Alabama Branch Willis Land in 1850s Huntsville

While researching some of the descendants of Jarvis Willis b 1758,  I came across a plat on Ancestry.com that identifies the landowners of 1850s Huntsville,  Alabama.  The plat is very detailed,  with individual landowner names.  The plat is located at, (CLICK HERE).

The numbers on the plat are document reference numbers.  You can look up info by either name,  or document number, at the Bureau of Land Management website (CLICK HERE).

In taking a closer look,  up in the top right hand corner of this plat,  I noticed that there are not only members of the Willis family,  but also some related families.    A closer view:

How these people are related:

A.  Willis Vess b 1813 - When Jarvis left Dorchester County, Maryland at some point in the 1780s,  he settled first in Stokes County,  North Carolina.  Jarvis is in the 1790s tax records of Stokes,  along with several males of the Vess family.  Trees out on Ancestry indicate that Willis Vess is the son of a John Vess b 1770 in Stokes County,  NC.  So,  the Willis and Vess families likely first crossed paths in Stokes County,  NC and may have migrated together down to Alabama,  via a stop over in Tennessee.  In addition,  Willis Vess is married to Telitha Whitlock.   Members of the Whitlock and Willis families intermarry in the mid to late 1800s in Alabama.    And,  Willis Vess and Telitha Whitlock have a daughter,  Mary Jane Vess b 1838 who marries John Lewis Willis b 1834,  grandson of Jarvis.   John Lewis is living at either B,  or C.  So, the son-in-law and daughter of Willis Vess are living in close proximity.

B. and C.  One of these is John Willis Sr b 1798,  son of Jarvis.   The other is his son,  John Lewis Willis b 1834,  grandson of Jarvis,  and son-in-law of Willis Vess.

D.  I believe this to be Charles Monroe Willis b 1802.   While not yet entirely certain,  I believe his father is a Henry Willis b abt 1784,  son of Jarvis.  Both Charles and Henry are the only Willis males in the 1820 census of Monroe, Mississippi.  If Charles and Henry are father/son,  then Charles is a nephew to John Willis Sr b 1798,  and first cousin to John Lewis Willis b 1834.

E.  Reinforcing my assumption that plot D is owned by Charles Monroe Willis b 1802,  living in plot E is Lucinda Crittenden Fisher b 1818.   Lucinda's husband,  Carter Fisher,  died in 1854.   They had a daughter,  Margaret Jane Fisher b 1840,  who married Jasper Willis b 1839,  a son of Charles Monroe Willis.  In addition,  Charles Monroe Willis had a daughter,  Mary A Willis b 1837 who married one of Lucinda's sons,  William Franklin Fisher b 1842.  It should also be noted that the Fisher and Willis families also intermarry often in the 1800s, back up in Caroline County,  Maryland.

There could be others in this plat who are tied into this Willis family in some fashion.  If you recognize anyone else,  please post a comment below.  I also tried to figure out how to obtain the contiguous plats,  to see who lives on the land to the North and East of Charles Monroe Willis,  but was unable to figure that out.   If anyone determines how to get that info,  please let us know.

Mentioned in this post,  with links back to my tree:

Jarvis Willis 1758-1850
John Willis 1798-1860
Willis Vess 1813-1908
John Lewis Willis 1834-1899 m. Mary Jane Vess 1838-1935
Henry Willis 1784-1860
Charles Monroe Willis 1802-1870
Jasper Willis 1839-1876  m. Margaret Jane Fisher 1840-1880
Mary A Willis 1837-1919 m. William Franklin Fisher 1842-1909
Lucinda Crittenden Fisher 1818-1870



Jeff
Feb 2019