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| John William Bast 1853-1923 Mary Emily Willis 1856-1946 |
In a previous overview post, I had indicated that our Willis clan's first serious researchers were Sandra and Carol in the late 1990s, early 2000s, followed by Gary Willis, who is still active today as our primary researcher. But, very recently, I discovered the Willis research work of a distant Willis cousin, Professor Charles Homer Bast 1914-2013, a descendant of Mary Emily Willis 1856-1946.
Professor Bast did his research back in the 1980s, and early 1990s, and wrote a series of papers about some Willis ancestors of our Core Maryland Branch:
1. John Willis 1667-1712
2. John "Marshy Creek" Willis 1683-1764
3. John "Oxford John" Willis 1731-1794
4. Lewis Willis Sr 1775-1850
5. Louis Willis Jr 1816-1888
6. Mary Emily Willis Bast 1856-1946
The research on each of these ancestors is posted below. Please don't copy this research without giving credit where credit is due, to Professor Charles Homer Bast.
These papers are detailed, and unique, in that they put the info into some historical context, and give potential insight into our ancestors' actions and decisions. I personally enjoyed reading the Professor's work and am deeply grateful for a family member sharing this information with me, giving me permission to make it available to others.
Information about Professor Bast, from his son:
My father was born in Baltimore but grew up on the Eastern Shore in Easton, MD. He was a History Professor and Dean at Roanoke College in Salem, VA. He did virtually all of this after he retired in 1979. All of his research was done the old way, by mail and visits, before the advent of the computer and internet. He typed this on his manual typewriter until I got him a word processor. I am pretty sure he finished up this line back in the 80s. In the early 2000s I started to transcribe all of it into Word and format everything correctly. He did not have any of this published. He did have an article about the Deans of the eastern Shore published in the Maryland Historical Society around 2000 or so. Also one about his WW II service around 2005. He died in 2013, almost 99 years old.
After he retired in 1979 my father and mother would get in the car and drive to Dorchester and Talbot Counties and do their research on the Willis's, Deans, Todds, Keans and others. For a couple years before he retired, my uncle, who was an Episcopal minister, had a church in Oxford, MD, very close to where they grew up. My folks would go visit, and it was like going home.
He was Charles Homer Bast, but went by Homer Bast. He worked at Roanoke College in Salem, VA for many years. There is a nice Roanoke College video tribute to him - google "Homer Bast Tribute" and it should come up.
Professor Homer Bast ... Thank you.
Jeff
Feb 2019
Below is the research of Professor Bast. I will not edit or alter this work, but may circle back around periodically to insert web links back to my tree, or insert notes, well identified in "[ ]" form.
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JOHN WILLIS, SR
(? – 1712)
The name of John Willis
first appeared in the documents of Dorchester County as a witness to several
deeds in the 1680s.1 Whether this is the same John Willis who was
transported to Maryland in 1668 is unknown.2 Nor is the relationship known between John
and Richard Willis. The latter died in
Dorchester in 1689 leaving a wife and three young children. One fact is
certain, however, John Willis possessed little wealth. Richard Willis was a man
of some means.3
Nothing further is known of
John Willis until 1701-1703, when, once again, he was a witness to several
deeds.4 Meanwhile, Dorchester was growing. By 1673
some 355 persons were on the tax list. With the establishment of Dorchester as
a county in 1669, the court system was instituted. About 20 years later a 22 x
40 foot two story courthouse was constructed in Cambridge. Shortly after John Willis was named “Cryer”
of the Court.5
How Willis acquired the position of the “public voice” of the Court is not
known.
John Willis married,
probably around 1680. The name of his
wife is unknown. She is not mentioned in a deed because Willis sold no land and
he failed to include her in his will. The latter meant that she had probably
died. Whoever she was John and his unnamed wife had John, Jr., Thomas, Andrew
(born 1689/90), William (born 1694), Grace, and Elizabeth .6
Willis and his family lived
on a 50 acre plantation called Wantage
on the Blackwater River four miles from Cambridge. This patent was part of the Manor of
Namticoke, but more specifically it was a parcel of part of a 2389 acre tract
of land which had been granted to John Taylor in 1702. He laid out the 50 acre Wantage for John Willis on July 20, 1704. The annual rent was £ 0-0-20.7 Doubtless John had rented land from others
prior to this time. He grew corn, flax,
a little tobacco and garden crops and, in addition, raised a few cattle for his
family’s consumption. All of this must
have been supplemented by the wild game which he hunted. While poor, judging from the value of his
inventory,8
he had done well in those hard years. He owned land, he was no debtor, nor was
he a tenant. He was a free man in a free
land.
The progenitor of this
branch of the Willis family probably owned a one room 16 x 20 house with a
fireplace at the gable end. He had no
chairs nor tables, but he did have two beds and a chest. The windows were shuttered against the cold
in winter thus making the interior quite dark except for the light from the
fire. In summer light entered through
the open shutters since there was no glass nor screen. Small, wooden and unpainted, John’s home must have sat in the
middle of an unplanned and unsymmetrical tract.
Indoors there were few comforts and no conveniences. The floor was of beaten earth, while the loft
was covered over with movable planks to make a storage and sleeping area
especially for the children. The ground
room served almost every function. Its
contents ranged from the large cast iron cooking pot, which always hung by the
fire, a chest, a spinning wheel and work tools.
With kitchen and eating utensils lacking, the Willis family ate, as many
of the others in Dorchester, with knives, their fingers, cattle horns and
gourds. Oyster shells were used as
spoons. Forks did not come into existence until after 1750.9 As no chamber pot was mentioned in the
inventory, the Willis family had none. They went outside. Some £ 13 of the
total inventory were in animals leaving little of value in the house.10
John Willis, Sr. made his
will on September 18, 1712, and died prior to December 3, 1712. The will, however, was not probated until
November 24, 1714. Witnesses were
William Kirke and William Jones. In the will John named only William, John,
Grace and Elizabeth as his children and thus to share. Although not the older son, William inherited
the land and home Wantage. John, Jr.
received “twelve pence”.11
On December 3, 1712, John,
Jr. opposed the probation of the will on the grounds that two of his father’s
children were not included and that his father was not of sound mind when the
document was written. No one appeared
before the Commissioner General to contest the validity of the will as
requested; consequently, the will was probated on November 24, 1714.12
An inventory of the estate
was not made until December 1718. William Willis and Andrew Willis in signing
the inventory indicated that it was a just rendering of their deceased father’s
estate. Their signing of the inventory certainly confirmed the fact that Andrew
was one of the missing children John, Jr. had mentioned.13 John’s second missing son was Thomas Willis
who died in Dorchester in 1722. His
inventory was signed by Andrew and John Willis, Jr., as kindred, while Grace
Willis, the administrator of Thomas’ estate, was undoubtedly his sister. John Sharp from whom Thomas Willis purchased
50 acres of Sharp’s Prosperity served
as one of those who inventoried the estate.14
1 Dorchester County (Land Records)
4 Old 4/1 May 1680. John served as a witness to two deeds on this date. Hereafter referred to as DCLR.
2 Twelve individuals with the name of
Willis arrived in Maryland between 1633 and 1680. Eleven of these were transported,
while one, a Thomas Willis, immigrated.
Only one individual with the name of John arrived and he appeared in
1668. There were five Thomas Willises, but three of these were servants. A John
Willis of Cecil County died in 1699 and a John Willis of Kent County died in
1716. The origin of the individual from whom we are descended is still a
mystery, although a John Willis was living in Dorchester County m 1680. He
could easily have been the John Willis who came to the colony m 1668. Gust
Skordas, The Early Settlers of Maryland, 1633 –1680.
3 DCLR 4 ½ Old 1/21 October 1689, Will of
Richard Willis; Ibid., 4 ½ Old
2/8-16 January 1689-1690, Grant of letters of Administration to Frances Willis;
Ibid., 4 ½ Old 4, January 29, 1689, Inventory in the estate of Richard
Willis, dec.
4 Ibid., 6 Old 13, April 29, 1703.
In this deed John Willis, Sr. witnessed a “power of attorney”. As John is referred to as Sr., it must mean
that John, Jr. is at least 21. That would make John, Jr.’s birth in 1682 or before. John Willis, Sr. witnessed another deed in
1701. He is not referred to as “senior” in this document. Ibid., 5 Old 191, August 4, 1701.
5 DCLR 14 Old 130, March 14, 1746.
6 Prerogative Court (Wills) 14 pp
12-13, John Willis, November 24,
1714. Hereafter referred to as Wills.
The other children, Thomas and Andrew, not mentioned in the will, can be
verified by a study of Prerogative Court (Inventories and Accounts) 36 A
pp 203-204, John Willis, December 1718; Caroline County (Inventories)
1697-1776, p 25 Thomas Willis, December 15, 1722; DCLR 7 Old 68, John Sharp to
Thomas Willis, 1717.
7 Land Office (Patents) CD pp
194-195, John Willis Certificate of Survey and patent of Wantage, July 20, 1704; Ibid., 14 Old 130, March 14, 1746.
8 Prerogative Court (Inventories and
Accounts) 36 A pp 203-204, John Willis December 1718.
9 Excellent accounts of the early life of
the Marylanders may be found in Gloria L. Main, Tobacco Colony, 1650 -1750
and Gregory A. Stiverson, Poverty in a Land of Plenty.
