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A HISTORY OF
The Willis Family
of
NEW ENGLAND </«,/
NEW JERSEY
tllilli
15
Robert Treat, Pi^rttax
A HISTORY OF THE
WILLIS FAMILY
of
NEW ENGLAND and NEW JERSEY
AND THEIR ANCESTORS
C'OMl'RISINCi IHE FAMILIES OF FARRAND, HALL, KITCHKLL,
COOK, WARD, FAIRCHILD, PLUME, BRUEN, SMIFH,
TREAT, PIERSON, CRANE, COOPER, SAN-
FORD, SHEAFE AND OFHERS
lo ■iv/iich IS (iddivl
A HIS1X)RY OF THE
Family of John Howard, Esq.
0/ Richmond, \'irginia
AND THE
Harris and Macleod Families
of Georgia
Compiled In Thk Vkar 1916
BY
CHARLES ETHELBERT WILLIS
AM)
FRANCES CAROLINE \\ILLIS
• li'liiil lire ((■<•/ And irlicncc camv ire .' What shall he
Our nitimate existence? U'lutt's our present.'
Are ,qu(sti(»is iiDsirerless, <iii<l i/et ineesscnit."
— Byrox — Bon Juan.
COPYRIGHT 1917
BY
Charles Ethelbert Willis
Whitmore it Garrett, inc.
Printers
RICHMOND, VA.
,0Q
^5
CONTEXTS 1180139
PART I PAGE
Explanatory 10
Tntrodiu'tiou 13
Some History 17
Willis Family 3:^
Thomas Conipson Willis 48
Deborah ( Farrand ) Willis 57
Edwin EthellxMt Willis 60
Major Henrv Farrand Willis 67
Willis Arms* 68
Some Further Willis History Relating- to the Howells 69
Ancient Willis Pedigree 72
Willis Ancestry 7:5
Willis Genealogy 75
Sanford Family 81
Blount Genealogy 83
Pequot War . . ." 86
l*lume Family . 87
Crane Family 91
Colonial Notes 94
Treat Family 99
Cliarter Oak" 102
The Regici.les 103
War.l Family 108
First Court Hold in Connecticut 110
Newark Notes, l>y Cougar 116
Smith Family . .' 120
Smith Genealogy 122
Marcia B. Smith (Kitchell) Willis and Family 123
Farrand Family 125
Lieut. Betliuel Farrand and Wife Rhoda 130
Rhoda Farrand. ( Poem ) 133
Farrand Items, ])y Homer A. Farrand 140
Dr. Samuel Ashbel P\arrand 142
Wilson Farrand 143
Dr. Livingston Farrand 144
r. Max Farrand 144
eatrix Cadwalader ( Jones) Farrand 146
Dudley Farrand 146
Bethuel Farrand, Jr 149
Jacob Shaw Farrand 150
Olive M., Wife of Jacob Shaw Farrand 152
Dr. David Osburn Farrand 155
Mrs. David Osburn Farrand 160
James Benjamin Farrand 161
Farrand Genealogy 163
Grandy, Bodwell and Eberbach Families 167
Descendants of Samuel Farrand (6th) 169
Robson Family 170
Cardoza, Rahn and Page Families 171
Bacon Family 173
Children of Samuel Ashbel Farrand (7th) 175
Line of Mulford Kitchell Farrand (7th) 176
Reighard Family 177
Houghton, Mills and Ewing Families 178
Hunter Family ■ 182
Quimby Family 182
CONTENTS— ro;(/(/n/rr7 page
Hayward raniily 18.">
Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo 184
Genealogy of Judge Bethuel Farraiid, Jr., and First Wife Marilla
Shaw 185
Genealogy of Judge Betluiel Farrand, Jr., and Second Wife Deliorali
Osbiirn 192
Sheaffe (or Sheafe) Family 195
Pierson Family 1 97
Bruen Family" 199
John Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford 205
Obadiah Bruen 209
Richard Lawrence 212
Holford Family 21-'-
Genealogy Showing Royal Ancestry 215
Magna Charta Barons 219
Descent from Charlemagne Through tlie Kings of England 220
Kitchell Family 222
Ancient Kitchell Pedigree 22.".
Marriage Licenses, Marriages, Baptisms, Burials, Etc., of Avicient
Kitchells 22:;
Early Settlers of Morris County, N. J 2:{:5
Hon. Aaron Kitchell 235
Kitchell Genealogy 244
Line of Joseph Kitchell (4th ) 246
Line of John Kitchell (4th) 257
Dr. Cornelius Ladd Kitchell 266
Webster, Bass and Strong Families 269
Dr. Obadiah Wilbur Kitchell 271
Line of David Kitchell (4th ) 27:'.
Sayre, Boorman and Moody Families 276
Thompson Family 278
Price Family 280
Ely Family 281
Ball Family 282
Ball Genealogy 287
Branford Notes 289
Fairchild Family 291
Fairchild Genealogy 294
Cooper Family 297
Ho-well Family 298
Howell Family, of Morristown, N. J 299
Moore Family 301
Cook Family 302
Rear Admiral Francis Augustus Cook 307
Cook Genealogy 309
A Roll of Honor of Revolutionary Heroes 315
PART II.
Howard Family 325
William Allyne Howard 331
Dr. William Travis Howard 333
John Howard 334
Howard Genealogy 337
Dr. William Travis Howard (2nd) 338
Harris and Maclcod Families 340
Robert M. Hull Family 347
Dun vegan Castle 348
King Family 35I
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Robert Treat directing the landing of the founders of Newark, N. J.,
June, 1666, by kind permission of the Committee of 100, 250tli
Anniversary Celebration, Newark, May-October, 1916. ... Frontispiece
Willis Coat of Arms ?,
Site of Old Boonton Iron Works 30
Faesch House at Old Boonton 32
Thomas Compson Willis (from amluotype) 4S
Willis Home at Powerville, N. J 53
Deborah (Farrand) Willis (from old portrait) 57
Edwin E. Willis, aged 21, 1S48 (from ambrotype) 60
Edwin E. and Electa C. Willis, 1852 (from ambrotype) 64
Major Henry Farrand Willis 67
Major-Geueral William Goffe 105
Marcia B. Smith (Kitchell) Willis 12:!
Dr. Samuel Ashltel Farrand 142
Jacob Shaw Farrand 150
Dr. David Osburn Farrand 155
Mrs. David Osburn Farrand 160
Monument to Hon. Aaron Kitchell 242
Home of Caleb Fairchild (;ird) at Whippany, N. J 292
Home of John Fairchild at Whippany, N. J 294
James Harvey Cook '^*^6
Mrs. James Harvey Cook 307
Old Presbyterian Church at Hanover, N. J 314
Rebecca E. T. (Anderson) Howard 332
John Howard 33o
Lt.-Col. Francis Henry Harris 341
Dr. John Donald Macleod and Wife 345
Dunvegan Castle (from painting by Whistler) 348
EXPLANATORY.
This history is ^\"iitteii as of the sixteentli generation of the Willis family.
The " before names indicate the direct line of ancestry of the Willis
family. ^
Numbers preceding names indicate the number of the generation from
the first of that line.
The edition of this history is limited to loO copies.
ABBREVIATIONS.
N. E. means NeT^• England
N. H. means New Haven
L. I. means Long Island
b. means born
d. means died or dead
m. means married
dau. means daughter
ERRATA.
Page 22, line 15, "188;r' shouhl be 1833.
Page 37, line 25, ' ' first cousin ' ' should be second cousin.
Page 41, line 33, "Prince of Holmes" shouhl be Prince and Holmes.
Page 61, line 7, "he" should be they.
Page 167, line 18, "8th" should be 6th.
Page 187, line 27, "July 4, 1847," should be July 4, 1877.
Page 188, line 3, "Company T" should lie Company F.
Page 248, line 22, should read,
7 Charity Ford, b. Jany. 21, 1798, d. Dec. 18, 1875; m. James Ford.
By 2d wife Hannah Tuttle:
7 Samuel, d. 1871.
Page 256, 7th line should follow 9th line.
Page 260, on first line, "5th" should be 6th.
Page 260, line 18, "Francis" should be Frances.
Page 262, line 24, "7th" should be 6th.
Page 299, line 28, "May 9, 1825," shouhl be Nov. 9, 1825.
Page 308, lines 6-7, "lieutenant 1868" should be lieutenant 1S67.
Page 313, there sliould be a dash between lines 11 and 12.
Page 319, in the Ball list of soldiers, Justus Ball, C. A., has been omitted.
Page 337, line 20, "Francis" should be Frances.
Part I
WILLIS FAMILY
INTRODUCTION.
One day the writer was most ai^reeably surprised to
receive through the mail, a book written by his sister,
Miss Frances C Willis, containing a genealogy of the
Willis Family of New Jersey and their ancestors by
marriage. This book had been prepared after many
years of labor and research, on the part of Miss Willis
in looking u]) old records of births, marriages and deaths,
going back in instances for more than three hundred
years, and was complete so far as she could trace the
genealogy of the famih^ and connections, in this country.
Miss Willis, after all these years of research, had labo-
riously written out six separate books, one for each of
her immediate family, thus furnishing a record that did
not before exist, and a great labor it must have been
for her, especially as she was in anything but ro1)ust
health. It was a family record I had always desired
to have, and have often regretted that ni}^ father or some
other member of the family had not taken the pains to
collect and record our genealogy for the benefit of their
descendants, but it is (^uite true tJiat no one who has
gone before has taken the trouble to do so, and I wish
at the very beginning to give all the credit to my sister
for this book, for without her labor it would lun-er have
been published.
On reading over the book she sent me, it occurred to
the writer that the history could be greatly enlarged,
as I discovered that many things of much interest could
be added, as many of our ancestors were men of note
and occu])ied the first place in the early history of
14 A Histori/ of the WiUis Famili)
New England, Long- Island and New Jersey, therefore,
after consultation with some members of the farailv, I
decided to continue my sister's work, adding consider-
able data not easily available to her at first, but which
she has since assisted me in collecting from historical
societies, the Library of Congress, old English and
French books, muster rolls of the Revolution, family
tradition, etc., and we have carried the family records
back in England as far as they can be traced. For the
benefit of my sons and those who niaj' come after them,
I have added the history of their mother's family, the
Howards of Virginia, and their family connections, and
trust the combined labor of Miss Willis and myself may
prove of interest and value to those of the present gene
ration as well as those who follow us. I wish to state
that nmcli of the subject matter has been taken from
works on biography and history, and every effort has
been made by comparison and correction, to have the
record correct; and, believe the history can be relied on
as accurate. While the authorities are frequently not
mentioned, the writer hopes the above statement will
cover any charge of plagiarism.
Plutarch says, "It is indeed a desirable thing to be well
descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors." This
is certainly true, and each individual has to make his,
or her own history, but I believe with Burke, that "peo-
])le will not look forward to posterity, who never look
backward to their ancestors"; it is therefore with no
spirit of boasting, but certainly with some ])ride, that
Ave will show how our ancestors were among the
founders of this great nation and had no small part in
its settlement ; were men of large affairs and leaders
from the very beginning of the colonies and helped to
hew out of the vast wilderness, the present great States
A Histonj of fJie Willis Family 15
t>f Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jer-
sey. It is we believe no small thing- to have had two
ancestors, Robert Treat and Obadiah Bruen, who were
among the nineteen applicants for and the grantees of the
Charter of Connecticut ; and that the former of these
should have been Governor of Connecticut and the one
who saved the Charter, and had it hidden in the ''Charter
Oak," when Andros demanded its surrender. Our
ancestors were in fact among the founders of Weth-
ersfield, Conn., the first English settlement west of
Massachusetts, in 1635; of New Haven, Milford, Guil-
ford, Branford and New London in Connecticut; of
Southam])ton on Long Island and Sandwich, Mass.;
while of the sixtv-four men who founded Newark, New
Jersey, in 1666-67, thirteen were our direct ancestors.
With but one exception, all our male ancestors were
here by the year 1645, and that exception, Richard Smith,
was here bv 1690. Surelv we mav claim to be Ameri-
• • •
cans, if any one has a right to bear such a title.
The history will also show how our ancestors took no
small part in wresting this country from the British
Crown and fully "did their bit," as they say in England
during this great war, for the families of our innnediate
ancestors furnished to the armies of the Revolution,
only counting those from Morris and Essex counties,
in New Jersey, a total of 153 men, of whom thirty-one
were officers. Our great-great-grandfather. Captain
Samuel Ball, helped raise and was commander of, the
iirst company of Minute ]\Ien organized in New Jersey,
for the war of the Revolution, 1775; while our great-
great-grandfather, Aaron Kitchell, was closely attached
to General George Washington as a friend and advisor,
and had charge of the war-chest while the army was at
Morristown.
16 A History of the Willis Family
All of our ancestors but one were of Puritan stock
and all of them staunch members of the Presbyterian
Church in 1776, which was surely a "church militant"
in those days, and they were not "too proud to fight,"
as many seem to be in these degenerate times.
The genealogy will, we trust, prove of interest to
members of the famil}^, tracing back as it does in two
instances, in unbroken lines, through some of the great-
est families of England for over 1350 years, to Alfred
the Great of Pjugland, the Emperor of Germany, Louis
IV of France, Charlemagne and beyond, while several
of the ancestors were coni])anions of William the Con-
queror, and three of them signers of Magna Charta at
Runnymede. For the benefit of my sons I will add, that
their ancestor Ellis Cook (-Ith) who was at the battle
of Oswego and was killed near Oswego, also their ances-
tor Epajjhras Cook (5th) who was with his father in
the Oswego battle, August J 4, 1756; also their ancestors
of the Willis, Plume, Treat and Howard families, who
participated in the Indian wars in Massachusetts, Con-
necticut and Virginia, (read histories of these families)
will entitle them to membership in the "Society of
Colonial Wars," should tliev ever desire to join that
association.
It seems ap]»roi)riate that this history should be writ-
ten in the year the citizens of Newark, New Jersey, are
celebrating the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of
the founding of their city, as our ancestors were those
who formed the settlement.
C. E. W.
Richmond, Va.
SOME HISTORY.
As many i)eoplo know but little of the early history
of New Jersey, as the records of the first settlement are
not readily available, and then only by research among-
the libraries of the historical societies and elsewhere,
we belieye a short sketch will be of interest to the mem
bers of the family, as so many of our ancestors were
amono- the founders of the City of Newark and the
first settlers afterward, of Morris County. We will
therefore giye an account of eyents that caused north-
ern New Jersey to be placed on the map.
Charles II, King- of England, granted wliat is now
New Jersey, to his brother the Duke of York, who sold
it to Lord John Berkeley, Baron of Stratton, and Sir
George Carteret, on June 24, 1664. On the same day
that this instrument was signed, Philip Carteret, cousin
of Sir George, receiyed a commission as Goyernor of
New Jersey. The ship ' ' Philip, ' ' haying on board about
thirty people, some of them seryants, and laden with
suitable commodities, sailed from England in the sum-
mer, arriyed in safety at the place noAV known as Eliza-
beth Port, in August of the same year. The place was
named after the Lady of Sir George Carteret.
In August, 1665, Goyernor Philip Carteret sent letters
to Connecticut, offering to settlers eyery ciyil and relig-
ious priyilege. He had probably heard of the discontent
in the former New Hay en colony oyer the new Charter,
which had forced the people Hying on the Sound into
the Connecticut Colony, against their will.
18 A Hlstonj of the Willis Family
When the Charter was granted in 1662 by Charles II,
an agreement had been entered into, between John Win-
throj), Jr., who received the Charter from the King and
Governor Leete of Connectient, tliat the people of the
New Haven Colony should not be forced to join the Con-
necticut (\ilony unless they so desired. The people of
the New Haven Colony objected to the union, but in
spite of their violent protests, being outnumbered and
out-voted by the people of the sister colony, they were
forced to become part of the Connecticut Colony. This
caused a revolt, and led to what was undoubtedly the
most momentous occurrence that took ])lace in any of
the thirteen colonies previous to the Revolution, and it
is significant of how intense this feeling must have been,
when we point out that three of the grantees of the
Charter, Robert Treat, Obadiah Bruen and Mathew Can-
field, were leaders of the revolt and moved to Newark
with the others.
The emigration of practically an entire colony, giv-
ing up homes and farms that had been won from the
wilderness and the Indians; giving up the work of a
generation, was certainly remarkable, and done for their
faith. To continue; the letters received from Governor
(Carteret found the people ripe for a move. Meetings
were held innnediately and agents were appointed to
examine the country on the Passaic river in New Jersey.
These agents were Robert Treat and Jasper Crane, our
ancestors, John Treat son of Robert, and John Curtis.
They went to New Jersey in October, 1665, examined
the land, found it suitable and purchased the area com-
prising the ancient town of Newark, from the Indians,
paying them £130, New England currency, twelve Indian
blankets and twelve guns. On the return of the four
agents to Connecticut, a meeting was held at Branford
.1 Hisforij of fhr Willis Family 19
and tile following *' Plantation Covenant" was adopted.
This Covenant is also called the two "Fundamental
Agreements" and is more generally known as such, by
which latter name it is frequently referred to in this
history ; it follows :
Oct. 30th, IGtJf).
"At a Meeting Touching the Intended design of many
of the Inhabitants of Branford the following was
subscribed :
"1st. That ncme shall be ad-
mitted freemen or free Bur-
gesses within our town, upon
Deuteronomy 1 :13
Exodus XVIII: 21
Deut. XVII: 15
Jeremiah XXXVI : 21j Passaick River, in the Province
of New Jersey, but such planters as are Members of
some oi- other of the Congregational Churches; nor shall
any but such l)e chosen to Magistracy oi- to Carry on
any \yAvi of Civil Judicature, or as deputies or assist-
ants to have power to vote in Establishing Laws — and
making or repealing them, oi- to any Chief Military
Trust or office. Nor shall any But such Church Mem-
bers have a vote in any such Elections; Tho' all others
admitted to Be Plantei's have Right to their proper
Inheritances, and do and shall Enjoy all other Civil Lib-
erties and privileges According to Laws, orders. Grants,
which nre or Hereafter shall Be made for this Town.
"P. 2nd. We shall with Care and Dilligence provide
for the maintenance of the purity of Religion ])rofessed
in the Congregational Churches,
"Whereunto subscribed tho lnha])itants from Bran-
ford."
Twenty-three men of Branford signed the above, of
whom Jasjjer Crane, Rev. Abraham Pierson, Samuel
Plum, Josiah Wai'd, John Warde, Edward Ball and Rich-
20 A History of the Willis Family
ard Lawrence, were our direct ancestors and Lawrence
Ward, John Ward Senior Lieutenant, John Crane, Deliv-
ered Crane and John Catlin were of their families.
The fundamental agreements continue as follows:
"And upon the Reception of their Letters and Sub-
scriptions, the present Inhabitants in November follow-
ing declare their Consents and readiness to do likewise
and at a Meeting the 24th of the next June following
in 1667 they also Subscribed with their own Hands unto
the two fundamental Agreements expressed on the other
side [of the page]. Their names as follows:"
Here follow forty-one names of men from New Haven.
Milford and Guilford, of whom Robert Treat, Obadiah
Bruen, Robert Kitchell, Samuel Kitchell, Michael Tomp-
kins and Azariah Crane, were our direct ancestors. Thus
of the sixty-four men who signed the fundamental agree-
ments, moved to and founded Newark, New Jersey^
thirteen were our ancestors, five others were of their
immediate families and several others of the signers
were sons-in-law of the ancestors. Most of the sixty-
four men were probably heads of families, and in all the
com])any but six Avere obliged to make their mark, which
for those days, is proof of the very high class of the
members of the party, as literacy at that time was almost
a mark of gentility.
It is a matter of much interest, we believe, that such
a very large proportion of the founders of Newark should
have been of our family. The five acknowledged lead-
ers, Robert Treat, Rev. Abraham Pierson, Jasper Crane,
Robert and Samuel Kitchell, being all ancestors.
Early in the spring of 1666, a few of the old New
Haven Colony of 1638, under the leadership of Robert
Treat, sailed into the Passaic river and ])repared the
ground for the coming of the larger number of settlers.
A Histonj of the Willis Fa mill/ 21
In June, 16(57, tlio remnant of the New Haven Colony,
and others from Branford, Milford and Gnilford, led
by the Rev. Abraham Pierson, gathered with the first
few in their new abode, to which the name of Newark
was applied in honor of Mr. Pierson 's English home.
Under the several families will be found more fully
written the causes which led to this noteworthv
migration.
Newark sjirang from the wilderness into a large town
within a year, for by the autumn of 1667 it had a popu-
lation of some five hundred people. The town was laid
off surrounding a public square now called "The Park"
and the leading men of the new settlement had their
homes facing this square. Our ancestors were the lead-
ers in all public affairs of the new Colony, as the history
of Newark clearly shows. They occupied the highest
and most honorable positions within the gift of the
])eople.
On May 11, 1667, Obadiah Bruen, Michael Tompkins
and Samuel Kitchell, our ancestors, together with John
Brown and Robert Dennison, purchased a very large
tract of land from the Indians, which is described under
''Kitchell Family." This land probably extended from
the Hackensack river to the Orange mountains. It was
for the benefit of the settlers and divided up and sold
among them. "Eleven years later, March 13, 1678, the
western limits of the tract Avere extended to the top of
the Mountain Watchung," by a deed from tAvo other
Indians, for two guns, three coats and thirteen cans
of rum.
In marked contrast to the Indian troubles in the other
Colonies, the settlers in New Jersey escayied such. The
Indians belonged to the Lenni Lenape tribe, a branch
22 A His fort/ of flie Willis Family
of the Delawares, and were not less savage probably than
other Indians, but it was the method of treatment by
the colonists that won their respect. It is the proud
boast of New Jersey, that every acre of land in the state,
was obtained from the Indians by fair purchase.
In October, 1832, BartliolonieAV S. Calvin, an aged and
\^eneral)le chief, of the remnant of the Lenni Lenape
tribe, located in the territory of Michigan, was deputed
by his tribe to the Legislature of New Jersey, with a
memorial and petition, stating that they had never ceded
or relinquished their i-iglit of hunting and fishing in the
waters of the state and uninclosed lands: praying the
Legislature to grant some comjiensation therefor, and
authorizing said chief to transfer the same. The Legis-
lature passed an act on the 12tli of March, 1 883, gi-anting
the old chief, for his tribe, two thousand dollars. One
part of the act reads as follows:
"And whereas, it is i-epresented, that the k'gal claims
or title of said Indians, to said fisheries aforesaid, are
barred by reason of their xoluntary abandonment of the
use and occupancy of the same; but, that this Ijegisla-
ture, shoukl grant a rennineration for the right to said
fisheries, as an act of voluntary justice, as a memorial
of kindness and compassion, to the renmant of a once
powerful and friendly people, occupants and natives of
this State, and as a consumation of a proud fact in the
history of New Jersey, that every Indian's claim,
right, and title, to her soil and its franchises, have been
acquired by fair and voluntary transfer."
It was but a short time after the founding of Newark,
until the settlers began the exploration of the country
to the west and northwest, most of it a hilly and moun-
tainous region. Iron ore of the finest quality (a
high grade magnetite), was soon discovered; this led to
A Hist or II of the Willis Family
2:5
a t'urthor migration by some of our ancestors and others,
and the settlement of Morris County.
Very few people are aware of the fact that iron mak-
ing was a large, established and profitable industry in
Massachusetts and Connecticut at the time of the migra
tion to Newark, and that the emigrants from the New
Haven Colony brought with them to New Jersey the
knowledge of the making of iron, but so it was, and as
our family have been so long and intimately connected
with the iron industry, we will give an account of early
iron making in the Colonies,
"In 1619 The Virginia Company of London, sent to
Virginia a number of persons who were skilled in the
manufacture of iron to set up three iron works in the
Colony." The enterprise was undertaken in that year
on Falling Creek, a tributary to the James river, in
Chesterfield County, about seven miles below Richmond
"In July of 1()21 the company sent over Mr. John Berk-
ley, formerly of Beverstone Castle, a gentleman of an
honora))le family to take charge of the work. He was
accompanied by his son Maurice and twenty experienced
workmen." In March, 1622, in the Indian massacre,
before the works were completed, Berkley and all his
workmen were slain and no further attempt was made
to smelt iron in Virginia until after the beginning of the
eighteenth century. In Massachusetts, however, the busi-
ness was more successful, as Mr. John Winthrop, Jr.,
returned from England in 1643 with workmen and stock
to the amount of £1000 for commencing the iron works
at Lynn. Winthrop had gone to England for this special
purpose and interested eleven English gentlemen in the
enterprise. A number of Colonists also became stock-
holders, one of whom was Thomas Willis our ancestor,
of Lvnn.
24 A Hisfoifi of the Willis Family
The works at first consisted of a blast-furnace and
foundry. The first article made being a small iron pot,
to hold about one quart. This pot is still in possession
of the family of one of the builders of the iron -works.
The works were a success from the start and ran until
about 1688, when the deposit of ore was exhausted. In
1647 Joseph Jenks built a forge at Lynn and made
scythes.
In 1646 iron works were built at Braintree, ten miles
fi'om Boston. In 1652 two I^eonard Ijrothers built a
forge and bloomery at Taunton. They were among those
who built the first works at Ijynn, These works grew
to large proportions and were operated by the Leonards
and their descendants, continuously, till after 186.").
Iron works quickly followed at Concord 1657, Rowley
Village 1668, and at Topsfield, Ipswich, Boxford, Norton
and many other places. There are records of seventeen
forges having been built in the Plymouth Colony alone.
John AVinthrop, Jr., and others built a blast-furnace,
foundry and forge at New or East Haven, Conn., in 1658,
and our ancestor Jasper Crane was one of the owners
of same. Probably others of our ancestors were in-
terested in the works. There were also forges and
furnaces near Branford and other points near the Sound,
in Connecticut. It will therefore be seen that the emi-
grants to Newark were well accpiainted with the process
of iron making.
Swank says,
"The first iron works established in New Jersey were
at Shrewsbury, built previous to 1676, probably in 1674,
by the Leonards, of Taunton, Mass."
Iron making in the seventeenth century (as it has been
since) was a most honorable business, as is witnessed
l)v the fact that the men in the hiiiliest and most honor-
A Historii of the Willis Famili/ 25
able positions, botli in England and the Colonies were
connected with the industry.
A few years after the Leonards built the Shrewsbury
works, but just what year, or by whom is not now known,
l)ut probably about 1685, some men from Newark built a
forge at AVhippany, in Morris County. This was fol-
lowed quickly by other forges and soon led to the settle-
ment of the entire region. By 1710 there were a sufficient
number of ])eople living at Whippany to warrant the
establishment of a church, and the first Presbyterian
church was built. This church was the predecessor of
the church at Hanover, a short distance away, to which
place the church was removed in a few years. A cut
of the Hanover church is given in the following pages.
Probably the first mine opened in Morris County was
what was afterward known as the Dickerson mine, at
Mine Hill, near the present town of Dover. The ore
was free to all comers who desired to mine it, for it was
not until the vear 1713 that the land on which the great
ore deposit was located was taken up as a mining tract
by John Beading, from the Board of Proprietors This
mine, worked continuously for about 200 years, was closed
down in 1891, but is said to still contain much ore. (Jther
forges soon followed those built at Wliippany. The ore
was trans] )orted from the mines over rough mountain
trails to the forges in the valleys, in leather pouches,
on horse back. This would appear as rather crude
transportation, but Swank says, speaking of the iron
industry of England of a later date: **At this time (1750)
the business of manufacturing pig iron in some parts of
Great Britain was conducted upon such primitive princi-
])les that both charcoal and iron ore were carried to the
furnaces of Monmouthshire on the backs of horses."
The iron made at the Morris County forges, bars, rods,
26 A History of the Willis Family
blooms and other shapes, was carried across the Orange
mountains to Newark, on horseback. Of course each
forge in those days was a small aftair, but iron was
almost a j^recious metal to the colonists. The industry
grew to large proportions in a few years, and iron blooms
or blocks and hammered iron bars were exported to Eng-
land. The process of iron making would be considered
a peculiar one in these days. The forges were ''Catalan
Forges of the German type," (open hearth furnaces)
where the ore was reduced directly into w-rought iron,
without limestone or other fiux. The fuel was charcoal,
furnished in unlimited quantity from the mountains, then
covered with a magnificent growth of oak, hickory and
chestnut. After the ore was smelted into iron, the latter
was placed under trip hammers, worked by water power,
and hammered into the desired shapes. As the industry
grew, every brook and river in the northern part of New-
Jersey that could furnish water power was working a
forge.
England needing crude iron encouraged this industry,
but jealous of her manufacturers, absolutely forbade the
use of rolling mills, slitting mills, and the manufacture
of steel in the colonies, under a penalty of £1000. "In
1750 Governor Clinton of the Colony of New York was
ordered by Act of Parliament to rei:»ort on the iron busi-
ness." His reply was as follows:
"In obedience to an Act of Parliament, Entitled An
Act to Encourage the Importation of Pig and Bar Iron
from his Colony s in America, and to prevent the erec
tion of any Mill or other Engine for Slitting or Rolling
of Iron, or any plating Forge to work with a Felt Ham-
mer, or any Furnace for making Steel in any of the said
Colonys passed in the twenty-third year of His Majesty's
Reign," etc. He reported, "there was only one plating
A History of Hie WiUis FainUy 27
Forge to work with a Tilt Hammer," and that not in
operation and "no Hc^llin.^- Mill, or Engine for Sliting
of Iron or Furnace for making Steel," in the Colony
of New York.
Jonathan Belcher, Governor of New Jersey, in the
same year, i. e., 1750, mad{» the same kind of a report.
As these Governors could not have been blind to
what was going on about them, it is reasonable to sup-
pose they winked at what was then the leading industry
in northern New Jersey, and did what they could by
non-interference to encourage and protect same, for
by 1750 there were probably more than fifty iron-works
in New Jersey, some of them of considerable size, espe-
cially the works at Old Boonton.
Our grandfather, Thomas C. Willis, used to tell how
the Governor of New Jersey sent an ofKcer and company
of soldiers, to go u]) the Rockaway river, find and destroy
the iron works located thereon, by order of the British
Parliament. The people of Old Boonton were duly
informed of the coming of the troops; they were met
and entertatined some distance below the iron works and
then led by a path through the woods past the works.
The soldiers went on to the source of the river, returned
by a shorter way and reported to the Governor there
were no iron works on the river, although there were
several works, at different points on the river, at the time.
As the people of the South talk cotton and tobacco,
and the people of the AYest talk wheat and corn, so the
people of northern New Jersey talked iron-making and
iron-ore mining. For more than 225 years it has been
the princi])al money making industry of that region, and
it would be hard indeed to find an old Morris County
familv, which had not been connected with it in one way
or another. We know that of our relatives, the Ball,
Farrand, Smith, Ward, Crane and Kitchell families, have
28 A Histoiij of the Willis Family
been interested in iron niakini;-. A Mr. Farrand built
a forge at Split Rock, in 1790; and the Willis family has
been connected with the making' of iron and minino- of
iron ore, from the first Willis in this country (Thomas
Willis, of Lynn, Mass.) doAvn to the present generation,
an unbroken record of 273 years.
A geological report of New Jersey, made in January,
1916, states that seventeen of the old mines Avere in opera-
ation, many of them on a larger scale than ever before.
A number of these mines have been working for about
200 years and have reached a great depth. The Hurd
mine has been worked to a depth of more than 6000 feet.
The Hibernia mine, of which Thomas C. Willis and
George T. Cobb owned the section known as the *' Willis
Mine," was first granted by the Board of Proprietors,
in the year 1753, to Joshua Ball. Before that time the
ore was free to anyone who chose to mine it. Forges
are knoAvn to have been running on the ore previous to
1722, at Rockaway. The Hibernia mine is the greatest
in the state; in this year, 1916, after a history of 200
years, it has reserves of ore in sight of many million
tons. From this mine Thomas C. Willis obtained the
ore for his iron works at Powerville. Tlie mine was
sold to close his estate.
During the RcAolution, Lord Stirling, a friend of
Washington, operated at Hibernia blast-furnaces and
foundries and manufactured ordnance and shot for the
Continental Army, but iron works were located there
many years before that. There are records of more
than 550 iron mines Avhicli have been worked in north-
ern New Jersey, and of 102 forges and 41 blast-furnaces,
which used charcoal as fuel.
During the Revolution these works were the main
stay of the army, sup])lying cannon, shot and shell and
A History of the WiUis Family 29
other necessary articles. Many raids were attemi^ted
by the British troops to destroy them, but none were
successful. Steel was made at Andover, which was
turned into bayonets at Old Boonton. To show the im-
portance of the industry to the American army, the fol-
lowing article, taken from the ''Journals of Cono-ress, "
is of interest :
''On the 4tli of July, 1776, the American Colonies
declared themselves independent, and Congress while
still in session "Resolved, That a letter be written by
the Board of War to the Governor and Council of the
State of New Jersey, setting- forth the peculiai'ity of the
demand for their works, hcniy the only proper weans for
procuring iron for steel, an article without which the ser-
vice must irreparably suffer ; and that the said Governor
and Council be desired to take such means as they shall
think most proper for putting the said works in blast
and obtaining a supply of iron without delay."
The same Congress passed a law exempting all persons
then engaged in the manufacture of iron, from perform-
ing military duty.
