Willis Y-DNA Groups in 1790-1850 Maryland

Most Willis families in 1790-1850 Maryland belong to one of five unrelated groups in the Willis Y-DNA Project at Family Tree DNA:

1.   MARYLAND GROUP - John Willis of Dorchester County, Maryland was born probably in 1667, in England, and died in 1712 in Dorchester County. He was the Crier for the Court of Dorchester County, Maryland. He owned a parcel of land named "Wantage", indicating that he may have originally been from the village of the same name in Berkshire County, England. Known children were John Willis Jr. (b. bef 1690), William Willis, Grace Willis, Eliza Willis, and Andrew Willis (b. abt 1690). John Willis Jr., Andrew and William had children. John Jr. had sons John, Joshua (b.1710), and Richard (b.1718) by his first wife, and John (b.1731) and Jarvis (b.1735) by his second. John Jr. owned land in Caroline County, Maryland that he willed to his second son John. John Jr.'s son Richard, who was born about 1718, died about 1763 in Caroline County. A son of this Richard Willis was Richard Willis Jr., who was born in 1760 and died in 1823 in Caroline County. He is the ancestor of four participants of our project. John Willis Sr.'s son Andrew had sons William, Thomas, and Andrew by his first wife and Richard, George, and John by his second. Andrew owned land in Dorchester County that he left to sons Richard and George. Andrew's son John had a son Jarvis (b.1758) who later moved to Stokes County, North Carolina, Franklin County, Tennessee, and Lawrence County, Alabama. Participants in our project include descendants of four different sons of Jarvis:Charles B., Henry, William, and John. Andrew's son William (b.1717) had grandsons--James (b.1780), Jacob (b. 1782) and William (b.1775)--who also are ancestors of participants in our project.  (The Maryland Group/10590, 20484, 50374, 56029, 90447, 148947, 201363, 423854, 508395, 508627, 655491, and B9291)

2.  THOMAS N WILLIS GROUP - Thomas N. Willis of Kent County,  Maryland was born in 1810 in Maryland and died in 1852 in Kent County, Maryland.  His sons included William b 1834, Thomas N b 1837, Cavassa b 1846, Otho b 1848, John Mills Willis b 1850 and Maryland Willis b 1850 (Thomas N. Willis of Maryland/46774, 295195)   (CLICK HERE for tree of this group)

3.  WILTSHIRE GROUP - John Willis of Kent County, Maryland died in 1699. He was a Quaker originally in Cecil County, Maryland.  He married Dorothy Jones. His children were Mary, John, and Richard. Son John died in 1716 leaving everything to his brother Richard,  who was apprenticed to Thomas Jones. Richard was born in 1697 and died in 1748. He married Elenor Crowley. His children were John, Richard Jr., Cornelius, William, Mary, Agnes, and Ellin. Richard's son Richard Jr., who is an ancestor of one of our members, died in 1789. One of Richard Jr.'s sons was Joel Willis (born in 1765), who is an ancestor of one of our members. (The Wiltshire Group/312741 , 568741)

4.  DELAWARE GROUP - John Willis of Sussex County,  Delaware:  John Willis of Sussex County, Delaware was born about 1745. He married Ann Short in Sussex County on  June 6, 1768.  He served in a Maryland militia unit in 1781.  He died in Sussex County in 1817. A son Short Adam Willis, husband of Mary Rich, was born April 13, 1783 in Sussex County. He served in the Delaware Militia in 1813. He moved to Caroline County, Maryland before 1820, and died November 6, 1860 in Caroline County. Children of Short Adam Willis included Arthur John Willis b 1813, Peter James Willis Sr. b 1815, Sarah Ann Willis b 1817, William Henry Willis (unproven), Richard Short Willis 1821, Mary Willis 1828,  and Thomas Alexander Willis (unproven). Short A Willis and his son Arthur acquired significant acreage that had been known as Potters Landing.  The village was renamed Williston. Peter J. and Richard S. Willis moved to Texas in the mid 1800s and became large land and timber owners in Montgomery County north of Houston.  In 1870,  they donated land to the Houston and Great Northern Railroad,  which became the town of Willis, Texas.  (The Delaware Group/279781 and 294076)

5.  UNGROUPED: QUAKER GROUP OF MARYLAND - Thomas Willis of Maryland, a Quaker, married Sinai Ricketts on July 10, 1767. His son William Williss of Caroline County, Maryland married Henrietta Chance, also of Caroline County, in a Quaker marriage on August 9, 1792. (13266)  (CLICK HERE for tree of this group)