10 Prerogative Court (Inventories and
Accounts) 36 A pp 203-204, John Willis December 1718.
11 Wills 14 pp 12-13, John Willis,
November 24, 1714.
12 Statement of the Commissioner General
attached to the wi1l of John Willis found in Ibid.
13 Prerogative Court (Inventories and Accounts)
36 A pp 203-204, John Willis, December 1718.
Caroline County (Inventories) 1697-1776, p 25, Thomas Willis, November
15, 1722; Dorchester County (Land Records) 7 Old 68, John Sharp to Thomas
Wallis, 1717.
14 Andrew Willis, son of John Willis, Sr.,
was born 1689/90 and died in 1738. In
1722 he was living at the head of Shoal Creek, adjacent to William Jones, about
a mile southeast of the Choptank River bridge. He knew of I.ittleworth , according to a deposition in which he also gave the
year of his birth. Andrew married twice;
first, Janet Jones by whom he had four children and secondly, Rebecca Goostree,
prior to April 13, 1728. When Andrew made his will in 1733 he had seven living
children: Richard, George, John, William, Andrew, Thomas and Sarah. Andrew possessed only one piece of property Newtown which was given Andrew and
Rebecca by her father. Wills 21
pp 918-919 Andrew Willis, August 23,
1738; Ibid., William Jones, May 10, 1729; DCLR 2 Old 161Thomas Hayward
to Henry Ennalls, March 13, 1722; Ibid., 9 Old 257, Janet Jones, widow,
to her grandson William Jones, February 18, 1734; Wills 19 p 501 of Richard Goostree,
November 12, 1728.
=================================================
JOHN WILLIS, JR
(c 1682 -1764)
As early as 1683, John
Willis, Sr., was a tenant farmer living around the upper reaches of the
Blackwater river in Dorchester County.
Little is known of his life but undoubtedly he used his carpenter skills
to supplement the produce of his farm to make a living. Sometime prior to the establishment of
Cambridge as the county seat of Dorchester, John became the “court cryer”. Meanwhile, he married and by this union the
couple had six living children. These
were John, Jr., 1
born about 1682,2
Andrew, Thomas, William, Grace and Elizabeth. 3
Times were hard and just to
carve out a living for himself and his family took a tremendous amount of hard
work. It was difficult for John, Sr. To
accumulate enough capital or to obtain the necessary credit to purchase or
patent land. Living with his family
probably until he was apprenticed as a carpenter, 4
John, Jr. experienced these hardships and determined to improve his station in
life. Doubtless, John, Jr., hired
himself out to others.
When John Willis, Sr.
patented in 1704 the 50 acre tract Wantage
on the Blackwater River, 5
the Willis’ had taken a mighty leap form artisan/tenant farmer to
landholder. Undoubtedly, John, Jr. felt
that despite the challenges he would one day own land of his own, a compelling
ambition for most young men of early Maryland.
Synonymous with land was tobacco, the universal staple in Maryland, but
its labor intensive nature nurtured the growth of slavery. With no money to
purchase slaves the John Willis family was forced to compete in the tobacco
market dominated by the large slaveholder. Apparently then early in the history
of the Willis family they turned away from dependence upon tobacco and raised
other crops. Indeed, in 1718 the Willises inventoried corn, flax and
animals. There was no mention of
tobacco.6 Had the tobacco crop been shipped abroad or
could it have been that no tobacco was being grown at Wantage? If the latter is
true hard money was difficult to come by.
When John, Jr. learned in
1712 of his father’s will, he was determined to break it. Irked over the
disposition of Wantage to his
brother, William, and angry, too, over his father’s slight of his brothers,
Andrew and Thomas, from inclusion in the will, John, Jr. on December 3, 1712,
wrote to the Honorable William Baden, Esq., Commissioner General, saying that
his father was not of sound mind when he signed his will. In replying Bladen
pointed out that those opposed to the will’s probate should appear before him
in April 1713, “to give evidence of the condition of John Willis, Sr.” With no record of John, Jr.’s appearance
before Bladen, the will was probated on November 24, 1714, two years after the
death of John Willis, Sr.7
Having been denied the
ownership of Wantage but feeling economically
secure in his trade, John Willis, Jr., carpenter, on March 10, 1717, purchased
from John Sharp of Dorchester part of a
100 acre tract called Sharp’s Prosperity,
which had been patented to Sharp some years before. The land was located on
Marshy Creek Branch above Hunting Creek, later to be in the bounds of Caroline
County, but in 1717 in Dorchester some distance from Wantage.8 At the same time Sharp sold the other 50
acres to Thomas Willis, brother of John, Jr.9 At this session of the March court of 1717
John witnessed the sale of Hampton on the west side of Hunting Creek to John
Nicolls.10
While John, Jr. was
brought up on a farm apparently he had been pursuing carpentry for some years
for he is referred to as a “carpenter” and not as a farmer or planter in the
deed to Sharp’s Prosperity.11 This land John farmed as his father had
done. Placing considerable emphasis on
hogs, for they were fairly easy to raise, the Willis boys raised corn and
animals. In 1722 Thomas Willis died. Probably a shoemaker by trade, his
inventory amounted to £ 12-17-1. Andrew
and John Willis signed Thomas’ inventory as his kinsmen.12
Upon petition to the
Calverts on July 5, 1725, John Willis, Jr. was granted 50 acres of land called Willis’ Right, a part of Nanticoke
Manor. Originally a tract of 250 acres,
the parcel was granted first to William Edmondson of Dorchester. Willis’
Right was located on the south side of the Choptank and on the west side of
the main road leading from Hunting Creek Mill at Linchester to Parson’s
Landing.13 Fearing overlapping lines and hoping that
additional unclaimed acreage could be acquired, John, on July 17, 1736,
requested that a resurvey be made of the contiguous pieces of property, Sharp’s Prosperity and Willis’ Right. The resurvey found that the tract contained
111 acres. A patent was granted to John
on October 1, 1743, and the whole was renamed Willis’ Regulation.14
In the meantime, on July 30,
1730, John, Jr. sold to Henry Ennalls Wantage,
the 50 acre tract originally taken up by John Willis, Sr. The deed was not
acknowledged however, until July 30, 1734.15 But then on August 15, 1734, William Willis,
brother of John and to whom the land had been bequeathed, sold the same land to
Richard Seward. Strange enough this
transaction was acknowledged on June 15, 1734, six weeks before it was deeded.16
The property thus was sold to two different men by two brothers, one of whom
did not own the property.
In 1726, prior to the
flap about Wantage, Willis, after
purchasing Willis’ Right, had John
Edmondson, a Quaker and a carpenter, build a home for him on the property.17 This, too, was strange, in that Willis, a
carpenter, would need assistance on the construction of such a simple
structure. In any case and for whatever reason, John, the planter, was farming
in earnest by 1730. In 1746 John’s
plantation was referred to as Willis
Regulation, located in St Mary’s Chappell Parish near Hunting Creek.18 John Willis, Jr. continued to work his farm
until his death, although farming had not been particularly profitable for him.
Unlike his father John
raised tobacco almost exclusively. From his inventory no other crops were on
hand. Indeed, he had no oxen, although hoes of all kinds were listed and even a
plow. There were two horses but no wagon. Doubtless, Willis used his horses when he
wanted land plowed. A cow, several steers and some hogs provided the meat and
dairy products supplemented, of course, by the game which was plentiful in the
adjoining fields. A linen wheel and a spinning wheel indicated that he raised
flax, and although not present in the inventory sheep must have been a part of
his herd.19
Household pieces were
scarce. Two beds, several chests, pine tables and chairs were inventoried along
with both new and old pewter, six pewter tea spoons, several silver tea spoons.
There was a bed warming pan, a pewter pot, a looking glass, brass tobacco box,
a parcel of knives and forks, a knife box, a sugar box, a brush, earthenware
and a table cloth. There were pot hooks and
fishing hooks, a bowl and
tray, a cider mill and cider casks, bottles, a sifter, fire shovel, tongs and a
spice mortar and pistol. The kitchen seemed to be well supplied.20
John, Jr. was married twice.
By his first wife Mary, whom he married probably about 1702, Willis had eight
living children: John III-A, Mary Clift, Judeath, Elizabeth Kellingsworth,
Isaac, Richard, Joshua and Dorcus Nichols.
Following the death of Mary, whose maiden name is unknown, John, Jr.,
around 1730, married Elizabeth Nichols by whom he had John III-B and “Gernay”.21
Although John, Jr. wrote his
will in November 1760, it was not probated until January 23, 1764. In his will he bequeathed to each of his
children by his first wife, two shillings six pence. An exception was made of John
III-A to whom he bequeathed five shillings.
But the second wife, Elizabeth, and her children by John, Jr. inherited
the bulk of the estate. His personal
estate was divided between the two sons, John III-B and Gernay. Willis Regulation was bequeathed to
Elizabeth “for the time of her natural life, she making no waste nor
destruction on any part” of the land.
Upon her death the land was “to remain to my son John” III-B. He thus refused to divide the acreage he had
accumulated into smaller parcels. John’s
inventory amounted to only £ 20-10-10, just a few shillings more than his
father’s estate almost half a century before.