OLD BOONTON IRON- WORKS.
The iron works at Boonton, which place was named
for Governor Boone of New" Jersey 1760-62, and before
this time was known as the Falls, or Pequannock Falls,
were established at an early date, as the first forge was
built there probably between 1710 and 1715. The works
grew to considerable proportions and in 1759 were bought
by David Ogden who sold them again to his son Samuel
Ogden in 1766-7.
An Englishman, Thomas Compson, for wlioin our
grandfather Thomas C. Willis, was named, was engaged
30
A Histoty of the Willis Family
to rebuild and enlarge the works. Thomas C'Ompson
was at that time known as an architect, he would in
these days be called an engineer. Forges, slitting mill
and nail works were already established there, but a
rolling mill was desired. The act of Parliament passed
Old Boon rox Iron Works.
in 1749, already alluded to, was intended to ]jrevent the
construction of any slitting mill or rolling mill in the
province and continued in force until the time of the
Revolution. The process of rolling iron had been pat-
ented in England in 1728. It was a secret process, and
the doors of the rolling mills were kept locked. No
rolling mill had been built in the Colonies and the Ogdens
desired one in si)ite of the ])rohibition and ])enalty of
£1000 foi- erecting one; they therefore sent Thomas
Compson to Pllngland to get information as to rolling-
mills. Compson secreted himself in a mill during the
day and at night made drawings of the machinery. He
returned to Boonton with his plans, and erected the first
A flisfon/ of the Willis Family 31
)-olling mill in America. The first pin factory in this
country was also built here. When finished the iron
works were undoubtedly the largest in the Colonies, and
during- the Revolution furnished much of the camp equip-
ment of the Continental Army, shot and shell, bayo-
nets, bits and spurs, iron pots and things too numerous
to mention. There were four dams across the river,
''three below the ])resent road and one above."
The works were built on both sides of the river. On
the easterly bank were rolling mill, slitting mill, saw-
mill and foundry. ( )n the westerly bank of the river
near the bend, were a large potash works, a nail-cutting
factory, a grist mill and blacksmith shop. On the same
side, op])osite the slitting mill, stood a large bloomery,
containing four fires and two trip hammers, a large build-
ing containing eight refining furnaces, a factory for
making tin ware, and many other buildings.
These works are of })articular interest to the Willis
family, as our great-giandfather Russel Willis, was
appointed superintendent of the furnaces when a very
young man and afterward manager of all the works;
mentioned undei- Willis family.
"It is said that (lovernor William Franklin (last
(Jolonial Governor of New Jersey) visited this place^
having been informed that one of the prohibited mills
was being carried on there by stealth. Colonel Ogden
received the Governor and his suite with great hospitality
and insisted on their dining innnediately on their arrival.
This the Governor's party was not unwilling to do, as
they had made a long and fatiguing journey. At the
table, which was lavishly spread, choice liquors circu-
lated freely; and the Governor was not only unable to
find any slitting or rolling mill in Boonton, but indig-
nant at the unfounded slander. It was reported that
32
A Histonj of the Willis Fmnily
Franklin had an interest in it himself, whicli niiglit
account for his not seeing too much."
Colonel Ogden's home was Faesch House, hereafter
spoken of, and in plain view of and but a short distance
from the works, which makes the joke not the less.
FAESCH HOUSE.
WILJ.IS FAMILY.
The family of Willis from which wo are descended,
was located previous to the year 1350, in Warwickshire,
England. At that date they possessed much ])roperty,
and in the succeeding centuries were the owners of
several manors, that of Fenny Compton being the manor
from which the family takes its name; '^ Willis, of Fenny
Compton. ' '
The name Willis, also spelled Wyllys, Willes, Wyllis,
Willys, W^ills and several other ways, often ])eing
changed from one to the other in the same document,
in ancient times (see copy of will given later on) is
one of some two score names dei-ived from Will, alias
Wille; it is a Welsh ])atronymic, answering to W^illson
and Willison in P]ngland. Originally in the Welsh it
was Fitz Wille, son of AVille, until the Welsh began to
drop the pretix Fitz, in exchange for the final "s," The
name graduallj^ settled down to Willis, although varia-
tions of the name are still used b^y families having a
common origin.
There are records of about twenty innnigrants of the
name of W^illis, to New England, in the 17th century,
several families to Virginia, and one or two to Long-
Island.
There have been many distinguished men of the name
of Willis, in England; sixty-two bearing the name hav-
ing received degrees from Oxford Universit}^, between
the years 1500 and 1714; of whom more than a dozen
were of the Fenny Compton family and nearly all of
them became men of note. A lara-e number of the sixtv-
34 A History of the Willis Family
two graduates of Oxford, were divdnes, many of einhient
distinction, note Richard, Bishop of Winchester. Sev-
eral were medical men, and two or three were scientists.
Of the Fenny Compton family, many of the Oxford
graduates were vicars and rectors in the Established
Church of England.
The genealogy of the family has been found in the
"Visitation of Warwick," 1619, Harleian Miscellany,
and New England historical and colonial records The
complete genealogy is given further on in this article;
the dates of births and deaths of the early members of
the family are nowhere given in the ancient records,
but allowing thirty years to a generation, which is about
what the pedigrees of several of the old families in this
history comes to, the first Richard Willes was probably
born about the year 1350, and the ancestry of Richard's
wife Jona is carried back six generations further, to
about 1180, or earlier.
1 *Richard Willes of Napton, m. Jona, daughter and
heir of John Jeames.
2 * Thomas Willes of Napton, County Warwick.
3 *Richard Willes of Napton, County Warwick.
4 *Tli()mas W^illes of Priors Marston, County W^arwick.
5 *Richard Willes of Fenni Compton, County War-
wick, ]). about 1468, d. May 1532, m. Joane, daugh-
ter of Grant of Norbrooke, County Warwick;
his will follows: "I Richard Wyllys of hole mynde
the xxiiii dav of Januavv in the vero of our lord
VISITATION.
Note. — "Visitation," wliicli we have ineutioiied in the Willis history, and
shall use again as the history proceeds, means, ' ' Heraldic visitations
or i)eraml)ulations made by a King-at-arms or other high heraldic
officer, with a Commission under the Great Seal, to examine into
pedigrees and claims to Itear aruis. The results of these visitations
were entered in ' ' Visitation Books ' ' which are in the nature of
official records. These heraldic visitations ceased about the vear 1686. "
A History of the Witt is Fa wily 35
1180139
God MCVCXXIX— proved 11 May 1532. My body
to be buried in the church of Fenny Compton, before
our Lady in the Chancell. To said church six shil-
lings eight pense. To the three orders of freres
within the shire of Warwick and the city of Coventry
forty shillings, every of them to say for my soul
one trentall of Masses. To the mother church of
Coventry in recompense and satisfaction of my miss-
tything, no tything, tythen forgotten, of all other
trespasses, wrongs, and injuries that 1 have done
to the house and mother church of Coventry and
the prior and monks there, serving God at any time
in my life twenty shillings. To the church of Nap-
ton and parish of the same twenty shillings, in
satisfaction of such trespasses as T have done with
my cattle to them within the said parish. To the
Church of Priors Marston &c ten shillings. To the
church of Priors Hardwick &c six shillings eight
pense. To the township and parishes of Nether
Shuckburgh six shillings eight pense. To son Rich-
ard Willys forty pounds which I owe him of his
marriage money. To every one of my daugliters
that is single unmarried the day of my decease
twenty pounds. I will that Joane my wife, have
all my lands in Lodbroke and three messuages in
Napton, for term of her life ; and after her decease
I will that my son William and his heirs have them.
To Joane Shendon widow, in recompense of my
offences to her done twenty shillings. The residue
of all my lands and tenements I will that my son
W^illiam have them to him and his heirs according
to his inheritance in the same. To John Clyffe and
his wife ten sheep. To John Kynge ten sheep. The
residue of mv aoods &c. to Joane mv wife whom
36 A History of the Willis Faniihj
I make 1113^ sole executrix. And I make William
Willys, Richard Willys, and Sir John Sowtham
supervisors. ' '
The above will can be found in ''English AVills;"
No. of Calendar 2; Date 1531-33; Name of Register.
Thower.
Richard Wyllys (5tli) had two sons, Richard, sec-
ond son, and
6 *William Willvs, as his father calls him in his will,
was his eldest son and heir. We do not know the
date of his birth or death, but have a record of his
marriage to the niece of Sir John Clerke of North
ampton. William had two sons, Ambrose, eldest
son and heir, and Richard, second son, from whom
we are descended. Ambrose m. Agnes, daughter
of William Coles of Great Preston, in county Nor-
thumberland, "Gent.," and had Richard Willes who
d. 1597 ; he m. Hester, daughter of George Chanibre,
of Williams Cot, county Oxford, and had George
Willis, or Wyllys, b. 1590, d. 1645. George Wyllys,
m. twice, first to Bridget, dau. of William and Mary
(Bonner) Young, secondly to Mary, dau, of Francis
and Alice Smith, of Stratford on Avon.
In the year 1636, George Wyllys sent over from
Fenny Compton (of which place he was the heir) his
steward, William Gibbons, with twenty men, to pur-
chase lands at Hartford, Conn., and erect a house,
to which place Mr, Wyllys removed when his house
was completed. His eldest son, George Wyllys, at
that time living in London, did not accompany his
father to Connecticut, but inherited the family es-
tate at {""enny Compton.
The house erected by William Gibbons, the steward,
was a large one for those days and stood for more than
A Ili^tortj of the Willis Family 37
two centuries, "its last occupant of the Wyllys name and
the last of this branch of this illustrious family in the
male line, being Hesekiah Wyllys, who died in 1827."
George Wyllys on his arrival in Connecticut, assumed
the very first position in the colony, which he maintained
until the time of his death in 1645, He was Governor
of Connecticut 1642-48. The "Charter Oak" was on his
estate ; it was said to have been of enormous size and
when Gibbons the steward started his men clearing the
land, an old Indian chief begged him to spare it, stating
that the tree was sacred to his tribe.
Sanmel, son of Governor George Wyllys, was one of
the nineteen men who applied for and were granted the
Charter of Connecticut by King Charles II., and was
one of the twelve assistants to the Governor appointed
by the King. He held verv nianv high oflices in the
colony and was a man of large estate. All histories of
Connecticut and New England will give accounts of this
father and son.
The National Cyclopedia (published in London) says,
"The Willis family of Fenny Compton, was an ancient
one, and was possessed of much property," it therefore
seens surprising, that this rich and eminent man, should
have left his ancient manor, for a home in the wilderness.
George Wyllys was a first cousin of our ancestor Henry
W^illis of Lvnn, to whose line w^e now return.
7 *Richard Willis, second son of William (6th) and
brother of Ambrose ; he m. a daughter of Sir George
Blount, Knt., and had
8 *Tliomas Willis, b. 1583. In the records of Oxford
University, he is mentioned as follows: "Willis,
Thomas, son of Richard of Fenny Compton county
Warwick, matriculated, St. John's College, 11 June
1602, aged 19 (as Willes), B. A. 2 June 1606, M. A.
38 A His fori/ of the Willis Family
21 June 1609 (as Willes), incorporated at Cambridge
1619, schoolmaster at Thistleworth (Isleworth),
Middlesex." He married Mary, daughter of
Tomlins of Gloucestershire, a sister of the Rev.
Samuel Tomlins and his brothers Edward and Tim-
othy. The Rev. Samuel Tomlins was minister of
Northaw, in county Hertford, made his will 23 July
1661, which will was proved 11 October 1661. He
bequeaths, "to my coasin Thomas Willus, I give all
my sermon notes." (Note — Cousins in those days
meant any near relationship, as well as the "cousin,"
as we now understand it.) The will also mentions,
"to my cousin Martha Washbourne I give the sum
of ten pounds," and mentions his brother Edward
and Timothy Tomlins, The account of this will is
given for the following reason : Mr. Henry F. Waters
in an article printed in the New England Historical
and Genealogical Register for the year 1892, Vol. 46,
page 329, states that Edward and Timothy Tomlins,
the two brothers named in Mr. Samuel Tomlin's will,
came to Lynn, Mass., "where also settled Capt.
Robert Bridges, whose wife Mary was a grand-
daughter of Robert and Mary Washbourne, the
parents of Sara, the wife of Rev. Samuel Tomlins,"
Mr. Thomas Willis (8th generation) had by his
Note. — In the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 44,
pages 325 to 329, can be found the will of Richard Willes (5th g.),
of Fenni Conipton, which we have already quoted ; also the wills
of Ambrose Willes, his son Richard Willes; Governor George
Wyllys of Connecticut; and of Richard Wyllys the brother of
George; followed by the will of the Rev. Samuel Tomlins, from
which we have also quoted. The above article also contains an
account of Mr. Thomas Willis, his arrival at Lynn, Mass., and
part of the pedigree of the Fenny Compton family.
A Hlstonj of the Willis Family 39
wife Mary Toinliiis, four children (Tomlins, in an-
cient records is also spelled Tomlyn and Tombyn).
9 Thomas.
9 *Henrv.
9 Mary, no record.
9 Elizabeth, married The Rev. John Knowles of Lin-
colnshire, En;L>iand.
Mr. Waters continues in his article in the N. E. Regis-
ter, already referred to, "To Lynn also came Mr. Thomas
Willis of Thistleworth, (Isleworth) schoolmaster, who
married Mary, daughter of Tomlins, of Glouces-
tershire." It was in the year 1630, when Mr. Willis
arrived at Lynn, Mass., with his sons Thomas and Henry;
it is probable his two daughters came with him, as the
Rev. John Knowles wdth Elizabeth (Willis) his wife,
settled at Watertown, Mass. Elizabeth inherited her
father's estate at Lyim, which the records show "was
sold to Isaac Hart, (500 acres) by the Rev. John Knowles
(of Watertown) and his wife Elizabeth, the daughter
of Mr. Willis."
An old record at Lynn, states as follows:
"Mr. Thomas Willis was of Lynn 1630, a member of
the General Court, May 14, 1634, when delegates, instead
of the whole body of commoners, first composed the
Court; yet he is not recorded as having taken the free-
man's oath before May 14, 1639. (The freeman's oath
was taken at the same time by Mr. Edward Howell who
founded Southampton L. I.) In June 1639, Mr. Willis
was appointed by the General Court a member of Salem
particular Court, to act with the Magistrates and was
reappointed to the same office May 13, 1640 and June 2,
1641." "He had a grant of land in 1638, in the town
(Lynn), 500 acres, none of the inhabitants have more."
In the year 1642, Mr. Willis with others received a
40 A Hist on/ of the Willit; Family
&
grant from the Plynioutli Colony and fonnded Sandwich,
Mass. This hind, with other property, was inherited by
his son Henry.
About the year l()4(j. Mi-. Thomas Willis and his son,
Thomas, Jr., returned to England. Thomas, Senior,
resumed his teaching evidently, at Thistleworth, where
he died in 1660. He was a writer of much note; two of
his books, "Vestibulum Linguea Latinea" 1651, and
"Phraseologia Anglo Latina" 1655, are of special inter-
est. AVhile at Lynn, he became a shareholder in the
original American iron-works, located in that town.
The reason for Mr. Willis coming to Massachusetts
is thought to have been his leaning to Puritanism and so
driven from his home, by the persecution of that sect.
When the activity against the Puritans became relaxed,
he returned to England. He was a man of great learn-
ing and probably had a considerable estate.
His son Thomas Willis, Jr., who returned to England
at, or about the time his father so returned, was taught
by his father at Thistleworth and his studies so well
continued while in New England under his father's
tuition, that he was given the degree of M. A. by St.
John's College, Oxford, 17 December, 1646, and D. D.
20 December, 1670; "he was assistant to the commis-
sioners of Middlesex and city of Westminster for the
ejection of ignorant and scandalous ministers, etc. Vicar
of Twickingham, Middlesex, 1646, ejected 1661." "In
August 1660 the inhabitants of Twickingham petitioned
Parliament for his removal. In the petition he is
described as not having been of either of the universities
(i. e., a graduate of Oxford and Cambridge), but bred in
New England and not a lawfully ordained minister. In
1661 he was deprived of the living at Twickingham,
which was a very large cme and had but recently been
A Hisfortj of the Willis Fiunily 41
increased £100 a vear froin the tithes beloimiiiff to the
deans and canons of Windsor, l)ut afterwards conform-
ing, (at the time of the Restoration) he was instituted
to the rectory of Dnnton in Bnckingliamshire on Feb-
ruary 4-, 1663, hokling it in conjunction with the vicarage
of Kingston — on Thames, to which he was instituted on
21 August, 1671. At this time he was Chajjlain in ordi-
nary to King Charles 11. He died October 8, 1692, and
was buried at Kingston, Surrey. He was twice married,
by his first wife Elizabeth, he had four sons and one
daughter; and by his second wife Susanna, who survived
him, three sons and one daughter." Calamy says that
"he was a good scholar like his father, a grave divine,
a solid preacher, of a very good presence, etc." "He
was the author of five books celebrated in their day, one
of which, 'God's Court,' was ]niblished in Greek."
This last Thomas Willis also had a son, Thomas Willis,
of Kingston, Surrey. He matriculated at Pembroke
College, Oxford, July 1, 1676, aged 14; B. A. 1680; M. A.
from Clare Hall, Cambridge, 1683; rector of St. Domi-
nick, Cornwall, 1684 and of Bishopston, county Glamor-
gan, 1685 ; vicar of Weston-upon-Avon, county Gloucester
1689.
This last Thomas Willis, also had a son Thomas, who
was a graduate of Oxford and was a distinguished divine.
To again return to our direct line of descent. Mr.
Thomas Willis (8th generation), of Thistleworth and
Lynn, had son
9 *Henry, who came with his father from Thistleworth,
(Isleworth) Middlesex, to Lynn in 1630. He was
born i^robably in the year 1618; at Thistleworth.
In 1636-7 he was a volunteer in the expedition against
the Pequot Indians under Prince of Holmes; Endi-
cott was commander of the forces. He married
42 A History of the Willis Family
Elizabeth Otis of Boston, in the year 1642. The
year of his death we have not determined nor the
place of his burial. He inherited his father's prop-
erty in Massachusetts, excepting the 500 acres at
Lynn which went to Elizabeth (Willis) Knowles.
He was a stockholder in several of the ancient iron-
works in Massachusetts and probably had a comfort-
able estate.
In the year 1858, William Willis, Esq., the historian,
of Portland, Maine, wrote the late Mr. James Otis, of
Boston, in reply to an inquiry from the latter, regarding-
the family of Thomas Willis of Lynn. This letter is
among the the papers of Mr. Otis, and but part of it
is quoted.
"Regarding the marriage of Mr. Henry Willis, son
of Mr. Thomas Willis of Lynn, my record shows he was
married to Elizabeth, in the year 1642. As you say an
Elizabeth Otis was married to a Henry Willis in that
very year they were without question the same. Henry
Willis had a large family; his son Thomas was sent to
the Leonards at Taunton in December 1670, 'to learn
the making and art of blooming iron. ' In the agreement
made between Mr. Henry Willis and Mr. James Leonard,
a copy of which I have in my collection, the latter states
that 'Thomas is to live at my house as my (sonne), to
receive six English shillings per mo. and necessaries until
he is worth more.' The contract shows an intimacy
between Leonard and Willis, and Henry was probably
a shareholder in the Taunton iron-works, as he and his
Note. — The Leonards had two iron-works near Taunton at the time Thomas
Willis went there to learn the business; the original works were
at Raynham, just out of Taunton, and the other, about two miles
beyond Eaynhani, was called the ' ' Chartley Iron Works. ' ' From
investigations by the authors it appears probable that Thomas
Willis was first located at Chartley.
A HiMoti) of the Willis Family 43
father are known to have been interested in several of
the original iron companies. After learning the busi-
ness at Taunton, Thomas became a 'Builder of Forges,'
and it is probable that many of the ancient iron-works
were designed and erected by him. He lived at Taun-
ton and married Ruth Noyes; a Mr. Noyes was a share-
holder in the Leonard iron-works at Taunton and per-
haps she was his daughter. They had a son William
Willis w^ho was assistant to his father, as old documents
state."
10 *Thomas Willis, m. Kuth Noyes of Taunton, Mass.
He w^as "a builder of forges, i.e., iron-works and
probably had money interest in the operation of
same; he lived at or near Taunton; we know of but
three of his children, William, Richard and Thomas,
the latter is mentioned in an order and letter, which
are recorded in one of the old Leonard books at
Taunton; it is as follows
''To Capt. Thomas Leonard in Taunton.
Sr. I have got Thomas Willis to go to Bridgewater
to fetch me some nails from Mr. Mitchells this night :
& pray to let him have 200 of iron to carry with him
to pay for them: of which 100 on acct. of Edward
Richmond, 5s. worth on acct. of Thomas Linkon, son
of John Linkon, by virtue of his note herewith sent
you: for the remainder I may by yr leave be yr
debtor for a while till I have another note from some
other to balance against it : & remain yr obliged
28-8 mo 1702 Saml. Danforth"
The above w^as the Rev. Mr. Samuel Danforth, and the
nails were to be used on his church, which his congrega-
tion was building.
44 ^4 History of the Willis Family
11 ■William Willis, son of Thomas (lOtli), was assist-
ant to his father in the construction of iron-works;
he was born at Taunton, (or near Taunton) in 1685.
He was later "a l)uilder of forges" on his own
account. The only record we can find of his wife
is on a deed, bearing date October 4, 1729, in a sale
of land near Taunton, her name there appears as
Ellen. It is known that about this time he removed
to Salisbury, Litchfield County, Conn., as an old
record there speaks of ''William Willis Iron Mas-
ter." As the first forge in Litchfield county was
built in the year 1730, at Salisbury, about five miles
from the State line of Massachusetts, quickly fol-
lowed by many others in that county and across the
line in Berkshire County, Mass., it is quite obvious
that William Willis sold out his property at Taun-
ton and went to Salisbury to engage in this work.
The date of his death we do not know, but he prob-
ably lived the latter part of his life at or near South
Lee, in Berkshire, as others of his family are known
to have lived and are buried there. We know of
but two of his sons, though it is probable he had
several other children, who lived near South Lee;
these sons were Bethuel and,
12 'William Willis, who was our great-great-grand-
father. He was born at Taunton, Mass., in the year
1725; went to Connecticut and Berkshire County,
Mass., with his father and there learned probably
the building of forges also. At the time he w^as
growing to manhood, iron-works were springing up
like mushrooms in northern New Jersey and this
must have led him to New Jersey, and Morris
County, where he remained the rest of his life. He
died October 9, 1777. He married Bathsheba Brum-
A History of the Willis Family 45
ley and had seven sons and two daughters ; William,
Bethuel, Joseph, Russel, John, Lewis, Anthony,
Wealthy and Nancy. The first four sons were in
the Eevolution. AVilliani, was 21 years; Bethuel, 18
years; Josej)!!, 14 years and our great-grandfather
Russel, 13 years old, when the war started in 1775.
William, lived and died in Morris County, N. J.,
as did his brother Bethuel. The latter had saw and
grist mills, on the south side of the Rockaway river
nearly opposite the site of the AVillis homestead.
Traces of the raceway can still be found. He is
buried in the little church-vard in Rockawav Vallev.
Oi the other sons we have no record, with the ex-
ception of Russel, which follows.
13 *Russel Willis, fourth son of William and Bathsheba
(Brumley) Willis, was born at or near Old Boon-
ton, New^ Jersey, November 22, 1762. At the open-
ing of the Revolution in 1775 he was but little past
the age of twelve j^ears, but the records of the war
show that he was a soldier for several years before
the war closed in 1782, at w^hich time he was about
twenty years old.
At the closing of the war, Russel and his brother
Joseph went to Berkshire County, Mass., to engage in
the iron business. At that time there were many iron-
works in Berkshire County, and the largest blast-furnace
in the countrv was located at Lenox. It was built in 1765
Note. — The authors have experienced great <lifticulty in obtaining accurate
.lata in regard to Thomas Willis, lOtli, William Willis, 11th,
and William Willis, 12th, so far as the Taunton records are con-
cerned, as all the old records of Taunton were destroyed by fire,
one of the few towns in New England where this has happened.
However, by other old documents, letters, etc., we are able to
follow the line, altliongli we have not been able as yet to establish
some of the dates of marriages, births and deaths. What we
give, however, is correct.
J-6 A Historic of the Willis Family
and had a stack 28 feet high. It was not torn down
until 1881.
There were also many forges and furnaces in Litch-
field County, Conn., innnediately across the State line
from Berkshire, many of which (as well as those in Berk-
shire (bounty) were undou])tedl3^ built by the grand-
father and father of Russel. After remaining in Berk-
shire two or three years, Col. Ogden wrote to Russel
Willis and his brother Joseph to come to Boonton.
On their arrival Russel was made superintendent of
the furnaces at the Boonton works, which consisted of
;i large forge with four fires and two heavy trip ham-
mers, M bloomery, eight refining furnaces and several
lieating furnaces. The Boonton works are said to have
been the largest in the country at that time. It is proof
that Russel was a very capable man for his years.
He was afterwards made superintendent of the entire
plant and remained there till after 1805, Avhen the works
were leased to John Jacob and Richard B. Faescli, sons
of John Jacob Faesch, Sen'r. After 1805, the year not
Note. — We eau Hud no record of the death or burial place of Heury Willia,
(Otli) and it is thought by some historians, that he returned
to England, as did his father and brother Thomas. There are
records of liini however in Massachusetts as late as 1664 and the
authors believe he may have lived at Taunton, with his sons, and
died tliere. As before stated, most of the Taunton records were
destroyed by fiie. and probably the full record will never be
determined.
Tlie attention of our readers is called to the many times the names
Thomas and William are found, through centuries of the Willis
genealogy.
We have stated tluit Henry Willis, 9th, probal)ly had a son
William, wo think this is so, as an old document at Taunton has
the following: "William Willis had lands before 1678 at
sold to Simon Lucas." The name of the place is obliterated, but
it was probably near Taunton.
From another record we find, ' ' Henry Willis was in King Philips
war 1675 and recvd. a credit of £l-]6s-10d., " this could hardly
have been Henrv Otli, and we believe he was a son of Thomas
Willis, 10th.
A History of the Willis Family 47
known exactly, he removed with some of his family to
Clyde, New York, where he afterward died. His brother
Joseph returned to Berkshire County, Mass., and is
buried at South Lee, not far from Lenox.
Russel Willis married Mary, daughter of John and
Hannah (Campbell) Sanford. They were our great-
grandparents; they had eight children (see genealogy),
the fifth of whom was,
14 *Tliomas Compson Willis, who married Deborah Far-
rand {7th) ; they were our grand-parents; they had
five children (see genealogy), the second of whom
was,
15 *Edwin Ethelbert Willis, who married Electa Caro-
line Cook (8th) ; they were our Father and Mother
*TH()MAS COMPSON WILLIS.
(14th Gexebatiox.)
Tliomas Compsoii Willis, our gTtiiidt'atlier, was born
at Old Boontoii, Now Jersey, April 29, 1791. He was
a prominent figure in the affairs of the State during his
long and vigorous life and specially so in the business
activity and iron industry of Morris County. He was
a man of the strictest integrity, great business capacity
and universally respected by all who knew him.
He continued his active business life until the time of
his death, in his seventj^-fourth year.
In the year 1812, at the age of twenty-one, he enlisted
for the war with England, in Captain John Scott's com-
pany, 15th U. S. Infantry, and was ap])onited Sergeant-
A History of ilte Willis Family 49
Major. When the loth Infantiy was enrolled with the
army of General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, (who was
from New Jersey,) Sergeant-Major Willis, being- a per-
sonal friend of General Pike, was given a position on his
Staff and served as a Staff* Officer.
General Pike, who by the way was the discoverer of
the source of the Mississippi river and also of Pike's
Peak in Colorado, named after him, assaulted and cap-
tured York, now Toronto, Canada, April 27, 1813. As
the fight was about over and the English troops began
their retreat, General Pike was sitting on a stump inter-
viewing a huge captive p]nglisli Sergeant when the
British set lire to their magazine, which exploded and
killed more than forty English soldiers and between fifty
and sixty Americans. Both General Pike and the Eng-
lish Sergeant, received mortal wounds and the General
died the following day. Mr. AVillis was deputized to
convey the news to General Pike's widow, which duty
he performed. Mr. Willis fought gallantly at the battle
of Chi])])ewa, July 5, 1814, and at Lundy's Lane, July 25.
1814, in which latter fight he received a bayonet wound
in the knee, which caused him to be lame the remainder
of his life. He took part as one of the garrison of Fort
Erie, when that fortress was besieged by the British
troops under General Drummond, from August 4th to
September 17, 1814. On the latter date the Americans
made a sortie and badly defeated and routed the enemy.
At one time when my grandfather's regiment was cross-
ing the Niagara river, bullets from the enemy struck the
color bearer, throwing him into the water; the boat was
upset and Sergeant-Major Willis seized the flag and
swam with it to the shore, through a shower of bullets
from the English, who were lined up on the shore, shoot-
ing at the men in the water ; as Mr. W^illis stepped from
50 A History of the Willis Family
the water, a bullet tore off the heel of his boot. The flag
he saved is preserved in the State House at Trenton,
New Jersey. I was told when a youth, by an old gentle-
man who knew my grandfather well, that * ' I would rather
have had your grandfather's fighting record in the War
of 1812 than a Colonel's commission."
Between the close of the War of 1812 and the time of
his marriage in 1824, his time was largely spent in the
jniddle West, practicing his profession as civil engineer
and surveyor. As a coincidence, at the time the rights
of way for the Chicago and Atlantic Railway were being
secured, about the year 1880, through the states of Ohio
and Indiana, many old surveys, signed by Thomas C.
Willis, were found.
Mr. Willis lived for some time at Faesch House, at
Old Boonton, a picture of which is given. This house
was built about the year 1760, by either David Ogden,
or his son, Colonel Samuel Ogden, both of whom were the
owners of the iron works, and was called Faesch House,
in honor of John Jacob Faesch who died there in 1799
and was *'in his day one of the great men of Morris
County, regarded as its greatest ironmaster, one of its
richest men, and one of its most loyal citizens. ' ' Faesch
House was one of the show places in early times, was
long noted for its beautiful gardens, and fountains and
statuary imported from Italy. As shown in the picture
it is greatly changed from the original, as the veranda
is a modern addition; formerly it had a stone platform
and steps, with iron railing and a beautiful colonial door-
way; it also had a long ell, or addition, in the rear. Du-
ring the Revolution Faesch House was the meeting place
of the officers of the army of New England and the
armies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, for councils of
war; many of which were held there on account of its
A History of the Willis Family 51
being a safe meeting place and out of the way of the
British troops, Washington was there many times, also
Lafayette and others of like quality; Lady Washington
accompanied the General to the house on at least two
occasions and was entertained there. My father told me
that when he was a boy and lived there, the garret of
the house was filled with chests, which were packed full
of papers relating to these meetings, quartermasters
accounts and other papers relating to the Revolution,
which would now be of priceless value, but at that time
their value was not appreciated, the children used the
books to scribble in, made soldier hats of the papers and
when paper was needed to build fires it was used; so
all these most valuable documents were entirely lost to
posterity, for although most of them were still there when
grandfather moved from the house, they had entirely
disappeared when some years afterward the Government
at Washington heard of them and sent an agent to secure
them. Near Faesch House, on the banks of the Rock-
away river, a beautiful turbulent mountain stream,
which has a fall of over three hundred feet immediately
above this place (and in a distance of a little more than
a mile) were located the Old Boonton Iron- Works, a pic-
ture of which, showing parts of the old works, is given.
This picture and the one of Faesch House were taken in
1900. A description of the works, will be found in the
historical sketch and under Russel Willis.
Faesch House, or rather where it once stood and the
site of the iron-works, are now buried fifteen fathoms
deep under the waters of the great Parsippany reser-
voir, which supplies water to the cities of Newark and
Jersey City.
About these works Thomas C. Willis was brought up
as a boy, as his father was superintendent as already
52 A Histoyy of the Willis Family
spoken of, and thus gained an insight into a business
which afterward became his life work.
On the hillside, overlooking Faesch House, once stood
in an old burying-ground, a small Episcopal church and
in this church Thomas C. Willis was christened. The
church disappeared long ago and tradition has it that
it was burned. When the reservoir was built, the remains
in the old church yard were removed and the site is also
now deep under the water. It is supposed that William
Willis (12th) was buried there.
