likely born in McMinn County, Tennessee in 1820.
1900 - Sarah is in Catoosa County, Georgia living with the family of her son, John. Note that the age of John ties out to the 1880 census (14 yrs old in 1880 + 20 yrs = approx 35 yrs of age indicated in 1900).
1880 - Sarah is in McMinn County, Tenn with her husband Lambert and youngest child, John.
1870 - Sarah is in McMinn County, Tenn with husband Lambert and children: Vinnie (Melvina), Martha, David, and John. (Catherine and Rachel have left home by this date).
1860 - Sarah is in McMinn County, Tenn with husband Lambert and children: Catharine, Rachel, Melvina, Martha, David.
1850 - Sarah is in McMinn County, Tenn with husband Lambert and children: Catherine, Adaline (Rachel Adaline) and newborn Margaret (Melvina Margaret). This census indicates that Sarah was born around 1820 and identifies her birth place as Tennessee.
1841 - Tennessee Marriage records indicate that Lambert Bunch married Sarah Willis on 27 Mar in McMinn County, Tennessee. This appears reasonable, given her likely age of 21 at this time.
2. DNA Evidence - Shared DNA Segment Matches.
I examined the shared DNA segment matches that Jim has with the various kits within my family. My 96 year old Aunt Clevie Whisnant and Jim share DNA segments with shaunbc1983. Shaun also has a Willis dead-end, on a Wm. Willis in 1830 McMinn County, Tennessee. We are still investigating the path that shaunbc1983 takes back to the late 1700s Willis of Rutherford Co (my Willis roots), but for now, we have plugged a path for him thru Johnston Willis and finally to Jacob Willis Jr 1780-1828. In doing this, shaunbc1983 shows DNA connections into all the members of the Jacob Willis Jr 1780-1828 DNA Circle. So, there is little doubt that shaunbc1983 is related to Jacob Willis Jr, somehow. And, Jim Melton shares a DNA segment with both shaunbc1983 and my Aunt Clevie Whisnant, who is also a descendant of Jacob Willis Jr. So, the logical conclusion is that Jim's ancestor, Sarah Willis is related to my Willis family of late 1700s Rutherford County, NC.
3 . DNA Evidence - New Ancestor Discovery into the Elizabeth Betsey Willis 1824-1855 DNA Circle.
Jim was kind enough to share his DNA results with me. In examining his results, I noted that Jim has a New Ancestor Discovery around Elizabeth Betsey Willis 1824-1855. Jim shares DNA connections with 3 members and/or Family Groups within the Elizabeth Betsey Willis DNA Circle. In posts here and here, members of my family (including myself) also have New Ancestor Discoveries for Elizabeth Betsey Willis. So, both Jim, and members of my family, share DNA segments with descendants of Elizabeth Betsey Willis. Based on my family member connections to Elizabeth Betsey Willis, we had already concluded that she was also a member of THE MARYLAND GROUP of Willis, as indicated in the Willis DNA Chart. Between Jim's DNA ties to another person who belongs to the Jacob Willis Jr DNA Circle, and our shared DNA ties into the Elizabeth Betsey Willis DNA Circle, this appears to be fairly conclusive DNA evidence that Jim's ancestor, Sarah Willis b. 1820 in McMinn, Tennessee is a member of my late 1700s Willis family of Rutherford County, NC. Its just a matter of trying to figure out what path Sarah takes to get back to late 1700s Rutherford County Willis family.
I have done some detailed and extensive research on my late 1700s Willis family in Rutherford Co, NC. Much of it is documented in the gallery section of the profile page of the initial Willis male ancestor who left Dorchester County, Maryland and arrived in western North Carolina around 1764, William Willis Sr 1717-1782. William Sr, had a son, William Jr 1744-1794. William Jr had at least 5 sons according to 1790 Rutherford County census records. I am having great difficulty determining where 4 of the 5 sons of William Jr wound up.
It is very possible though that male members of my late 1700s Rutherford County, NC Willis family migrated to McMinn Co, Tenn. in the early 1800s. McMinn is just across the North Carolina, Tennessee border. It was formed from Indian Lands in 1819. The earliest census was 1820. In searching the 1820 census records of McMinn, there appear to be no Willis families there at that point. But, in 1830 and beyond, Willis families do settle in McMinn County.