Joshua Willis and Thomas Willis were listed as next of kin in the
inventory while in the “accounts” of 1768 John Willis III-B and John Nichols
were named as next of kin.22 Once again the Nichols listing does give
credence to the fact that Elizabeth was a Nichols.
Elizabeth Willis farmed the
land until her death in 1769. Her son John Willis III-B was the administrator
of her estate. The inventory, completed
on March 19, 1769, was witnessed by Andrew Banning and John Valliant, while
Jarvis Willis and David Nichols signed as kindred. Again a Nichols signed as a kindred of a
Willis. Elizabeth’s inventory amounted
to £ 27-7-8 ½.23
1 Before proceeding, the identity of John
Willis, Jr., son of John, Sr. and father of the two Johns, John III-A and John
III-B, must be established. In early Dorchester records mention is made of a
John Willis to be Senior, in 1680 and a Richard Willis who died in 1689.
Richard Willis married a Frances Dawson, widow of William Dawson, around
1681/1682. The marriage produced two sons, Richard, born August 13, 1684, John,
born July 7, 1686, and a daughter, Frances, born August 7, 1688. Richard
Willis, Sr. died in 1689 leaving his 300 acre plantation Rondly to his sons when they reached 21. F. Edward Wright, ed., Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records; Dorchester County (Land Records)
4 ½ 01d l, October 21, 1689, Will of
Richard Willis, Sr. On January 8, 1699,
Frances Dawson Willis married Edward Fisher, a Quaker, who was prominent in the
Friend’s Society. He died in 1701. The next year Richard Willis, Jr., now of
age, acquired two contiguous tracts of land and short1y thereafter his mother
purchased a 200 acre tract Barrtholomew’s. On July 26, 1718, she gave to her two sons,
Richard and John, 353 acres of land in exchange for Rond1y. Dorchester County
(Land Records) 5 Old 196, August 24, 1702, William Willoby to Richard Willis;
Ibid., 6 Old 3, March 7, 1703; Ibid., 7 Old 63, Francis Fisher to Richard
Willis and John Willis, July 26, 1718.
Meanwhile, John Willis, son of Richard, Sr., dec., unlike his brother
Richard and his mother purchased no property but probably farmed Rondly until 1718. It was this John
Willis, planter, and most probably a Quaker, who married Margaret Cox, born
July 20, 1695, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Cox, at the Transquaking Meeting
House on October 15, 1712. Margaret’s parents were Quakers, as was Francis
Willis Fisher. Later, Frances was to write in her will “that all the travelling
friends as the occasion shall can them this way shall have the freedom of
entertainment”. Records, Third Haven
Meeting House; Dorchester County (Wills) Liber 19, Folio 679, Frances Willis
Fisher, 1729. An inventory accounting
was made on July 16, 1723, for John Willis who died that year. The signers of
the document confirm the fact that this man married Margaret Cox and that this
John was the son of Richard Willis, Sr., dec.
Richard Willis, Jr. signed as kinsman as did Daniel Cox, whose daughter
signed as Margaret Willis, John’s wife. A fairly successful planter, he was a
cattleman of sorts with a herd of 60, an unusually large number for the times.
With corn, wheat and tobacco on his inventory, he believed in
diversification. Furniture, blankets,
spoons, pewter made up an inventory valued at £ 103-14-4. Only a man with an
inheritance could have accumulated so much in such a short time. He was 37 when he died. Prerogative Court
(Inventories) 8 pp 191-193, John Willis, July 15, 1723.
Returning
to the lineage of John Willis, Jr., son
of John Willis, Sr., in 1746 “John Willis, now living in St Mary’s Chapel
Parish near Hunting Creek, the eldest son of John Willis, who lived on the
Blackwater four to five miles from Cambridge, formerly cryer of the Dorchester
Court”. Thus this John Willis,
Sr., father of John Willis, Jr. is the
progenitor of the John Willis who came to Maryland in 1668. John Willis, Jr., his son, is not to be
confused with the John Willis, son of Richard Willis, dec., who married
Margaret Cox and then died in 1723. Dorchester County (Land Records) 14 Old
130, March 14, 1746.
2 Ibid., 6 Old 13 of April 29, 1703. In
this deed John Wil1is, Sr. is referred to as “Senior” meaning that his son,
John, Jr., was at least 21 years old. When John, Jr. witnessed a deed two years
earlier he was merely John Willis.
3 Prerogative Court (Wills) 14 pp 12-13,
John Willis, November 24, 1714; Ibid., (Inventories and Accounts) 36 A pp
203-204, John Willis, December 1718; Caroline County (Inventories) 1697-1776, p
25 Thomas Willis, December 15, 1722; Dorchester County (Land Records) 7 Old 68
John Sharp to Thomas Willis, 1717.
4 Ibid.,7 Old 51 John Sharp to John Willis
of Dorchester, carpenter, March 10,
1717.
5 Land Office (Patents) CD pp 194-195,
John Willis, Assignment of Certificate of Survey and Patent, July 20, 1704.
6 Prerogative Court (Inventories and
Accounts) 36 A, pp 203-204, John Willis December 1718.
7 Ibid., (Wills) 14, pp 12-13, John
Willis, November 24, 1714.
8 Dorchester County (Land Records) 7 Old
51, John Sharp to John Willis, March 10, 1717.
9 Ibid., 7 Old 68, John Sharp to Thomas
Willis, 1717.
10 Ibid., 7 Old 54, Thomas Noble to John
Nichols, March 7, 1717. This acreage was in the same general area of the county
in which John Willis, Jr. purchased his land.
11 Ibid., 7 Old 51, John Sharp to John
Willis, March 10, 1717.
12 Caroline County (Inventories)
1697-1776, p 25, Thomas Willis November
15, 1722. It is likely that the brothers and sisters of Thomas divided the
personal property left by Thomas between them. Because Thomas’ land Sharp's Prosperity was adjacent to
John’s newly purchased property, he took the acreage and probably reimbursed
his brothers and sisters at a later date. No deed is on record for this
transaction. John’s action does not surface in the records until the Assessment
of 1783 when it is noted that the acreage has been merged into Willis’ Regulation.
13 Land Office (Patents) IL#A, p 680, John
Willis, November 1723.
14 Ibid., PT#1, pp 56-57, John Willis,
1743.
15 Dorchester County (Land Office) 9 Old
223, John Willis to Henry Ennalls July 30, 1730.
16 Ibid., 9 Old 214, William and Judith
Willis to Richard Seward, August 15, 1734..
17 Ibid., 16 Old 76 of November 11, 1755 - May 20, 1756.
18 Ibid., 14 Old 130 of March 14, 1746,
Deposition of Thomas Pierson of Dorchester, planter, aged about 60 years.
19 Dorchester County (Inventories and
Accounts) 86 Old 281, 1764-1765, John Willis; Dorchester County (Accounts) 1768
of John Willis.
20 Ibid.
21 Caroline County (Wills) CC#A, pp
108-110, John Willis, January 23, 1764.
The dates of John’s marriages are unknown. There is a strong possibility
that Elizabeth was a Nichols. In a number of documents one of the Nichols men
signs as a kinsman. John treats the children of his second wife more handsomely
than he does those of his first wife. John sold a piece of property, which he
did not own, in 1730 and his wife did not sign. It would appear therefore that
Mary was deceased at the time and John had not married Elizabeth. The wedding
probably took place later in the year.
22 Ibid.
23 Dorchester County (Inventories)
Elizabeth Willis of March 19, 1769.
(1731- 1794)
John Willis III-B was
the elder son of John Willis, Jr. and his second wife, Elizabeth Nichols.1 He
was born in 17312
on the plantation to be known as Willis’
Regulation in then Dorchester County, but later Caroline. John III-B was
the second son to be called John by his father, who named the first son of his
first wife, John, III-A.3
Growing up John III-B worked alongside his father in the fields as both
were very conscientious about their land.4
Certainly, too, they were aware of the changes occurring in agriculture
by the mid eighteenth century.
The Willises had relied on
tobacco for their cash crop over the years.5 But around 1750 a major decision was likely
made. As with so many small farmers on the Eastern Shore, the Willises, father
and sons, turned from the cultivation of tobacco to the growing of wheat. They also increased their herds. As Baltimore developed into an export center
for grain, and as the West Indian market for food expanded, the demand for
wheat and cattle increased. Grain was
easily transported by water to Baltimore thereby enabling farmers to readily
market their crops.
By 1760 John Willis III-B
was running the farm for his father who was ill enough at the time to write his
will. John Willis, Jr. provided in his
will which was probated on January 23, 1764, that Willis’ Regulation should belong to his wife, Elizabeth, during her
life and that upon her demise the land should pass to John Willis III-B. The personal estate was divided between the
two sons, John III-B and Gernay, of John’s
second marriage.6
Unlike most farmers of the
time, John III-B did not seem to be interested in adding to his acres. Instead, when money was available he purchased
slaves. He was satisfied with the farm
which he finally inherited from his mother in 1769.7 The possibility remains that contiguous
acres were not available for the price he was willing to pay. The purchase of slaves after 1770 did little
to improve the financial well being of John Willis III-B and his family,
although it may have added to the family’s ease of living. Some farmers preferred to use their surplus
money, if any, to invest in livestock, household goods and buildings,
expenditures that made the land more productive and valuable. John added to the number of slaves he owned
until upon his death in 1794 he owned eight slaves.8 His father John had no slaves nor had his
grandfather before him.9 Of course there is always the possibility
that John III-B raised slaves for sale.