Between the years 1824 and 1830, as engineer and con-
tractor, Mr, Willis built two sections of the Morris Canal,
one at Hacketstown, in the western part of the state and
one at Montville, near Boonton. In the vear 1830 he
became interested in the New Jersey Iron Co., which
built the great iron-works at Boonton, about one mile
above Old Boonton, on the river. I have been informed
he "turned the first sod" for these works, which grew
into the largest nail works in America and one of the
largest iron-works in the United States. Mr. Willis con-
tinued his connection with those works until 1844, when
he bought from Elijah Scott, a half interest in the pro-
perty at Powerville, on the Rockaway river, about one
mile above Boonton, including a forge and bloomery,
large gristmill and fine water power. Under the super-
vision of Mr. AVillis, they built in addition a rolling mill,
with machinery imported from England, machine shop,
turning plant and also a stamp mill and magnetic con-
centrator for dressing iron ore. Thomas C. Willis was
the inventor of the magnetic process of ore dressing and
the Powerville works were the first where such a process
was used. It was highly successful from the start,
and was adopted by many iron-works in that part of the
country and elsewhere and was the germ from which
A Hist on/ of flic ]]'IUis Fa mil II
58
WILLIS HOME, AT I'OWERVILLE, X. .1 .
lias i>Town the enormous business of magnetic ore separa-
tion in these later times. I believe Mr. Willis did not
patent his discovery, but allowed his friends in the iron
business to use it. The process consisted in first pulver-
izing the magnetite ore in stamp mills. The ore was then
washed through launders to remove the lighter material,
and the heavy ore and gangue was passed to the con-
centrator. This machine consisted of a wooden drum,
about three feet in diameter, by four feet length. On
the face of the drum, placed closely together, were rows
of powerful horse-shoe magnets. The ore was fed
against the face of the drum, which revolved slowly, the
ore sticking to the magnets, was carried over the top of
the drum to the other side, where it was removed by
large revolving brushes ; the gangue not being magnetic.
54 A Histoty of the Willis Family
fell below the machine. The product was an ore of great
purity and the iron produced in the forge, which had
four furnaces, was equal to the finest Swedish iron. My
father has told me that during the Civil war, they sold
hammered blooms from this forge to the Government
for as much as $180.00 per ton. The blooms weighed
from 400 to 600 lbs. each, were taken to the Government
arsenal at Springfield, Mass., and manufactured into
rifled cannon.
The Powerville works were operated solely under the
management of Mr. Willis. In 1847, Elijah Scott died
and left all his interest in the iron-works to Mr. Willis
his partner, who continued their operation until the time
of his death in 1864.
He at one time purchased in partnership with Dr.
Beach, of Beach Glen, part of the Beach property at
Hibernia, and developed a valuable iron mine, which they
afterward sold; it is known as the Lower Wood Mine,
on the Hibernia vein. He also with Mr. George T. Cobb
purchased part of the great Hibernia ore vein from Miss
Araminta Scott, which has since been known as the
"Willis" mine. It was from this mine that he obtained
the ore for his Powerville plant. The Willis mine proved
to be the '* heart" of this wonderful ore body. (See his-
torical sketch.)
Mr. Willis served in the State Legislature. He was
an active Freemason from his early manhood. He was
a member of the Presbyterian Church and when the First
Presbyterian Church of Boonton was organized, on July
1, 1832, Mr, Willis was requested to select and make a
call for a pastor, which he did. This was the first church
in the town of Boonton and Mr. Willis continued a mem-
ber of same until some time in the fifties, when an aboli-
tion movement started among some of the church mem-
A History of the Willis Family 55
bers ; to this Mr. Willis was bitterly opposed, and he left
the church and I understand he did not again attend
church service during his lifetime.
He was ahvays fond of field sports and a good setter
dog was his constant companion. He was a noted wing
shot, which latter art was inherited by his three sons,
who were said to have been the three best wing shots in
the state.
That he could unbend on occasion in a social way is
brought to my mind, for I remember while a small boy
seeing him on a Fourth of July, seated under an old
cherry tree near his house; in front of him a large, new
wooden wash tub, in which was a huge block of ice and
a ''Punch," in which floated strawberries, cherries, rasp-
berries, sliced oranges, lemons and pineapple. At his
side a table on which were tumblers ; in his hand a ladle
made of half a cocoanut shell, wdth a long wooden handle.
Coming from far and near, were his friends; by car-
riage, on horseback and on foot, to share his hospitality
and wish him the compliments of the season. T remember"
that the punch looked good to me and I begged for some,
but the old gentleman said, "My boy, this is man's
punch," and I expect it was, knowing as I now do the
tastes and habits of that good old time. However, I did
succeed in fishing out of the tub several choice pieces of
the fruit, the memory of which lingers with me still.
My grandfather rounded out an honorable life and died
full of years ; he lies resting in the old cemetery at
Parsippany.
Dr. Tuttle, in his review of the iron manufacturers
of the county in 1853, refers to the Powerville works
as follows: ''Perhaps no mill in the county at that time
paid better interest on the capital invested, which Mr.
Willis estimated at $50,000. The profitableness of the
56 A Hisfonj of the WiUis Family
concern was owing to the careful management, and also
to the kind of iron made, which was mostly hoop iron,
then very profitable. It is estimated that the rolling-
mill used about 500 tons of blooms a year, coal, (anthra-
cite) 600 tons, which averaged at that time $100 per
ton. Mr. Willis was a man deservedly popular with all
who had dealings with him, and highly esteemed and
respected throughout the county."
The price of coal as mentioned by Dr. Tuttle is an
error, as he meant the price of blooms, which were made
in the Powerville forge ; and a much larger tonnage of
blooms were sold. The rolling mill also used a verv
large tonnage of scrap iron, which rolled into bars,
both round, square and other shapes, and the works,
beside the anthracite, used a great many thousand bushels
of charcoal each year.
The forge and bloomery had four Catalan furnaces
and a powerful trip hammer; the iron was made under
the Swedish process and when the writer was a boy the
furnace men were Swedes and celebrated for the high
quality of iron they produced.
DEBORAH (faRRANd) WILL,IS.
I will add a little event in the life of our grandmother
Deborah (Farrand) Willis. One day grandmother^
after much solicitation, gathered some children about her,
myself included, and related to us the following incident
of her voung life :
She had been invited to visit a relative at Burlington,
Vermont, and took the opportunity of going as far as
Albany, New York, under the escort of a gentleman and
his wife, who were to drive to Albany in their carriage.
At Albany, her relative was to meet her. Grandmother
and a young girl companion, drove in a two-wheel gig
from New York to Albany, following the carriage of
58 A History of the Willis Family
their escort. On reaching Albany, they found the rela-
tive had not arrived and the town was full of troops
rushing through to Lake Champlain to repel the British
invasion from Canada. It was a serious matter for the
young ladies, as their escort could go no further with
them, but they found a champion in an officer they knew,
who agreed to see them safely to Plattsburg, from which
place they could cross the lake to Burlington. The night
at Albany was spent at a ball given by the officers, and
thereby made a milestone in their young lives. The fol-
lowing morning the troops started at an early hour, the
girls being given a covered army ambulance in which to
make the journey, and the trip to Plattsburg was a won-
derful experience for them. Grandmother told us of the
armed camps at night, the tender care of the officers in
their solicitations for their comfort on the march; of
how the young officers rode alongside the ambulance and
chatted and sang to them, and the forced march was more
like going to a festival than to grim war.
One morning, however, they neared Plattsburg, and
were greeted by the rattle of muskets and the roar of
cannon, and while the troops rushed off to take part in
the fight, the two girls were left standing on a hill over-
looking the town and lake, and from their position, in
plain view, they witnessed the great battle of Lake Cham-
plain, in which Lieutenant Thomas Macdonough captured
the entire British squadron of sixteen ships, killing their
chief connnander. Commodore Downie, with a loss of
over two hundred men, w^hile the Americans lost one hun-
dred and ten, and on the land they saw during the entire
day the bloody battle of Plattsburg, where Sir George
Prevost, Governor-General of Canada, with between five
and six thousand British troops, most of them veterans
of Waterloo, assaulted time and time again about thirty-
A History of the Willis Family 59
live hundred Americans, more than half of them raw
country militia, under General Alexander Macomb, and
at nightfall the retreat of the British, leaving over two
thousand dead on the field, while the Americans lost less
than one hundred and fifty.
At the close of the day and of the battle, the young
ladies, with a guard that had been left with them during
the day, were taken into the town and cared for. This
battle took place September 11, 1814.
C. E. W.
EDWIN ETHP^I.BERT WILLIS (Aged 21).
(15th Generation.)
Edwin Ethelbert AVillis, our father, was born near
Boonton, in New Jersey, April 7, 1827. He received a
classical education and in 1849, at the time of the gold
excitement in California, and at the age of twentv-two
years, he joined a large i:)arty of young men from Morris
County, N. J., and started for the Eldorado. Thev
journeyed to Pittsburg, then by steamboat down the Ohio
and up the Missouri rivers to Fort Leavenworth, Avhere
the party fitted out with wagons and stores. They
reached California after a journey covering seven
months. He had two close friends with him, a Dr. Riggs,
of Drakesville, and William De Camp, of Powerville. In
A llistoiy of flic Willis Family .61
the company was a youui;' man from Morristown named
Condit, Avho said ho would shoot the first Indian he saw,
which happened to be a Squaw. The Indians surrounded
the camp and demanded that the one who shot the Squaw
should be handed over to them. The i)arty at first
refused to do so, but the Indians said if he was not turned
over to them he would kill the entire party. A con-
sultation was held; the Indians were in very larg-e num-
bers, many times greater than the party of white men.
They were armed with guns and well mounted on horse-
back, and not to comply meant the death of the entire
party, as there was no escape. Condit was clearly in
the ^vrong' and had committed a deliberate murder, so
reluctantly they delivered him to the tender mercies of
the savages and sent out scouts to see w^hat the Indians
did to him. They reported that the Indians took Condit
to their camp and there literally flayed him alive and
applied burning torches to his quivering body. It was
a severe lesson to the party and they made everj^ effort
after that to treat the Indians kindly and got through
without further trouble from them. Father said that
one night he used a sack of sugar for a ])illow and the
next morning discovered a bear (probably a grizzly,
as other kinds were too timid,) had ])ulled the bag from
under his head during the night and devoured all the
sugar it contained. Cholera struck the party and many
died, but father and his two companions escaped.
The Plains at that time were swarming with game, buf-
falo, antelope, elk and deer, and the members of the party
took turns in supplying fresh meat. Father has told
us of the wonderful sport they had and of the game
secured, of wild chases on horseback after the buffalo,
of alluring the timid antelope with a red handkerchief
tied on the end of a I'amrod and many a story of plain,
62 A History of the Willis Family
mountain and forest. He little suspected, of course, that
several times during my boyhood, worked up to a state
of mad desire to follow in his footsteps, I was on the
point of trading my childhood treasures for a big gun,
running away to go West to shoot Indians and buffalo,
little dreaming, alas, that all the buffalo had disappeared
and that all the Indians were then "good Indians."
On reaching California, Mr. Willis and his two friends
were fortunate in being among the first to secure claims
•di Marysville, on Feather river. They had three claims
together and worked in partnership. Marysville was
])robably the richest of the California camps and their
claims were good ones. Finding the need of an anvil
to sharpen their tools, father and De Camp trudged
down to Sacramento, bought an anvil and a few tools,
swung the anvil on a pole between them and trudged
back again over the rough mountains and terrible trail
to their camp. It was the first and only anvil in camp
for some time ; they burned charcoal for fuel to heat the
drills and picks, and charged one dollar in gold dust for
sharpening either and the owner of the tool had to do
it himself. They were rapidly getting rich from this
source, when the second anvil arrived and competition
cut prices. In his camp, Mr. Willis established the
''First National Bank of Marysville," for he had a half
barrel containing pickles and thought it the most unlikely
place for a robber to search for gold, in those days of
constant robbery, so whenever he found a large nugget,
and he found many, some of them of several ounces
weight, he would deposit it in his bank by dropping it
in the pickle barrel and stirring things up until it sank
to the bottom. He discovered, however, as have many
others, that all banks are not safe, for after having
deposited what he estimated at three thousand dollars
A His fori/ of the Willis Family 68
in nuggets, lie took a short trip. On his return he learned
to his horror that during his absence one of his partners
had sold his bank, i. e., the pickle barrel, with its contents,
to a man who kept a boarding tent and who had strenu-
ously begged for the pickles, **as his boarders demanded
them.''
Father rushed to the "hotel" and examined the barrel,
but no gold was found, of course, and one of the dark
mysteries in the Willis family has since been, "who got
the nuggets."
One morning as the partners went to work they
found three huskv, heavily armed men, busily at
work in their richest pit. They ordered them out,
which the "jumpers" refused, saying the partners had
only a right to one, instead of three claims, which they
were working. Mr. Willis and his partners immediately
aroused the camp, the pit was surrounded by armed men
and one man was directed to tell the "jumpers" to come
up out of the hole. When they ajjpeared, they looked
into the muzzles of guns, pointed from all sides. They
were disarmed and given three minutes to get out of
camp and took full advantage of the reprieve. The part-
ners probably lost a small amount of gold, but were
recouped by the addition to their armament of two good
rifles and three Colts revolvers. Their claims proving
rich they were among the successful ones and father
returned to New York, by way of Panama, to marry his
sweetheart and take her out to California with him. He
arrived in New York on Christmas day, 1852. He mar-
ried Electa Caroline Cook on June 15, 1853, but her
parents refused to allow her to go to California and he
therefore abandoned all his possessions in that state to
his partners and went into the iron business with his
father, at Powerville.
64
A History of the Willis Fauiily
Before leaving for California his father required him
to join the Masonic order, as he had heard that many
Indians had been given the first degree by men who had
EDWIX ETHELBERT AND ELECTA C. WILLIS, 1852.
gone through Ijefore the gold rush and he thouglit it
would be a safeguard perhaps if trouble arose with the
Indians. Mr. Willis rose to be a 33d degree Mason and
was a member of the Grand Lodge of the State of New
Jersey. He continued in the iron business, as assistant
to his father, until tlie latter died in 1864 and then
A History of the Willis Family 65
assumed the management, until the works were finally
closed down and sold, in the seventies. From their loca-
tion they could no longer compete with the works in
Pennsylvania, on account of the high cost of fuel and
transportation.
In 1871, Mr. Willis was chairman of the committee that
built the beautiful soldiers' monument, in memory of
the soldiers and sailors of the Civil war, located in the
Park at Morristown, and at the dedication of the monu-
ment he made the address. It w^as one of the first monu-
ments built after the Civil war. In 1872, he was elected
Surrogate of Morris County and served five years. He
was for many years a member of the Board of Free-
holders and served as chairman of same. He was one
of the commissioners who settled the rights of way of
the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railway, when
they built their main line across the State of New Jersey,
a most difficult and important business, on account of
the manv interests involved and the great value of the
land in the country, towns and large cities through w^hich
the road passed. In 1880, when the Chicago and Atlantic
Railway was organized, he was elected its first treasurer.
For some years the offices of the road were in New
York, but on the removal of his office to Chicago he sold
his home and removed to the western city. He remained
treasurer of the road several years, until it was taken
over by the Erie Railroad. He afterward engaged in
other business in Chicago, until the time of his death.
The tow^n of ''Willis," in Indiana, is named for Edwin
E. Willis.
Throughout his entire life he was a great lover of the
**out of doors." He was a wonderful wing shot and an
expert fly fisherman, and each year if possible, would
take a trip in the spring to Maine, or the North, for
66 A History of the Willis Family
trout. All sports were enjoyed by him, he played a fine
game of billiards, and at chess he was said to be very
hard to beat. His great hobby, however, was flowers and
gardening. His gardens were noted throughout the
country as being the finest in that part of the state. He
was a great student and omnivorous reader. His chil-
dren often wondered when he slept, for none of them ever
remained up late enough to see him without a book, or
arose early enough not to find him working in his garden
among his flowers and fruit, the weather permitting.
From the time of his return from California he held
a leading position in all the public affairs of the section
in which he lived. His opinion was sought on all mat-
ters of public interest, he was honored and looked
up to and considered an authority on the questions of
the day and was frequently called on to address public
meetings.
No children ever had a more kind or indulgent father.
When we were youngsters he entered into our games and
sports, taught his boys the use of a gun, how to manage
a setter and how to cast a fly, and he never appeared
happier than when his sons followed him on his hunting
and fishing trips. It was his custom on Sunday after-
noons in the springtime to lead his children into the
woods and there teach them about the birds and their
names and the ways of building their nests, and also
would point out to them the wild flowers, which he seemed
to know every one bj^ name, and in this gentle way taught
his children botany and the habits of the wild things of
the fields and forest. In return his children worshipped
him and there was but one father for them in all the
World. In 1866 he lost our mother, who left him with
the care of five small children, whom he brought up under
the eye of a maiden cousin.
A History of the Willis Family
67
In 1873 he married the second time, a widow, Marcia
(Smith) Kitchell, by whom they had one son, Raymond
S. Willis.
Mr. Willis lived the life of a country gentleman, was
for years a leading member of the Presbyterian Church
and at the age of seventy-two he ended a useful and
respected life. He is buried in the AVillis lot at Par-
sippany.
C. E. W.
MAJOR HENRY FARRAITD WILLIS.
Major Henry Far rand Willis, second son of Thomas
Compson and Deborah (Farrand) Willis, was a veteran
of the Civil war. He entered the army with the rank
68 A History of the Willis Family
of Captain and was advanced to Major. Company L,
27th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers; Christ's Bri-
gade; Burn's Division; 9th Army Corps. (See Willis
Genealogy, 15th generation.)
Willis Arms.
The arms given are those of the Fenny Compton
family of Willis, and also the arms used by Governor
George Wyllys and his descendants in Connecticut, an^
by Thomas Willis, of Thistleworth (Isleworth), Middle-
sex, formerly of Fenny Compton, and of Lynn, Mass.
A portrait of Samuel Wyllys, a grandson of Governor
George Wyllys, which is now in Hartford, Conn., bears
these arms, and many documents in the records of Con-
necticut are marked with the seal of Samuel Wyllys, son
of Governor George W^yllys, which show the same arms
and crest.
Arms — ** Argent, a chevron sa. between three mullets,
gules. ' '
Crest — "A hawk with wings displayed proper.
SOME FURTHER WILLIS HISTORY.
RELATING TO THE HOWELLS.
In the history of the Howell family of Southampton,
Long Island (which was founded by Edward Howell
and others in 1640), occurs the statement that Rachel
Howell married the Rev. Thomas Willis, in the sixteenth
century.
Rachel Howell was the daughter of William Howell,
Esq'r, and sister of Henry, who was the father of Edward
of Southampton, L. I. This entry was of such interest
to the authors, as so many of the Willis family were
named Thomas and also were ministers, in ancient times,
that some effort w^as made to trace this connection and
descendants therefrom. This has been so happily accom-
plished that we will give the result of our research, as
it cannot but interest both the Howell and Willis fami-
lies, showing a marraige of a Willis to a Howell in the
sixteenth century, while our history shows the marriage
of Benjamin F. Howell to Frances Helena AVillis, about
the middle of the nineteenth century.
We find reference to the marriage of Rachel Howell
and Thomas Willis in two standard English authorities ;
as they are slightly different, so far as the death of
Thomas Willis is concerned, we will give them both.
First, however, we wish to say that the Howell history
contains rather a grave error, i. e., that Thomas Willis
was a clergyman.
That is a mistake, as no record so states.
In "Alumni Oxoniences" there is this, "Thomas Willis,
St. John's College, in and before 1566."
70 A History of the Willis Family
We will quote first from Burke : * ' John Willis, of the
Warwickshire family; leased lands at Harborough in
Lancanshire for 199 years in 1582, was grandfather of
Thomas Willis of Hinxsey and Kennington, two sons
Thomas and John. Thomas eldest son A. M. St. John's
College Oxford, was killed while fighting under the royal
banner at the siege of Gloucester in Aug. 1643. He m.
1st Rachel, dau. of William Howel esq., m. 2d Miss Joane
Ruffine."
The following is from the National Cyclopedia of Biog-
raphy, London, and we believe it more likely to be correct :
''Thomas Willis A. M. was a retainer of St. John's Col-
lege Oxford, (which in those days may have meant pro-
fessor.) He was afterwards steward (i. e., manager) of
the estates of Sir Walter Smith of Bedwyn; he retired
in his old age to North Hinksey near Oxford, and lost
his life in the siege of Oxford 1646. Rachel Howell his
wife, was a native of Hinksey." They had a son,
''Thomas Willis, born 1621, died 1675; matriculated
Christ Church College, Oxford, March 3, 1636, B.A. June
19, 1639 and M. A. June 18, 1642. Graduated M. B.
Dec. 8, 1646. Began practicing medicine in a house oppo-
site Merton College." "He was the greatest physician
and surgeon of his time," wrote a great many books on
medical subjects and was the discoverer of diabetes
melitus and other diseases. All ancient biographies
speak of him, and the current Encyclopedia Britannica
has a very full account of his life.
He was twice married, first to Mary, daughter of Dr.
Samuel Fell and sister of Dr. John Fell ; she was buried
in Westminster Abbey. He married secondly, Eliza-
beth, eldest daughter of Sir Mathew Nicholas, Dean of
St. Paul's Cathedral. They were married in West-
minster Abbev. Elizabeth was the widow of Sir William
A History of the Willis Family 71
Galley of Burderop Park in Wiltshire. After Dr. Willis
died she married as her third husband Sir Thomas Mom-
pessor of Bathampton, Wiltshire. She is buried in
Winchester Cathedral.
Dr. Thomas Willis died in Saint Martins Lane, Lon-
don, 11 Nov., 1675, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
The only surviving son of Dr. Thomas Willis was
Thomas Willis, b. 1658, d. 1699; was also a graduate of
Oxford and was the father of Browne Willis, the cele-
brated English antiquary, one of the most distinguished
and noted men of his day.
It will be seen from the foregoing article that John
Willis, of Harborough, was of the Warwickshire family
of Willis, consequently his ancestry was the same as
our own.
ANCIENT WILLIS PEDIGREE.
The following pedigree of the Willis family is taken from the
"Visitation of Warwickshire," 1619. It was there recorded in
the direct line of descent to Georgius Willis fil. et heir, aet. 8,
1619. In the line of the second son of William Willis de Priors
Marston, Richard, by name, the "Visitation"' record ends with
the marriage of Richard, to "filia Georgius Blount, Knt. "
Richard was our ancestor and the genealogy from Richard down
to the children of Thomas of Thistleworth, was added evidently
by some one from family records. The entire pedigree as given
below, is a copy of an old English document.
Ric 'us Willis de Napton
in com. Warr.
— Jona filia et heir Joh 'is Jeames.
Tho 'm Willis de Naptoii
iu com. Warr.
1
Ric 'us Willis de Naptou
in com. Warr.
I
Tho's. Willis de Priors
Marston in com. Warr.
1
Ric 'us Willis de Fenicompton =
in com. Warr. |
. . . filia Grante de
Norbrooke in com. Warr.
Willm 's Willis de Priors == Nepota Joh 'is Gierke
Marston in com. Warr.j de com. Northampton
Ricardus Willis =
I
filius 2 Ml
Amye=Ambrosius Willis=Agneta fil. Will 'uii Coles Ric 'us Willis= filia
2 Wife
de Fenui Compton
de Preston Magna
in com. Northampton
Georgius Blount
Knt.
Ric 'us Willis de == Hester filia Georgius Tho's Willis de=Mary, filia. .
Fenni Compton
in com. Warr.
Chambre de Williams-
cot in com. Oxon.
Thistleworth in
com. Midd.
schoolmaster
Tomlins de
Glouc.
Mary, fil. == Georgius Willis
F. Smith de I de Fenni Compton
Stratford on Aet. 29, 1619
Avon
= Bridget fil Willi. William
-.^ T T^. . (of London)
Yoimg de Kingston ^.^^^^,^
Hall, m com.
Salop.
2 Wife
Samuel
Hester
Amy
Georgius Willis
fil. et heir.
Aet. 8, 1619
Judith
wife of
Thomas
Guilder
Maria
Thomas Elizabeth
1st son wife of Rev.
Henry John Knowles
of Lincolnshire
Mary
WILLIS ANCESTRY.
Shoiving maniayes between families, for easy reference.
5 Richard Willes, m. dau. of Grant of Norbrooke.
6 William Willes, m. niece of Sir John Gierke.
7 Richard Willes, m. dau. of Sir George Blount, Knt.
8 Thomas Willis, m. Mary Tomlins.
9 Henry Willis, m. Elizabeth Otis.
10 Thomas Willis, m. Ruth Noyes.
11 William Willis, m. Ellen.
12 William Willis, m. Bathsheba Brumley
13 Russel Willis, m. Mary Sanford.
14 Thomas C. Willis, m. Deborah Farrand, 7.
15 Edwin E. Willis, m. Electa C. Cook, 8, first wife.
15 Edwin E. Willis, m. Marcia Smith Kitchell, second
wife.
16 Charles E. Willis, m. Emma Bradley Howard.
John Plume, 6, m. Hannah, dau. of Azariah Crane 2nd.
who m. Mary Treat, dau. of Robert Treat, Gov. of Conn.,
founder of Newark.
John Plume, 7, m. Joanna Tompkins 3d. great-grand-
daughter of Michael Tompkins of Milford, Conn., who
concealed Generals Walley and Goffe in his house.
Robert Plume, 8, m. Deborah Farrand, 5, dau. of Jo-
seph Farrand, 4, son of Samuel Farrand, 3d.
Deborah (Farrand) Plume, 5, widow, m. Captain
(Deacon) Samuel Ball, 6.
Phoebe Plume, 9, dau. of Robert Plume, 8, m. Daniel
Farrand, 6.
Ebenezer Farrand, 4, m. Rebecca Ward, 15, dau. of
Bethuel Ward, 14.
74 A History of the Willis Family
Lt. Bethuel Farrand, 5, m. Rhoda Smith.
Daniel Farrand, 6, m. Phoebe Plume, 9.
Deborah Farrand, 7, m. Thomas C. Willis, 14.
Robert Kitchell, 1, m. Margaret Sheaf e, 2d. dan. of
Rev. Edward Sheafe, 1.
Samuel Kitchell, 2d. m. Grace Pierson, 2d. dau. of Rev.
Abraham Pierson, 1.
Abraham Kitchell, 3d. m. Sarah Bruen, 17, dau. of
John Bruen, 16. son of Hon. Obadiah Bruen, 15.
Joseph Kitchell, 4, m. Rachel Bates.
Hon. Aaron Kitchell, 5, m. Phoebe Farrand, 5, dau
of Ebenezer Farrand, 4.
Lucy Kitchell, 6, m. John Fairchild, 6.
Captain (Deacon) Samuel Ball, 6, m. Deborah (Far-
rand) (Plume) 5.
Lydia Ball, 7, m. Peter Cook, 6.
John Fairchild, 6, m. Lucy Kitchell, 6, dau. of Hon.
Aaron Kitchell.
Susan Caroline Fairchild, 7, m. James Harvey Cook, 7.
Ellis Cook, 1, m. Martha Cooper, 2d. dau. of John
Cooper, 1.
Abiel Cook, 3, m. Sarah Moore, 3, dau. of Joseph
Moore, 2, son of Rev. John Moore, 1, who m. Margaret
Howell, 4, dau. of Edward Howell, 3, leader of the South-
ampton, L. I., settlement.
Peter Cook, 6, m. Lydia Ball, 7, dau. of Capt. (Deacon)
Samuel Ball.
James Harvey Cook, 7, m. Susan C. Fairchild, 7.
Electa C. Cook, 8, m. Edwin E. Willis, 15.
John Bruen, 16, m. Esther Lawrence, 2d dau. of Dea-
con Richard Lawrence.
Sarah Bruen, 17, m. Abraham Kitchell, 3d.
WILLIS GENEALOGY.
From the "Visitation of Warwickshire," 1619, pedigree of
Mr. Thomas Willis of Thistleworth, (Isleworth) Middlesex,
England, and Lynn, Mass., 1630; pedigree of the Hon. George
Wyllys or Willis, Governor of Connecticut, 1642-43; "Alumni
Oxonienses;" colonial and family records.
Robert Keverell, m. Clemence, daughter of Sir Adam of
Naplin, as appeareth by deed.
Austin Keverell, m. Agnes, dau. of William of Frankton.
William Keverell, m.
Thomas Jeames of Fisho, m. Jane, dau. and heir of William
Keverell.
John Jeames, m.
1 *Richard Willes of Napton, b. about 1350, m. Jona, dau. and
heir of John Jeames.
2 *Thomas Willes of Napton, county Warwick.
3 *Richard Willes of Napton, county Warwick.
4 *Thomas Willes of Priors Marston, county Warwick.
5 *Richard Willes of Fenni Compton, county Warwick, b.
about the year 1468, d. May 1532, m. dau. of Grant,
of Norbrooke, county Warwick, and had two sons.
6 *William Willes of Priors Marston, county Warwick son
and heir, m. niece of Sir John Gierke of county North-
ampton.
6 Richard Willes.
* William Willes (6th) had two sons.
7 Ambrose Willes, of Fenny Compton, son and heir, d, Nov.,
1590, m. Agnes, dau. of William Coles of Great Preston
in county of Northumberland, Gent. (Grandfather of Gov.
George Wyllys of Conn.)
76 A History of the Willis Family
7 *Ilichard Willes, m. dan. of Sir George Blount, Knt and had,
8 *Thomas Willis, of Thistleworth (Isleworth), Middlesex,
"schoolmaster," b. at Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, 1582,
marticnlated at St. John's College, Oxford, June 11, 1602,
aged 19 ; B.A. June 2, 1606, M. A. June 21, 1609 ; m. Mary
Tomlins of Gloucester; schoolmaster at Thistleworth,
moved to Lymi, Mass., 1630; returned to Thistleworth about
1646, d. at Thistleworth, Middlesex, England. 1660. He had,
9 Thomas, a celebrated divine. Vicar, D.D , Chaplain in
ordinary to King Charles II., came to Lynn with his father,
afterwards returned to England, M.A. St. John's College,
Oxford. Dee. 17. 1646, D.D. Dec. 20, 1670.
9 Elizabeth, m. Kev. John Knowles of Lincolnshire, and
moved to Watertown. Mass.
9 Mary, no record.
9 *Henry, b. at Thistleworth about 1618, moved to Lynn,
Mass., with his father in 1630, volunteer in Pequot war un-
der Endicott 1636-7. m. Elizabeth Otis in 1642, had,
10 *Thomas, m. Kuth Noyes of Taunton, Mass., he was "a
Builder of Forges."
10 Richard.
(Henry probably had a son William and several daugh-
ters. )
Children of Thomas and Ruth (Noyes) Willis.
11 Thomas.
11 Richard.
11 *William, also a builder of forges, i. e., iron-works, assistant
to his father, was b. at Taunton, Mass., Mch. 18th, 1685,
moved to Conn, about 1730, m. Ellen.
(There was also probably a son named Henry, and other
children.)
A History of the Willis Family 77
Children of William and Ellen Willis.
12 *William, b. at Taunton, Mass., 1725, moved to Conn, with his
father in 1730; from Conn, moved to New Jersey, d. Oct.
9, 1777, m. in Mass. Bathsheba Brumley, d. 1780, she re-
turned to Mass., where she died.
12 Bethuel.
(William Willis 11th probably had several other children.)
Children of William and Bathsheha (Brumley) Willis.
13 William, b. Mch. 27, 1754, d. 1793. Revolutionary soldier.
13 Bethuel, b. April 9, 1757. Revolutionary soldier.
13 Joseph, b. Feby. 12, 1761, d. South Lee, Mass. Revolution-
ary soldier.
13 *Russel, b. Nov. 22, 1762. d. Clyde. New York. Revolution-
ary soldier.
13 John, b. Oct. 22, 1765.
13 Lewis, b. Dec. 30, 1767.
13 Anthony, b. May 15, 1769.
13 Wealthy, b. Sept. 18, 1772. m. James Carroll in Mass.,
moved to New York State.
13 Nancy, b. Sept. 9, 1774. m. Daniel Pixley in Mass., moved
to New York State.
Russel Willis, 13th, m. Mary, dau. of John and Hannah
(Campbell) Sanford, and had,
14 Rachel, m. Charles Lawson and lived in Michigan.
14 Julia, m. Jonas Ward.
14 Sarah, m. John Baxter, lived at Forrestville, New York.
14 Hannah, unmarried.
14 *Thomas Compson, b. April 29, 1791, d. Aug. 21, 1864, m.
Deborah, dau. of Daniel and Phoebe (Plume) Farrand, at
Parsippany, N. J., Dec. 14, 1824 ; she was b. Feby. 9, 1793,
d. Oct. 20, 1885, aged 92 years and eight months.
78 A History of the Willis Family
14 William C, lived at Port Byron, New York,
14 John S., lived in Cayuga County, New York, then Michigan.
14 Edward S., went to Michigan.
Children of Thomas Compson and Deborah (Farrand) Willis.
15 *Frances Helena, b. Nev. 9, 1825, d. Mch. 2, 1912, m. on Nov.
24, 1858, Benjamin Franklin Howell, b. Oct. 11, 1822, d.
Nov. 8, 1908.
15 *Edwin Ethelbert, b. April 7, 1827, d. Feby. 21, 1899, m.
1st on June 15, 1853, Electa Caroline, dau. of James Harvey
and Susan Caroline (Fairchild) Cook; she was b. Feby. 21,
1827, d. April 21, 1866.
Edwin Ethelbert, m. secondly, Marcia Burnham (Smith)
Kitchell, a widow, on Jany. 11, 1873, she was b. Jany. 8,
1836, d. Oct. 26, 1911.
15 *Henry Farrand, b. Oct. 26, 1828, d. Aug. 25, 1916, m. on
June 9, 1864, Mary Jane, dau. of Aaron Kitchell and Sarah
Mariah (Odell) Fairchild; she was b. July 25, 1837, d.
Sept. 30, 1911.
15 John Scott, b. June 2, 1830, d. June 7, 1913, m. on Sept.
15, 1863, Rhoda Munn, b. July, 1834, d. April 23, 1891, no
children.
