Solving the Warren County, Ohio Mystery

Within THE MARYLAND GROUP at the Willis Y-DNA project we recently had a new Y-DNA test kit join our group.  Including the new kit, there are now 13 members of our Y-DNA group.  Coming back from 3 different directions, we all trace our Willis lineage back to our initial Willis male ancestor who arrived in the colonies,  John Willis 1667-1712. 

One of our group members,  Gary Willis,  has done significant research on John Willis and published a number of papers about the first 2 generations of our family.   Gary's hypothesis is that John came from Wantage,  UK,  a small Berkshire village.  

Going back to Christening records in Wantage,  we can find evidence of a John being Christened in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul in 1667.   He left Wantage at some point in the 1680s and landed in Dorchester County,  Maryland.  Thus,  the name of our Y-DNA group,  THE MARYLAND GROUP.  All the members of our Y-DNA group should be able to find a path in their tree that leads them back to John 1667-1712.

This new kit, #785030,  could trace their Willis heritage,  with certainty, back to a Shelah Willis 1805-1885.   Census records confirmed him to be in 1830 Franklin, Warren County,  Ohio.  But, where did he come from before Warren County?  And, what was his path back to John Willis 1667-1712 in Maryland?

To get a complete picture of the family,  we first examine the 1820 and 1830 census records of Warren County.  In doing so, it becomes evident that the Willis there were all of one family group.  A household of an older Willis male is headed by a William.  Nearby,  there were households headed by much younger Willis men:  James A, Delilah, Billy.  There are marriage records for a James A, Charles, Delilah, Shelah, Billy, and Samuel Willis in Warren County too.

The next step is to examine a wide number of trees on Ancestry, use info from those trees, making sure its consistent with confirming records above, to build out this family group.   The result is:

Willis Family of 1820, 1830 Warren County, Ohio:

William Willis 1780-bef 1850
  James A 1800-1860
  Charles 1802-bef 1825
  Delilah  1803-1885
  Shelah 1805-1885
  unidentified son aft 1810-
  unidentified son aft 1810-
  unidentified daughter aft 1810-
  William (Billy) 1812-1894
  Samuel 1814-1880

Following the 1850 and subsequent census records for each of these men,  we learn that James A and Delilah were both born in North Carolina in the very early 1800s.   The records for Shelah are conflicting,  indicating Indiana, North Carolina, and Maryland birthplaces.   But,  we get a sense then this Warren County Willis family was in North Carolina in the very early 1800s,  with likely roots in Maryland.  

After leaving Warren County,  land records show Shelah moves into Berrien County,  Michigan in the early 1830s.  Shelah was married first to Phoebe Nye 1809-1848.  Once he arrives in Michigan,  its evident that the migration there was in conjunction with the Nye family,  because locating nearby is brother-in-law Jacob Nye.  Joining Shelah in Michigan are also brothers Delilah and William (Billy).  James moves to Edgar, Illinios.  Samuel remains in Warren County.  So,  it is clear that this Willis group started out in 1820s Warren County,  Ohio,  and most migrated away after the 1830 census.  

At this point,  we know we have a multi-generation Willis family that starts out in late 1600s Maryland.  They migrate to North Carolina at some point in the 1700s, to be there in the very early 1800s where James, Delilah, and likely Shelah, are born.  They go on to have a decade or two stopover in Warren County,  Ohio,  with a final destinations in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.

We are fortunate in this situation.  In addition to a Y-DNA test, the descendant of this family has an autosomal DNA test kit on Ancestry.com.  The next step then is to turn to the match-list for this Ancestry kit.  We search the matchlist on the surname Willis,  and then we examine the trees of the first 50 to 100 matches that result from that search,  in an effort to spot a common group of Willis who might have migrated from Maryland to NC to Ohio to Michigan.

This takes time,  and effort,  but produces valuable results.  The matches and their Willis connections:

1 baritone6fooot41 - son
2 Kurt Wilfinger - Shelah
3 SusanLarson41 - locked tree
4 TPHarpFL - John Frank Willis attached to family above
5 Travis Beavers - Robert Willis born 1800 in NC
6 K.H. - Sarah-Tustrum-William-Thomas
7 lsumner72 - Sarah-Tustrum-William-Thomas
8 JCworshiper1 - Sarah-Tustrum-William-Thomas
9 LindaFox95404 - John Frank Willis attached to family above
10 A.M. - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
11 E.R. - locked tree
12 maribethajewell - Willis of an unrelated Y-DNA group
13 paniswin - locked tree
14 Troy Willis - brick wall George Willis born 1885 Iowa
15 TKCM2 - William (Billy)
16 D.K. - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
17 Troy Barton - locked tree
18 James Brewer - sparse info
19 Roger Johnson - Willis of an unrelated Y-DNA group
20 I.A. - Sophronia-Leven-William-Thomas
21 oneweaver - locked tree
22 stonfamily2012 - William (Billy)
23 heathervaden - locked tree
24 C.B. - Standford Waddell-Elizabeth-William-Thomas. Eliz born 1777 Guilford Co, NC
25 Donald Cook - Sarah-Tustrum-William-Thomas
26 anne lovell - locked tree
27 AndiDQ - John Frank Willis attached to family above
28 M.H, - locked tree
29 joshuathroneburg - Dolly Willis born 1902 Lincoln Co, NC
30 CristinaArtiano - Ann Willis born in 1745 Scotland
31Dawn Eleazarraraz - Sarah Willis born 1846 Laporte Co, In.
32 Sasche - Sarah-Turstrum-William-Thomas
33 Greg Pister - William born 1835 Ill
34 AH - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
35 IH - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
36 Seth Taylor - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
37 kamarie - locked tree
38 Thomas Moore - Louisiana Willis born 1848 Maryland
39 delorisjeant - Most likely a match on surname Cripe
40 faye David - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
41 BillPruiett22 - Millicent Willis born 1835 Va.
43 shannondh - Rachel-Tustrum-William-Thomas
44 SandraKidd - Most likely a match on surname Bird
45 davidlwillis1 - William born 1725 Va
46 J.H. - Standford Waddell-Elizabeth-William-Thomas. Eliz born 1777 Guildford Co, NC
47 C.W. - locked tree
48 D.H. - locked tree
49 John Leach - John Frank Willis attached to family above
50 zaqspop - Archibald Willis born 1800, no other info