Around 1764 or before John
III-B married Keziah Holmes, born on September 22, 1740, one of the daughters
of Ralph and Frances Holmes of Talbot County.10 Over the
years seven children were born to John and Keziah. There may have been more, but, these were the
ones who lived long enough to be named in John’s will of 1794. The six boys
were John IV, Philemon, William, Lewis, Nicholas, Henry and one girl Sarah
Nabb.11 In
1783 seven males, including John, and two females, including Keziah, lived in
the household and were counted in the tax assessment of that year.12
Following the adjudication
of the dispute which settled the boundary between Maryland and Delaware in
1761, the fertile lands northeast of the Choptank River were rapidly settled.13 Problems
arose which made administration from Queenstown and Cambridge slow and
clumsy. Agitation began for the
establishment of a new county. The act
providing for Caroline County passed the General Assembly in 1773 and the
county was organized in March 1774.14 Shortly after the first court met in March
1774, a mass meeting of the citizens or Caroline County was held to protest the
unpopularity of various acts of the Royal government in England. This meeting resulted in the “Caroline
Resolutions” which while affirming loyalty to George III proposed an embargo on
importations from Great Britain.15
At this point the
Carolinians were seeking a readjustment of differences, not a war. As friction intensified public sentiment in
Caroline turned toward separation. How did John Willis III-B act in all of
this? What did he think? Probably the key to his thoughts might be
found in his failure to take the Oath of Allegiance in 1777, although his son
John IV did so.16 John III-B was out of step with the
times. With few exceptions the people of
Caroline staunchly supported independence.
Tories were scarce. Caroline raised and drilled several militia units
and sent its quota into the front lines.
Farmers supported the war effort by responding to calls for clothing,
blankets, shoes, food, lead and money.17 Did John play a part in all of this? Did his attitude change as the war went
on? It would be interesting to know.
The State assessment of 1783
indicates that John lived in the Lower Choptank District of Caroline County on
a 163 acre farm called Addition to
Willis’ Regulation. The soil was
light and of the 163 acres some 100 acres were arable and 63 acres were
wooded. Interestingly enough John had
four slaves valued at £ 55, as well as five horses and 11 catt1e valued at £
40. The total value of his property was
£ 192.18
Comparing John III-B with others in Caroline, it was found that about
18% of all the Caroline County householders held between 100 and 199
acres. Some 49% of the householders had
no acreage in Caroline. There were 850 slaves in Caroline in 1783.19 Just seven
year later the number of slaves had risen to 2057, a huge increase in a
relatively short period of time.20
In 1790 John’s family
consisted of three males under 16, three males over 16, four females and six
slaves. Of his children one male had
moved away while two females were added in this seven year period. Doubtless John’s eldest son, John IV, had
moved. Two additional slaves were
listed.21 Along
with the rest of the county John had increased the number of slaves he
held. With his boys establishing their
own homes, John may have needed the additional manpower to assist in the
cultivation of his lands.
Nothing is known of the
religion of the Willis family. Doubtless
over the years the Willises were influenced in turn by the Quakers, the
Anglicans and by the Methodists. In the
early 18th century the Friends held regular meetings at Marshy Creek Meeting
House, while in 1764 they built a meeting house in Preston.22 By 1793 John
III-B had permitted the Methodists to meet across the road from his “dwelling
house”. Here they were not to be
molested or hindered from using the building as long as they continued to
preach.23 It
certainly implies that John was against noise, confusion and rowdiness, but he
was favorably disposed toward “preaching”.
The possibility, of course, exists that the Willis family embraced the
Church of England prior to the Revolution for Keziah Holmes belonged to St
Peter’s Parish, Talbot County before marrying John.24
John died in 1794. At
the time his young sons, William, Lewis, Nicholas and Henry, were all minors,
while Sarah, his only daughter, was married.
John and Philimon were living in Oxford, Talbot County, and each had a
general store. The older boys were willed the land and the “dwelling house”
upon the death of their mother, while the personal property, including animals,
furniture and slaves, was divided among all the boys. Additional items in the will called for John
IV, the oldest brother, to pay to each of the four younger brothers £ 15 when
they became of age. Both John and Philemon were to pay to their sister
£ 15 and £ 5 respectively for wearing apparel to be purchased out of each son’s
store.25
Keziah disappeared from the
scene following the death of her husband.
In the Census of 1800 in Caroline County she is not listed as head of
the household nor is she named a part of the household of Lewis Willis who
became the guardian of his three young brothers. In 1800 Lewis had in his household two males
between 10 and 16 and two males including himself between the ages of 16 and
26. There were nine slaves.26 In 1810 two
males between the ages of 26 and 45 were listed in Lewis Willis household along
with six slaves.27
Keziah Holmes Willis died in
the summer of 1810 and her inventory amounting to $1394.70 was made on August
14, 1810. Most valuable of all the
possessions was the ten slaves worth $1120.
Only four of the ten were males.
Jacob, 19, was the oldest and the most valuable at $250, while the 34
year old Lydia was next most valuable at $120.
Six year old Hannah and the one year old Washington were the youngest
and valued at $50 and $20, respectivly.28 Keziah’s inventory is nothing more than the
inventory of John Willis IV. It is a
listing of the items on the farm.29
Dimensions of the
dwelling house, which probably was the one constructed in 1726 for John Willis,
Jr. are not given, but the furniture and furnishings are listed. Included with the three beds are sheets,
counterpaines, coverlets, pillows along with two chests, two tables, cupboard
and eight chairs. There were no rugs nor
drapes. The kitchen was stocked with six silver teaspoons, four blue edge
plates, a tea pot, coffee pot, pepper box, china, sugar dish, cork screw, stone
pots, jars, four knives, five forks, frying pan, an iron pot and dutch oven,
among other things.30
To assist in farming the 100
acres there were two yokes of oxen, two plows, two harrows, a cart body, five
hoes, an axe, cooper’s ax, a lot of old iron and a scythe. No horses were recorded, which seems strange
for the remaining members of the Willis family were left with no transportation. The herd was made up of six pigs, seven cows,
calves and heffers and some fowl. Three barrels of corn, four sacks of wheat,
seven pounds of flax, 30 pounds of bacon and 10 pounds of lard were
inventoried. By late summer the wheat
had been sold, while the corn was still in the field. There was a linen wheel but no spinning
wheel. Other items such as books,
razors, a cross cut saw, brass warming pan, fire place tools, a hogshead and
flour tubs were on the list.31
In almost 50 years the
Willis fortunes had remained about the same.
They resided on the same farm with no increase nor diminuation of acres.
The items in the inventories were just about the same. The gain in the Willis fortunes, if it can be
called that, came in the form of slaves.
The Willises owned none in 1712 nor in 1764. John owned 8 slaves in 1794 while Keziah
owned ten in 1810. Doubtless the slaves
counted by Lewis in 1810 were the same slaves as had been inventoried in
Keziah’s estate.
1 Caroline County (Wills) CC#A, pp
108-l10, John Willis, January 23, 1764.
No source can be cited for Elizabeth’s maiden name. However, from the
documents used and the many occasions the Nichols name is associated with the
Willises, it is not unreasonable to suppose that she was a Nichols.
2 Caroline County Canmission Book, B, pp
50-51. This book may be found in the Caroline County Court House, Denton,
Maryland, a deposition or John Willis.
3 Caroline County (Wills) CC#A, pp
108-110, John Willis, January 23, 1764.
We will call the son of John, Jr.’s first wife John III-A and the John
of his second wife as John III-B.
4 Ibid., Caroline County {Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis, November 20, 1794.
5 Caroline County (Inventories)
6 Caroline County (Wills) CC #A, pp
108-110, John Willis, January 23, 1764.
7 Ibid.
8 Gregory A. Stiverson, Poverty in a Land of Plenty, Baltimore,
1977 . Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp 246-249, John Willis, November 20,
1794.
9 Ibid., CC #A, pp 108-110, John Willis,
January 23, 1764; Prerogative Court (Inventories and Accounts) 36 A, pp
203-204, John Willis, December 1718.
10 F. Edward Wright, ed. , Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records,
1726-1750, St Peter’s Parish, Talbot County.
11 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis November 20, 1794.
12 Caroline County (Assessment of 1783) ,
Lower Choptank District, p 57.
13 Edward M. Noble , ed., et al, History of Caroline County. Maryland, Federalsburg,
Maryland, 23ff.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid., Swepson Earle, ed., Maryland’s Colonial Eastern Shore,
Baltimore, 1916.
16 Oath
of Allegiance, Maryland.
17 Noble , History of Caroline County.
18 Caroline County (Assessment of 1783) p
57.
19 Stiverson, Op cit., p 144.
20 Ibid.
21 Caroline County, Census of 1790.
22 Noble, Op cit.
23 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis November 20, 1794.
24 Wright, Op Cit.
25 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis November 20, 1794.