15 Sidney Sprague. b. Nov. 30, 1831, d. Oct. 29, 1832.
Children of Edwin Ethelbert and Electa Caroline (Cook) Willis.
16 *Frances Caroline, b. Sept. 4, 1854.
16 *Ida Julia, b. Jany. 8, 1856, m. Oct. 27, 1883, Theodore Far-
rand Hunter; for further record see Hunter family.
16 *Charles Ethelbert, b. Aug. 30, 1857, m. June 3, 1896, Em-
ma Bradley Howard, b. Feby. 6, 1870, dau. of John and
Mary Catherine (Macleod) Howard, of Richmond, Virginia.
16 *Edward Hervey, b. June 21, 1860, d. Feby. 8, 1906.
A History of the Willis Family 79
16 *Henry Cook, b. Nov. 15, 1863, m. 1st. Alta C. Stearns, on
June 8, 1883, m. 2nd. Jessie Robinson, Nov. 8, 1894.
16 *Agnes Mary, b. June 23, 1863, d. Feby. 13, 1866.
16 *Electa Caroline, b. April 21, 1866, d. April 25, 1866.
Child of Edwin Ethelhert and {his 2d wife) Marcia (Smith)
(Kitchell) Willis.
16 *Raymond Smith, b. Aug. 7, 1874, m. Dec. 9, 1902, Wilhel-
mine Bayless, b. Mch. 12, 1878.
All the children of Edwin Ethelbert Willis were born at
the Willis homestead, Powerville, near Boonton, New Jersey.
*Children of Charles Ethelhert and Emma Bradley (Howard)
Willis.
17 *John Howard, b. Feby. 8, 1900, at Richmond, Va.
17 *Charles Ethelbert, Jun'r, b. Dee. 10, 1904, at Richmond, Va.
17 *Francis Macleod, b. June 16, 1907, at Richmond, Va.
^Children of Henry Cook and Alta C. (Stearns) Willis.
17 *Edwin Stearns, b. April 29, 1884, d. May 2, 1888.
17 *Margurite Isabel, b. Nov. 1, 1888, m. Aggasis Louis Risser.
Children of Henry Cook and (his 2d wife) Jessie (Robinson)
Willis, she was h. Oct. 25, 1874.
17 *Marion, b. Oct. 14, 1899.
17 *Muriel, b. Dec. 1, 1900.
17 *Henry Frederic, b. Sept. 27, 1902.
*Children of Raymond Smith and Wilhelmine (Bayless) Willis.
17 *Helen Cecelia, b. Sept. 11, 1903, in Mexico.
17 *Raymond Smith Jun'r, b. Dec. 10, 1906, in Mexico.
80 A History of the Willis Family
* Children of Major Henry Farrand {15th) and Mary Jane
(Pairchild) Willis.
16 *Louis Cobb, b. April 17, 1865, at Powerville, N. J., d. June
16, 1912, in Indiana, m. Feby. 18, 1893, Sarah Crall Hessin.
16 •Ella Cook, b. at Powerville, N. J., Jany. 20, 1867.
^Children of Louis Cobb and Sarah Crall {Hessin) Willis.
17 •William Le Roy, b. Dec. 8, 1893.
17 •Lisle Farrand, b. Feby. 10, 1896.
17 •James Hall Hessin, b. Jany. 9, 1899.
SANFORD FAMILY.
1 'Mr. and Hon. John Sanford, born in England in the year
1600, came to Mass. in 1631, made freeman 1632, went to
Providence in 1638. He was one of the founders of Po-
casset (Portsmouth), Rhode Island, March 7, 1638. Chosen
assistant Governor in 1647 and 1649. In May, 1653, he was
chosen president of Aquidneck, Portsmouth and Newport;
with the exception of one year, 1661-2, Mr. Sanford was
General Treasurer from 1654 to 1664 ; was Atty. Genl. 1662-
1664 and 1670-1 ; was Recorder, or Secretary of State, 1656-
61-68-69-71-76-77 to 86.
In 1665 was one of the commissioners appointed to adjust
the eastern boundary of the colony of Plymouth.
He occupied many other positions of trust in R. I. and
was one of the leading men in the settlement and develop-
ment of that State. He had a son,
2 ♦John Sanford, who married Mary (Gorton) Green, a wid-
ow, daughter of the celebrated Samuel Gorton, who by his
peculiar religious beliefs and preachings worried the Ply-
mouth fathers so dreadfully, and led to his persecution
and imprisonment. Mary Gorton's first husband was Peter
Green. John Sanford and Mary his wife, had,
3 *John Sanford, had,
4 *Samuel Sanford, who emigrated to New Jersey about 1710,
had,
5 *William Sanford, had,
6 *John Sanford. m. Hannah Campbell, Feby. 19, 1760, they
had,
7 *Mary Sanford, m. Russel Willis, 13th generation, for fur-
ther record see Willis genealogy ; they were our great-grand-
parents.
82 A History of the Willis Family
Hannah (Campbell) Sanford was granted administration of
her husband 's estate March 24, 1767 ; she afterwards m. Thomas
Compson, the engineer, or "architect," who rebuilt and en-
larged the iron-works at Old Boonton, for the Ogdens.
Thomas Compson Willis, our grandfather, was named for
him.
Mrs. Benjamin F. Howell, (Frances Helena Willis, 15th)
used to tell, that Mary Sanford 7th, had a brother, who had a
son, who was the father of General Sanford, of New York City,
the latter was the father of two daughters, who were so im-
pressed with their family importance, that as they grew up
they became ''high and haughty," and much too good to asso-
ciate with the common herd and could find no one "good enough
to marry." In consequence, they lived to become ancient spins-
ters, a warning to young ladies of like quality.
John Sanford, 1st, was a lineal descendant of Thomas de
Sanford, one of the companions in arms of William the Con-
queror.
SANFORD ARMS.
Arms: "Ermine, on a chief gu., two boars heads couped, or"
Crest: "A demi — eagle, displayed."
At Newport, Rhode Island, there is an ancient family burying
ground of the Sanf ords ; in this ' ' God 's Acre ' ' are several tomb-
stones marked with the Sanford arms as above noted.
BLOUNT GENEALOGY.
A daughter of Sir George Blount, Knt., m. Richard Willis of
Penny Compton ; as she was the mother of Thomas Willis of
Thistleworth, and Lynn, Mass., it is of interest to trace the pedi-
gree of this illustrious family. One of the early seats of the
Blounts was at Ockha, Warwickshire, not far from Fenny Comp-
ton ; later their principal seat was at Sodington, in Worcester-
shire, the adjoining county, but they maintained their seat in
Warwickshire also. The Sodington Estate is the principal seat
of the Blounts at the present time, showing an unbroken line
for many centuries. The following is taken from "Burke's
Peerage ' ' and is of course a Willis ancestry :
* ' This ancient family has given birth to the Barons of Ixworth
in Suffolk, as well as to the Barons Mountjoy, of Tliurveston, co.
Derby."
*The said Sir Robert Le Blount was the first feudal Baron
of Ixworth, (the place of his residence) and lord of Orford
Castle ; he m. Gundreda, youngest dau. of Henry Earl Fer-
rers, and had son and heir.
*Gilbert "Le Blount 2nd Baron of Ixworth, from whom we
pass to
* William Le Blount 6th Baron of Ixworth, who was stand-
ard bearer to Simon de Montfort, and fell at the battle of
Lewes, 14 May, 1264. He was attainted and the Barony of
Ixworth forfeited. He left no issue, so that the representa-
tion of the family devolved upon his uncle,
*Sir Stephen Le Blount, who m. as stated, Maria Le Blount
heiress of Saxliugham, and had two sons,
*Sir Robert, his heir,
84 A History of the Willis Family
Sir John, who married Constance, one of the sisters and
heirs of Sir Richard de Wortham, justice of the Common
Pleas.
The eldest son,
*Sir Robert Blount, m. Isabel, dau. and co-heir of the feudal
Lord of Odinsels, by whom he acquired the manor of Belton,
in Rutlandsliire, and had three sons. Sir Ralph Blount,
(from whom derived the extinct Lords Blount of Belton;
and Nicholas le Blount, who took the name of Croke, an-
cestor of the Crokes of Studley Priory) and
*Sir William Blount, who m. Lady Isabel de Beauchamp,
dau. of William, 1st Earl of Warwick, and widow of Henry
Lovett, of Emley Lovet, co. Worcester, and dying in the 9th
or 10th of Edward II., left a son,
*Sir Walter Le Blount, Knt., of Ockha, otherwise Rook, in
the CO. Warwick ; who m. Johanna, 3rd sister and co-heir
of Sir William de Sodington, and acquired the Estate of
Sodington, which to this day, continues one of the princi-
pal seats of the family. Sir Walter d. in 1332, and was
succeeded by his eldest son,
*Sir William Le Blount. This gentleman m. Margaret, dau.
and co-heir of Theobald de Verdon, 2nd Baron de Verdon,
but dying, s.p. left his property to his brother,
*Sir John Blount, who m. 1st Isolda, dau. and heiress of Sir
Thomas Mountjoy, by whom he had two sons. Sir John his
heir; and Walter, d. s. p. Sir John m. secondly Eleanor,
dau. of Jolin Beauchamp of Hatche, and widow of John
Meriet, by whom he had a son, Sir Walter Blount, the fa-
mous companion in arms of the Black Prince, ancestor of
the Blounts, Lords Mountjoy and Earls of Devonshire.
Burke says elsewhere. Barons Mountjoy, and Earls of Dev-
onshire, derived from the heroic Sir Walter Blount, so cele-
brated for his martial prowess in the reigns of Edw. III.,
A History of the Willis Family 85
Richard II., and Heury IV. He was slain at Shrewsbury
in 1403.
•Sir John Blount was direct ancestor of
*Sir George Blount, Knight, of Sodington and Warwickshire,
who m. Eleanor, dau. of William Norwood, Esq, of Leek-
hampton, Gloucestershire.
This Sir George Blount was the father of Blount,
who m.
•Richard Willis, father of Thomas Willis of Lynn.
Burke states in another publication, that the first Blount
in England, was a companion of William the Conqueror.
It will be noticed in the foregoing genealogy that Sir William
Blount married Lady Isabel de Beauchamp, daughter of Wil
liam de Beauchamp, who was 5th Baron de Beauchamp and 1st
Earl of Warwick. The reader will see, by turning to the article
headed "Genealogy, showing Royal ancestry from Alfred the
Great," etc., that William de Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Warwick,
is 24th in this line ; it therefore follows that the Willis ancestry
running back directly to William de Beauchamp, follows from
there back through the preceding 23 generations as given;
through Alfred the Great of England and Charlemagne of
France. As the reader can follow the ancestry through the
other genealogy, it is not given here to save repetition, but it is
a singular coincidence, that these families, united in England
by marriage so many centuries ago, should have been reunited
again (through their branching descendants), in this country.
BLOUNT ARMS
Arms: "Barry nebulee of six or. and sa." ) ^, ^. ^
„ . , , V Soduigton.
Crest : ' ' An armed foot in the sun proper, j
Arms : ' ' Gu. a f esse between 6 martlets ar. ' ' Warwickshire.
The arms show the common origin of Sodington & War-
wickshire families.
86 A History of the Willis Family
PEQUOT WAR.
"The General Court met in May 1637, at Wethersfield, Conn.,
to decide as to whether to declare war against the most warlike
and powerful tribe of Indians in New England. The future
safety of property and life in the Colony depended upon the
result,
' ' The Pequots had stolen not only the property of the English,
and murdered some of the inhabitants, but had abducted from
Wethersfield two young ladies and carried them among the In-
dians by force. The settlements less than three yeai*s old, feeble
as the inhabitants were in numbers, and deficient in means,
trusted in God for the result, and boldly declared war against
the Pequots. Ninety men were ordered to be raised — munitions
of war were at once prepared. Rev. Samuel Stone was selected
as Chaplain for the little but valorous army. They went down
Connecticut River in three small vessels, with Captain Mason
as commander (and to be brief) they met the enemy at the
Mystic Fort; they left 20 men in reserve and seventy made the
assault, and although the colonists lost two, with sixteen wound-
ed, they fought like men who were fighting for the future wel-
fare of the Colony — for the lives of their wives, children and
their own lives and property. When all was closed nearly 600
Indians lay dead upon the battle ground — about sixty or seventy
wigwams burned to the ground and the Fort in ashes. So val-
orous and complete was the victory that the Pequots became
extinct as a nation. Sassicus fled with a few of his warriors to
the Mohawks."
From "Hinman's History."
John Plume our ancestor and Andrew Ward were in the fight.
A list of many of the soldiers in the famous battle can be found
on pages 117-118; "Hartford in Olden Time."
PLUME FAMILY.
The Plume family is of Norman extraction and has been
traced back to Normandy 1180, a)id England 1240. We find
as far back as the year 1274, the name was spelled Plumbe. The
first on record was Henry and among the first Walter. The
next we know of was "honest" John Phimbe, yeoman, who also
spelled his name in that way and up to three generations back
of the beginning of the unbroken line, there was no change in
the spelling. From the beginning of the sixtenth century, the
line is unbroken, both in England and America, down to the
present day.
1 *John Plume, the earliest member of the family we can
number of unbroken succession, died in Toppesfield, county
Essex, England, Oct. 1st, 1586; he married Elizabeth and
they had son,
2 *Robert, who died at Essex, England, May 18, 1613. He
owned much land in Great Yeldham, Little Yeldham,
Toppesfield, Waller, Beauchamp, Bulmer, Castle Heding
ham, Sible and Halsted, in county Essex, in Clare and
other parishes of county Suffolk. He married first Elizabeth
Purcas, or Purchas, who died June 25th, 1596 ; married
second, a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Fuller, who survived him,
she died May, 1615.
3 *Robert, Jr., son of Robert and his first wife Elizabeth Pur-
chas, was born in Great Yeldham, county Essex, about 1558
and died at Spaynes Hall, Great Yeldham, Aug. 14, 1628.
He inherited Spajaies and Butlers manors from his father;
he married Grace Crackbone who died July 22, 1615, they
had.
88 A History of the Willis Family
4 *Johii, the first in this country; he was born at Spaynes
Hall Great Yeldham. July 28, 1594 and died in Branford,
Conn., July, 1648. From his father he inherited Ridgewell
Hall. In 1635 he emigrated to "Wethersfield, Conn., from
Watertown, Mass., where he first settled in 1630. He was a
member of the court from 1637 to 1642 ; he is mentioned in
the records as Mr. Pum. At a court held at Hartford in
March. 1636, Mr. Plume being a member of the court, the
business before it was the adopting of some measure to buy
corn form the Indians, as the inhabitants were in a starving
condition. They agreed to pay from four to six shillings a
bushel for it and Mr. Plume was appointed to receive the
corn for Wethersfield. He held various town offices and per-
formed many public duties; he was also one of the men in
Capt. John Mason's little army that wiped out the Pequot
Indians in 1637, aiul for his services received a grant of
land. He was also a ship owner. In 1644-5 he sold his lands
in Wethersfield and removed to Branford, where in 1645 he
is mentioned as ' ' keeper of the Town 's Book. ' ' He married
Dorothy and she administered his estate. Only one of his
children was born in this country and no record exists of
any of his children but Samuel, who was with his father
in Branford when he died. In September. 1637, before
deputies were introduced into Conn., he was a sort of ruler.
He was representative in 1641 ; his son
5 *Samuel Plume, who was born at Ridgewell Hall, county
Essex, England, Jany. 4, 1625-6, died in Newark. N. J.,
June 13th, 1703-4. On June 23, 1668, he sold his Branford
lands and removed to Newark, where he was a prominent
man in administering its afl'airs. All his children but the
yongest were born at Branford, Conn. He had son
6 *John Plume, who was born in Branford, Conn., Oct. 28th,
1657, died in Newark, New Jersey, July 22, 1710; he went
with his father to Newark in 1668. He married Hannah
A History of the Willis Family 89
Crane, daughter of Deacon Azariah and Mary (Treat)
Crane; (see Treat and Crane families), they had
7 *John Plume, born about 1696 and died after 1785, he was
the youngest child and only son of John (6th), he married
Joanna Tompkins, great-granl daughter of Michael Tomp-
kins, of Milford, Conn. ; she was born in 1708 and died
March 9, 1760, they had
8 *Robert Plume, who with his brother John wrote his name
without the final (e), he was born in Newark, N. J., 1729
and died Sept. 26, 1769 ; he married first. Esther, born 1732
and had a son Jonathan, who died in infancy. Robert,
married second, Deborah Farrand, daughter of Joseph Far-
rand 4th, and sister of Moses Farrand, 5th of Bloomfield,
N. J., she was born 1744, died in Hanover, N. J., 1806, they
were married in 1764 and had children
9 David, born March 9, 1765, died Sept. 18, 1766.
9 *Phoebe, born Dec. 1, 1766, died Sept. 26, 1851.
9 David, born Dec. 5, 1767, died Aug. 27, 1835 ; he married a
daughter of Col. Ellis Cook, of Hanover, N. J., Matilda by
name, who was born in 1772 and died May 6, 1852, they
had no children, (see Cook genealogy.)
*Deborah (Farrand) Plume, wife of Robert (8th), married
secondly, Capt. Samuel Ball, of Hanover in Feby, 1771,
and became the mother of Lydia Ball, who married Peter
Cook, our great-grandfather, (see Ball genealogy.)
9 *Phoebe Plume, daughter of Robert and Deborah, married
Daniel Farrand, Jany. 6, 1785, (see Farrand genealogy 6th
generation for further record. ) Daniel Farrand and Phoebe,
were our great-grandparents.
The two marriages of Deborah Farrand are rather remarkable
from our family standpoint. By her first marriage to Robert
90 A History of the Willis Family
Plume (8th), she become our great-great-grandmother through
the Parrand line, as her daughter Phoebe Plume married our
great-grandfather, *Daniel Farrand. Through the second mar-
riage of Deborah (Farrand) Plume, then a widow, to Captain
*( Deacon) Samuel Ball, she became our great-great-grand-
mother through the Ball and Cook line, as her daughter by this
second marriage, Lydia by name, married our great-grandfather,
Peter Cook. As though this particular mixup was not sufficient,
Deborah Farrand was the jBrst cousin of Bethuel Farrand, the
father of Daniel, and we leave it to our readers to figure out the
consanguinity for themselves.
Plume Arms.
Arms: "Ar. a bend vaire or. and gu. between two bendlets
vert."
Crest : ' ' Out of a ducal coronet or, a plume of ostrich feathers
argent. ' '
CRANE FAMILY.
1 *Mr. Jasper Crane was one of the first and important set-
tlers of the New Haven Colony and signed the "funda-
mental agreement," at New Haven, June 4, 1639, at a gen-
eral meeting of all the free planters, ''at the barn of Mr.
Newman." Tradition has it that he held the stewardship
and oversight of the property of the Rev. John Davenport,
during the time Mr. Crane remained at New Haven. He
is noticed at New Haven in 1643, with a family of three
persons and an estate of £480. He was one of those at
N. H. who attempted the settlement of lands on the Dela-
ware and was repulsed by the Dutch, Swedes and Fins.
He was a surveyor and laid out much of the town plot of
New Haven ; was selectman and one of the civil managers
of the new settlement, 1639. In March, 1641, he had a
grant of 100 acres in the east meadow, was selectman, etc.
"In 1644 Mr. Jasper Crane was freed from watching and
trayning because of his weakness;" made freeman 1644;
had more land granted him in 1644-5. "After some years
residence in N. H. he became interested in that well-known
bog-ore furnace of early days, of which Richard Post was
founder, in East Haven, to which place he removed with
his family" and here he lived and traded until he removed
to Branford; this was in Sept. 1652; having sold out. at
East Haven and purchased in Branford or Totoket, where
he joined the settlers from Wethersfield under William
Swain and about 20 others from Southampton, L. I., who
emigrated to Totoket with Rev. Abraham Pierson. "Jasper
Crane, Esq., and Mr. William Swayne were the first dep-
uties to the General Court of Electors" from Branford,
92 A History of the Willis Family
May 1653 and for four years after; chosen magistrate in
New Haven Colony in 1658, which he held until 1663.
Chosen asst. (Senator) to the General Court of Hart-
ford, Justice of the County Court at New Haven in
1664-5. One of the magistrates convened at Hartford by the
Governor in 1665 and one of the assistants and magistrates
of Conn. 1665-6. He remained in Branford a few years,
when with others of the colony, led by the Rev. Abraham
Pierson, he removed to Newark, N. J., 1667, taking with
him his sons, John, Deliverance and Azariah ; Mr. Jasper
Crane became at once one of the leading men of the new
settlement. Now called Hon. Jasper Crane, he and Robert
Treat were the first magistrates in Newark, 1668-9. They
represented Newark in the General Court same year and
both chosen deputies 1669-70 ; were deputies and magistrates
1671-2, and Mr. Crane was deputy and magistrate at New-
ark in 1675. Mr. Crane was one of the purchasers of the
Kingsland farm, a large tract of land located northerly of
Newark, now Belville. Mr. Jasper Crane and his sons John,
Deliverance and Azariah all signed the ' ' fundamental agree-
ments" of the New Haven Colony, Newark migration,
Mr. Crane was ranked as one of the strong-minded men of
Conn, and N. J. and lived to a very advanced age. He held
many important offices, both in Conn, and N. J., which
cannot be noted here. He was lovingly called "That good
old saint, Jasper Crane." He died at Newark about 1681,
as his inventory was proved that year. He had children
2 John, b. 1639, d. Newark 1694.
2 Deliverance, b. Jany. 12, 1642, "baptized at N. H. 12-4th
mo. 1642."
2 Mercy, b. N. H. March 1, 1645.
2 *Azariah, b. N. H. 1647, d. Newark, N. J., Nov. 5, 1730, aged
83.
2 Micah, b. N. H. Nov. 3, 1649.
A History of the Willis Family 93
2 Hannah, m. Thomas Huntington, who signed the "funda-
mental agreement" at Branford, Conn.
2 Belle.
2 Jasper, b. N. H. April 2, 1651 and probably other children.
2 *Azariah Crane, married Mary Treat, daughter of Robert
Treat, leader of the Newark settlement and afterward Gov-
ernor of Conn. "When Mr. Treat left New Jersey for
Conn, he intrusted his property at Newark to 'his son,'
Deacon Azariah Crane, who lived in the stone house at New-
ark and was a man of integrity and standing." His chil-
dren were,
3 Nathaniel.
3 Azariah, Jr.
3 John.
3 Robert, had sons, Timothy, Isaac, Josiah.
3 Mary Baldwin.
3 Jane Ball.
3 *Hannah, married John Plume (6th) ; for further record see
Plume Family, 6tli generation.
Crane Arms.
In Burke's "General Armory" there are seven Crane fami-
lies bearing arms; just which one of these Mr. Jasper Crane be
longed to, we have not decided, but that he was entitled to one of
them is undoubted, as an inventory of his estate at Newark has
"the various articles of plate marked with the family arms."
COLONIAL NOTES.
* * Thomas Huntington m. Hannah Crane, dau. of Jasper Crane,
as Crane in will calls Thomas Huntington his son. John Ward
of Branford in 1654, had seven children before he removed to
Newark; one son Nathaniel, (who probably died young, as there
is no record of him) and six daughters. The marriages of the
six daughters are all recorded in the history of early Newark.
John Ward died about 1694, (as his will is dated 1694) ; his
widow had been the widow of Thomas Huntington and her name
was Hannah. She was probably younger than her first hus-
band and though considerably younger than John Ward, he
probably thought her a suitable companion, as some widowers
even in these days prefer young ladies to old ones. Thomas
Sen'r had a daughter Hannah, mentioned in the will of her
grandfather Jasper Crane, as his grand-daughter Hannah
Hinman, Col. Rec.
In the year 1664, the Government of Conn, under the new
Charter became alarmed at the disaffection of the people com-
prising the old New Haven Colony; they therefore made an
effort to force them to take the freeman's oath and declare them-
selves. This had no effect, however, as the people remained ob-
durate, and the following year decided to remove to New
Jersey. The following is from an official record at Hartford :
"At the October General Court 1664, Mr. Sherman and the
Secretary (Mr. John Alljai) were appointed to go to New Hav-
en, Milford, Branford, Guilford and Stamford to submit to the
government established by His Magesties Gracious Grant, to the
Colony of Conn., and receive an answer. Also to declare all the
A History of the Willis Family 95
(then) freemen of the towns above, who were qualified by law
to become freemen of the Colony of Conn., so many as should
accept and take the freeman's oath &c. Also to declare that
the Court dothe invest Wm. Leete, Esq., Mr. Jones, Esq., Mr.
Gilbert, Mr. Fenn, Mr. Crane, Mr. Treat and Mr. Lowes with
the power of Magistrates to assist in the Government of the
above plantations and according to the laws of the Conn. Cor-
poration, or their own laws not contradictory to the Charter,
until the next May. And if any of them refused to govern
the people aforesaid, then Mr. Sherman and Secretary Allyn,
were authorized to appoint others in their places and administer
the oath for a faithful execution of the trust. Also to declare
that all other civil and military officers were established in their
places until the next May." Two of the above were Jasper
Crane and Robert Treat.
In the year 1669, a census of the towns in Conn, was taken
and the record (still in Hartford) shows the names of but ten
men living in Branford. As this was two years after the people
left, in 1667, it shows how complete the evacuation must have
been.
Following is the original agreement entered into by the first
settlers of New Haven, in 1639.
"Whereas there was a foundamintall agreem't made
in a generall meeting of all the ffree Planters of this
towne, on the 4th of the fowerth month called June,
namely, that church members onely, shall be ffree bur-
gesses, and they only shall chuse among themselves,
magistrates and officers, to have the power of transact-
ing all publique civill affayres of this plantation, of
making and repealing lawes, dividing inheritances, de-
ciding all differences that may arise, and doing all
things and businesses, of like nature. Itt is therefore
96 A History of the Willis Family
ordered by all the said ffree Planters, that all those
that hereafter should be received as planters into this
plantation should also submit to the said foundamintall
agreem't, and testifie the same by subscribing their
names under the names of the aforesa'd. "
The above was signed by 62 men and among the names were
Jasper Crane, George Warde and Laurence Warde; all of the
62 wrote their names. It was followed afterward by 48 others,
only five of whom had to make their marks.
In ''America Heraldica" it states, speaking of the Davenport
and Eaton expedition to, and settlement of New Haven, Conn.
"It is well known that this colony was only composed at the
start of men of high standing and respectable connections,"
"Mary Clark, of Farmington, Conn, was the daughter of the
widow Joice Ward, and sister of Mr. John Ward, of Wethers-
field, and Newark. She lived at Milford and removed to Farm-
ington where she died. Her will is dated Farmington, Nov.
28, 1677. Among numerous others mentioned in her will is her
brother John Warde, of Newark, N. J., she evidently had a large
estate. Nathaniel Farrand had leased her land in Milford, or
a part of it, which she provided for in her will."
"The planters of Conn, were among the illustrious characters
who first settled New England and twice made settlements,
first in Mass. and then in Conn, on bare creation. They have
ever stood among the most illuminated, first and boldest defen-
ders of the civil and religious rights of mankind."
Seventen ships came out to Mass. in 1629-1630, bringing about
2,000 planters who settled nine or ten towns, including Charles-
town, Boston, Cambridge, Watertown, Duxbury, Lynn and
others.
A History of the Willis Family 97
"Mr. William Swain, Mr. Thurston Rayner, Mr. Henry
Smith, Mr. Andrew Ward, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. John Deming
were some of the chief men who settled the town of Wethers-
field, Conn."
"On the 30th March 1638, Mr. Davenport and people of their
company sailed from Boston for Quinnipiack. In about a fort-
night they arrived at their desired port and founded New Hav-
en." It has been stated by some historians that the ship Ara-
bella, on which was the Whitfield party, a member of same, being
Robert Kitchell, was the first vessel to anchor in the harbor of
Quinnipiack, or New Haven, late in the summer of 1639. This
is an error, as the Davenport company sailed into the harbor
more than a year earlier. The Davenport and Whitfield com-
panies were really two parts of the same expedition and came
from the same place, in England, the counties of Surry and
Kent. The Davenport people leaving first, went to Boston and
the party was composed of such wealthy and prominent men,
that every effort was made at Boston to induce them to remain
there, even an entire town being offered to them. Eaton, one
of the party, was a very wealthy London merchant, had been
governor of the East India Company and embassador to the
Netherlands, and there were others of large wealth in the com-
pany. It is stated that the people of New Haven never suffered
for food or other supplies, as did most of the settlers of the
other towns.
"The principal men, or seven pillars of the church, chosen
Aug. 22, 1639 for Menunkatuck, (Guilford) were Rev. Henry
Whitfield, Robert Kitchell, William Leete, Samuel Desborough,
William Chittenden, John Bishop and John Coffinge. "
"The principal planters of Rippowans, (Stamford) were
Rev. Mr. Richard Denton, Mr. Mathew Mitchell, Mr. Thurston
98 A History of the Willis Family
Rayner, Mr. Andrew Ward, Mr. Robert Coe and Mr. Richard
Gildersleve, ' '
"Mr. Andrew Ward. Mr. Robert Coe, Capt Underbill and
Mr. Mitchell, were appointed assistant judges to Mr. Rayner;
these were the first judges of Stamford."
"Mr. Swain was the principal planter at the settlement of
Totoket, or Branford." His granddaughter Elizabeth, was the
first of her sex to land at Newark, assisted by Josiah Ward, who
she soon married. The pretty romance is related in the article
on the Ward family.
TREAT FAMILY.
1 *Robert Treat, Colonial Governor of Conn., 1683-98, was
born at Pitsminster, near Taunton, county Somerset, Eng-
land, in 1622, son of Richard and Alice (Gaylord) Treat
and descendant of John Trott, or Treat, of Staple Grove.
1458. In 1635 the family came to Mass. settling first at
Watertown ; but in 1637 removed to Wethersfield, Conn., of
which Robt. Treat became a leading citizen. He was deputy
in 1644-58, an assistant to the Governor, 1657-65 and with
two sons-in-law was among the patentees named in the char-
ter; granted by Charles II. to Conn. Robt. Treat removed
to Milford in 1639 and notwithstanding his youth, was
chosen to aid in laying out the town lands. By 1649, after
living in Wethersfield again, he had settled permanently
in Milford ; in 1654 was made lieutenant of its train band ;
in 1660 was chosen by the Church to assist in the laying
on of hands at the installation of Rev. Roger Sherman.
Represented the town in the General Assembly of New
Haven Colony 1653-57, and with one year excepted, he
served in the Governor's Council, 1659-64. Was several
times elected Magistrate of Milford, and "at the Restora
tion, received orders to apprehend the regicides, who were
secreted in the town, but seems to have delayed issuing the
writ until Goffe and Whalley were out of his jurisdiction."
In 1660-62 Treat was one of the commissioners to the Coun-
cil of the united colonies. In 1664, was appointed to confer
with commissioners from Mass. about differences between
that colony and Conn. Was appointed Capt. of Milford 's
train band, in view of expected attack by the Dutch
from New York. In 1663 was again elected deputy. In
100 A History of the Willis Family
1666 he removed with other planters to Newark, New Jer-
sey, his name heading the list of signers of "the fundamen-
tal agreements;" he was the leader of the party which
founded Newark and the acknowledged head of the new
settlement, "as town clerk, deputy to the General Assembly
for several years and as preserver of the peace, he was of
great value to the new township." The First Presbyterian
Church of Newark stands on his home lot. About 1671, he
went back to Milford, leaving a son John, who was married
to Abigail Tichenor and a daughter
*Mary, (our ancestress) the wife of Deacon Azariah Crane,
for further record, see Crane Family, which precedes this
article. "Treat became a member of the council of war
of Conn., having been appointed Major, and upon the final
organization. Treat was made second in command." In
Aug. 1675, King Philip's war being in progress, he was
appointed commander-in-chief, and saved Springfield,
Northfield and Hadley from the flames; at the last place
routing 800 Indian warriors. In Nov. same year the New
England colonies declared war against the Narragansetts
and 1000 men were sent into the field under Gov. Winslow
of Plymouth, with Major Treat second in command and
Major Treat took part in the "fort fight," Deer. 19, 1675.
In recognition of his services he was made deputy Governor,
May 11, 1676, which he held until the death of Gov. Leete
in 1683, when he was appointed Governor.
When the notorious Andros arrived in Conn, in 1683, the
Assembly was in session. Andros requested to see the
Colonial Charter, which was brought in and after Andros
had looked at it, the charter was returned to its box and
placed on the table. According to tradition, after some
heated words, Andros demanded the surrender of the char-
ter to him at once, but Governor Treat, by argument and
members of the Covmcil by long speeches, delayed the
A History of the Willis Family 101
surrender until it had become dark and candles were
brought in and lighted. Suddenly the candles were
blown out and the charter disappeared and was hidden in
a hollow oak on the Wyllys estate, afterward known as the
Charter Oak, and there it remained until Andros left the
country in May, 1689, when Treat resumed his office and
continued Governor until 1698, when he declined a re-elec-
tion. He accepted the position of deputy Gov. however,
and held it for ten years.