The 1830 census of McMinn:
Samuel pg 139
2 males under 5
1 male 20-29
1 female under 5
1 female 5-9
1 female 20-29
William pg 138
1 male under 5
1 male 20-29
1 female under 5
1 female 20-29
James pg 150
1 male 5-9
1 male 10-14
1 male 50-59
2 females 10-14
1 female 20-29
1 female 50-59
The 1840 census of McMinn:
Margaret Pg 109 (born 1814)
1 male under 5 (Marian, born 1835)
1 male 5-9 (James, born 1831)
1 female 5-9 (Jane, born 1837)
1 female 20-29 (Margaret age 26)
Samuel Willis pg 90
1 male under 5 (Griffin, born 1836)
1 male 5-9 (Jessee, born 1831)
2 males 10-14 (Possibly William and John in 1850 census, born 1828 and 1829)
1 male 30-39 (Samuel, born 1800)
1 female under 5 (Rachel, born 1838)
2 females 10-14 .. unknown
1 female 30-39 (Elizabeth, born 1801)
Stephen pg 128
2 males under 5
2 males 5-9
1 male 30-39
1 female 30-39
William B Willis pg 105
1 male 20-29
1 male 60-69
The 1850 census of McMinn:
Margaret Willis born 1814 Tennessee, 36 yrs old
James born 1831 Tennessee, 19 yrs old
Jane born 1833 Tennessee, 17 yrs old
Marian born 1835 Tennessee, 15 yrs old
William Willis born 1828 Tennessee, 22 yrs old
John born 1829 Tennessee, 21 yrs old
Samuel Willis born 1800 North Carolina, 50 yrs old
Elizabeth born 1801 Virginia, 49 yrs old
Jesse born 1831 Tennessee, 19 yrs old
Griffin born 1836 Tennessee, 14 yrs old
Rachel born 1838 Tennessee, 12 yrs old
David P born 1843 Tennessee, 7 yrs old
Christopher Willis born 1805 Tennessee, 45 yrs old
Alner born 1826 Tennessee, 24 yrs old
Jacob Willis born 1817 North Carolina, 33 yrs old
Polly born 1824 North Carolina, 26 yrs old
Martha born 1842 Tennessee, 8 yrs old
Becky born 1844 Tennessee, 6 yrs old
Elvira born 1845 Tennessee, 5 yrs old
Isaac born 1846 Tennessee, 4 yrs old
This is just an educated guess on my part, but in the 1830 census James is clearly older than William and Samuel, by at least 20 years. It is highly possible that these 3 Willis men are of the same family, with James being the father of both Samuel and William.
I have a number of land records for James Willis in Rutherford County, NC in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The last transaction is one in which James was a witness in 1816. In the 1820 census, there is a James Willis in Rutherford County, NC. He is located next to Jacob Willis Jr 1780-1828, his 1st cousin [Addendum Feb 2019, later determined that James and Jacob were brothers, both sons of William Jr 1744-1793]. So, this makes sense. James' 1820 household was comprised of:
1 male under 10
1 male 16-18
1 male 16-25
1 male 26-44
3 females under 10
2 females 10-15
1 female 26-44
This is the last record of James in Rutherford County.
The age of the husband and wife fit the transition from the 1820 Rutherford Census to the 1830 McMinn census. 2 males who were 16-25 in the 1820 census appear to have left the household. These could be Samuel and William who show up in the 1830 census of McMinn. There were 3 females under 10 yrs of age in 1820, only 2 appear to have made the transition into older age groups. And, 1 other female left the household. So, if one young female child died between 1820 and 1830, 2 males and 1 female aged out of the household, and another young son was born, then this James in 1820 Rutherford Co, NC is one in the same as the James in 1830 McMinn Co, Tennessee. And, Sarah Willis could be one of two females 10-14 years of age.
If Sarah was born in 1820, then there is no indication that she could fit into the household of William. In the 1830 census, William only has one daughter, born at some point after 1825. In the household of Samuel, his oldest child is a daughter, but she would have been born in 1821 or after. While it is possible that Sarah could be this daughter, more likely, she is in the household of James. In 1830, James had 2 daughters who were 10-14 years of age.
So, for now, we are going to assume that Sarah Willis born 1820, and married to Lambert Bunch, is the daughter of James Willis. We will monitor the DNA results of the descendants of Sarah and adjust this assumption if the DNA suggests otherwise, or we discover additional information that clarifies this situation.
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