26 Caroline County, Census of 1800.
27 Caroline County, Census of 1810.
28 Caroline County, (Inventories)
1800-1811, p 340 Keziah Willis, August
14, 1810.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
LEWIS WILLIS, SR
(c1775 – c1850)
In 1794, while Lewis was
still a minor his father died. John III-B’s will provided that all of his
“stock” together with all of his household furniture, eight slaves and “every
other kind of property” would be Keziah’s during her widowhood. Upon Keziah’s
death and when Henry reached his majority, the slaves and cattle were to be
valued and the total sum was to be divided equally among John’s six sons.2
By 1800 Lewis was head of
the household in Caroline County. He was
responsible for his brothers and for farming the home place Willis Regulation. The males living with him were his younger
brothers. His older brothers, John, Jr.
and Philemon lived in Oxford. Three black males, one aged 16-26 and two, ages
10-16, along with nine other slaves lived in Lewis’ household. There is no reference to his mother.3
In the decade between l800
and 1810 family responsibilities lessened for Lewis Willis. By 1810 six slaves and only one other male
(26-45) lived with him.4 Keziah’s personal property was inventoried
on August 14, 1810,5
indicating that she died several months prior to that date. Now John’s estate could be settled. Prior to this and, indeed, at his father’s
death, Lewis had received £ 15 from his brother, John. A condition of his father’s will it was an
attempt on his part to equalize the bequests in some manner. John, Jr., after all, received most of the
land.6
With Keziah dead and Henry
now of age, John Willis of Oxford, Talbot County, the eldest son of John III-B,
storekeeper and Collector of Customs for the port of Oxford, so appointed by
President Jefferson,7
inherited Willis’ Regulation and Willis’ Grove.8 The value of the slaves
was judged to be $1120, while the value of the cattle was $89.20.9
As the $1209 was divided six ways, there was not a great deal left for the
heirs. Suffice to say, that temporarily
at least six slaves remained on Willis’
Regulation to assist in farming the land, which was probably rented by John
to Lewis.
Now that Lewis’ future was
more certain than it had been and now that many family responsibilities had
been lifted from him he began to think about a family. On August 25, 1813, a marriage license10
was issued to Lewis Willis and to Eleanor Dillen, daughter of Vincent
(deceased) and Ann Dillen11 and granddaughter of
John Dillen, deceased, of Caroline County.12 While not a member of the landed aristocracy,
nevertheless, both Vincent and his father were well off for the time. In addition to his 33 ½ acre farm, a part of Potter’s Landing, and a 50 acre tract called Lloyd’s Grove, Vincent had owned a part interest in the schooner Industry, which carried freight.13
By 1812 many Carolinians
were thinking to some extent, at least, on the impending conflict between
England and America. Mass meetings were
held in the county and resolutions adopted “to stand up and be counted”. Whether Lewis was one who stood up is not
known. He failed, however, to enlist in
either the Caroline Regiment of the 12th Brigade, nor in the extra battalion
which was filled by volunteers. Probably
as a Caroline County farmer he allowed his Chesapeake Bay neighbors, if they
asked, to drive their live stock in his fields or into the Caroline marshes
where they could feed and be safe from the British.14
By 1820 Lewis and Eleanor
(Elinor) had two boys of their own, William H. and Lewis. In addition, two
other males, one 16-18, the other 18-26, and one young girl, 10-16, lived with
them. Two members of the household were
“engaged in agriculture” and there were no slaves.15 What had happened to the six slaves who lived
with Lewis in 1810? Had they become a
real economic burden?
The decade of the 1820s
witnessed the aftermath of the Panic of 1819 and the depression years that
followed. Money was tight and times were
hard. The Willis sons helped their
father on the farm and attended school when they could. By 1830 the boys were still at home, while
two girls, one 15-20 and the other 5-10, appeared as members of Lewis, Sr.’s
household. The younger girl could have been a daughter, while the older one a
neice.16
The 1830s brought death to
three of Lewis’ brothers and the real possibility of owning his own land
eventually. Captain William Willis,
brother of Lewis, Sr., went to sea early in life. Rising rapidly in his chosen profession, the
captain commanded several vessels, among them the brig Sara and Louisa.17 Serving at sea, he earned enough to purchase
on June 27, 1823, from Thomas C. Earle and Thomas Hemsley for $6000 two tracts
of land, Hemsley Upon the Wye and Hemsley Upon the Wye Addition. Located in the Chapel District of Talbot,
north of Longwoods a part of the 400 acre tract bordered on the road between
Centerville and Easton. William borrowed
money and a mortgage on the property.
This was paid off by 1826.18 After farming the tracts for several years,
Captain William Willis died around December 22, 1831. By his will William left to his wife, Tamsey
Willis, all of his real estate during her natural life. After her demise the real estate was to be
equally divided between his nearest blood relatives. After payment of all debts one third of
William’s personal estate went to Tamsey, while the remaining two thirds was
divided between his nearest blood relations.
At William’s death Lewis, Sr. received a portion of William’s personal
estate. Later, Lewis, Sr. inherited the
tracts of land William purchased in 1823.19
On April 23, 1839, John
Willis, Lewis’ oldest brother died and left the Caroline County portion of his
estate equally to his children,20 who wanted only the
money the property would bring. This
land was Willis’ Regulation, the farm
on which Lewis, Sr. had lived since birth.
By this time Lewis was getting up in years and probably did not have the
money to buy out John’s heirs. In view
of this, Lewis, Sr.’s two sons took over the project of acquiring the acreage.
With the exception of
Charles F. Willis, who was living in Louisville, Kentucky, the other children
of John and their spouses on March 21, 1840, sold to William H. Willis and
Louis Willis, Jr. the farm in Caroline County known as Willis’ Regulation (163 acres) for $700.21 Several months after the sale, on July 28,
1840, Charles Willis sold his share of the inherited property to William and
Louis for $75.22 In all, the farm, which had been in the
Willis family for over a century, cost $775.
In 1840, Lewis Willis, Sr.,
a resident of Caroline County, had in his household, besides his wife, Louis,
Jr., his young wife, Eliza Ann Todd, their infant daughter and a free female
black in the 10-24 age range. Lewis’
other son, William, was not living at home. Nearby or probably on Willis’ Regulation lived two black
families, the Samuel Chases and the John Webbs.
The former’s household consisted of Samuel himself and a female. Both were over 55 years old. Webb was a younger man (24-36) with four
boys, three under ten and one aged 10-24.
The woman in the house was between 24-36.23 Certainly the Willis
family had plenty of help.
Willis Regulation did not remain in the hands of William and Louis, Jr. for long. Nor was Lewis, Sr. to live in Caroline
County. After owning the farm for about
two years, on April 14, 1842, William, Louis, Jr., and Eliza Ann Todd Willis,
all of Caroline County, sold Willis’
Regulation to Henry Corkin of Caroline for $675,24
a loss of $100 on their original investment and a sum they could ill afford to
lose. Why did their plans change so
suddenly and why did they take a loss on their investment?
Doubtless by this time the
two tracts of land, Hemsley Upon the Wye
and Hemsley Upon the Wye Addition had
passed into the hands of Lewis, Sr.25 Why else would it have been sold? Tamsey must have died and as all of the blood
relatives of William, with the exception of Lewis, had passed away, Lewis
inherited the land. With 400 acres of good
Talbot land in his possession, Lewis, Sr. must have convinced his two boys that
the family’s future was in Talbot.
Shortly after 1842 the
Willises must have moved, although Willis Sr.’s deed of 1846 to his two sons
indicated that Willis, Sr., as well as Willis, Jr. were still residents of
Caroline, while William claimed Queen Anne as his home. On May 19, 1846, Lewis, Sr. conveyed to his
sons, William and Louis the 400 acre plantation in Chapel District of Talbot
County.26
Lewis Willis, Sr. and his
wife Elinor Dillen, dropped from sight after 1846. It is certain that they lived with Louis, Jr.
on the Wye until they died. Neither
appeared in the Census of 1850 either as a householder or as a member of their
other son’s families. It is likely that
both were deceased by 1850.27
1 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis, November 20, 1794. The children named in John’s will were
John, Philimon, Lewis, William, Nicholas, Henry and Sara (Nabb). No record exists indicating the birth date of
Lewis. By using the census reports an
approximate date of his birth can be gleamed .
2 Ibid. John’s will was written on
October 1, 1793, about a year before he died.
3 Caroline County , Census of 1800;
Talbot County, Census of 1800.
Keziah’s older sons, John and Philemon were living in Oxford in
1800. In neither instance did the sons
have a female in the household Keziah’s age.
John had three girls under ten years old, his wife, himself and three
slaves. In Philemon’s household there
was a male under ten and a girl under ten, an unknown male (16-26) , another
unknown male (26-45), his wife, Ann Barnaby (1780-1848), himself and five
slaves.
4 Caroline County, Census of 1810.
5 Caroline County (Inventories)
1800-1811, p. 340, Keziah Willis, August 14, 1810.
6 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis, November 20, 1794. The land John received from his father
can be documented in: Land Office (Patents) IL #A, p 680 John Willis, Willis Right, November 4, 1723; Ibid.,
PT #1, pp 56-57 John Willis, Willis
Regulation, Dorchester County, October 1, 1743.
7 Talbot County, Maryland,
published by the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, 1979.
8 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis, November 20, 1794.
9 Caroline County (Inventories)
l800-181l, p. 340, Keziah Willis, August 14, 1810.
10 Caroline County, Marriage Records,
Caroline County Court House, Denton, Maryland.