He was twice married ; first to Jane, daughter of Judge
Edward Tapp, of Milford, Conn., who bore him 4 sons, and
5 daughters, and died 1703. He married the second time,
Elizabeth, daughter of Elder Michael and Abigail Powell,
of Boston, and widow of Richard Bryan of Milford. His
daughter, by first marriage,
*Mary Treat, married Azariah Crane 2d) ; for further rec-
ord see Crane family.
Of Governor Treat's children; Samuel, a clergyman was
the grandfather of Robert Treat Paine, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence.
Governor Treat was probably the most distinguished citizen
of Connecticut during the sevententh century. A large volume
would be required to record his activities, and those descended
from him would do well to read the history of Conn, and New
England, to learn the quality of this grand old Puritan ancestor.
Robert Treat died at Milford, Conn., July 10, 1710. A beau-
tiful bridge in the town commemorating the early settlers, has
a stone marked with his name.
Trumbull, in his history of Conn, written in the year 1818,
pays the following tribute to him :
"The honorable Robert Treat, Esq., being at this period (1708)
eighty-three years of age, retired from the scene of public ac-
tion. He had been three years a magistrate and thirty-two years
governor or deputy governor of the colony. He died two years
102 A History of the Willis Family
after, July 12, 1710, in the eighty -fifth year of his age. Few
have sustained a fairer character or rendered the public more
important services. He was an excellent military officer; a
man of singular courage and resolution, tempered with caution
and prudence. His administration of government was with
wisdom, firmness and integrity. He was esteemed courageous,
wise and pious. He was exceedingly beloved and venerated
by the people in general and especially by his neighbors at
Mil ford, where he resided."
Hartford, Conn., Aug. 22, 1856.
"The venerable Charter Oak, which has defied the blasts of
probably more than a thousand winters, has at last yielded to
time and the elements, and now lies a huge ruin upon the
ground. It was broken off about five feet from the ground,
and when one looks upon the stump and sees what a mere shell
the trunk was, he wonders that it has stood so long. The hoi
low in the trunk has contained at one time 27 full grown men.
"All of the bells of the city tolled at sunset last evening for
an hour in token of the grief of our citizens for the loss of this
relic of the olden time. It is in fame next to Plymouth Rock. ' '
"C. J. H."
THE REGICIDES.
Search Warrant for the Apprehension of Major Generals
GOFFE AND WhALLEY.
''Hartford. June 14, 1664
Whereas his Majestie hath sent over to the plantation of N.
England spetial Ored and Coniand for the App'hending
of Collonell Whalley and Coll. Goph who are declared to
stand Convicted for the Execrable mnrther of the Royall
father of or Grations Soveraigne and having app'r'hended the
said persons, to send them over to England under strict care
to receave according to their demerits; These are therefore to
require you to make diligent search in your plantation for ye
forenamed Gent: Coll: Whalley and Coll: Goffe and to ap-
pr 'hend them being discovered and found out and to secure them
in safe Custody and bring them before the Magistrates or Maj-
istrate to receave further orders respecting the said p 'sons.
By order from ye Governo'r
and Magistrates
To Robt Treat, Esq'r. John Allyn, secr'y-"
at Milford.
The above should be of much historical interest to the
family, as Robert Treat, Esq., was our ancestor; he
placed the warrant in the hands of Laurence Warde
to make the search, the latter returning it "as not
found, ' ' while at the time Goffe and Whalley were living
at the house of our ancestor Michael Tompkins, near Mil-
ford, Conn., where they had been for two years. Michael
104 A History of the Willis Family
Tompkins was the father of Seth Tompkins, who married
Elizabeth, daughter of our ancestor Samuel Kitchell;
while Laurence Warde was the brother of our ancestor
George Warde. Michael Tompkins was also the great
grandfather of Joanna Tompkins, who married our an-
cestor John Plume (7th).
The search, and "not found," was evidently a joke,
much enjoyed by the Puritans of Conn., as they were all
in thorough sympathy with the fugitives.
An abbreviated account of the so-called regicides, co-
pied from an article by Mr. Harry H. Edes, of Charles-
town, Mass., follows:
''Edward Whalley — One of the fifty-nine Judges of
Charles I. who affixed their names to the warrant for the
King's Execution, January 29, 1648-9. He was the sec-
ond son of Richard Wlialley, Esq., by his second wife,
Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell, Hinchin-
brooke, Knight, the grandfather of the Protector, Oliver,
and a grandson of Thomas, Esq. (by his wife Elizabeth),
who was the eldest son and heir of Richard Whalley,
Esq. of Kirkton, county of Nottingham, a man of great
opulence and member of Parliament for Scarboro.
''Edward Whalley distinguished himself in many bat-
tles and sieges, and as a reward for his bravery at the
battle of Naseby, in 1645, Parliament, Jan. 21, 1645-6,
'voted him to be a Colonel of Horse,' &c.
"Having great confidence in his cousin, the Protector
committed the King's person to the charge of Colonel
Wlialley, and afterwards entrusted him with the govern-
ment of the counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby,
Warwick and Leicester, and Commissary General of
Scotland. General Whalley married the sister of Sir
George Middleton, Knight.
A History of the Willis Family 105
Major General Willl\m Goffe.
''William Goffe— likewise a member of the 'High Court
of Justice,' which pronounced judgment upon Charles
I., and like AVlialley, one of the fifty-nine who signed the
King's death warant.
"He was the son of the Rev. Stephen Goffe, a Puritan
Divine and Rector of Stanmer, in Sussex.
"Wiliam Goffe entered the Parliamentary army on
the breaking out of the war. He soon became Quarter
Master, then a Colonel of foot, and was afterwards raised
by Cromwell to the rank of Major General.
"In 1654 he, with Col. William White and some 'Mus-
queteers,' purged the Parliament of the ' Anababtistical
Members,' for which and other services he was con-
sidered 'the only fit man' to receive John Lambeth's
post of Major General of foot. Was member of Parlia-
ment 1654 to 1656. He married a daughter of General
Whalley — his companion in exile — and corresponded
with her, while at Hadley, over the signature of Walter
Goldsmith, and received replies signed Frances Gold-
smith. This corespondence was carried on as between
106 A History of the Willis Family
a mother and son. Goffe's last letter bears date April
2, 1679.
' * Goffe and Whalley were devout Congregational Puri-
tans and in perfect accord with the New England fath-
ers. As the Restoration drew near, they took passage
in a ship bound for New England, and while yet in the
Channel received tidings of the proclaiming of Charles
II.
' * They arrived in Boston July 27, 1660, where they were
kindly received by Governor Endicott, and visited by
the principal inhabitants. They afterwards took up
their abode in Cambridge.
*'The act of indemnity arrived in November the same
year, and upon finding that Generals Goffe and Whalley
were not excepted the Government of Mass. was alarm-
ed, on account of the friendly reception which had been
given these gentlemen on their arrival. Feby. 22, 1661,
the Governor convened the Court of assistants to consult
upon the propriety of securing them, and finding it un-
safe to remain longer at Cambridge, they left on the
26th and arrived at New Haven on the 7th of March.
* * Here also they met with kind treatment and were con-
cealed in the house of Rev. John Davenport, from whence
they removed to the house of William Jones, Esq., after-
wards Deputy Governor of Conn.; and at the time one
of those most forward in their interests was William
Leete, Esq., Deputy Governor of the Colony and soon to
become Governor.
''The news of the King's Proclamation arriving soon
after, they were obliged to flee, first to a mill near the
outlet of Beaver Ponds in the suburbs of New Haven,
and on the 13th May were conducted by Mr. Jones first
to a place called Hatchet Harbor, and on the 15th to a
cave on top of a hill about two miles and a half north-
A History of the Willis Family 107
west of New Haven, which the Regicides named 'Provi-
dence Hill.' "
After this they were two years at the house of Michael
Tompkins, near the Milford meeting house, and while at
Tompkins the order for the search was made by the
Governor, the execution of which was, of course, put
in the friendly hands of Robert Treat and Laurence
Warde.
**0n the 13th of October, 1664, they started for Hadley,
traveling only at night, where the minister of the place,
the Rev. John Russell, had consented to receive them.
Here they remained about sixteen j^ears, residing a part
of the time at the house of Mr. Peter Tilton, who resided
near Mr. Russell."
General Goft'e died in Hadley about 1679 or 1680, but
his burial place was kept secret.
''General Whalley died at Hadley about 1676, and
many places, including New Haven, have been claimed
as his burial place ; however, when the south part of the
house wherein Mr. Russell, the minister of Hadley, re-
sided and where the two regicides were concealed for
upwards of fifteen years, was taken down in 1795, and
in removing the middle part of the front wall next the
main street, the workmen discovered the bones of a
large man, small pieces of wood and some flat stones
which from their position were probably laid on top of
the coffin. These bones must have been those of General
Whalley, who was buried near 120 years before."
WARD FAMILY.
Among the ''seven hundred and ten distinguished
persons, each bearing but one name, who accompanied
William the Conqueror from Normandy to England in
1066," and in the still preserved record of their names
is that of ' ' Ward, one of the Noble Captains, ' ' this being
the earliest date in which the name is found in English
history.
One of the family in this country, a wealthy bachelor
named Horatio Nelson Ward, went to Europe about 1850,
and spent about fifteen years and from ten to twelve
thousand pounds in seeking out the genealogy of his
family. He succeeded in tracing them back to the year
700 in Denmark, where the name is still found spelled
Wart, and meaning, both in Danish and German, as in
English, to guard.
The name, it will be noticed, was first spelled Ward,
as it is today. It became changed in later years to
Warde, De La Varde, De Warde, Le Warde and other
spelling, but Ward was always the proper way.
The family were settled permanently at Capesthorne,
county Cheshire, England, at a very early date, as
there are records of them, deeds, etc., in 1173. The family
increased in wealth and importance until, some eleven or
twelve generations afterward, William Ward of Dudley
Castle was created first Earl of Dudley.
The ancestry of the Capesthorne Wards, of whom our
ancestors were a branch, beginning when baptismal
A History of the Willis Family 109
names are first given, runs as follows, it is taken from
an ancient Cheshire record (notice spelling of name) :
1 * William Ward.
2 *Johan Le Ward.
3 *John Le Warde, d. 1386.
4 *Randle Warde.
5 *William Ward.
6 *John Ward.
7 *William Ward.
8 * John Ward.
A son of John Ward (8th) is supposed to be the
founder of the Northamptonshire family. His
name was
9 *Robert Warde, of Houghton Parva, Northampton-
shire. He m. Isabel Stapely, of Dunchurch, county
Warwick, England; their son was
10 *James Warde, m. Allice, or Anne Faukes, of Dun-
church; they had three sons,
11 Son (name not found) had Laurence, George and
Isabel.
11 Son (name not found), had Andrew.
11 Stephen, m. Joice Traford, of Leicestershire. They
had at least five sons and one daughter, as is shown
by the will of Joice, which is one of the earliest wills
recorded in Conn. The names of the children were
Edward, Anthony, William, John, Robert and Mary.
After the death of Stephen Warde his widow, Joice,
with two of her children, John and Mary, and probably
other children of hers, took ship with her nephew An-
drew Warde, who was probably the leader, and other
nephews, Laurence and George Warde, and the latter 's
sister Isabel. They left England and arrived in New
England in the year 1630. An old record states that
the widow and her children ''were convoyed to the col-
110 A History of the Willis Family
onies by Laurence and George." Having proved the
fact beyond question that the children of the three fami-
lies were first cousins, and all from Houghton Parva,
it clears up much of the tangle as to the relationship of
their descendants.
The Wardes, on their arrival in New England, at first
settled at Watertown. In the year 1635 the widow
Joice, with her children John and Mary and accompa-
nied by her nephew Andrew, removed with the first
settlers to Wethersfield, Conn. Here Joice (Traford)
Warde died in the year 1640. Andrew Ward was evi-
dently among the leading men of the new Wethersfield
settlement, and although not in direct line of ancestry
he was a first cousin of our ancestor George ; so being of
kin and a noted man, we will give a few notes regarding
him.
First Court Held in Connecticut.
"On the 26th day of April, 1636, a court was organized
by five of the best men in the Colony ; whether they con-
stituted themselves a court or were elected by the people,
the record gives no account. The Court consisted of
Roger Ludlow, as chairman, John Steel, Mr. Westwood,
Mr. (Andrew) Ward and William Phelps. The first act
of the Court was to try Henry Stiles for the offence of
trading a gun to Indians for corn. He was found guilty
and ordered by the Court to regain the gun from the
Indians in a fair and legal way, or the Court should
take the case into further consideration."
The court then enacted a law against trading any gun,
pistol, shot, or powder to the Indians under severe
penalty.
''This was the first court, the first trial and the first
law ever enacted or had in Connecticut."
A History of the Willis Family 111
We quote from another author: "The origin of the
present General Assembly of the State of Conn, was
the formation of a Court of five men, in 1636, to try-
Henry Stiles criminally (without law) for selling a gun
to an Indian. This Court was called 'The Corte,' in
May, 1637, when it was continued, it is recorded Generall
Corte, April 11, 1639, called 'General meeting of the
Freemen' (The Court of Election) and the day the Char-
ter was read publicly before the people of Conn,, to-wit
Oct. 9, 1662, it is recorded the 'General Assembly' under
the Charter."
In 1640 the heads of thirty families of Wethersfield
signed an agreement to move to and settle Stamford;
among them was Andrew Ward. Twenty families moved,
among them Andrew Ward and Robert Coe. In 1641
thirty men of Stamford paid in 100 bushels of corn,
which was afterwards allowed them. Andrew Ward
paid 4.1 bu. and Robert Coe 4.1 bu.
Nov. 2, 1641, Andrew Ward was chosen as one of six
"to order the town."
"The records of Stamford go back to the first settle-
ment of the town ; but the first book is in a tattered and
confused condition; the leaves separated, misplaced,
torn and worn and much of it badly written at best, yet
two leaves containing considerable of the first settlement
of the town remain, and most of the names of the first
settlers from Wethersfield to Stamford, at least twenty
of them, about ten of the whole number having been cut
off by a red line in the book and lost. ' '
In the year 1644, Andrew Ward removed to Hemp-
stead, L. I., with others from Stamford, but returned
to Conn, and lived at Fairfield.
On May 21, 1653, a large committee was appointed by
the General Court of Conn, with members in each town,
112 A History of the Willis Family
with whom the constables were to advise in pressing the
men for the expedition against the Dutch. Among those
for Fairfield appointed on the committee was Mr. An-
drew Ward. He held many offices of trust in the colony
and in the church, and died at Fairfield.
John Ward, son of Joice, the widow, ' ' in Conn, records
is variously entitled Sergeant, Lieutenant and Mr
Ward." He was very prominent in colonial affairs and
his name frequently appears in the records. He moved
from Wethersfield to Branford, Conn., about 1648, and
was with the first settlers in Newark in 1666, and signed
with his son John W^ard, Jr., the "fundamental agree-
ments." John Ward, Sr., m. secondly Hannah (Crane)
Huntington, widow of Thomas Huntington and daughter
of Mr. Jasper Crane. They had six daughters and three
sons : Jonathan ; John, Jr. ; Nathaniel ; Hannah m.
Jonathan Baldwin; Sarah m. Jabez Rogers; Phoebe m.
Col. John Cooper; Mary m. Samuel Harrison; Dorcas
m. Joseph Harrison; Deborah m. Eliphalet Johnson.
John Ward, Sr., d. at Newark, N. J., in 1694.
John Ward, Jr., was b. in Branford, Conn., April 10,
1650, d. 1694. He m. secondly Abigail Kitchell, a half
sister of our ancestor, Abraham Kitchell, who m. Sarah
Bruen. ''John, Jr., was sixteen when they came to New-
ark, and Abigail was a child of five. The Kitchell and
Ward homes in Newark neighbored each other across
the Park."
Let us now return to our direct line of ancestry.
When the Rev. John Davenport led the emigration
from Massachusetts, and founded New Haven, in the
year 1638, there went with him three men, two of whom,
George Warde and Jasper Crane, were our ancestors,
and the other. Deacon Laurence Warde, was a brother
of George. The two Wardes were those before men-
A History of the Willis Family 113
tioned, and of the (11th) generation, nephews of the
widow. The spelling of the name with and without the
final (e) is common in all ancient records.
On the arrival of the settlers at New Haven, they drew^
up an agreement, which they called ''a foundamintall
agreemt made in a general meeting of all the ffree
Planters of this town," etc. This agreement was signed
by sixty-two men, all of whom wrote their names, show-
ing a remarkably high degree of literacy for those days
and the superior class of the settlers. Among the signers
were Jasper Crane, Laurence Warde and George Warde.
The Wardes moved from New Haven to Branford in
1646, and Laurence signed the ^'fundamental agree-
ments, ' ' on the removal of the colony to Newark, in 1666.
Their names in this agreement are spelled Ward. John,
son of George Ward, and John's son Josiah, signed with
the others. We continue the genealogy, as follows:
11 *George Warde, of Houghton Parva, England, Massa-
chusetts, New Haven and Branford, Conn., d. at
Branford April 7, 1653, had
12 Josiah, m. Elizabeth Swaine.
12 *John, m. Sarah (probably Lyman), and had
13 Sarah, b. 1651, m. Tichnor.
13 John, b. 1654.
13 * Samuel, b. 1656.
13 Abigail, b. 1658, ni. John Gardner.
13 Josiah, b. 1661, m. Mary Kitchell, a sister of Abigail
Kitchell, who m. John Ward, Jr., as heretofore given.
13 Nathaniel, m. Sarah Harrison.
13 Mary, m. Thomas Davis.
13 Caleb, "The honest and pious."
114 A History of the Willis Family
*Sanmel Ward (13th), m. and had
14 *Bethuel, will dated 1753, m. Rebecca, and had
15 Zenas.
15 *Rebecca, b. 1711, d. Jany. 30, 1777; buried in Par-
sippany cemetery, m. Ebenezer Farrand.
15 Esther.
15 Mary.
*Rebecca Ward (15th) married Ebenezer Farrand
(4th). For further record see Farrand genealo.a;y, 4th
generation.
It is a bit of curious family history, that Hannah
Crane, daughter of our ancestor, Jasper Crane, m. John
Ward, Sr., and that the grand-daughter of Jasper Crane,
also Hannah, m. John Plume, grandfather of Robert
Plume, our ancestor. (See Plume genealogy.)
The following is from an old Newark record : ' ' Tradi-
tion tells us that at the time Stephen Ward's widow
( Joice Traford of Leicestershire) and children emigrated
to New England, there came with her also a brother of
Stephen and three of his first cousins, Laurence, George
and Isabel Ward; this brother is said to have been
Andrew Ward, who was at Waterto^\^i, Mass., in 1634,
in Wethersfield the next year and finally settled in Stam-
ford, Conn,, in 1641.
"The father of the three first cousins just mentioned
(brother of Stephen) is progenitor of that branch of
the Newark Wards in which we are at present inter-
ested," etc.
The foregoing is probably incorrect in the statement
that Andrew was a brother of Stephen, the husband of
Joice; as other records, which are probably correct,
A Historic of the Willis Family 115
would show that AndreAV Ward was a nephew of Joice
and not a brother-in-law.
Laurence Ward, brother of George, was the Deacon
Laurence Ward of Connecticut and Newark. He was a
man of much note in both colonies and held many posi-
tions of trust; he never married, and died a very old
man, at Newark. It was this Deacon Laurence Ward
who was employed by the Government at New Haven to
search for the Regicides, Whalley and Goffe, at Milford,
a sketch of which is given elsewhere.
Much confusion has been caused and many glaring-
errors have been written about the father, grandfather
and great-grandfather of Rebecca Ward, w^ho married
Ebenezer Farrand (4tli). This confusion has been caused
by the repetition of names among the descendants of
John Ward, Sr., and the descendants of George Ward,
who were first cousins. The authors of this history were
at first led into the same error as many others, to-wit:
that Rebecca Ward, who married Ebenezer Farrand, was
the great-granddaughter of Josiah Ward, b. 1661, who
married Mary Kitchell. Our mistake is easily accounted
for, as many genealogies so give it, and we took these to
be correct. One day, however, it occurred to the authors
that the time between the birth of Josiah, 1661, and that
of Rebecca, 1711, was but fifty years, rather short for
three generations, to say the least, as it allows but a
little more than sixteen years as the age at which
Rebecca's father, grandfather and great-grandfather
were married. This was such an impossibility that we
started a search to try to determine the correct line of
descent. We know that Rebecca was born in 1711, and
so it is stated on her tombstone in the old cemetery at
Parsippany. The search has been a long and thorough
one; every source of information has been investigated,
116 A History of the Willis Family
as so many people, especially the descendants of Ebenezer
Farrand, are interested. We believe the genealogy, as we
have given it, to be the correct one. Rebecca could not
have descended from Josiah Ward, son of George,
as he married Elizabeth Swaine; their line runs off in
an entirely different direction.
Again, the names, family names, which were so closely
followed in old times, all go to prove that our line is the
proper one. We refer to the names Rebecca, Bethuel, etc.,
which were common in this line of Wards, but not used in
the other lines.
Ward Arms.
The crests show the common origin of the Ward fami-
lies. Ward of Capesthorne, county of Cheshire .
Arms — *'Az., a cross pattee or," for difference, a
crescent.
Crest — *'A wolf's head erased or."
Ward of Houghton Parva
Arms — **Erm. on two bars
Crest — "A wolf's head or."
Arms — **Erm. on two bars gu. three martlets or."
Newark Notes, by Congar.
The following, written by S. H. Congar, Esq., appeared
in the New England Historical Register for 1857, Book
XI, page 161. It evidently first appeared in a Newark
paper. Part of the article is omitted on account of length :
*' According to Trumbull's history, when a majority
of the inhabitants and the church and pastor abandoned
the place (Branford) to enjoy and maintain 'the true
religion' in their new 'town on Passaic river,' they
A History of the Willis Family 117
took with them both the church and town records, the
former containing the baptisms, the latter the births and
deaths. If this was the case, one has been restored to its
legitimate guardians, and may there be consulted; the
other, remaining with the church and pastor, is to be
numbered with the lost records of the past. In the
former is to be seen the autograph of Jasper Crane,
Laurence Ward and Abraham Pierson, their signatures
to agreements or as witnesses ; and though the early-
records of the church, in many respects valuable, are
nowhere, yet Newark is singularly fortunate in still
possessing two invaluable volumes, the loss of which to
the historian and genealogist would be irreparable.
"Among the names at Branford were the Wards,
Lindsleys, Harrisons, Dods, Sargants and Plums, at its
first settlement. In 1648, there were the Piersons, John
Ward Sen'r, and 'goodman Rose.' In 1652, John Ward
Jun'r, and in 1663, John Crane, Thomas Huntington, the
son-in-law of Jasper Crane, and Josiah Ward. John
Ward Sen'r, John Ward Jun'r, and Josiah Ward, are
still represented in the threescore names in the Direc-
tory. * * ^
*'The two John Wards both had sons of the same
name — John and Nathaniel. John Ward, Jr. 's sons were
John and Nathaniel, Samuel, Caleb and Josiah. His
daughters were Abigail Gardner, and Sarah Tichenor.
The sons of John Ward Sen'r, were John, who married
first Mary Lyon, and subsequently Abigail Kitchell —
and Nathaniel, the husband of Christiana Swaine. The
sons-in-law of John Ward Sen'r, were Jabez Rogers, the
husband of Sarah, Samuel Harrison of Mary, John
Cooper of Phoebe, Joseph Harrison of Dorcas, and
Eliphalet Johnson, whose wife was Deborah.
' ' Of the venerable men who, not many years since, were
118 A History of the Willis Family
numbered with the living, and known through the length
and breadth of this then quiet village (Newark), Abraham
Ward was in the line of Nathaniel, and James Ward was
in that of John, the two sons of John Ward Sen'r. The
late Gen. Thomas Ward was of John Ward Jun'r in the
line of Nathaniel.
''The Wards seem to have been of one family, as there
is a common tradition that a female relative was the first
of her sex to leap on shore, when the good vessel which
'transported' the Branford party found a convenient
landing at 'Beef-point' on the Passaic. This 'lover's
leap' would probably have been forgotten long since, but
for the fact that in the playful strife for the honor of first
entering the promised land, Josiah Ward, the young and
loving, gallantly gave his hand to Elizabeth the daughter
of 'Lef tenant Samuel Swaine,' soon to be Elizabeth
Ward; and the shouts and merriment of the occasion
were associated with the 'sun-bonnet and short gown'
with which she was adorned, which, with other goodly
apparel worn on that day, was treasured and exhibited
for more than a century. That Elizabeth Ward, subse-
quently the wife of David Ogden, the mother of John,
David, Swaine, and Col. Josiah Ogden, was the success-
ful young lady, is manifest from the light the old book
at Branford sheds upon the tradition. Samuel Ward, the
son of Josiah and Elizabeth, at the age of ninety, was laid
with the Ogdens his brethren. * * *
"The faith and hope of these 'men of old' may be
learned from their wills. David Ogden, in 1691, says —
'First, I bequeath my soul unto the hands of Almighty
God, hoping for salvation from the riches of His grace,
by the lone merits of Jesus Christ, and through faith in
His blood. I commit my body to the earth, decently to
be buried, and there to rest until the resurrection of the
A History of the Willis Family 119
just.' In 1694 John Ward, Sen'r, departed. Hear him!
'Imprimis, I commit my soul immortal unto God who
gave it, to glorify Him, and to be glorified by Him for
evermore. I give my body to the dust, of which it was
made, to be decently and honorably buried, in hope of a
better resurrection by Jesus Christ, who shall change this
vile, frail, and corruptible body of mine into the likeness
of His OM^i glorious body, according to the working
whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself, that
so I may be ever with the Lord, which is far best of all. '
As he and his, Colonel John Cooper and his second wife,
mother of the Sergeants, Obadiah Bruen, Richard Har-
rison, and the mother of the Condits, Young, Nesbit, and
Clisbe, who fled from jjersecution in Scotland, with Pat-
rick Falconer, were laid in the worthless spot through
which the chief rulers, its legal guardians, consented to
open a highway in consideration of an equivalent for 33
by 45 feet of *the to\\Ti lot,' the knowledge of the origi-
nal location of the primitive, 'I. W. 1688' (Joseph Wal-
ters) was lost, with John Ward's and others' memen-
toes."
SMITH FAMILY.
In July, 1664, the Lord Mayor of London petitioned the
King in regard to youths being kidnapped in London and
carried to the colonies. (See history of Charles I., Vol.
408, No. 117, page 187.)
Kidnapping boys and young men at this time had be-
come such an evil that rigorous laws were passed to pre-
vent it, but that the practice continued we know, for
"near the close of the seventeenth century, a lad was
kidnapped in London, and taken on board a vessel lying
in the River Thames, bound for and ready to sail to the
British Colonies in America. It is understood that du-
ring the voyage, which proved to be a long and boisterous
one, the youth discharged the duties of cabin boy. His
name was *Richard Smith. Not being accustomed to that
kind of toil, or its associations, he became disgusted with
the life of a sailor and on the arrival of the vessel in
New York he immediately deserted and by hiding him-
self succeeded in escaping from the custody and control
of the captain. After a time he found his way across
the river to East Jersey, as it was then called, where he
probably remained as long as he lived." The record of
his birth and marriage have been lost, but he died ''an
old man," in 1763. His name appears in a deed bearing
the date of 1738 and his will was dated Feb. 12, 1763.
He had a son Benjamin, who was the ancestor from
whom George B. Smith's and Marcia Smith's family, of
Troy Hills, New Jersey, were descended.
* Samuel, our ancestor, married and lived at Parsip-
pany, Boonton and Morristown, in N. J. "In 1770 they
A History of the Willis Family 121
moved to Bridport, Vermont, but in 1773 there was
so much political disturbance between the New York
and Hampshire Grant men that many families left their
homes and went to safer locations.
' * Samuel and a few others, however, remained and lived
in friendly and peaceful relations with the Indians, who
frequently visited the settlement, till only a short time
previous to Carlton's raid. At the time of the raid
Samuel Smith and the other settlers selected such arti-
cles as could best be carried in their arms and on their
backs, left their homes and fled through the forest to
the stockaded fort at Pittsford. Their house was burned
by the Indians, but after six years Nathan, one of Sam-
uel's sons, married and went back to the old place and
rebuilt the home. Soon after he invited his parents to
live with him, which they did and remained with him
until they died. Samuel's wife, Hannah Allen, was a re-
markable woman and a true helpmate in those troublous
times to her husband, who was never of robust health."
* Samuel and Hannah were the parents of Rhoda Smith
Farrand, of Revolutionary fame, the latter being our
great-great-grandmother, who was the wife of Lieutenant
Bethuel Farrand.
Nathan Smith, brother of Rhoda, was the second man
behind Ethan Allen when he entered Fort Ticonderoga,
and it was the Smith scow that ferried the Green Moun-
tain Boys across the lake.
SMITH GENEALOGY.
1 *Richard Smith, b. in London, came to New Jersey about
1690, d. 1763 ; m. and had five children,
2 Richard.
2 *Samnel, b. 1720, d. Nov. 11, 1798 ; m. Hannah Allen.
2 Benjamin, b. May, 1725, d. July 20, 1767 ; m. Hannah Dodd
Dec. 11, 1750.
2 Hiram.
2 Rachel, m. Pierson.
*Samuel Smith, m. Hannah Allen, b. 1726, d. Dee. 22, 1800,
and had nine children,
8 Betsey, b. 1742. d. Morristown, N. J., 1791, at home of her
daughter, Mrs. Thos. Cobb; m. first Baldwin, second Ed-
wards.
3 Asher.
3 *Rhoda, b. 1747, d. June 30, 1839 ; m. 1762 Bethuel Farrand.
3 Chloe, b. 1749, d. 1842 ; m. Hiram Ward.
3 Nathan, b. 1752, d. 1828; m. Mrs. Wait Trask, nee Allen,
in 1784.
3 Marshall, b. 1757, d. 1815 ; m. Polly Case.
3 Salome, b. 1759, d. Mch. 4, 1834; m. Elijah Grandy, Feb.
1775.
3 Jacob, b. 1765, d. Aug. 21, 1852 ; m. first Sally Pickett, sec-
ond Polly Bond.
3 Hannah, b. Oct. 1769, d. Aug. 29, 1847; m. David Doty
May 1, 1787.
*Rhoda Smith m. Bethuel Farrand in 1762. (For further
record, see Farrand Genealogy, 6th generation.)
A History of the Willis Family
123
Marcia B. Smith (Kttchell) Willis.
Marcia Burnliam Smith (Kitchell) Willis, whose first
husband was Dr. William Kitchell, was second wife
of Edwin Ethelbert Willis (15th generation). She was
descended from Richard Smith (1st) and a daughter of
Hiram and Mary (Osborne) Smith, of Troy, N. J., where
she was born. She was one of a family of nine children,
Eleanor.
Thomas Osborne.
Samuel.
John Condit.
George W.
Marcia Burnham.
Richard.
Henry.
Mary L.
124 A History of the Willis Family
Eleanor m. Rev. Elihu Boty, a Presbyterian mission-
ary to China, She went with her husband to that country
and died there, leaving four children. Her husband
started for home with the children, but died on ship-
board before reaching New York.
Samuel was a pioneer and lawyer in California in the
early gold days, where he was a law partner of Stephen
J. Field, who afterwards became a Justice of the United
States Supreme Court.
John Condit was a noted railway constructor and of-
ficer; he was a Colonel in the Civil war, and by brevet
Quartermaster General on the staff of General Sherman.
Col. Smith's daughter Louise is the wife of Major
General Leonard Wood, at this time the Senior Officer
of the United States Army.
FARRAND FAMILY.
The family from which the Farrands of this country
have descended is one of the oldest and most distin-
guished in France. The patronymical name was Dusson
(d' Usson, or de Husson). They were connected through
marriage with much of the ancient nobility of France
and were counts of Mont de Ferrand, of Clermont Fer-
rand, in southern France, for centuries.
For a description of Clermont Ferrand we refer our
readers to the Encyclopedia Britannica, which contains
an interesting article on this old seat of the family. The
origin of the family is so far back in the ages that it is
covered with the mists of the past.
The Clermont family also, with whom the Ferrands
were intermarried, was of great antiquity. Both these
families were leaders in the Huguenot or religious re
form movement in France, and were great sufferers
therefrom, many having met death in the most horrible
manner on account of their faith.
On account of the persecutions a number of the Fer-
rands fled, some to Switzerland, others to Holland and
a few of the family to England. In the latter country
the name became changed to Farrand in some instances,
although the original Ferrand is also common, and, both
families using the same coat of arms, it shows a common
origin, the '*e" being changed to "a" probably on ac-
count of the English pronunciation of that letter. Mrs.
William Alexander Ewing, of New York City, who was
Maud (Matilda) Mills, and whose pedigree is given
with that of the Farrands, has very kindly furnished
126 A History of the Willis Family
the authors, at their request, with translations from
French books relating to this family, and we hereby ex-
press to Mrs. Ewing our appreciation for the same, re-
gretting that on account of space we have been able to
use but a small part of her translations.
The first of these articles relates to the Clermont
family, from *'La France Protestante," by Eugene and
Emiele Haag, Vol. IV, pp. 422 to 443. (See Antoine de
Clermont and Antoine de Bussy, page 443.)
''Clermont Tallard, house of Dauphine. Arms de
gules with two silver keys passed crosswise, like Cler-
mont Tonuerre."