Its very important to note that most of the matches above,  with the ties to Tustrum-William-Thomas,  have no surname overlaps with our kit other than Willis.  So clearly,  these are Willis matches.  The lineage of our kit is somehow very closely related to this Tustrum-William-Thomas Willis lineage.

The users highlighted in red have a lineage that goes directly through the Willis group in 1820,1830 Warren County,  Ohio.  The users highlighted in bold have trees of a Willis group that appear to be closely DNA related to the Warren County,  Ohio Willis group.

After examining just 50 records,  we're already seeing a consistent pattern.  Our test kit has very close DNA ties to people who descend from a family of Willis who migrate from 1700s Caroline County, Maryland, to late 1700s/early 1800s Guilford County, North Carolina,  then on to Union County, Indiana.  Union County, Indiana is just across the state line from Warren County, Ohio.  BINGO.  Its clear that our Willis of Warren, Ohio are very closely related to this Willis family of Union County, Indiana.

Digging into the trees,  we find the migration pattern of the Willis males of this group.

Thomas born 1730 Dorchester Co, dies 1782 Caroline Co, MD
William born 1750 Dorchester Co, dies 1823 Union Co, IN

The family structure of William appears to be:

William 1750-1823
  married first to Jane LNU 1755-bef 1793
    Elizabeth 1777-1853
    William 1780-
    Trustrum 1782-1855  
  married second to Elizabeth Rankin 1770-
    Thomas 1796-1877
    John 1797-1820
    Robert 1800-1892
    Levin 1802-1880
    Sarah Sally 1802-1902

The bold names indicate that there are DNA matches from the above match list who have trees tracing through these ancestors.  Our kit has DNA matches to people with lineage coming back through the this family from 4 different directions.  This is a very strong indication that our kit also has lineage that runs through this group.

Notes about each of the children of the marriage between William and Jane:

Elizabeth - Marries Charles Waddell,  moves to Union County, Indiana.  Her first child is born 1799 in Guilford Co, NC.  Her fourth child, Sarah, is born 1805 in Guilford County,  NC.  Her fifth child, Stanford Waddell is born in 1807 in Warren County, Ohio.  BINGO.  The family migration took them to Warren County after 1805, before 1807.  The sixth child,  Charles Waddell, is born 1812 in Union County, Indiana.   So,  this family group arrived in Warren County, Ohio by 1807,  then in Union County,  Indiana by 1812.  The problem is that Union County did not exist until 1821.  It was formed then from parts of Fayette, Franklin and Wayne Counties.  But,  it is likely that this 1812 birth was in Indiana.  There are other interesting observations as a result of finding this connection from Willis to Waddell.  In looking at information documented in the tree of a randy waddell on Ancestry,  the Waddell family migrated from Germany and arrived in Dorchester County, Maryland in the early 1700s.  That's likely where they crossed paths with the Willis family.  It is then indicated that the Waddell and Willis families migrated north to Baltimore,  then south, down Kings road,  to Guilford County,  North Carolina.

William - No trees I can find have any info on William.  His date of birth matches our William in Warren County.  BINGO,  this is the William of our 1820,1830 Warren County,  Ohio Willis group.  And,  this would explain why our Ancestry DNA kit is getting so very many DNA matches to other descendants of this family going from Caroline Co, MD,  to Guilford Co, NC, and finally on to Union Co, In.  The William household of 1820,1830 Warren Co, Ohio was obviously a part of this migration.  

Tustrum - Was married in 1802 in Guilford County, NC.  While it looks suspect, given that its 10 years beyond the marriage date,  trees don't have his first child born until 1811.  And she was born in Indiana.  Again,  more evidence that the migration went through Warren Co, Ohio but ended up in Union Co, In.  Our mystery Willis family simply decided to remain in Warren Co, Ohio,   while the rest of the family moved on to Union Co, Indiana.

So,  it appears to me that the information above is conclusive.  The William Willis family of Warren, Ohio was a part of a Waddell/Willis migration that started in Dorchester/Caroline Counties,  Maryland and then traveled to Guilford County,  North Carolina,  then finally on to Ohio/Indiana.

There are still a few issues to resolve here.

1.  Its obvious from the DNA matches that John Frank 1817-1909 Willis fits into this family group,  but how?

2.  There is a 1798 marriage record in Baltimore,  Maryland for a John William Willis marrying a Nancy Hite.  Is that our William and Nancy?

3.  Assuming that the trees are correct and this family does trace back to a Thomas Willis born about 1730 in Dorchester County,  Maryland,  what is his path back to our John Willis 1667-1712 of Dorchester County,  Maryland?

We will have to answer those questions later,  after more work.