11 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B,
pp 435-436, John Dillon, February 8, 1799; Caroline County (Land Records)
A, p. 184, Samuel Fountain, Jr. to John Dillon, September 4, 1776; Ibid.,
A, P. 236, John Chilcutt to John Dillin October 6, 1777; Ibid., F, pp
248-250, Vincent Dillon from William Potter, January 13, 1801; Ibid., I,
p. 47 Solomon Brown to Vmcent Dillon, August 21, 1804; Caroline County (Inventories)
JR #C p. 107 Vincent Dillon, August 13, 1805; Caroline County (Accounts)
JR #C, pp 67-68 Vincent Dillon, August 1, 1810.
12 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
435-436, John Dillon, February 8, 1799.
Caroline County (Inventories) JR #C, p. 107 Vincent Dillon,
August 13, 1813. Eleanor Dillen’s
parentage is still in question. Of the
possibilities only two can be considered -Vincent Dillen and William Dillen.
From an examination of the Census Reports Eleanor was born between 1780 and
1790. One of the difficulties in
selecting William as Eleanor’s father is that he would have been barely 16 at
the time Eleanor was born in 1790, using that date as her time of birth. That is highly unlikely even in a time when
individuals married at an early age.
Vincent seems to be a more likely candidate as a father. He died young also in 1805. If the latter is true then John Dillen is
Eleanor’s grandfather. Vincent in 1800
had a female in his family born between 1780-1790.
13 Caroline County (Inventories) JR
#C, p. 187 Vincent Dillen, August 13,
1805; Caroline County (Land Records) F pp 248-250, Vincent Dillon from
William Potter, January 13, 1810; Ibid., I, p. 47, Solomon Brown to
Vincent Dillon, August 21, 1804.
14 Edward M. Noble, ed., et al., History
of Caroline County, Maryland, pp. 130-132.
15 Caroline County, Census of 1820.
The young female living with the Willis family could have been a relative of
Eleanor’s.
16 Ibid., Census of 1830
17 Talbot County (Wills) JP # 8 p.
476, William Willis, December 22, 1831.
18 Talbot County (Deed Books) #44,
p. 344. These were contiguous pieces of land. This tract was deeded by Philemon
W. Hemsley of Talbot to Thomas Earle and Thomas Hemsley on August 25,
1819.
19 Talbot County (Wills) JP #8, p.
476, William Willis, December 22, 1831.
20 Talbot County (Wills) JP #9, p.
130 John Willis, April 23, 1839.
21 Caroline County (Land Records)
U, pp 360-361, William B. Willis et al to William H. Willis and Lewis Willis,
Jr., both of Caroline County, March 21, 1840.
22 Talbot County (Land Records) TR
U, p. 377, Charles Willis to William H. Willis and Lewis Willis, Jr., July 28,
1840; Caroline County (Land Records) U, pp. 377-378.
23 Caroline County, Census of 1840.
24 Caroline County (Land Records)
U, pp 360-363, Lewis Willis, Jr. and William Willis to Henry Corkin, April 14,
1842.
25 By 1842 Tamsey Willis, wife of Captain
William Willis must have died. John
Willis, too, died in 1839. Thus Lewis
Willis, Sr. was the last of the blood relatives. This meant that the land
bequeathed to William’s nearest blood relatives came to Lewis.
26 Talbot County (Land Records) TH
#104, pp 487-488, Lewis Willis, Sr. to William H. Willis and Louis Willis, Jr.,
May 19, 1846.
27 Caroline County, Census of 1850;
Talbot County, Census of 1850. In
the Census of 1850, Lewis is no longer referred to as Jr. It would appear that Lewis, Sr. was dead by
this time. There must have been a reason
for him to deed the property he received by the will of his brother, William
Willis, over to his sons as soon as he did.
Doubtless, he was either sick or infirm.
There is no will, distribution, inventory account for either Lewis
Willis, Sr. or his wife. Lewis’ brothers
died: Henry (living in Talbot) in 1822; William in 1831; Philemon in 1836; John
in 1839; Nicholas unknown. Sarah, his
sister, died in 1836.
LEWIS WILLIS, JR
(1816- 1888)
When he was 23 years old,
Lewis, on September 15, 1839, married Eliza Ann Todd, daughter of Levin Todd
and Celia Hubbard of Caroline County.3 Following the wedding Lewis brought his bride
home to live with his parents.4 Over the years Lewis and Eliza Ann had at
least 12 children.5
Several died young. One of the living
daughters was Mary Emily (Mollie), born
September 15, 1856, in Ta1bot County.6
With the death of Lewis,
Sr.’s brother, John, in 1839, John’s land in Caroline County, consisting of
three tracts, Willis’ Regulation, Addition to Willis’ Regulation, and Willis’ Grove, but referred to as Willis’ Regulation, was divided equally
among Sarah, Nancy, Margaret H., Elizabeth, William B., Kitty, Charles and
Nicholas, all children of John.7
Realizing that the
beneficiaries had no interest in Caroline County lands, except monetary ones,
Lewis, Jr. and his brother, William, purchased on March 21, 1840, for $700 from
all but one of the heirs Willis’
Regulation (163 acres).8 After contacting the last heir and agreeing
on a price, the two brothers, on July 28, 1840, paid to Charles F. Willis of
Louisville, Kentucky, $75 for his share of the land.9 After the deed was finalized on January 18, 1842,
Lewis, Jr. And William sold the tract to Henry Corkin on April 14, 1842, for $675.10 This was a loss of $100 within a short
period by two men who were not only
frugal but who could ill afford to lose their money. Because the sale was completed so suddenly
the possibility exists that the Willises knew that Lewis Willis, Sr. would
inherit land from his brother, Captain William Willis’, estate.11
Sometime between 1842 and
1846 Lewis, Sr. acquired his brother’s lands in Talbot. On May 19, 1846, however, Lewis, Sr., for
$1000 and for “the love and affection” he had for his two sons, William Willis
of Queene Anne and Lewis Willis, Jr. of Caroline “did give to them all that
tract of land (400 acres) in the Chapel District of Talbot County, Hemsley Upon the Wye and Hemsley Upon the Wye Addition.12 The two contiguous tracts had been purchased
by Captain Willis in 1823.13 Shortly after Lewis, Sr. made the gift,
Lewis, Jr. moved to Talbot. By August
1850 he was residing there according to the census report.14
In that year the 35 year old
Lewis was not labeled a “junior”, hence the strong possibility that his father
was dead. The census taker of 1850
listed Lewis’ family in this manner: Eliza Ann, his wife, William (10), Francis
(8), Charles (6), Luis Clayton (4) and Elizabeth (one month). Lewis was a
farmer who owned real estate valued at $1200.15
Lewis farmed his Wye River
lands just about the same way as his father had done those years on Willis’ Regulation. Lewis’ fields doubtless showed the effects of
poor tillage and soil exhaustion of those who had tilled the land in years
past. With only part of Hemsley Upon the Wye under cultivation,
that part was divided into small fields by worm fences made of split
rails. Following a three field system of
corn and wheat alternated with pasture, Lewis did not systematically apply
manure to assist in the restoration of the soil’s fertility. Before Lewis turned Hemsley Upon the Wye over to his sons, considerable improvement in
agricultural methods occurred.
The 1850s brought to the
Willises burning political issues as well as a general period of
prosperity. The Constitutional
Convention of 1850-1851, in reapportioning the House allowed Talbot two
representatives instead of three. But
generally Talbot, and doubtless Lewis as wel1, was apathetic toward politics
throughout most of the 1840s and 1850s.
Underlying everything was slavery.
The slave code could be rigorous.
Louis steered clear of this problem.
He had no slaves and, indeed, his father sold those he owned before
Louis was born. Around Talbot there
always seemed to be rumors of insurrections.
During 1855, the people became excited over reports that some Dorchester
County slaves had planned an insurrection for Easter. Citizens met and passed a resolution
providing that blacks should be confined to their quarters until the danger was
past.
Despite all this, in the
early part of the 1850s, negro slaves brought $350 - $1,020 at public
auction. Market prices for wheat in
January 1854 were quoted at $1.60 - $1.63 a bushel for the red and 10 - 15
cents more for good prime white wheat.
Corn sold at $.68 - $.69 and rye around $.98 a bushel.16 Probably the Panic of 1857 hurt, but good
times followed shortly thereafter. The
period of the 1850s had been relatively good for the Willises.
During the 1850s “Luis” and
Eliza Ann’s family grew, but there were losses, as well. Their oldest son, William, as well little
Elizabeth died.17 Eliza Ann, too, lost her father in 1854.18 On July 26, 1860, the census taker, N. E.
Nichols, assistant marshall, listed the children as Francis/Frank (16) ,
Charles (15), Lewis Clayton (13), Levin (11), John (7), Mary/Mollie (6), Clara
(1) and Ellen (I), twins. Georgeanna
Thomas (9) also lived with them.19
In April 1861, the War
Between the States began. Talbotians
were divided in their sentiments. Many
were drawn to the seceeded states by blood ties and their determination to keep
Talbot and the South a white man’s country.
In the county itself there was little if any warlike activity. The
Willis family were southern sympathizers.