''This illustrious family (Haag, Vol. Ill, p. 502),
which, like that of Coligny, had exercised in the 13th
century rights of sovereignty, belongs by two of its mem-
bers to Protestant France. Gabriel de Clermont, ap-
pointed bishop of Gap in 1527, far from showing himself
an enemy of the Reform like his predecessor, favored
the propagation of the new opinions in his diocese; he
was deposed in 1553 for having abandoned the religion
of his fathers. This deposition, nevertheless, had no
effect, an article quoted in Gallia Christiana proving that
they did not give him a successor until 1572, Gabriel de
Clermont was the second son of Bernardin, Vicount of
Tallard, and Anne de Husson (otherwise Ferrand).
One of his brothers, named Julien, seigneur de Thoury,
also embraced protestantism. He died of the plague in
Orleans, with one of his sons, leaving as his heir Gabriel
de Clermont seigneur (lord) of Thoury, who was later
gentleman of the bedchamber of Henry III."
Haag, Vol. VI, p. 474: "A fine man named Ferrand,
otherwise called le Seigneur Dusson (d'Usson, or de
Husson), who some years before 1562, having been with-
drawn toLausanne from Loudun, had been sent to the dis-
A History of the Willis Family 127
trict of risle Bouchard (in Touraine) to teach there and
instruct a large number of simple people," etc., etc. "He
was killed shortly afterward, in 1562, at the instigation
of his own brother, an officer of the Duke of Mont-
pensier. ' '
''La France Protestante" (Haag, Vol. II, p. 863):
"Bon repos, written also Bon repous and Bonrepeaux,
Seigneurial title of a family originally of the county of
Foix, whose patronymical name is Dusson or d'Usson;
they were Marquis of Bonac and Counts of Alsois."
This was also the Ferrand family.
"Bon repos is found the name of a refugee from
Saintonge to New York about 1685." (Haag, Vol. IV, p.
862.) "Bonrepos, pastor in America in Boston 1687;"
probably the same.
Daniel Ferrand was student in Geneva 1608.
Jean Ferrand, minister of Herac, was preaching in
Haarlem, Holland; he died Nov. 1, 1709, aged 79 years.
Claude Sommaine Sieur de Clairville married first in
1567 Genevieve Ferrand.
Daniel Ferrand (mentioned above) was among those
condemned to hard labor and the galley as slaves for
their faith.
Charles de Montferrand Seigneur de Langayrau, in
1569, and Guy de Montferrand, called de Langayrau,
same year, were condemned to death for their religion.
Comte Antoine Francois Claude Ferrand was a man of
great distinction at the time of Napoleon.
The family is still active, as we noted but recently the
arrival at Paris of Count de Ferrand.
The name of Clermont Ferrand originated with the
marriage of the Clermont and Ferrand families.
There were in England, the latter part of the sixteenth
century, three brothers, Charles Farrande (or Farrand),
128 A History of the Willis Family
B. A. Trinity College, Cambridge, 1578, incorporated
M. A. Oxford 14 July, 1584, vicar of Blythe, Notting-
hamshire, 1588, vicar of Gainford, county Durham, 1589,
and rector of Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, 1594.
Richard Farrand of London, in the year 1600.
Dr. Daniel Farrand of London, living there in the year
1600, whose wife's name was Mary (probably Watthorn).
These three brothers are supposed to be sons of a
French refugee named Daniel Ferrand, who arrived in
England about the year 1560.
Dr. Farrand and his brother Richard, as also Mary,
the wife of Dr. Farrand, are mentioned in the will of
William Watthorn, of London, Gent., May 19, 1600.
Having established the above, and also that Dr. Daniel
Farrand evidently had a numerous family, with sons
named Nathaniel and Daniel, the authors felt they were
in the way of finally establishing the full line of the an-
cestry of the Farrands in this country. The great war
now raging, however, has completely cut off all investi-
gation of this nature, and not until the war is over will
it be possible to take up the thread where now broken.
We regret this, as so many of our friends and
relatives have such great interest in the matter, and so
far as we know we are the first to establish the above.
Should our investigations (which will be continued when
possible) throw further light on the subject we will send
each of our subscribers a digest of our discoveries.
From the name Nathaniel, son of Dr. Daniel Farrand,
and the recurrence of the name Daniel through three
generations of this family in England (family names
in every generation to the present), we believe it is pretty
safe to assume that Nathaniel Farrand 1st, of Milford,
was the son of Dr. Daniel Farrand of London. We wish
we could assert this as a positive fact at this time, but
A Histonj of the Willis Family 129
do not feel quite authorized in so doing. As a large num-
ber of the settlers of Milford and Guilford were from
the immediate neighborhood of London, it is a further
link in this chain.
1 *Nathaniel Farrand came to New England and settled
at Milford in the year 1645. He was prominent in
the affairs of Milford and held considerable land
there. He leased from Mary (Ward) Clark, sister
of John Ward, of Wethersfield and Newark, her
lands at Milford, Conn. We have not established
the date of his birth, death or marriage, but there
is no doubt he was the ancestor of all the Far rands
in this country; he had
2 *Nathaniel Farrand, m. Mary Cobb and had three
sons.
3 Nathaniel, b. 1679, d. 1760.
3 * Samuel, b. at Milford, Conn., April, 1681.
3 Daniel, b. 1683, had a son, the Rev. Daniel Farrand,
prominent Congregational minister, celebrated for
his witty and bright sayings, which are still quoted.
The Rev. Daniel had a son, also named Daniel, who
became a noted and distinguished Judge in Vermont.
* Samuel Farrand, Esq'r. (3rd), was our great-great-
great-great-grandfather. He removed from Milford
and purchased a lot in Newark, N. J., in 17 H, in
which city many of his descendants are living at the
present time. He was a distinguished jurist. Judge
of the Pleas and Justice of the Peace of Essex
Note. — Nathaniel Farrand 1st had other children, but we have not attempted
to trace these lines ; however, the children of Nathaniel 1st and
the children of his son, Nathaniel 2nd, were the ancestors of all the
Farrands of Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire.
130 A History of the Willis Family
County, N. J, He had five sons and three daughters.
(See genealogy.) One of his sons was
4 *Ebenezer Far rand. He married Rebecca Ward and
had six chiklren, two of whom,
5 *Phoebe, wife of Aaron Kitchell, was our great-great
grandmother, and
5 *Bethuel (Lt.), m. Rhoda Smith, was our great-great-
grandfather, so the Willis family were supplied with
two great-great-grandparents from the fifth genera-
tion of the Farrands.
Lieutenant Bethuel Farrand (5th) was enrolled among
the New Jersey Provincials during the Revolutionary
war, held a Lieutenant's commission and fought during
the entire struggle. He was with Washington at Valley
Forge and Morristown, and suffered with the others
through those terrible winters. After having escaped
the perils of battle through many years, he followed
Washington to Yorktown, with his company, and there,
in the final siege and battle, was desperately wounded
and crippled, which laid him aside from all active busi-
ness for the remainder of his life. He died in 1794 and
was buried in Parsippany cemetery. He owned a farm
at Pine Brook, in Morris County.
During the war, while Washington had his army at
Morristown, Lieutenant Farrand was there with his men.
His wife, Rhoda, went to see him frequently, and on one
occasion Washington talked to her and told her they
needed cabbage to counteract the scurvey, which had in-
vaded the camps, and from which the men were suffering
and dying in large numbers. She told Washington she
would do what she could.
Allow us a slight digression. At this time all Northern
New Jersey was on the verge of famine ; even Washing-
A History of the Wiltis Family 131
ton and his staff officers at Morristown frequently went
hungry, and it is told how Mrs. Colonel Ford, Wash-
ington's hostess at the Ford mansion, when her larder
had become absolutely bare, made a raid on her neigh-
bors and provided a fine dinner for the General ; and how
Washington, knowing the condition of her scanty store,
inquired as to the source of the supply, and upon learn-
ing told Mrs. Ford that while he appreciated her dinner
he must gently chide her for her extravagance, as so
many worthy men in the army had no dinner at all.
Northern New Jersey was the great battleground of
the Revolution. Although many sections of the thirteen
colonies claim they were the greatest sufferers, still it
cannot be refuted that New Jersey was the greatest suf-
ferer of them all. Located as it is between New York
and Philadelphia, both places held by large bodies of
British troops, and with the American army in between,
it was a battleground and foraging ground for seven
years. The British troops constantly raided every sec
tion they could reach ; what they could not carry off they
burned or otherwise destroyed. The American army had
to be fed and requisitioned all the people could spare,
leaving barely enough to keep the people alive.
The country was naturally rich and the soil unusually
fertile; the people, most of them descended from the
very choicest Puritan stock, were religious, industrious
and very prosperous when the war began, but what the
British did not take the Americans requisitioned, and
the people were "between the Devil and the deep sea."
All live stock, and specially horses that could possibly
be used, were taken by the forage-masters, and the lack
of horses accounts for Rhoda Farrand's ride behind the
"steers," told of in a poem later on. The pay given by
the American foragers was largelv in orders on the
132 A History of the Willis Family
Continental Treasurer, and as the Treasury was usually
only a name most of the orders were not cashed at that
time and many of them remain unpaid to the present day.
Washington with his army was at Morristown two
winters, both of them terribly severe, the second the most
severe of which there is any record in New Jersey before
or since ; the snow lay on the ground from three to seyen
feet deep for weeks.
To make matters the harder, every man and boy who
could bear arms had enlisted, and we of this generation
were told by our old grandparents how it was considered
a disgrace not to go into the army. It is certain no sec-
tion of the colonies gaye more freely of their men than
did New Jersey (witness our Honor Roll), and in the
family of Lt. Bethuel Farrand (of whom we are now
writing) the brothers furnished seven, and many fami-
lies gave ten and more to the patriot army. Farm labor
could not be had at any price, and the women had to
manage the farms with the assistance of old men and
children.
We of this generation little realize the hardships and
sacrifices through which our ancestors passed in winning
our freedom from the British yoke, and it is but a just
tribute to our noble forbears to perpetuate some of their
deeds of self-sacrifice and assistance, on the farms and
in the homes as well as in the army itself. We know of
no monument that has been erected to commemorate the
deeds and trials of the splendid women of the Revolu-
tion ; let those of us who have descended from these con-
sider our heritage in the literal meaning of the word,
''the people of God."
With this long digression we will proceed to say that
Rhoda canyassed all the country she could reach from
her home, and from the little store of each neighbor she
A History of the Willis Family 133
collected until she had large quantities of cabbage, which
she sent to Morristown to a grateful army.
Rhoda Farrand was a diminutive woman, little but
full of grit, and she was the grandmother of all of us.
When the army reached Morristown to go into camp
there for the second winter the soldiers were in a dread-
ful condition; half starved, ragged and with the germs
of the most contagious diseases, such as smallpox and
typhus, well established.
Lieutenant Farrand wrote his wife that his men were
absolutely without stockings and suffering frightfully
for the lack of them during the terrible cold. The letter
is a treasured heirloom of one of her descendants. On
receipt of the letter Rhoda immediately went to work
and aroused all her friends and neighbors to help her
knit them. This is related in a little poem written by
her great-great-granddaughter. Miss Eleanor Hunter.
The poem has been very popular throughout the
country; has been recited on Memorial Days and at D.
A. R. meetings everywhere.
Rhoda, of course, furnished the stockings, and it is
one of the treasured traditions of the familv that Wash-
ington personally thanked Rhoda before the army for
what she had done.
Rhoda Farrand.
In the last of these Centennial days
Let me sing a song to a woman 's praise ;
How she proved herself, in that time of strife,
Worthy of being a patriot's wife.
A little woman she was — not young,
But ready of wit and quiet of tongue ;
One of the kind of which Solomon told,
134 A History of the Willis Family
Setting their price above rubies and gold.
A memory brave clings around her name ;
'Twas Rhoda Farrand, and worthy of fame,
Though scarce she dreamed 'twould be woven in rhymes
In these her granddaughter's daughter's times.
Just out of the clamor of war's alarms
Lay in tranquil quiet the Jersey farms;
And all of the i)roduce in barn and shed
By the lads and girls was harvested.
For the winds of winter, with storm and chill,
Swept bitterly over each field and hill.
Her husband was with the army, and she
Was left on the farm at Parsippany.
When she heard the sound of a horse's feet
And jNIarshal Doty rode up the street.
He paused for a moment and handed down
A letter for Rhoda from Morristown,
In her husband's hand — how she seized the sheet;
The children came running with eager feet;
There were Nate and Betty, Hannah and Dan,
To list to the letter, and thus it ran.
After best greeting to children and wife:
"Heart of his heart, and the life of his life,"
I read from the paper, wrinkled and brown:
"We are here for the winter in Morristown,
And a sorry plight are our men today,
In tatters and rags with no sign of pay.
As we marched to camp, if a man looked back
By the dropping blood he could trace our track.
For scarcely a man has a decent shoe.
And there's not a stocking the army through;
So send us stockings as quick as you can,
My companj^ needs them, every man,
And every man is a neighbor 's lad ;
Tell this to their mothers; they need them had."
A History of the Willis Family 135
Then as never before beat Rhoda's heart,
'Twas time to be doing- a woman's part;
She turned to her daughters. Hannah and Bet,
"Girls, each on your needles a stocking set,
Get my cloak and hood ; as for yon, son Dan,
Yoke up the steers jnst as quick as you car j
Put a chair in the wagon, as you're alive
I will sit and knit while you go and drive."
They started at once on Whippany road,
She knitting away while he held the goad.
At Whippany village she stopped to call
On the sisters Prudence and Mary Ball.
She would not go in, she sat in her chair.
And read to the girls her letter from there.
That was enough, for their brothers three
"Were in Lieutenant Farrand's company.
Then on Rhoda went, stopping here and there
To rouse the neighbors from her old chair.
Still while she was riding her fingers flew.
And minute by minute the stocking grew.
Across the country, so withered and brown,
They drove till they came to Hanover town.
There, mellow and rich, lay the Smith's broad lands;
"With them she took dinner and warmed her hands.
Next toward Hanover Neck Dan turned the steers.
Where her cousins, the Kitchells, had lived for years.
"With the Kitchells she supped, then homeward turned,
"While above her the stars like lanterns burned.
And she stepped from her chair, helped by her son,
"With her first day's work (nid her stockings done.
On Rockawa,y river, so l)right and clear,
The brown leaf skims in the fall of the year.
Around through the hills it curves like an arm.
And holds in its clasp more than one bright farm.
Through Rockaway valley next day drove Dan,
Boy though he was, yet he worked like a man.
136 • A History of the Willis Family
His mother behind him sat in her chair,
Still knitting, but knitting another pair.
They roused the valley, then drove through the gorge,
And stopped for a minute at Compton 's forge ;
Then on to Boonton, and there they were fed,
While the letter was passed around and read.
"Knit," said Rhoda to all, "as fast as you can;
Send the stockings to me, and my son Dan
The first of next week will drive me down.
And I'll take the stockings to Morristown."
Then from Boonton home, and at set of sun
She entered her house with her stockings done.
On Thursday they knit from morning till night,
She and the girls, with all their might.
When the yarn gave out they carded, spun,
And every day more stockings were done.
When the wool was gone then they killed a sheep —
A cosset — but nobody stopped to weep.
They pulled the fleece and they carded away.
And spun and knitted from night iTutil day.
In all the country no woman could rest,
But they knitted on like people ' ' possessed ; ' '
And Parson Condit expounded his views
On the Sabbath Day unto empty pews.
Except for a few stray lads who came
And sat in the gallery, to save the name.
On Monday morn at an early hour
The stockings came in a perfect shower —
A shower that lasted until the night ;
Black, brown and gray ones and mixed blue and white;
There were pairs one hundred and tliirty-three,
Long ones, remember, up to the knee ;
And the next day Rhoda carried them down
In the old ox-wagon to Morristown.
I hear like an echo the soldiers' cheers
A Hist oil/ of the Willis Famihf 137
For Rlioda and Dan, the wagon and steers ;
Growing wilder yet for the chief in command,
While lip at "salute" to the brow flies each hand
As Washington passes, desiring then
To thank Mistress Farrand in name of his men.
But tlie words that her husband's lips let fall,
' ' I knew you would do it ! ' " were best of all.
And I think in these Centennial days
That she should be given her meed of praise ;
And while we are singing "Auld Lang Syne,"
Her name with the others deserves to shine.
Eleanor A. Hunter.
The Rhoda Farrand Chapter, Daughters' of the Ameri-
can Revolution, of Adison, Vermont, on June 30, 1916,
placed the regular D. A. R. Marker on the grave of Rhoda
Farrand, at Bridport, Vt. Appropriate exercises were
held on the occasion, as follows:
PROGRAM.
Opening Service — U. A. R. Ritual.
A Word of Greeting by the Regent.
Communications — Mrs. W. W. Clark.
A Sketch of Rhoda Farrand and Poem — Mrs. F. C. Smith.
Memorial Song by the Sons and Daughters of "Daughters."
The D. A. R. and What It Stands for— Read by Mrs. E. C. Ryder.
The Occasion — Miss Cora Ellen Smith.
Closing Song — America.
Bethuel Farrand married Rhoda Smith when she was
a mere child of fifteen years, but they were blessed with
eleven children (see genealogy) and she outlived her hus-
band by forty-nine years, reaching the ripe old age of 92.
After the death of her husband, in 1794, Rhoda was
taken to Vermont, with three of her children, by her
138 A History of the WiUis Family
j^oungest brother, Jacob Smith. For many years she lived
with her daughter Hamiah, the wife of Captain Newton
Hay^vard. She died at Bridport June 30, 1839. ''For
several years before her death she seemed to lose con-
sciousness of passing events and forgot as they i^assed,
but her memory was very tenacious of all that happened
in the early part of her life. She would relate the scenes
of those memorable days with an ardor and simplicity
peculiar only to the actors of them. * * * Before her
death she could number more than 150 descendants, and
was contemporary with the fifth generation."
One of the sons of Lt. Bethuel Farrand and Rhoda his
wife was,
6 *Daniel Farrand, our great-grandfather, who married
Phoebe Plume June 6, 1785, the Rev. Jacob Green^
a noted divine, performing the ceremony at Hanover,
N. J. Daniel Farrand lived at Pine Brook, N. J.,
when first married, and Deborah his daughter, our
grandmother, was born there, as was also his eldest
son and daughter. From Pine Brook Daniel removed
to Parsippany, where the remainder of his children
were born,
Daniel Farrand was a soldier in the Revolution;
he was but eleven years old when the war began in
1775, but the records show that as soon as he became
old enough to carry a musket he enlisted and saw
much fighting during the last three years of the war.
In the War of 1812 he was Captain and Adjutant
Daniel Farrand of the Third Regiment, Morris
County Militia. His regiment was mustered into the
United States service, and on Septeml)er 17, 1812,
he marched with it to Sandy Hook.
Daniel Farrand 's wife, Phoebe Plume, came of a
distinguished line of ancestors, which is recorded in
A History of the Willis Family 139
account of Plume family. They had twelve children,
the fifth being,
*Deborah Farrand, b. at Pine Brook, Feby. 9, 1793,
died at the home of her son-in-law, B. F. Howell, at
Morristown, N. J,, Oct. 20, 1885, in her ninety-third
year.
She was a very remarkable old lady, her hair
scarcely turned grey, and she retained all her facul-
ties to the end, reading each day the New York
papers and interested in all the current events of
the time and the doings of her innnediate family.
She was loved and respected by every one who knew
her. She married Thomas Compson Willis on Dec.
14, 1824; they were our grandparents, and a further
record will be found under Willis Family and
Genealogy.
Farraxd Arms.
Arms — "Ar. on a chief gu. two crosses crosslet of the
first."
Crest — '*A cubit arm erect, vested vaire cuif ar. hold-
ing in the hand ppr. a battleaxe of the second."
Motto — ** Nulla pallescere culpa."
Note. — When the Marquis de Moiiteahii captured Fort William Henry, on
Lake George, in August, 1757, among the prisoners sent captive to
Canada was Thomas Farrand, Jun 'r, son of Thomas, as old New
England records sliow, but we cannot trace this father and son in
the genealogy. They were probably from New Hampshire or
Vermont.
140 A History of the Willis Family
Farraxd Items.
Mr. Homer A. Farrand, of Elgin, 111., furnishes the
following items :
''Nathaniel Farrand, Sen'r and Jun'r, are listed among
the original 'Purchasers and Proprietors' of the Town-
ship of New Milford, Conn., as recorded at New Milford
under date of April, 1706-7. I think there may have been
some change in boundaries, so that the land deeded by the
Indians as above is now in the township of New Milford.
''The deed in question is for the Shepang purchase
from the Pootatuck Indians of a part of the site of Rox-
bury. Conn., a township adjoining New Milford. There
were nine Indian principals and one Indian witness, each
using a distinguishing mark. John Banks, a white wit-
ness, by 'his mark,' and Nathaniel ffarrand. Senior and
Junior, by their signatures, the initial letter of the name
evidently written so as to have the appearance of 'if' as
copied,
"In 1738 Daniel Farrand was one of the twenty-five
witnesses to a Quaker wedding at New Milford. In 1776
Rev. Daniel Farrand, of Caanan, Conn., tutored his
nephew, Daniel Boardman. In 1784 this Daniel Board-
man toured Vermont with a Farrand, probably Daniel
(son of the Rev.), w^ho settled at Newberry, Vt., and
participated in the founding of the State, becoming judge
of the Supreme Court of the State. It was he who made
the address of welcome to President Monroe upon his
visit to Burlington in 1825.
"In giving a narrative of early New Milford, Davis
Baldwin tells of attending school under Timothy Far-
rand in 1787 and Doc. Samuel Farrand in 1784.
"Andrew Farrand and Thomas Farrand were original
Proprietors of The Elbow Tract, a plantation originat-
ing the town of Palmer, Mass. They are listed as early
A History of the Willis Family 141
settlers of Palmer, 1716-45, but their names do not ap-
pear until 1728-32-33-39. Encyclopedia Britannica states
that Palmer was settled in 1716 and received a considera-
ble accretion of settlers from a Scotch-Irish colony which
came to Boston from Ulster in 1718, and that this accre-
tion probably came in 1727 through direct immigration
from Ireland. There was a reorganization of the Plan-
tation about this time, but the records seem to indicate
that these Farrands were members of the plantation
prior to the reorganization.
"There is no question that the Thomas Farrand cap-
tured at Fort William Henry in 1756-7 is the son of the
above Thomas. And as this captive was seen in Canada
by those who returned to Palmer within the year and
my great-great-grandfather Thomas located not far from
the Canadian border, in Vermont, I think I have reason
to believe that my ancestor Thomas was the son of the
Indian captive. His first child was born in 1793 and the
first child from his second marriage was Royce, born in
1805, named for his mother, from whose family I get my
name, from Homer Royce through my great-uncle,
Homer Farrand.
"This ancestor Thomas was a great deer hunter and
was in the habit of going to Michigan to hunt, and died
while on one of these deerhunting expeditions."
142
A Histury of the Willis Family
Dr. Samuel Ashbel Farrand.
Samuel Ashbel Farrand, Ph. D., son of Samuel and
Mary (Polly Kitchell) Farrand, was born at Newark,
N. J., June 4, 1830, and for more than fifty years of his
long and active life was noted as among the great edu-
cationists of this country. Previous to July 9, 1859,
he was Principal of the Trenton Academy, and on that
date was appointed Principal of the celebrated Newark
Academy, which has a history going back to 1774.
"In 1865 Mr. Farrand resigned his position as princi-
pal to establish a school in New York, leaving the
Academy in a flourishing and prosperous condition."
*'In 1870 Mr., now Dr., Farrand was again appointed
Principal" (of the Newark Academy), which position
A History of the Willis Family 143
he retained until the time of his death in 1908, He re-
ceived the degree of A. M. from Williams Coljege, New
York University and Princeton^ and the degreej of Ph. D,
from Princeton in 1879.
Wilson Farband.
Wilson Farrand, son of Dr. Samuel Ashbel and Louise
(Wilson) Farrand, graduated from Princeton University
in 1886 with the degree of A. B. and received the degree
of A. M. from Princeton in 1889 and Columbia Honorary
A. M. 1907.
"In March, 1887, he was appointed Master in the
Newark Academy. In 1889 he became Associate Head
Master, and in 1901 Head Master, holding that office
jointly with his father and gradually assuming full con-
trol of the school," which position he holds in 1916.
**Asst. editor Scribner's Magazine 1886-7; member of
the National Conference on Uniform Entrance Require-
ments in English 1894 (now secretary), College Entrance
Examination Board; 1900, National Conference Com-
mittee on Standards of College and Secondary Schools;
President 1895-6 of the Schoolmasters Association of
New York ; President 1902 of the Middle States Associa-
tion of Colleges and Preparatory Schools; President
Head Masters Association of the United States in 1911 ;
President New England Society of Orange, N. J., 1906-08 ;
President 1909-11 of the Princeton Alumni Federation
of New Jersey ; Alumni Trustee of Princeton University ;
Director of the State Charities Aid Association of New
Jersey; Has written many papers and delivered many
addresses on educational topics, especially college en-
trance requirements and relation of school and college."
144 A History of the Willis Family
Dr. Livingston Fareand.
Dr. Livingston Farrand, son of Dr. Samuel Aslibel and
Louise (Wilson) Farrand, is a distinguished anthropolo-
gist and bacteriologist.
*' Educated at the Newark Academy, graduate of
Princeton University with A, B. in 1888, he continued his
studies at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, re-
ceiving the degree of M. D. from Columbia University in
1891. His studies were further continued at Cambridge,
England, and Berlin, Germany. Returning to the United
States he was instructor in physiology in Columbia Uni-
versity 1893-1901, after which he was adjunct professor,
and in 1903 became professor of anthropology. He is a
member of the American Psychological Society, the
Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society
of Naturalists, the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, the American Folk-Lore Society,
of which he was president in 1903, and the American
Oriental Society and a fellow of the New York Academy
of Sciences."
Dr. Farrand is at this time the President of the Uni-
versity of Colorado, which office he assumed January 1,
1914; he received the degree of LL. D. from both the
University of Colorado and the University of Denver in
1914. Author Basis of American History, 1904; Edi-
tor American Journal of Public Health, 1912-14.
Dr. Max Farrand.
Dr. Max Farrand was born at Newark, N. J., March
29, 1869, son of Dr. Samuel Ashbel and Louise (Wilson)
Farrand. He graduated from Princeton University with
the degree of A. B. in 1892 and received the degree of
Ph. D. from Princeton in 1896 : Graduate student of his-
A Hist oil/ of the Willis Famihf 145
tory Princeton, Leipzig and Heidelberg 1892-6; Hon. A.M.
Yale 1908 ; Instructor, associate professor and professor
of history Wesleyan University 1896-1901 ; professor and
head of department of history Leland Stanford, Jr.,
University 1901-8 ; acting professor of American history
Cornell University 1905-6; professor of history Yale
September, 1908; Member of the American Historical
Association ; American Antiquarj^ Society, etc. ; Au-
thor of Legislation of Congress for the Government
of the Organized Territories of the United States, 1789-
1895; Translations of Jellineh's Declaration of the Rights
of Man and of Citizens, 1901; Records of Federal Con-
vention of 1787 (3 Vols.); Framing of the Constitution,
1913; Contrihutor to American Historical Review, and
other periodicals ; Editor M. V. H. Dwiglit, A Journey to
Ohio in 1810, 1913.
The class year book of Yale University, or, as it is
called. The Yale Banner and Pot Pourri for 1915-1916, is
dedicated to Max Farrand, which is a high tribute and
shows the esteem in which Professor Farrand is held
by the students of Yale. At the front of the book is a
handsome picture of Max Farrand. On the second page
is the following:
To
Max Farrand, Ph. D.,
Professor of History,
This Book Is Dedicated.
On the next page is a dedication and tribute written
by former President William H. Taft, as follows :
''Max Farraxd.
"The dedication of the Banner and Pot Pourri to
Professor Farrand, of the History Department of Yale
146 A History of the. Willis Family
University, is a proper appreciation of the great work
he has done in stimulating- the accurate studv of the his-
tory of the greatest instrument of government in history,
the Constitution of the United States. Every student of
our national fundamental law should feel indebted to
him for his laborious, accurate and most convenient com-
pilation and arrangement of the reliable sources of infor-
mation as to the parliamentary history and discussion
in the Constitutional Convention, of every sentence and
paragraph of the Constitution as framed and ratified.
Though a Princeton graduate, we should feel proud as
Yale men to have him in our Faculty Department of
History and instilling in future Yale men clear and com-
prehensive knowledge of the growth of our country.
William H. Taft."
Beatrix Cadwalader (Jones) Farrand, wife of Dr.
Max Farrand, is a celebrated landscape gardener. She
was born in New York June 10, 1872. Received a pro-
fessional education under Charles Sprague Sargent, di-
rector of Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
She has been the designer of the grounds of many promi-
nent people. Supervising landscape gardener of Prince-
ton University since 1915; Fellow of American Society
of Landscape Architects (charter member) ; correspond-
ing member Association Francaise des Architects de
Jardins, etc. ; Lecturer on landscape gardening and allied
subjects.
Dudley Faerand.
a
Mr. Farrand was born in Bloomfield, Essex County,
New Jersey, Feb. 21, 1869, the son of Charles and Anna
(Farrand) Farrand. He attended the Public Schools of
A Historij of the Willis Family 147
Bloomfield, and after graduating from the Newark
Academy in 1887 he was admitted to Princeton Univer-
sity, class 1891. He decided not to enter the college,
however, and in 1887 accepted a clerical position with
the Newark Electric Light and Power Company. Two
years later he was made Assistant Secretary of the Com-
pany and two years after that he was promoted to the
position of Assistant Manager in charge of the operating
department. In 1892 he was placed in charge of Design
and Construction. In 1896 Mr. Farrand was made
Assistant Manager of the Peoples Light and Power
Company, of which he became General Manager one year
later. In 1899 he was made General Manager of the
United Electric Company of New Jersey, and in 1903 he
was made General Manager of the Electric Department
of the Public Service Corjjoration of New Jersey. The
Public Service Electric Company was formed in 1910 to
take over and operate all the electric properties of the
lattter corporation, and Mr. Farrand was selected for
General Manager. In April, 1915, he was elected Vice-
President and General Manager, which position he now
holds.
'*Mr. Farrand has done consulting engineering for a
number of large interests in various parts of the country.
He acted in an advisory capacity to the Board of Engi-
neers compiling data for the National Conservation Com-
mission appointed by President Roosevelt. He was
invited by President Roosevelt to represent the electric
interests in the first Conference of Governors held at the
White House in May, 1908.
"Mr. Farrand is a Fellow and Member of the American
Institute of Electrical Engineers, a member of the Amer-
ican Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Engineers
Club of New York, the Essex Club of Newark, N. J., the
148 A History of the Willis Family
Essex Comity Country Club of Orange, N. J., the Rumson
Country Club of Rumson, N. J. ; lie is a Past President of
the National Electric Light Association and a retired
member of the Essex Trooj) Cavalry, 1st Troop, N. G.,
N. J."
BETHUEL FARRAND, Jr.
Judge Betliuel Farrand, Jr., 6th generation, was the
son of Lieutenant Bethuel and Rhoda (Smith) Farrand.
He was born at Hanover, New Jersey, June 12, 1783, and
died at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1852. After the death
of his father, in 1794, he was educated by his uncle, the
Hon. Aaron Kitchell, at that time a Congressman and
shortly after United States Senator from New Jersey,
whose home was at Hanover. When still a young man
Bethuel, Jr., moved from New Jersey to Cayuga County,
New York, where he remained until 1825, when, having
obtained a contract to establish the first water works
in Detroit, Michigan, he removed to the latter city. He
remained in Detroit until late in 1825, when he sought a
new home at Ann Arbor and removed there with his fam-
ily. There was nothing but an Indian trail between the
two places at the time, and but few families had settled
at Ann Arbor. During the following winter Mr. Farrand
and his eldest son, Lucius, opened the first road between
Ann Arbor and Detroit. Mr. Farrand became one of the
foremost and leading citizens of the new settlement and
when "Washtenaw County was set off he became the first
Probate Judge. In March, 1838, the State Legislature
of Michigan loaned Mr. Farrand $800 to expend in ma-
chinery for the manufacture of silk ; he was the first per-
son in Michigan to plant the mulberry tree and engage
in raising the silk-worm. He married first Marilla Shaw,
second Deborah Osburn.
150
A History of the Willis Family
Jacob Shaw Farrand.
Jacob Shaw Farrand, 7th generation, son of Bethuel
and Marilla Shaw Farrand, was born at Mentz, Cayuga
County, New York, May 7, 1815.
''At the age of fifteen he left liome to make his own
way in the world and obtained a clerkship with Rice &
Bingham, of Detroit. At the age of twenty-one, Dr. Rice
having retired, he became the partner of Mr. Bingham,
devoted himself to the business, which was one of the
largest drug concerns in Detroit, for five years. At the
age of twenty-six, in 1841, he was appointed deputy col-
lector for the port of Detroit and the entire lake district
above that city and so severed his business connection.