When Frank was drafted, “Luis” paid to have a substitute serve for
him. But in all, the war and the eight
or so years that followed was a relatively prosperous time for the Willises. 20
On October 18, 1862, Louis
and Eliza Ann sold to John Schnartman for $300 some 15 acres of land on the
public road to the east of Hemsley Upon
the Wye leading from Easton to Centerville and adjoining the lands of
Thomas Clarke, Skinner Collier and others.
The tract itself, however, was situated between the lands of Collier and
Perry Pendleton. 21 Whatever the reason for the sale of the
property is not known. They probably
needed the money to pay for Frank’s substitute.
Water transportation had
improved so that the markets of Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York were never
far away. The construction of the
Chesapeake and Delaware canal proved to be the beginning. Then in 1867, the Enterprise Steamship
Company formed during the War for trade on the Miles, Choptank and Tred Avon,
was organized as the Maryland Steamship Company with steamers plying along the
river landings. By 1869 the railroad
between Easton and Clayton, Delaware, had been constructed. It’s tracks ran just to the east of the
Willis farm.22
All Lewis needed was
capital. He had his sons’ labor and the markets were there. Probably most important to the Willises was
the acquisition of a reaper. In general
use by 1865, Lewis’ purchase date is not known.
With it grain production on the farm increased. As time passed, Lewis either purchased or
rented a self binding harvester, a harrow, a corn cultivator, a sheller, a
planter, a mower and a horse rake. A
threshing steam engine always appeared at the farm in late June or early July
to harvest the wheat crop. The event was
one in which all participated. Payment
to the owner of the engine was by the number of bushels harvested.
By 1870 Lewis was regularly
applying manure to his fields. His
cattle, too, were larger and brought more money than formerly because of
selective breeding. He cut timber and
sold it for cash. Markets were available
for peaches, tomatoes and watermelons.
Even with this, machines did cost; he had a large family of his own as
well as many relatives who lived with and off him. Credit was not always easy
to come by.23
By 1873 things soured. Currency inflation with rising prices and
accompanying speculation hit the county. Even money for seed was hard to come
by. When crops were marketable, Lewis
sold for the price offered. The family purchased nothing but the absolute
essentials. Some of the children left
home. Charles married Frances Todd,
granddaughter of James and Sarah Todd and later moved west. Mollie departed for Baltimore, where she
clerked in a milliner’s shop. Here she
worked with Bertha Bast, who introduced Mollie to her brother, Johnny Bast.24 On October 8, 1878, Mollie and Johnny were
married.25
When Lewis, Sr. gave his
sons Hemsley Upon the Wye and Hemsley Upon the Wye Addition in 1846,
William and Lewis, Jr., divided the 400 acres into two parts. One was the 220 acre farm Hemsley Upon the Wye owned and occupied
by Lewis; the other, the part William agreed to take, was a tract of 180
acres. Over the years there had never
been a deed of this transaction. On
December 22, 1886, James K. P. Willis, the only child of William
H. Willis, deceased, and James’ wife, Jessee, in their desire to perfect the
title of the land, agreed, as did Lewis, to execute a deed. For $1.00 then James and Jessee Willis
conveyed to Lewis Willis the 220 acres agreed upon by the brothers years ago.26
To further clarify title to
lands which were partitioned to William in 1846, but which had been sold in
1863, Lewis and Eliza Ann Willis on December 23, 1886, conveyed 89 ¾ acres of land to George W. Collier, Mary H.
Slaughter, Skinner A. Collier and Charles P. Collier, those tracts in the
Chapel District of Talbot on the public road leading from Easton to Centerville
about 1 ½ miles from Potts Mills.27
With these matters cleared,
Lewis, who was getting up in years, gave the farm to his boys, Frank and Luis
and retired from active farming. In 1888
Lewis Willis died and was buried in the Easton Cemetery. The Easton
Gazette, in reporting his death wrote that “he was a highly respected
farmer of Talbot County” who died of a heart attack on Friday morning, June 8, 1888, at the home of his son near
Longwoods.28
On July 28,1888, an
inventory was made of Lewis’ personal possessions, which were valued at
$235.80. With the exception of the 20
animals and the horse and carriage, whose value was over half that of the
inventory, Lewis had little to show in material things for his 72 years. Furniture was sparce, but he did have a bed,
two mattresses, a side board, a clock, lounge, six chairs, a rocker, a marble
top table and a lamp. In addition, a
cook stove, utensils and a parlor stove were also a part of the inventory. Besides a half interest in a boat with oars,
Lewis’ inventory listed lumber and posts worth $40. No clothes were listed, but $5.55 in cash was
on hand. Because Lewis was not farming Hemsley Upon the Wye, the farm equipment
was not inventoried.29
Lewis left no will. No distribution was made of Lewis Willis’
estate because nothing was there to be divided. Indeed, the estate was
overpaid. A disbursement of $75,
however, was made to the widow, Eliza Ann, “for the amount due her under the
Act of Assembly of 1884”.30 The accountant was Charles N. Willis, who
received the customary 10% commission.31
1 Caroline County, Census of 1820; Talbot
County, Census of 1850; Tombstone, Easton Cemetery; Family tradition.
2 Caroline County (Wills) JR #B, pp
246-249, John Willis, November 20, 1794.
3 Caroline County, Marriage Records,
Caroline County Court House, Denton.
4 Caroline County , Census of 1840.
5 Talbot County, Census of 1850; Talbot
County, Census of 1860; Tombstone Records; Family Tradition.
6 Talbot County, Census of 1860; Tombstone
Record, Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland.
7 Talbot County (Wills) JP #9, pp 130-132,
John Willis, April 23, 1839, Talbot County Courthouse Easton, Md. This John
Willis was the eldest son of John Willis III-B who died in Caroline County in
1794.
8 Caroline County (Land Records) U, pp
360-361, William B. Willis and Mary, his wife, et al to William H. Willis and
Lewis Willis, Jr. March 21, 1840.
9 Caroline County (Land Records) TR U, p
377, William H. Willis and Lewis Willis, Jr. to Charles Willis, July 28, 1840.
10 Ibid., U (WK 545-546) pp. 360-363,
Lewis Willis, Jr. and William H. Willis to Henry Corkin, April 14, 1842.
11 Talbot County (Wills) JP #8, p 476,
Captain William Willis, December 22, 1831.
Doubtless, the will must have been executed with the death of Tamsey
Willis, wife of William. The will stated that Tamsey should receive all the
real estate during her natural life. After her demise the real estate was to be
equally divided between the nearest blood relatives. All of the Willis brothers died during the
1820s and 1830s except Lewis. The land then went to Lewis.
12 Talbot County (Land Records) JP
#59" pp 442-444, Lewis Willis, Sr. to William H. Willis and Lewis Willis,
Jr., May 19, 1846. One wonders why Lewis Willis, Sr. turned the lands over to
his sons so soon after receiving them.
13 Talbot County (Land Records) #44, p
344, Thomas C. Earle and Thomas Hemsley of Queen Anne, gentlemen, and William
Willis of Talbot, June 27, 1823. Earle
and Hemsely sold to William Willis of Talbot, formerly a mariner, but now a
farmer for $6000 the two tracts of land
on the Wye. Borrowing $300 from James
Corner, merchant of Baltimore for 30 days, Captain William then took a mortgage
on the property. This was paid off by
December 30, 1826.
14 Talbot County Census o.f' 1850. Two problems stand out in this brief sketch.
One has to do with the movement of the Willises from Caroline County to Talbot
County; the other has to do with the date of the death of Lewis Willis,
Sr. It is strange that the property in
Caroline was sold in 1842 and in 1846 Lewis, Sr. gave his Talbot lands to his
sons who indicated at the time Willis, Sr. and Willis, Jr. were still residents
of Caroline. Neither the Caroline Census
of 1850 nor the Talbot Census of the same year tell anything of Lewis, Sr.
15 Talbot County, Census of 1850.
16 Homer Bast, Talbot County, Maryland, A History in Charles B. Clark, ed., The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia,
New York, 1950.
17 Talbot County, Census of 1860. While both
William and Elizabeth appeared in the Census
of 1850 neither were listed in the Census
of 1860. It can only be assumed that
they were dead.
18 See the sketch on Eliza Ann Todd
Willis.
19 Talbot County, Census of 1860.
20 Bast, Op cit; Family Tradition as told
to Homer Bast by his grandmother, Mrs John Bast (Mollie Willis).
21 Talbot County (Land Records) STH #70 p
74, Lewis Willis and Eliza Ann, his wife, to John Schnartman, October 18, 1862.
22 Bast, Op cit.
23 Ibid.; Family Tradition. The writer is
in possession of a post card showing the operation of a reaper on the Willis
farm Hemsley Upon the Wye.
24 Family Tradition; J. R. Witcraft, Todds of the Eastern Shore.
25 Baltimore City, Marriage License. Found in Hall of Records, Annapolis.
26 Talbot County (Land Records) JP #59 pp
442-444, Lewis Willis, Sr. to William H. Willis and Lewis Willis, Jr., May 19,
1846; Ibid., TH #l04, pp 487-488, James K. P. Willis and Jessee, his wife, to
Louis Willis, December 22, 1886. James
and Jessee, the only son and daughter in law of William H. Willis, were residents of Talbot County.
27 Ibid., TH #104, pp 487-h88, Louis
Willis and Eliza Ann, his wife, to George W. Collier, Mary H. Slaughter,
Skinner A. Collier, and Charles P. Collier, December 23, 1886.