In 1842 he was appointed Military Secretary, with the
A Histonj of the Willis Family 151
rank of Major, by Gov. Gordon. Returning to private
life in 1845, Mr. Farrand re-entered the drug business,
in which he remained alone until 1859, when he formed a
partnership with Ahmson Sheley, under the firm name of
Farrand & Sheley. In 1860, William C. Williams being
received as a partner, the firm name became Farrand,
Sheley & Co. In 1871 the house ranked with the leading-
establishments of the kind in the United States and Har-
vey C. Clark became a partner, the firm name being
changed to Farrand, Williams & Co. In 1880 Richard
Williams came into the firm, and in 1885 Jacob S. Far-
rand, Jr., and Alanson Sheley Brooks. In 1890 the firm
was dissolved and Mr. Farrand organized the business
of Farrand, Williams & Clark. In 1863 Mr. Farrand be-
came a stockholder in the First National Bank of Detroit,
and in 1868 was chosen its president, continuing in office
until the charter expired in 1883. Under the new charter
he was continued as a director. He was one of the or-
ganizers of the Wayne County Savings Bank, served on
its board of directors, and from 1885 to the time of his
death was its Vice-President. As organizer, director,
treasurer or president he was identified with the Detroit
Fire and Marine Insurance Co., the Michigan Mutual
Life Insurance Co., the Detroit Gas Co., and various other
important local enterprises. From 1860 to 1864 he was
a member of the city council, served one year as its
president, and for a time was acting Mayor of Detroit.
He left a most enviable record of conscientious and val-
uable services performed. For eight years he was presi-
dent of the board of police commissioners, a department
he had been instrumental in organizing, and for more
than twenty-five years he was a member of the board of
water commissioners, being its president for many years.
For several years he was president of the Harper Hos-
152 A History of the Willis Family
pital directorate, and from 1880 until his death he was
a trustee of the Eastern Michigan Asylum for the Insane
at Pontiac, being- appointed originally by Gov. Crosswell
and being re-appointed by Governors Begole and Luce.
For more than thirty years he was an elder of the First
Presbyterian Church of Detroit, was a delegate to five
general assemblies, represented the Presbyterian Church
of the United States in the Canadian assembly at Hamil-
ton in 1873, and in 1887 M^as sent as a delegate to the Pan-
Presbyterian Alliance, held in Scotland. Mr. Farrand
was simple in his habits, alert and accurate in forming
estimates as to men and means ; cheerful and agreeable in
manner, he was a delightful and inspiring associate. Mr.
Farrand was married at Hudson, Ohio, Aug. 12, 1841,
to Olive M., daughter of Rev Harvey and Deborah
(Eddy) Coe; they had five children. Mr. Farrand died
in Detroit, Mich., April 3, 1891."
Hi
Olive M. Farrand.
Olive M., wife of Jacob S. Farrand, was born at
Vernon, Ohio, April 18, 1821. On her mother's side she
was descended from Samuel Eddy, son of Rev. William
Eddy, of Branbrook, Kent, England, the former being
first of the line in this country. His descendants figure
prominently in colonial history, and one of them, Law-
rence by name, served through the Revolutionary war,
and shared in the privations at Valley Forge. ' '
She was descended on her father's side also from
Puritan stock, the first ancestor in this country being
Hon. Robert Coe, b. in Suffolkshire, England, in 1591;
his wife, Anna, b. 1596. They had three children, John,
b. 1626, Robert, Jr., b. 1627, Benjamin, b. 1629. They
sailed from England (Ipswich) with eighty-four others
in the ship Francis, April 10, 1634, and arrived in Boston
A History of the Wilt is F amity 153
in June. They first settled in Watertown, Mass., moved
to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1636, and in 1640 Hon. Robert
Coe, with others, purchased Kippowams, now Stamford,
Conn., and moved there. Hon. Robert Coe and his de-
scendants fill a very important place in the history of
Colonial Connecticut and Long Island. Robert Coe lived
at Stamford until 1644, when he removed with his three
sons to Hempstead, Long Island.
*'Robt., Sen., left Heemstede after a few years resi-
dence there; he became a pioneer in the settlement of
Middleburg, L. I., about 1651."
This part of Long Island, at that time, was under the
jurisdiction of Connecticut ; both Robt., Sen., and his son
John, held many im])ortant offices, were representatives,
etc.
Col. Robert Coe, Jr., second son of Robt., Sen., removed
from Long Island about 1650 to Stratford, Conn., where
he was a farmer.
He m. Susanna and by her had three children; from
this branch are descended most of the Connecticut Coes.
John Coe, only son of Robt. Coe, Jr., of Stratford, m.
Mary Hawley, of Stratford, Dec. 20, 1682, and had ten
children, one of whom, Ephraim, m. Hannah Miller, of
Middletown, Conn., Nov. 28, 1723, and had six children,
two of whom, Samuel, b. Aug. 5, 1726, and Aaron, b. Feb.
16, 1730, removed from Durham, Conn., to Granville,
Mass.
One of these, either Samuel or Aaron, was the ancestor
of Mrs. Jacob S. Farrand.
** Among Mrs. Farrand 's more immediate forebears
was her great-great-grandfather, Samuel Coe, who was a
soldier in the 17th regiment, Connecticut line. He took
part in the battles of Roxbury and Bunker Hill, being-
promoted to a Sergeancy in Capt. Champion's company,
154 A History of the Willis Family
3rd regiment, Connecticut line; he j)ai'ticipated in the
capture of West Point, in the battle of White Plains and
the storming of Stony Point. After three years' service
he was discharged Aug. 18, 1778, being pensioned as a
sergeant.
"Rev. Harvey Coe, father of Mrs. Farrand, was a
graduate of Williams College and was the second home
Missionary sent to the Western Reserve from Connect-
icut. He was one of the founders of the Western Reserve
College (now University) and was one of the trustees
as long as he lived.
"Mrs. Farrand went to Detroit and to her new home
admirably fitted for the responsibilities she was about to
undertake. With her husband she united with the First
Presbyterian Church and gave it the loving service of
her best years. She was closely identified with all the
many social, charitable and religious societies of the
church and with the Presbyterian Orphan Asylum and
other philanthropic institutions of the city, and holding
a positive place as the central figure of an ideally happy
home, she won and retained the admiration and confi-
dence of every one who knew her."
The biography of Jacob Shaw Farrand and part of
the biography of his wife, Olive M. (Coe) Farrand, is
from the National Cyclopedia of American Biography,
by kind permission of the publishers, James T. White &
Co., New York.
DR. DAVID OSBURN FARRAND.
Dr. David Osburn Farrand was born at Ann Arbor
April 23, 1838, and was the son of Judge Bethuel Far-
rand, prominent in the early history of Michigan, and
Deborah Osburn, a woman of culture and Christian prin-
ciple, who came west in the early days from New York
and established a home that was a center of beneficence
to all who came within its influence. After leaving the
literary department of the University of Michigan Dr.
Farrand began his medical studies there. He then went
to Europe and studied medicine in Germany. He was
subsequently graduated at The College of Physicians and
156 A History of the Willis Family
Surgeons in New York city. Immediately after gradua-
tion he entered the army as a volunteer during our Civil
war and soon won an enviable reputation as a surgeon,
beginning his career in Lawson General Hospital at St.
Louis, where he was sent by Surgeon-General Charles S.
Tripler, who was then stationed at Detroit. He was re-
called to Detroit to serve under Lieutenant-Colonel J. R.
Smith, at the barracks at the upper end of Clinton Street,
to which the soldiers were transferred on their way to the
front, and at St. Mary's Hospital, where all Michigan
soldiers were obliged to report.
The heart of every old Michigan soldier thrills at the
name of St. Mary's, presided over by those loyal, unsel-
fish women, the Sisters of Charity. St. Mary's was or-
ganized as a Military Hospital in August, 1863, but the
first soldiers admitted were sent in May, 1862. Dr. Far-
rand's service continued here until 1864, when Harper
Hospital was built and leased to the government and used
as a resting place and distributing point for the wounded
soldiers during the Civil war ; the amount of hospital re-
lief thus furnished was very large, nearly five thousand
soldiers passing under Dr. Farrand's care during this
time of service. While at Harper Hospital he was com-
missioned Assistant Surgeon in the regular army. He
held this commission and also received the brevet of Cap-
tain till July 1st, 1866, and also served as medical direc-
tor of the post, succeeding Dr. E. F. Sanger, when he re-
signed to enter private practice with Dr. Zina Pitcher in
Detroit. The year previous to his resignation, at the
request of General Cass, permission having been granted
Note. — Dr. David O. Farrand was made brevet Cajjtain, U. S. Army, 13tli
March, 1865, for faithful and meritorius service during the war.
A History of the Willis Family 157
by the Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, Dr. Far-
rand remained with General Cass during his last illness.
After the death of General Cass Dr. Farrand resigned his
commission in the regular army and was appointed Con-
tract Surgeon by request of the officers stationed at De-
troit, and served as such at Department Headquarters
on the staff of General Ord, of General Robinson and of
General Pope till the winter of 1871, when, being ill, he
was relieved by Assistant Surgeon Hartsuff, U. S. A,
Through the dark days of the war Dr. Farrand never for
a moment doubted the results of the contest and never
for a moment faltered in his devotion to his country. At
the close of the war he engaged in active practice in De-
troit, and down to the close of his noble and useful life
gave himself to the work of helping his fellowman. His
activity was ceaseless, his energy and industry remarka-
ble. He won the highest honors his profession has to
bestow, and worked for them not for their ow^n sake, but
because to win them was to make himself more useful. His
great skill as a physician and surgeon brought him, un-
solicited, many posts of trust and responsibility, and his
influence was accordingly extended through every part
of the social and business community. He was president
of the Board of Health of the City of Detroit, Surgeon
of the Detroit Police Force from its establishment until
his death, Surgeon-in-Chief of the Michigan Central Rail-
road, Surgeon of Harper Hospital, Chief Medical Ex-
aminer of the Michigan Mutual Life Insurance Co., a
member of the leading medical and surgical associations
of the country, physician to the poor, and to the people.
Notwithstanding his immense activity in the domain of
his profession he found his relaxation in business and
politics. He was an active, ardent and leading Republi-
can. As Chairman of the Republican County and Con-
158 A Hist oil/ of the Willis Famikj
gressional Committees he conducted several hard-fought
campaigns. He was Vice-President of one of Detroit's
largest manufacturing institutions, The Griffin Car Wheel
Co., and was also director of the Michigan Mutual Life
Insurance Co. As a politician and business man he was
a success.
Dr. Farrand was always deeply interested in every-
thing that pertained to the advancement of education
and was always warmly attached to The University of
Michigan and its interests. Dr. Farrand was married
September 11, 1866, to Elizabeth Lewis, daughter of Hon.
Royal Thaxter Twombly, of Maine, who came west in
1836 and who became prominent in Michigan as a staunch
American and Loyal Democrat, and Mary Parker Mc-
Lellan of distinguished Scotch ancestry, whose repre-
sentatives in America are among the earliest and ablest
of the settlers of New England. Dr. Farrand died March
18, 1883. The funeral was held at the First Presbyterian
Church, of which he was a member. The Rev. Geo. D.
Baker, the Rev. Arthur T. Pierson and President Angell,
of the L^niversity, conducted the services. About five
hundred people, including the faculty and medical stu-
dents of the Univeristy, came from the city of his birth
to pay their last tribute. The endowment of the Farrand
Training School for Nurses, in connection with Harper
Hospital, is a lasting and fitting monument to his mem-
orv. The beautiful monolith at Elmwood, erected in
grateful memory by his friends, the street and the public
School which bear his name, all show the affectionate
wish to keep him in remembrance. It is perhaps worthy
of note that this was the first instance in which a general
and unanimous contribution had been made for the erec-
tion of a monument to a citizen of Detroit, and as such
A History of the Willis Family 159
it is no small testimonial to the esteem in which Dr. Far-
rand was held.
Dr. Farrand died at the comparatively early age of
forty-five, yet when we speak of his life as prematurely
ended let us not fail to remember that it is only so in re-
gard to those who are left behind, for we can imagine none
more full or complete in itself, whether we think of the
name he achieved, the work he accomplished, the love that
he won, or the countless acts of kindness and benevolence
which have gone up as a memorial to the Master whom
he served.
The following verses appeared in a morning paper in
Detroit the day after Dr. Farrand died:
Farrand.
Draw low the flag, toll soft the bell
Move slowly out to Elmwood's rest;
He was the g^entlest one that fell —
Of this his deeds tell best.
'Tis g-reatiiess just to be a man.
To think and feel and ever do
By poor and rieli as best we can
One whole life through.
This was his daily, hourly task
To heal the weak that they might live,
Nor halting for rewards to ask
Of such as had not fees to give.
o'
Life's wheels worn out too soon
With such good work to do,
'Tis sad to part before your noon-
Doctor, we needed vou.
160
A Tlistoyy of the Willis Family
If all who loved you best
Could cast a single rose
Along the journey to your rest
'Twoiild mark your sweet repose.
Brave, patient friend, adieu ;
Hearts, homes throughout the state
Repeat so lovingly for you,
"Our family doctor, good and great.''
IIlLDRETH.
Elizabeth L. (Twoaiblv) P\\rrand.
Mrs. Elizabeth L. Farraiid, widow of Dr. David Osburn
Farrand, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs, Wlieeler
P. Bloodgood, in Milwaukee.
A History of the WiUls Family 161
Mrs. Farrand was an exceptionally capable and re-
sourceful woman, was a broad philanthropist during her
husband's lifetime and her residence in the city of
Detroit, She seconded the ''Good Physician" in all his
labors for humanity. Many a young life was saved
through their loving kindness. Many a college boy owed
his career to their moral support.
James Benjamin Farrand.
During the boyhood of James Benjamin Farrand he
lived on his father's farm, just out of Ann Arbor, Mich.,
attending school in that city. After the death of his
father, in 1852, and his brother Kitchell, in 1854, the
family left the farm, moving into Ann Arbor. James be-
came interested in engineering, and when the call for
volunteers in the Civil war was sent out he enlisted in the
Navy, going on the U. S. S. Michigan July 6, 1862, at
Detroit, Mich. Ordered from the Michigan Oct. 12, 1862,
to U. S. S. Southfield, at Norfolk, Va., as acting Third
Assistant Engineer; was in a number of engagements
on Pamlico Sound and during a blockade of nearly two
years. On April 19, 1864, the Southfield was sunk by
the Confederate Ram Albemarle, at Plymouth, N. C,
and all the crew taken prisoners excepting two beside
Mr. Farrand, who, rowing for their lives, reached the
fleet. He was ordered. May 5, 1864, to U. S. Monitor
Manhattan, at New York, going thence to Charleston and
the Gulf and was with Farragut in the battle of Mobile
Bay when they captured the Confederate Ram Tennes-
see, Forts Morgan and Powell, and ironclads Aug. 5,
1864; detached from Manhattan at Red River of the
South April, 1865 ; was on Board of Construction of Mon-
itors at Cincinnati. July 30, 1867, he was ordered to
162 A History of the Willis Family
U. S. S. Sliawmut, New York, as acting First Assistant
Engineer in charge for a cruise to the West Indies and
South America; returned from the cruise July 1, 1868,
and granted leave of absence ; resigned and received dis-
charge from the Navy Oct. 7, 1868. After leaving the
Navy he spent several years in business at Port Huron,
moving from there to Detroit in 1891, where he resided
the remainder of his life. Mr. Farrand was the son of
Judge Bethuel and Deborah (Osburn) Farrand and was
born June 6, 1833, at Ann Arbor ; died Jan. 8, 1904. He
married Helen N. Gray on Sept 30, 1868.
FARRAND GENEALOGY.
1 *Nathaniel Farrand, b. in England, settled in Milford, Conn.,
in 1645 ; had,
2 *Natlianiel Farrand, m. Mary Cobb, had,
3 Nathaniel, b. 1679, d. 1760.
3 *Samuel, b. Milford, Conn., April, 1681, d. Newark, N. J.,
Sept. 16, 1750; m. Hannah, dau. of Joseph and Dorcas
Wheeler ; she was b. 1685, d. Oct. 18, 1748.
3 Daniel, b. 1683.
Children of Samuel and Hannah (Wheeler) Farrand.
4 *Ebenezer, b. 1707 in Newark, N. J., d. Jany. 22, 1777; m.
Rebecca Ward.
4 Sarah.
4 Samuel d. 1760.
4 Phoebe.
4 *Joseph, b. May 24, 1719, d. Aug. 8, 1760 ; m. Sarah Crissy,
d. Jany 3, 1815.
4 Elizabeth.
4 Nathaniel.
4 Daniel, M. D., b. 1726, d. 1764.
Children of Ehenezer and Rebecca (Ward) Farrand.
5 Ebenezer, b. 1740, d. 1783.
5 *Bethuel, b. Oct. 4, 1741, d. May 27, 1794; m. Rhoda, dau.
of Samuel and Hannah (Allen) Smith, b. Parsippany,
N J., 1757, d. Bridport, Vermont, June 30, 1839.
5 Samuel.
5 Phineas, m. Jemima Kitchell.
164 A History of the Willis Family
5 *Phoebe, b. 1743, d. Mcli. 12, 1807 ; m. Hon. Aaron Kitchell.
5 Anna.
5 Rebecca, b. Feby. 5, 1750, d. Jany. 29, 1829; m. Abraham
Kitchell.
Bethuel Farrand, Lieutenant in Revolution, m. Rhoda
Smith when she was but fifteen years old ; the marriage took
place on Dec. 26, 1762. Their children were,
6 *Daniel, b. Jany. 19, 1764, d. Feby. 16, 1829; m. Phoebe
Plume.
6 Nathan, m. Esther Baldwin.
6 Betsey, m. Jonathan Gains.
6 Moses.
6 Hannah, b. Mch. 4, 1775, d. June 2, 1855; m. Newton Hay-
ward Oct. 20, 1796.
6 Bethuel, Jun 'r, m. 1st Marilla Shaw, m. 2d Deborah Osburn.
6 Rebecca, b. Jany. 25, 1777, d. Feby. 22, 1844; m. Dec. 20,
1798, Lyman Grandy, b. Aug. 1, 1775.
6 Samuel, b. Sept. 6, 1781, d. 1848; m. Mary (Polly) Kitchell.
6 Richard, m. Esther Fairchild.
6 Eleanor, m. Truman Grandy.
6 Nancy, m. Aaron Kitchell.
Daniel Farrand m. Jany. 6, 1785, Phoebe Plume, b. Dec. 1,
1766, d. Sept. 26, 1851 ; they had,
7 Cornelia, b. Oct. 28, 1785, d. Sept. 24, 1786.
7 Electa, b. July 16, 1787, d. Mch. 25, 1832; m. James H.
Quimby on Dec. 31, 1805.
7 Lydia, b. June 17, 1789, d. Oct. 19, 1791.
7 David P., b. Feby. 28, 1791, m. Anne Kitchell in 1815.
7 *Deborah, b. Feby. 9, 1793, d. Oct. 20, 1885, aged 92 years
and 8 months ; m. Dec. 14, 1824, Thomas Compson "Willis.
7 Eliza, b. July 4, 1795, d. Dec. 1869 ; m. A. 0. Houghton on
May 4, 1815.
A History of the Willis Family 165
7 Henry D., b. Aug. 18, 1797, d. Jany., 1856; m. Julia A.
Sturtevant Dec. 17, 1819.
7 Israel C, b. April 22, 1800, d. Sept. 16, 1829.
7 Sarah A., b. Jany. 16, 1803, d. Jany. 17, 1890.
7 Robert P., b. Jany. 12, 1805, d. Dec. 5, 1879 ; m. Lst Elsie A.
Noe and had nine children, m. 2d Sarah Blanchard and had
seven children.
7 Mary E., b. June 26, 1807, d. Feby. 15, 1889.
7 Daniel Marshall, b. May 15, 1809; m. Elsie Chapman Oct.
26, 1832.
*Deborah Farrand m. Thomas Compson Willis; they were
our grandparents. (For further record see Willis genealogy,
14th generation.)
^Children of Joseph {4ih generation) and Sarah
(Crissy) Farrand.
5 Moses.
5 Enos.
5 *Deborah. b. 1744, d. in Hanover, N. J., 1806; m. Robert
Plume in 1764. They were our great-great-grandparents.
(For further record see Plume genealogy, 8th generation.)
Deborah m. 2d Captain Samuel Ball and became our
great-great-grandmother through that line. (See Ball
genealogy.)
Phoebe Plume, dau. of Deborah and Robert Plume, m.
Daniel Farrand 6th ; they were thus our grand-parents.
Deborah Farrand 5th was also first cousin of Lieutenant
Bethuel Farrand, the father of Daniel.
Nathan and Esther (6th) (Baldwin) Farrand had
twelve children, the youngest of whom was a posthumous
child, named
Nathan, moved to Fort Wayne. Indiana, and there married
Ann Turner Hackley, daughter of an army officer named
166 A History of the Willis Family
Hackley, stationed at Fort Wayne. Nathan Farrand d.
in 1845 at Fort Wayne. Ann Turner Hackley was b. in
1818, d. June 10, 1858, in Kansas ; they had one son,
8 Oliver M. Farrand, b. Nov. 27, 1838, m. first Ella Signa, d.
Aug. 7, 1898, m. secondly Hattie Barbour Thompson, Dee. 5,
1903. Oliver M. Farrand is a Diamond Importer of New
York City.
Children of Phineas (5) and Jemima (Kitchell) Farrayid;
Jemima was a dan. of Joseph Kitchell 4th
6 Joseph.
6 Abby.
6 Samuel, m. Elizabeth Thompson Kitchell, dau. of James and
Hannah (Day) Kitchell 6th.
6 Nancy.
6 Electa.
6 Betsey.
6 Peggy.
6 Maria.
Children of Samuel and Elizabeth Thompson (Kitchell) Farrand.
7 Mary, m. James Ball, of New Jersey and Maryland.
7 Hannah.
7 Elizabeth M., m. Abraham Ford Kitchell.
7 Susan, m. Green.
7 Nancy, m. James H. Quinby.
7 Margaret, m. Charles Ogden.
7 Phineas, m. 1st unknown, m. 2d Mary Darling, m. 3d Susan
Ogden.
A History of the Willis Family 167
Children of David P. (vth) and Ann {Kitchell) Farrand; Ann
tvas a dan. of Josiah and Sarah (Ball) Kitchell, otJi genera-
tion, line of John Kitchell.
8 George Cook, b. Feby. 16, 1821, d. Nov. 11, 1842.
8 Hiram T., b. Meh. 29. 1828, d. Dec. 10, 1862; m. Cornelia
Waters.
8 Albert Smith, b. Meh. 22. 1836. m. 1st Sarah E. Loekwood,
m. 2d Lucy J. Philips.
Children of Hiram Tihnan {8th) and Cornelia (Waters) Farrand.
9 Ann Amelia.
9 Sarah C, m. David Roland.
Children of Albert Smith {8th) and Sarah {Loekwood) Farrand.
9 Charles D., b. Dec. 23, 1865.
9 Anna Clarissa, b. June 12, 1868.
By second wife, Lucy Jane Philips.
9 Albert William, b. June 9. 1873.
GrAXDV. BODWELIi AND EbERBACH FAMILIES.
Child of Rebecca Farrand {8th) and Lyman Grandy.
7 Almira Grandy, b. June 19. 1810, at Panton, Vermont, d.
Dec. 20, 1893, at Ann Arbor, Mich. ; m. at Panton, Vt., July
23, 1838, Luke Whitker P.odwell, b. at Stanstead, Canada,
Nov. 1, 1806, d. June 7, 1887, at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Children of Luhe W. and Almira (Grandy) Bod well.
8 Mary E., b. Nov. 8, 1841, at Bristol, Indiana, m. at Ann
Arbor, Mich., July, 1865, Jared E. Bodwell, b. Oct. 8, 1839,
d. Sept., 1914, at Grand Rapids, Mich.
8 Mattie, b. J\Iay 1, 1849, m. Edward H. Eberbach Jany. 2,
1865.
168 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Edward H. and Mattie {Bodwell) Eherhach.
9 Flora May, b. Sept. 9, 1867, d. Sept. 6. 1894, at Ann Arbor ;
m. Will A. Zimmer Aug. 31, 1887.
9 Fred E., b. June 18, 1869.
9 Edythe N., b. Dee. 27, 1882, m. July 10, 1906, Frank C.
Longman, b. Dec. 7, 1882.
Line of Henry D. Farrand (7th).
Daniel Farrand 6tli, m. Phoebe Plume; one of their sons
was,
7 Henry D. Farrand, b. Aug. 18, 1797, d. Feby. 4, 1856; m.
Julia A. Sturtevant Dec. 17, 1819 ; she was b. Mch. 20, 1796,
d. Aug. 28, 1876.
Children of Henry D. and Julia A. (Sturtevant) Farrand.
8 Camillus, m. 1st Maria A. Baldwin, m. 2d Mary J. Baker.
8 Anna, m. Charles Farrand.
8 Helen, m. Samuel Ashbel Farrand.
Child of Camillus and Maria A. {Baldwin) Farrand.
9 Edward F., m. Helen Lock wood.
By second ivife, Mary J. Baker.
9 William, m. Arlene Farrand.
Charles Farrand was b. July 29, 1799, d. June 3, 1874;
Anna Farrand, his wife, was b. Mch. 30, 1823, d. Aug. 8,
1901; their children were,
9 Sarah Louise.
9 Charles Henry, m. Wilhelmina Terhuue.
A History of the Willis Family 169
9 Stanford, m. Helena Spear.
9 Herbert Cook, m. Mary E. Hampson.
9 Frank Willis.
9 William Sherwood.
9 Ida Julia.
9 Walter Dickie.
9 Edward Clinton.
9 Anna Belle.
9 Dudley, b. Feby. 21, 1869, m. Jane Champenois on Nov. 9,
1899.
Children of Dudley and Jane (Champenois) Farrand.
10 Dudley Champenois, b. May 3, 1901, d. July, 1901.
10 Louise Champenois, b. May 2, 1903, d. Nov., 1905.
10 Laura Jean, b. Feby. 10, 1907.
Descendants op Samuel Farrand (6th generation).
Lieutenant Bethuel Farrand, 5th generation, m. Rhoda
Smith and had eleven children, one of whom was Samuel.
6 Samuel Farrand, b. Sept. 6, 1781, d. 1848; m. Mary (known
as Polly) Kitchell, b. June 14, 1789, d. 1856 ; her ancestry
is given under Kitchell genealogy. They had twelve chil-
dren.
7 Phineas, b. Nov. 27, 1807, d. Apr. 21, 1857; m. Harriet
Wheelock.
7 Esther, b. Mch. 1, 1810, d. Apr. 27, 1872 ; m. Samuel Thomas.
7 Bethuel, b. May 27, 1812, d. May 7, 1866; m. Mary N.
Harris.
7 Elbridge Gerry, b. Bridport, Vt., Nov. 13, 1814; m. Eliza-
beth Mc Williams, b. Scotch Ridge, Ohio, July 3, 1827, d.
Jany. 21, 1903.
170 A History of the Willis Family
7 Rhoda Eleanor, b. Dec. 19, 1816, d. May 20, 1902 ; m. Theo-
dore Hunter.
7 Richard, b. Feb. 11, 1818, d. Feb. 28, 1818.
7 Mulford K., b. April 7, 1820, m. first Martha Miller, m. sec-
ond Catherine Drew; he d. Feby. 2, 1884.
7 Hiram, b. July 18, 1822, m. Harriet P. Bacon.
7 Mary, b. Aug. 15, 1824.
7 Caroline Elizabeth, b. Sept. 6, 1826, m. James H. Bacon.
7 Samuel Ashbel, b. June 4, 1830, d. 1908; m. first Helen
Farrand, m. second Louise Wilson.
7 Harriet Augusta, b. June 7, 1832, d. May 19, 1899.
Children of Phineas {7th) and Harriet (Wheelock) Farrand.
8 Charles Wheelock, b. July 2, 1841, m. Jane Griffeth, d. Dec,
1913.
8 Julia Summer, b. July 29, 1843, m, John Robson Oct. 12,
1875.
8 Henry Kitchell, b. June 2, 1845, d. Feby. 10, 1916.
8 Theodore, b. Feb. 22, 1847, d. Aug. 4, 1868. •
8 Hart Augustus, b. Dec. 10, 1850, m. Ann E. Shank.
Children of John {8th) and Julia Summer {Farrand) Rohson.
9 Harriette I. Robson, b. Nov. 6, 1876, d. Jany. 2, 1911.
9 Mary Farrand Robson, b. Oct. 3, 1878.
9 Helen Kitchell Robson, b. May 9, 1880.
9 John Phineas Robson, b. April 20, 1883, d. April 29, 1883.
9 Theodore Thomas Robson, b. Oct. 20, 1886, m. Edith M.
Kelly Aug. 21, 1911.
Child of Theodore Thomas {9th) and Edith {Kelly) Rohson.
10 John Theodore Robson, b. May 18, 1912.
A History of the Willis Family 171
Children of Hart Augustus {8th) and Ann E. (Shank) Farrand.
9 Frances Julia, b. Nov. 22, 1878, m. Arthur C. Dodge.
9 Harriet Augusta, b. Sept. 9, 1880, m. George Nunez Car-
dozo.
9 Bell Shank, b. Meh. 18, 1883. m. Otto Rahn.
9 Margaret, b. Sept. 1, 1885, ni. Arthur R. Page.
Children of George Nunez {9th) and Harriet A.
{Farrand) Car doze.
10 Ann Nunez Cardozo, b. Mch. 25, 1912.
10 Janette Cardozo, b. June 12, 1914.
Children of Otto {9th) and Bell S. (Farrand) Rahn.
10 Hermann Rahn, b. July 6, 1912.
10 Marie Rahn, b. Nov. 21, 1914.
Children of Arthur R. {9th) and Margaret (Farrand) Page.
10 Joseph Farrand Page, b. Dec. 11, 1912.
10 Hart Farrand Page, b. July 25, 1914.
Children of Esther (Farrand) (7th) and Samuel Thomas.
8 Harriet Augusta Thomas, b. Oct. 11, 1838.
8 Samuel Ashbel Thomas, b. Aug. 7, 1840, d. June 16, 1847.
8 Elizabeth Caroline Thomas, b. July 15, 1843.
Children of Bethnel (7th) and Mary (Harris) Farrand.
8 Martha Clayes, b. Oct. 31, 1844, d. May 18, 1876 ; m. Prof.
C. L. Doolittle of Lehigh University.
8 Ellen S., b. Nov. 25, 1847, m. A. F. Chase.
8 Caroline Allen, b. Aug. 13, 1856.
172 xi History of the Willis Family
Children of Elhridge Gerry {7th) and Elizaheth
{McWilliams) Farrand.
8 James Alexander, b. Sept. 16, 1854, m. Annie Craven, b.
Feby. 26, 1869.
8 Mulford Kitchell, b. Dec. 28, 1856, m. Mary Esther Craven,
b. Oct. 6, 1866.
8 Harvey Latimer, b. Sept. 27, 1859.
8 Frederick Heman, b. Apr. 24, 1861, m. Annabil Parker,
b. Apr. 16, 1870.
ChiM of James Alexander (8th) and Annie (Craven) Farrand.
9 Henrietta Crowther, b. Feby. 10, 1905, at Griggsville, 111.
Children of Mulford Kitchell {8th) and Mary Esther
{Craven) Farrand.
9 Harry Craven, b. Dec. 21, 1889, m. Lela S. Nelson, b Mch.
8, 1893.
9 George Elbridge, b. Sept. 8, 1892. (Both children b. at
Griggsville. 111.)
Children of Frederick Heman {8th) and Annabil
{Parker) Farrand.
9 Ralph Parker, b. Jany. 26, 1895, at Griggsville, 111.
9 Elbridge Kitchell. b. Nov. 15, 1898, at Griggsville, 111.
9 Emily Elizabeth, b. Dec. 31, 1900, at Griggsville, 111.
Children of Rhoda Eleanor {Farrand) {7th) and
Theodore Hunter.
8 Ella Hunter, b. May 15, 1852, d. July 18, 1852.
8 Theodore Farrand Hunter, b. July 30, 1853, m. Ida Julia
Willis.
8 Eleanor Augusta Hunter, b. Nov. 3, 1855, d. Mch. 8, 1915.
A History of the Willis Family 173
Children of Hiram {7th) and Harriet {Bacon) Farrand.
8. Agnes Helen, b. Feb. 2, 1859, d. Sept. 11, 1859.
8 Frances Louise, b. June 30, 1860, d. in infancy.
8. Elbridge Bacon, b. Feby. 12, 1866, m. Emma J. Lewes.
8 Hiram Augustus, b. Dec. 10, 1868, m. 1st Katherine
Schlater, m. secondly Elizabeth Rice, m. third Elizabeth
Allen in Sept., 1915.
8 Harriet Eleanor, b. Mch. 6, 1874.
Children of Elbridge Bacon {8th) and Emma J.
{Lewes) Farrand.
9 Inez,
9 George.
9 Augustus.
9 Elbridge.
9 Ruth Eleanor.
Child of Hiram Augustus {8th) and Elizabeth {Rice) Farrand.
9 Katherine Louise, b. April 14, 1909.
Children of Caroline Elizabeth {Farrand) (7th) and
James H. Bacon.
8 Elbridge Farrand, b. May 3, 1850, m. Clarena Bailey May
3, 1881.
8 Hiram Augustus, b. Oct. 2, 1852, m. Alice Bird Sept. 10,
1901.