28 Easton
Gazette, Saturday, June 16, 1888.
29 Talbot County (Inventories) EHR 8 p 31,
Lewis Willis, July 25, 1888.
30 Maryland State Archives letter of
September 9, 1987 to Homer Bast.
31 Talbot County (Inventories) EHR 8 p 31,
Lewis Willis, July 25, 1888. The
location of Lewis Willis’ farm is found in
The 1877 Atlases and other Early Maps of the Eastern Shore of Maryland,
Bicentennial Edition, 1776-1976, Salisbury, Maryland, 1976. A photograph of the Lewis Willis home is in
the possession of Homer Bast, Salem, Va.
=================================================
MARY EMILY WILLIS
(1856
–1946)
Mary Emily WiIlis, one of
eight living children of Lewis Willis and Eliza Ann Todd1, was born on September 15, 1856,2 on Hemsley Upon the Wye several miles to the north of the small
village of Longwoods, Talbot County.3 Spoiled by her brothers, Mollie, as she was
affectionately called, attended school in the little one room school house that
predated the “Little Red Schoolhouse” standing beside the Easton-Centerville
Road in Longwoods at present.4
Her days and nights were
full of fun and laughter as she grew up in the area of Talbot known as Skipton.
Her parents’ home was a clapboard and white washed farm house surrounded by a
white fence. The house was built low to the ground and squatted in the middle
of a field. Shaded by maple trees the
original part of the house was built like a small “cape cod”, but over the
years a two story addition of about the same size as the original was attached
to it. On the other side, the left, a
second addition had been built with sleeping accommodations on the second
floor. This so called upstairs was above
an open storage space where the horse drawn carriage was kept. Another room or storage facility was next to
this.5 Here at Hemsley
the Willis family worked and played.
Here Mollie learned to cook and sew and here Mollie helped at harvest
time.
With the prospects of
marriage slim in northern Talbot, she was anxious to leave home and find a job
and a husband in Baltimore. With the
blessing of and maybe a little prodding by her family at the end, Mollie packed
her things and took the steamer for Baltimore.6 Here a new life began.
In Baltimore Mollie secured
a position in the millinery of Louisa Earnshaw Apsey Bast. Here she worked with Louisa’s daughter Bertha
Bast. It was Bert who introduced Mollie
to her brother John William Bast. After
a short courtship the two were married by the Reverend J. Pollard, Jr. on
October 8, 1878, in Baltimore.7 Following the wedding they started
housekeeping at 37 McHenry Street, within walking distance of the Mt. Claire,
Baltimore and Ohio railroad shops, where Johnny worked as a machinist. Their first child Beulah was born on August
18, 1879, but died just a year later on August 31, 1880.8
In 1880 Mollie and John were
living with their young daughter, age nine months, his mother and his half
sister on McHenry Street.9 While John’s mother lived with them, it was
Mollie’s relatives from the Eastern Shore who were frequent visitors for weeks
at a time during the winter months. Few
meals were served and few dinners eaten without relatives in attendance.10
Mollie dedicated her life,
certainly until 1910 at any rate, to her family, to her church, and to
Johnny. The decade of the 1880s was one
of life and death. Mollie gave birth to
a little girl, Nellie, on March 3, 1881, but she, too, died in infancy, some
nine months after birth.11 The next year on October 9, 1882, John Lewis
(Lou) Willis Bast12
came along followed by another boy, Charles Arthur on April 20, 1884.13 But then on March 27, 1886, John’s mother,
Louisa, died and was buried in Loudon Park Cemetery in Baltimore14. Within two years Mollie’s father, Charles
Lewis Willis, of Longwoods15 died and one of the
pillars of Mollie’s life on the Eastern Shore was gone. There was little time to grieve for with
Johnny’s half sister at home, two boys to care for and an endless stream of
company Mollie was busy. It was always a
relief with the coming of summer when Mollie packed her trunks for the annual
visit to Probasco’s Wharf and Hemsley
for the summer.16
In the meantime, Mollie
supervised a move of the family from McHenry Street to Paca. John was still in walking distance of the
“shop”. There must have been a more
significant reason for the move than distance to work. A larger home could have
been acquired for the growing family. On
April 27, 1891, Pearl was born17 but by 1895 Mollie had
lost her mother.18 The summer visits to the “Shore” persisted,
however. On November 21, 1896, Herbert Nelson was born.19 Now there were three boys and a girl. No more children were born.
All the children went to
school. The boys attended Baltimore Poly but dropped out after the 7th
grade to go to work. All three boys
eventually worked for the railroad but only Herb made it a career. Lou departed on the “road” to take up acting,
eventually starting an acting troupe which toured the eastern part of the
United States. Charles purchased a
hardware store on Baltimore Street20 and developed it into a
thriving business until he was forced to sell out for reasons of health.
One by one Mollie’s children
married. Lou, Charles and Pearl all
married before the war in 1917. Herb did
not marry until he came home from France.
But it was the marriage of Charles to Beulah Cowart Gent in 191021
that opened up Mollie’s life. Charles
brought Beulah home to live on the third floor of the big house on 8 South
Gilmore Street22
where Beulah became a full fledged member of the household. After Beulah had settled in Mollie decided
that she was a free woman. Leaving her
daughter-in-law in charge of the house, to cook the meals, to pack the lunches
and to clean the house, Mollie used her free railroad passes to visit her
relatives as far west as Missouri.23 What a great time she had, and well deserved
to say the least, although it placed a considerable burden on Beulah, the new
bride.
With the war Herbert donned
Army khakis, went overseas and saw murderous action in France. Gassed during the conflict he suffered
endless hours of suffering in the years following the war. Meanwhile, Mollie had became a grandmother
three times over with the birth of Lou’s daughter, Vivian, Charles’s son,
Homer, and Pearl’s daughter Elizabeth.
Following the first three there was a succession of grandchildren from
all of Mollie’s children. Herbert, of
course, marrying last was the last of Mollie’s children to present her with a
grandchild, Audrey, followed later by a grandson Donnie.
Then came the 1920s and it
was if the world had turned upside down for Mollie. Charles and Beulah departed
8 South Gilmore Street to purchase a place of their own, and at the same time
Charles rented and then sold his store.
Herb and Margaret bought their own home as did Pearl and John Smith. With John Bast retiring from the railroad
there was little reason to hold onto the house at 8 South Gilmore. Mollie and John sold that one and moved in
with Pearl, their daughter, in Mt. Washington.
By 1923 Johnny was dead and Mollie was alone except for her children.24
For the next 23 years Mollie
continued to visit her relatives, but for three months each year she parceled
her time with Pearl, Lou, Herb and Charlie.
This meant visits to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami/California and
Easton for her children lived in these places.
She enjoyed her visits to the “Shore” for her son lived just down the
road from her sister Clara Lang.
Mollie was a kindly, lively,
ageless person who enjoyed life. She
died June 18, 1946, in a Philadelphia hospital following a broken hip from a
fall.25
1 Caroline County, Marriage Records;
Talbot County, Census Report of 1860.
2 Tombstone of Mary Emily Willis
Bast in Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore.
3 Talbot County (Land Records) JP
#59, pp 442-444, Lewis Willis, Sr., to William H. Willis and Lewis Willis, Jr.,
May 19, 1846.
4 Mollie walked to school the short way
generally across the fields and not along the roads. One teacher taught the
seven grades in grandmother’s school. Mollie took advantage of the maximum
number of grades. The school attended by
grandmother was almost an exact replica of the restored one alongside the road
in 2003. Recollections of Mollie
Bast.
5 Photograph in possession of the
Bast Family.
6 Recollections of Mollie Bast.
7 Baltimore Marriages found in the
Hall of Records, Reel CR 10 280, p.24. The church they attended was not built
at this time.
8 The Baltimore Sun, an undated
newspaper clipping. Family Recollections.
9 Baltimore City, Census Report of 1880.
10 John Bast must have worked long and
hard to pay the board bill for the relatives who lived at the Bast home. Recollections
of Mollie Bast.
11 The Baltimore Sun, an undated
newspaper clipping; Tombstone Record in Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore.
12 Bast Family Bible.
13 Ibid.; Tombstone Record
in Spring Hill Cemetery, Easton, Talbot County.
14 The Baltimore Sun an undated
newspaper clipping. In 2001, Steve Bast,
great grandson of Mollie searched Loudon Park for the marker. Although the clipping indicates burial in
Loudon Park, the cemetery has no record of the burial.
15 The Easton Gazette, 8 June 1888;
Tombstone Record in Spring Hill Cemetery, Easton.
16 Recollections of Mollie Bast.
17 Bast Family Bible.
18 Tombstone Record in Spring Hill
Cemetery , Easton.
19 Bast Family Bible; Tombstone
Record, Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore.
20 Fami1y Recollections; Baltimore
City (Land Records)
21 Records of All Saints Church,
Baltimore, 1883-191l, in Maryland Diocesan Archives on deposit in Maryland
Historical Society, Baltimore.
22 Recollections of Bast Family.
23 Ibid.
24 City of Baltimore, Certificate of
Death for John W. Bast
25 City of Philadelphia, Pa., Certificate
of Death for Mrs. Mary Emily (Willis) Bast.
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