8 Henry Kellogg, b. Nov. 5, 1 854, m. Anna E . Gallingar Jany .
12, 1878.
8 Mary Elizabeth, b. Jany. 3, 1857, m. Sheldon Covert Mch.
27, 1883.
174 A History of the Willis Family
8 Helen Estelle, b. Sept. 2, 1860.
8 Georgia Farrand, b. Mch. 18, 1863.
8 Caroline, b. Oct. 12, 1866, m. John Hammer Nov. 26, 1902.
Children of Elhridge Farrand {8th) and Clarena
(Bailey) Bacon.
9 Ruth, b. May 30, 1882, m Duncan Buchanan Aug. 5, 1914.
9 Helen, b. July 12, 1887.
9 Lucy, b. May 15, 1892.
9 Elbridge Farrand, b. Sept. 18, 1898.
9 Roger Orlando, b. Sept. 10, 1901.
Children of Henry Kellogg {8th) and Anna {Gallingar) Bacon.
9 Caroline Farrand, b. Feby. 7, 1880, m. Royal A. Abbott
June 15, 1904.
9 Anna May, b. Dee. 13, 1882, m. Ralzemond D. Parker July
9, 1907.
9 Georgia Henrietta, b. June 28, 1885, m. John Woolfinden
April 14, 1913.
9 Mabel Estelle, b. Aug. 5, 1888, d. April 12, 1891.
9 John Henry, b. May 8, 1892, d. March 30, 1913.
9 Francis Hiram, b. Aug. 30, 1895.
Child of John {8th) and Caroline {Bacon) Hammer.
9 John Edward Hammer, b. May 8, 1906.
Children of Royal A. {9th) and Caroline Farrand
{Bacon) Ahhott.
10 Eleanor, b. Dec. 31, 1906.
10 Katherine, b. Jany. 26, 1907.
10 Coleman Baldwin, b. Feby. 13, 1912.
10 Henry Bacon, b. April 15, 1914.
A History of the Willis Family 175
Children of Rahemond D. {9th) and Anna May
(Bacon) Parker.
10 Ralzemoiid Bacon, b. Meh. 28, 1909.
10 Helen, b. Feby. 5, 1911.
10 Farrand Drake, b. June 18, 1915.
Child of John {9th) and Georgia Henrietta {Bacon) Woolfinden.
10 John Henry, b. Mch. 11. 1915.
Child of Samuel Ashbel Farrand {7th) and his first wife
Helen Farrand.
8 Helen, b. Sept. 22. 1856. d. Apr. 1858.
Children of Samuel Ashhel {7th) and his second wife
Louise {Wilson) Farrand.
8 Wilson, b. Sept. 22, 1862, m. Margaret Washburn Walker.
8 Raymond, b. Dee. 26, 1864, d.
8 Livingston, b. June 14, 1867, m. Margaret K. Carlton.
8 Max, b. Mch. 29, 1869, m. Beatrix Cadwalader Jones, b.
June 19, 1872, daughter of Frederick Rhinelander and Mary
Cadwalader (Rawle) Jones.
Wilson Farrand (8th) m. Nov. 23, 1889, Margaret Wash-
burn Walker ; they have three children,
9 Margaret Louise, b. Dec. 3, 1891.
9 Katherine, b. Apr. 19, 1893.
9 Dorothy Wilson, b. June 1, 1897.
176 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Livingston {8th) and Margaret K.
(Carleton) Farrand.
They were m. Feb. 1, 1901. Mrs. Farrand was b. Jany.
18, 1876.
9 Margaret Propert, b. Nov. 30, 1901.
9 Louisa Wilson, b. Dec. 10, 1902.
9 John, b. May 5, 1904.
9 Mary Dalton, b. June 9, 1907.
9 Robert Kitchell, b. Aug. 3, 1908.
Line op Mulford Kitchell FarRxVnd (7th), Son of SxVmuel
AND Mary "Polly" (Kitchell) Farrand.
Mulford Kitchell Farrand was born April 7, 1820, at Addison
or Bridport, Vermont, and died Feby. 2, 1884, at La Porte,
Indiana; he married first Martha Miller, married second Cath-
erine M. Drew. He achieved especial distinction in criminal
law, and his speeches before juries were pronounced masterpieces
of eloquence and pathos. He held many offices, among them that
of Judge.
Children of Mulford Kitchell {7th) and Catherine
M. {Brew) Farrand.
8 Mulford Drew, b. Sept. 22. 1855, m. Mary Robbins Porter
June 22, 1882.
8 Samuel Gano, b. Jany. 14, 1859, d. Mch. 9, 1886.
8 Katherine E., b. Aug. 14, 1860, m. July 1, 1887, Jacob
Reighard, Professor in University of Michigan.
Child of Mulford Drew {8th) and Mary Rohhins
{Porter) Farrand.
9 Porter, b. Sept., 1883.
A History uf the Willis Family 177
Children of Jacob and Katherine E. {8th) {Farrand) Beighard.
9 Paul Roby, b. July 26, 1888.
9 John Jacob, b. Aug. 16, 1890.
9 Catherine, b. April 8, 1893.
9 Farrand Kitchell, b. July 16, 1904.
HOUGHTON, MILLS AND EWING FAMILIES.
Daniel P^arraiid, 6th generation, ni. Phoebe Plume ; they had
twelve children, one of whom was
7 Eliza Farrand, b. July 4, 1795, d. Dec, 1869; m. Abijah
Otis Houghton on May 4, 1815 ; Mr. Houghton was b. June
4, 1792, at Sterling, Mass., d. Nov. 13, 1855, at Rahway,
N. J. ; the marriage took place at Parsippany, N. J. ; they had
S Carlos Palafox Houghton, b. at Goshen, N. Y., Feby. 4,
1816, d. May, 1888 ; m. Nov. 30, 1836, Angelica M. Taylor,
dau. of James Taylor, N. Y. City.
8 Mary H. Houghton, b. at Goshen, N. Y., Aug. 13. 1817. d.
at Washington, D. C. Oct. 2, 1894; m. 1853 to Godfrey
Beck, of Washington, D. C.
8 Daniel Farrand Houghton, b. Oct. 3, 1819, in N. Y. City,
d. Mch. 15, 1896, at Racine, Wisconsin ; m. Emily Jacques.
8 George Houghton, b. N. Y. City Sept. 26, 1821, d. Feb. 7,
1822.
8 George Henry Houghton, b. N. Y. City Jany. 8, 1823, d.
Feb. 7. 1825.
8 Anna Eliza Houghton, b. N. Y. City Aug. 26, 1825, d. in
San Francisco, Cal., about 1909 or 1910; m. Frederic L.
Post, Mch., 1850.
8 Sherman Otis Houghton, b. N. Y. City April 10, 1828, d. at
Santa Clara Farm, Los Angeles Co., Cal., summer of 1914;
m. first Mary Donner, m. secondly Eliza P. Donner, cousin
of his first wife.
8 Phoebe Josephine Houghton, b. in Derby, Vermont. Aug.
25, 1830, d. N. Y. City Feb. 24, 1899 ; m. in Rahway, N. J.,
Nov. 14, 1855, to John P. Mills, of Powhatan, near Balti-
more, Md., b. Aug. 5, 1829. d. N. Y. City Sept. 9. 1906.
A History of the Willis Family 179
8 Electa Houghton, b. Aug. 24, 1833, in Derby, Vermont, d.
in Rah way, N. J., June 19, 1888 ; m. Alexander J. Mills at
Rahwav, N. J., Nov. 4, 1852.
8 Theopolis Lilly Houghton, b. April 21, 1837, N. Y. City ; m.
Dec. 6, 1864, Fannie Jenkins, Richmond, Virginia.
Children of John P. and Phoebe Josephine (Houghton) Mills.
9 Maud (Matilda) Studwell, b. Jany. 13, 1857, at Rah way,
N. J. ; m. at Rahway Oct. 11, 1882, William Alexander
Ewing, M. D., son of Alexander Ewing, M. D., and Sophia
Antoniette (Sears) Ewing; Mrs. Ewing was a lineal descend-
ant of Richard Sears, of Plymouth, Mass., called "Richard
the Pilgrim." The Ewings came from Ewing, Scotland.
9 Marion Josephine, m. April 25, 1906, Charles Brackett
Barkley, of New York City.
9 Lilian Houghton, m. June 3, 1896, James Ward Warner,
member of Chamber of Commerce of N. Y., Ex-President
of the New York Produce Exchange.
Children of Dr. William Alexander and Maud '^ Matilda"
Studivell {Mills) Ewing.
10 Edith Claire, b. at 205 W. 56th St., N. Y. City, Oct. 1, 1883,
d. Dec. 1, 1890.
10 Marion Maud, b. at 205 W. 56th St., N. Y. City, Feb. 6,
1889 ; m. June 1, 1912, Harold Chaffee McCollom, b. Brook-
lyn, N. Y., Sept. 3, 1883, son of Dr. William and Marion
Deering (Gilmore) McCollom.
Children of Harold Chaffee and Marion M. (Ewing) McCollom.
11 Alexander Ewing, b. at 134 W. 58th St., N. Y. City, Feb.
27, 1913.
11 Harold Chaffee, Jr., b. at 134 W. 58th St., N. Y. City,
June 27, 1914.
11 Malcolm Neil, b. at 134 W. 58th St., N. Y. City, Nov. 4, 1916.
180 A History of the Willis Family
From Obituary of Phoehe Josephine (Houghton) Mills, wife
of John P. 31 ills.
"She was a great-granddaughter of two Revolutionary
officers, Col. Abijah Houghton and Lieut. Farrand. Her
ancestors on both sides were among the earliest settlers and
colonists and active participants in the Colonial and Indian
wars. Her grandfather, Abijah Houghton, was one of the
minute men of Lexington and Concord. He received a
bullet wound at the battle of Bunker Hill. Mrs. Mills was
a woman of unusual strength of character, of cheerful and
unselfish disposition, fulfilling mentally and physically and
spiritually the characteristics that one would expect from
her double line of ancestors, and leaves the memory of a
blessed and most beautiful life."
Children of Alexander J. {8th) and Electa {Houghton) Mills.
9 Sherman Otis Houghton, b. Jany. 6, 1853.
9 William Alexander, b. Nov. 15, 1855.
9 Emily Houghton, b. Nov. 4, 1857, d. Feb. 3, 1884.
9 Clara Electa, b. Nov. 20, 1859, d.
9 Mary Eleanor, b. Aug. 7, 1861.
Sherman Otis Houghton (8th) m. first Mary Martha
Donner Aug. 23, 1859 ; she was b. at Springfield, 111., Mch.
18, 1839, d. June 21, 1860 ; they had one child,
9 Mary Martha, b. June 7, 1861, d. —
Sherman Otis Houghton (8th) m. secondly a cousin of
his first wife, Eliza Poore Donner, Oct. 10, 1861 ; she was
b. at Springfield, 111., Mch. 8, 1843, and had,
9 Eliza Poore, b. Aug. 23, 1863.
9 Sherman Otis, b. May 16, 1865.
9 Clara Helen, b. April 1, 1867.
A History of the Willis Family 181
9 Charles Donner, b. Nov. 5, 1868.
9 Francis Irving, b. Mch. 1, 1870, d.-
9 Stanley Washington, b. Jauy. 15, 1872.
9 Herbert Sutter, b. July 26. 1876, d. Mch. 18, 1878.
HUNTER FAMILY.
1:6 Theodore Hunter, b. New York City Feby. 11, 1814, d.
Brooklyn, New York, Jany. 27, 1893; m. Eleanor Rhoda
Farrand, b. at Bridport, Vermont, Dec. 19, 1816, d. in
Brooklyn, N. Y., May 20, 1902.
Eleanor Rhoda Farrand was a daughter of Samuel and
Mary (Polly) (Kitchell) Farrand, 6th in Farrand gene-
alogy. They had,
2 :7 Ella, b. May 15, 1852, d. July 18, 1852.
2:7 Theodore Farrand, b. July 30, 1853, m. Oct. 27, 1883, Ida
Julia Willis (16th in Willis genealogy), dau. of Edwin
Ethelbert and Electa Caroline (Cook) Willis; she was b.
Jany. 8, 1856.
2 :7 Eleanor Augusta, b. Nov. 3, 1855, d. Mch. 8, 1915.
Child of Theodore Farrand and Ida Julia {Willis) Hunter.
3 :8 Marjorie, b. Feby. 3, 1887, m. on June 22, 1912, Walter F.
Van Dien ; they have,
4:9 Walter Farrand Van Dien, b. Sept. 16, 1913.
4:9 Garrett Franklin Van Dien, b. Jany. 6, 1915.
QUIMBY FAMILY.
Lieutenant Bethuel (5th) and Rhoda (Smith) Farrand,
had son
6 Daniel Farrand, m. Phoebe Plume, had,
7 Electa Farrand, m. James H. Quimby and had,
8 D. Farrand, m. Harriet Munn.
8 Adeline,
A History of the Willis Family 183
8 Smith.
8 Albert, m. Amelia Bass.
8 Elizabeth, m. Josiah Davis.
8 Aiirelia.
8 James H., m. Nancy Farrand (7th), dau. of Samuel and
Elizabeth T. (Kitehell) Farrand.
HAYWARD FAMILY.
Newton Hayward, m. Hannah (6th), dau, of Lieutenant
and Rhoda (Smith) Farrand on Oct. 20, 1796. Their chil-
dren were,
Betsey, b. April 19, 1798, d. 1821.
Sarah, b. May 16, 1800, m. Zoroaster Culver, d. July 25,
1876.
Harriet, b. July 24, 1802, m. Sumaier Strong, d. April 27,
1859.
Amanda, b. Mch. 8, 1805, m. Addison Buck, d. Nov. 4, 1858.
Eleanor, b. May 9, 1809, m. Austin Buck, d. Jany. 14, 1883.
Daniel Farrand, b. Mch. 25, 1812, d. Sept. 12, 1812.
Charles Newton, b. Mch. 25, 1817, m. Susan E. Rockwood
on Jiuie 18, 1844, d. Oct. 16, 1874.
Children of Charles Newton and Susan E. (Roekivood) Hayward.
Susan Rockwood, b. Oct. 13, 1823, d. Oct. 8, 1898.
Emma Cornelius, b. Nov. 30, 1845, m. Charles A. Eldredge
on Jany. 2, 1867, b. Aug. 3, 1831, d. June 1, 1907.
Julius A., b. June 8, 1848, d. Mch. 19, 1869.
Willie Newton, b. April 7, 1855, d. Feby. 9, 1869.
Hattie Eliza, b. Dec. 13, 1858, d. Mch. 3, 1859.
Child of Charles A. and Emma Cornelia {Hayward) Eldredge.
John Hammond, b. Feby. 10, 1868, d. Aug. 3, 1898.
184 A History of the Willis Family
Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo.
Jacob Smith, of Vermont, brother of Rhoda Smith, who
was the wife of Lt. Bethuel Farrand, married Sally Pickett
and had three children — Betsey, Hannah and Luthur.
Joseph C. Eldredge, m. Betsey and had daughter Eliza-
beth, who married Henry Mayo. Henry Mayo was the
father of Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo.
"Henry Thomas Mayo, rear admiral, b. Burlington, Vt,,
Dec. 8, 1856, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Eldredge) Mayo;
graduated U. S. Naval Academy June, 1876 ; was the young-
est in his class of 127 ; married Carrie M. Wing, of Burling-
ton, Vt."
GENEALOGY OF JUDGE BETHUEL FARRAND, Jr.
AND FIRST WIPE, MARILLA SHAW.
Bethuel Farrand, Jr., 6th generation, b. at Hanover, New
Jersey, June 12, 1783, d. at Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1852 ; m.
first Marilla Shaw and had five children
7 Lucius S., m. Frances A. Shaw, d. 1854.
7 Jacob Shaw, b. May 7. 1815, d. Apr. 3, 1891 ; m. Olive M.
Coe.
7 Caroline E., m. Deodatus Whitwood.
7 Bethuel Clinton, b. Dec. 13, 1820, d. Dec. 28, 1910 ; m. first
Laura Worthing Whitman, m. second Helen Marr Wheaton.
7 Marilla Shaw, b. Dec. 13, 1820, d. 1904; m. first Charles
Stuart, m. second Andrew Parsons; Bethuel and Marilla
were twins.
Jacob Shaw Farrand (7th), m. Aug. 12, 1841, Olive M.
Coe, b. at Vernon, Ohio, Apr. 18, 1821, and had five children,
8 Mary C. b. Aug. 16, 1842, d. Dec. 3, ]889, m. Rev. James
Lewis, on Nov. 17, 1869.
8 Martha E., b. Dec. 6, 1847, d. Sept. 11, 1850.
8 William Raynolds, b. Sept. 9, 1853, m. Oct. 4, 1876, Cora
Bell Wallace.
8 Jacob Shaw, Jr., b. June 11, 1857, unmarried.
8 Olive C, b. Mch. 11, 1862, m. Dec. 2, 1882, Richard P.
Williams.
Children of Mary C. {8th) (Farrand) and Rev. James Lewis.
9 Jacob Farrand, b. Aug. 20, 1870, m. Emma Beyer, June 30,
1904.
9 James Lang, b. June 13, 1873, m. Elizabeth Shaw Palmer.
186 A History of the Willis Family
9 Rev. Alexander, b. Sept. 19, 1874.
9 Olive Farrand, b. Apr. 27, 1876, d. Sept. 29, 1877.
9 William Mathew, b. Meh. 24, 1878, m. Dec. 20, 1906, Ruth
Durand.
Children of Jacob Farrand {9th) and, Emma (Beyer) Lewis.
10 Mary Johanne, b. May 13, 1904.
10 James Beyer, b. Feby. 13, 1907.
10 Jane Leonore, b. July 30, 1911.
Child of William Matheiv {9th) and Rnth {Durand) Lewis.
10 Sarah Durand, b. Dee. 28, 1908.
William Raynolds Farrand (8th) b. Detroit, Mich., Sept.
9, 1853, m. Cora Bell Wallace in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 4,
1876, youngest child of Dr. Perkins Wallace and Rebekah
(Raynolds) Wallace and had two children,
9 Wallace Raynolds, b. June 3, 1878, d. June 13, 1886.
9 Rebekah Olive, b. Oct. 29, 1887, m. George C. Keleher, U.
S. Army, Oct. 24, 1912.
Children of ReheJt-ah Olive {9th) {Farrand) and George
C. Keleher.
10 Catherine Wallace, b. in Detroit Nov. 24, 1913.
10 Virginia Raynolds, b. in Detroit Nov. 12, 1915.
Children of Olive Curtis {8th) {Farrand) and Richard
P. Williams.
9 Richard Farrand, b. Detroit Oct. 17, 1883, d. Feby. 1, 1907.
9 Jacob Farrand, b. Dec. 12, 1885, m. George Mason Beckley
Dec. 12, 1911, and have two children,
A History of the Willis Family 187
10 Richard Prydderch AVilliains (2iid). b. Dee. 15, 1912.
10 Florence Colston Williams, b. Sept. 2, 1915.
Bethuel Clinton Farrand (7th), b. at Auburn, now Aure-
lius. New York, m. first Laura Worthing Whitman, a native
of North Haverhill, New Hampshire, later of St. Clair,
Michigan, where the marriage took place ; they had three
children,
8 Laura Caroline, b. at Port Huron, Mich., Sept. 1, 1846,
educated in eastern schools and University of Michigan ; m.
Silas L. Ballentine, of Port Huron, on Nov. 7, 1868; Mr.
Ballentine d. Feb. 9, 1902.
8 Mary Emma, b. at Port Huron, Mich., June 24, 1849 ; grad-
uate of University of Michigan 1877, Master's Degree 1878;
m. Joel C. Tyler, of Kalamazoo, Mich., 1883 ; moved to
Knoxville, Tenn., in 1891.
8 Sarah Whitman, b. Apr. 14, 1852, d. in infancy.
Children of Laiirti Caroline {8th) (Farrand) and Silas
L. Ballentine.
9 Emma MacAllan Ballentine, b. Sept. 24, 1869 ; graduate of
University of Michigan 1891 ; m. Theodore Henry Hinch-
man, Jr., of Detroit, Mich., Oct. 24, 1895.
9 Fanny Farrand Ballentine, b. Aug. 12, 1872, d. in infancy.
9 Caroline Whitman Ballentine, b. Jany. 1, 1875; received
musical education in Germany and France ; m. Walter R.
Kneupfer, of Halle, Prussia, June 30, 1897 ; d. in Chicago,
111., Feby. 16, 1900.
9 Katharine Forrest Ballentine, b. July 4, 1847 ; graduate of
University of Michigan 1903 ; m. Theodore F. Heavenrich.
M. D., formerly of Detroit, at Port Huron April 18, 1906.
188 A Histunj of the Willis Family
9 Edward Farrand Ballentine, b. Aug. 24, 1880; educated in
United States and Germany; m. Grace L. Mason Aug. 21,
1906 ; served in Company T, 33d Regiment Michigan
Troops, during Spanish-American war, 1898,
Children of Mary Emma {8th) {Farrand) and Joel C. Tyler.
9 Hugh Claverly Tyler and Laura MHiitman Tyler (twins),
b. at Kalamazoo, Mich., May, 1884.
9 Paula Farrand Tyler, b. at Knoxville, Tenn., 1893.
Children of Emma MacAllan {9th) {Ballentine) and Theodore
Henry Hinchman, Jr.
10 Theodore Henry Hinchman, Jr.
10 David Ballentine Hinchman.
10 John Marshall Hinchman.
Children of Caroline Whitman {9th ) {Ballentine) and
Walter R. Kneupfer.
10 Walter Richard Kneupfer, Jr., b. June 24, 1898.
10 Carol Ballentine Kneupfer, b. Feby. 15, 1900.
Child of Edward Farrand {9th) and Grace L. {Mason)
Ballentine.
10 Farrand Mason Ballentine, b. Aug. 1, 1897, m. Hazel I.
Reid, of Yale, Mich., Nov. 26, 1913.
Bethuel Clinton Farrand (7th generation), m. second
Helen Marr Wheaton, a native of Branford, Conn., later
of New Haven, Conn., a daughter of John Wheaton, and
had three children.
A History of the Willis Family 189
Helen Maria, b. at New Haven, Conn., Sept. 7, 1855; a
graduate of University of Michigan 1876; life greatly en-
riched by foreign travel and study in European capitals;
m. George T. Naumann in Berlin, Germany, July 18, 1892.
Fanny Clinton, b. at Detroit, Mich., Jany. 6, 1858; graduate
of University of Michigan ; deeply interested in educational
lines; m. John Fairfield Boynton, a banker of Saginaw,
Mich., July 28, 1886.
Bethuel Clinton, Jr.. b. Dec. 11, 1860, at Port Huron, Mich.,
m. Anna M. Ballentine, of Bay City, Mich.. Dec. 27, 1888.
ChildrcH of Fintnij Clinton {8th) (Farnind) and John
Fairfield Boynton.
9 Lilian Farrand Boynton, b. April 15, 1888, at Saginaw,
Mich. ; studied at University of Michigan and Smith Col-
lege, Northampton, Mass.; m. Eugene Smith, of Saginaw,
Mich., May 9, 1914; resides at Cleveland. Ohio.
9 Freida Farrand Boynton, b. Dec. 18, 1889, at Saginaw,
Mich. ; a graduate of Vassar College ; m. Rev. Frederic B.
Oxtoby, Professor of Hebrew History and Literature in
Huron College, Huron, South Dakota; they have one child
10 John Boynton Oxtoby.
Children of Bethuel Clinton, Jr. {8th) and Anna M.
{Ballentine) Farrand.
9 Helen Lynette, b. Nov. 18, 1889; gradute of University of
Michigan 1913.
9 Sarah Elizabeth, b. Jany. 1, 1891 ; studied at University
School of Music at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Marilla Shaw Farrand, of the 7th generation, was a twin
sister of Bethuel Clinton Farrand; she was born Dec. 13,
1820, died 1904 ; she married first Charles Stewart and had
three children,
190 A History of the Willis Family
8 Sarah Stewart, b. 18-H, d. 1865.
8 Charles Stewart, b. 1844.
8 Mary Stewart, b. 1847, d. 1869.
Marilla Shaw (Farrand) (Stewart), in. secondly Andrew
Parsons, at one time Governor of Michigan ; they had one
daughter,
8 Elvira Parsons, b. 1851; m. Charles Edgar Lyon in 1869
and had six cliildren,
9 Eva Lyon, b. 1870, d. 1913.
9 Walter Lyon, b. 1871 ; m. Arabella Archbold in 1894.
9 Edgar Lyon, b. 1878; m. Lucy N. Warren in 1903; no
children.
9 Raymond Lyon, b. 1876, d. 1882.
9 Harold Lyon, b. 1879, d. 1908.
9 Winifred Lyon, b. 1886; m. Edgar Lowell Anderson (2d)
in 1912.
Children of Walter {9th) and Arabella {Archbold) Lyon.
10 Walter, b. 1895.
10 Harold, b. 1897.
10 Rhea, b. 1902.
10 Edgar, b. 1906.
Child of Winifred {9th) {Lyon) and Edgar Lowell Anderson.
10 Edgar Lowell Anderson (3d), b. 1914.
Lucius S. Farrand and Aaron Kitchell Farrand were
half brothers. They were in business together and both
contracted typhoid fever, from which they died within a
short time of each other in 1854.
A History of the Willis Family 191
Bethuel Clinton Farrand was an Attorney at Law. He
was a twin of Manila Shaw Farrand. Their mother, Mar-
ilia (Shaw) Farrand. wife of Bethnel Farrand, Jr., died
at their birth.
The children of Bethuel Farrand, Jr., and his first wife,
Marilla (Shaw) Farrand, were probably all born at Auburn,
now called Aurelius. Cayuga County, New York, with the
exception of Jacob Shaw Farrand, who was born at Mentz,
near Aurelius.
Deborah Osburn, second wife of Bethuel Farrand, Jr., is
supposed to have also lived at Auburn, now Aurelius.
GENEALOGY OF JUDGE BETHUEL FARRAND, JR.
And Second Wife, Deborah Osburn.
Judge Bethuel Farrand, Jr. (6th), m. secondly, on May
3, 1822, at Port Byron, New York, Deborah Osburn, who
was born in New York State Aug. 27, 1794. She d. July
13, 1881. She finished her education at the Young Ladies'
Seminary in Troy, New York, probably the only young
ladies' seminary at that time in the United States. They
had four children,
7 Aaron Kitchell, b. Mch. 30, 1824, d. Sept. 12, 1854.
7 Sarah, d. in infancy.
7 James B., b. June 6, 1833, d. Jany. 8, 1904; m. Helen N.
Gray.
7 David Osburn, b. at Ann Harbor, Mich., Apr. 23, 1838,
d. Mch. 18, 1883; m. on Sept. 11, 1866, Elizabeth Lewis,
daughter of Hon. Royal Thaxter and Mary Parker
(McLellan) Twombly. Mrs. Farrand was b. at Niles, Mich.,
May 15, 1841 ; she d. May 20, 1914.
James Benjamin Farrand (7th), m. Sept. 30, 1868, Helen
Noble, dau. of Dr. Amos and Sally Janette (Noble) Gray,
of Dexter, Michigan. They had four children,
8 Janette Gray, b. at Port Huron, Mich., June 10, 1872;
m. at Detroit, Mich., June 29, 1899, to Orin E. Watkins, of
Salem, Ohio.
8 Mabel Osburn, b. at Port Huron Aug. 3, 1874; m. Nov.
30, 1898, to Norman Flowers, of Detroit, Mich.
8 Cora Emily, b. July 22, 1876, d. Aug. 5, 1878, at Port
Huron.
8 Helen Noble, b. Oct. 12, 1878, d. Jany. 26, 1884, at Port
Huron.
A History of the Willis Family 193
Children of Orin E. {8th) and Janeite Oraij {Farrand) Watki^is.
9 Farrand Biickingham Watkins, b. at Pittsbiirg, Pa., May
19, 1905.
9 Sally Jaiiette Watkins. b. at La Grange, 111., 23, 1909.
9 Jnlia Frances Watkins, b. at Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 1, 1913.
Children of Norman {8th) and Mahle Oshiirn {Farrand) Flowers.
9 Helen de Normandie Flowers, d. at Detroit, Mich., June
27, 1900.
9 Farrand Flowers, b. at Detroit, Mich.. Dec. 27, 1906.
Children of Dr. David Osbarn {7'th) and Elizabeth Lewis
{Twomhly) Farrand.
8 Royal Twombly, b. in Detroit, Mich., Oct. 8, 1867 ; m. Sept.
22, 1896, at Calumet, Michigan, Jessie Douglas MacNaugh-
ton, third daugliter of Archibald and Catherine MacNaugh-
ton and sister of James MacNaughton, superintendent of
the Calumet and Hecla Mines.
8 Mary McLellan, b. in Detroit, Mich., Oct. 27, 1869, m. Dec.
11, 1890, William Pegram Hamilton, b. in Owensboro,
Kentucky, Dec. 17, 1863.
8 Elizabeth Twombly, b. in Detroit, Mich., Jany. 6, 1871,
m. Sept. 14, 1896, Wheeler Peckham Bloodgood.
Children of Dr. Royal Twombly {8th) and Jessie Douglas
{ MacNa ugh ton ) Farra n d.
9 Isabel Douglas, b. in Detroit, Mich., April 2, 1898.
9 David Osburn, b. in Niagara, Marinette County, Wisconsin,
June 10, 1902.
9 Katherine MacNaughton, b. in Niagara, Wisconsin, June
2, 1905.
194 A Histonj of the Willis Family
Children of Mary McLellan {8th) {Farrand) and William
Pegram Hamilton.
9 Mary McLellan Hamilton, b. Oct. 7, 1891.
9 David Osborne Hamilton, h. June 19, 1893; graduated
from Yale University in 1916.
9 Elizabeth Farrand Hamilton, b. Feby. 11, 1896.
Children of Elizabeth Twomhhj {8th) {Farrand) and Wheeler
Peckham Bloodgood.
9 Francis Joseph Bloodgood, b. July 28, 1897.
9 David Wheeler Bloodgood, b. Jany. 25, 1899.
9 Mary Farrand Bloodgood, b. Jany. 8, 1901.
9 Hugh McLellan Bloodgood, b. Aug. 14, 1909.
9 Elizabeth Lewis Bloodgood, b. Aug. 13, 1914.
SHEAFFE (or Sheafe) FAMILY.
1 *Rev. Edward Slieaffe, D. D.. baptized at Cranbrooke,
England, Mch. 17, 1559; by his first wife Elizabeth
Taylor, m. May 30, 1586; had issue:
2 Edmund, m. Elizabeth Cotton, dr. Sampson Cotton,
London.
2 *Margaret, ni. Robert Kitchell (at St. Mary Bredin,
Canterbury, July 21, 1632). (For further record see
Kitchell Genealogy, first generation.)
By a second wife, Joanna, he had issue :
2 Dorothy, m. Rev. Henry Whitfield (leader of the
Guilford company).
2 Joanna, m. William Chittenden (one of the Guilford
company).
2 Jacob, b. Aug. 4, 1616; m. Margaret Webb (one of
the Guilford company).
''Jacob Sheaffe was one of the Guilford settlers and
one of the 'seven pillars' of their church. His widow
married Rev. Thomas Thatcher, of Boston; so he and
Robert Kitchell, Rev. Henry Whitfield, their first minis-
ter, and William Chittenden, were brothers-in-law as well
as co-emigrants. ' '
"Two graduates of Harvard College by the names of
Sampson Sheaffe, and Hon. James Sheafe, U. S. Sena-
tor from New Hampshire, w^ere descendants of Dr. Ed-
ward Sheaffe. Joanna, the second wife, followed her
children to America and died at Guilford in July, 1659. ' '
In the marriage license granted to Robert Kitchell and
Margaret, also in the record of the marriage, the name
196 A History of the Willis Family
is spelled Slieafe ; in colonial records it is spelled Sheaffe
and Slieafe. Rev. Edward Slieafe, of Craiibrooke, in his
will dated 1 Nov., 1625, proved in the Archdeaconry Court
at Canterbury 11 Dec, 1626, mentions among other rela-
tives, ''Joanne my wife," "to my wife's five children,
and to my three sons-in-law which married her daughters,
to Joanne my wife, furniture, etc., at her discretion be-
twixt her children and mine, my loving brother-in-law,
Mr. Nicholas Jordan, Esq'r., for my wife's sake his sister,
to be overseer, my loving kinsman and neighbour Small-
hope Biggs of Craiibrooke, and Robert Kitchell, now of
Craiibrooke, my wife's eldest son, also overseers."
This shows that Robert Kitchell was living in Cran-
brooke in 1625 and was a close friend of Rev. Edward
Sheafe at that time, as he was aijpointed one of the over-
seers of the latter 's estate.
Seven years later, in the year 1632, Mr. Kitchell mar-
ried Margaret, daughter of the Rev. Edward Sheafe.
PIERSON FAMILY.
*Rev. Abraham Pierson was born in Yorkshire, Eng-
land, in 1608 ; graduated B. A. from Trinity College,
Cambridge, on January 2nd, 1632-3. He came to
America as member of the church at Boston between
1633 and 1640, In 1640 he and a party of emigrants
from Lynn, Mass., formed a new township on Long
Island, which they named Southampton. There Mr.
Pierson remained four years. In 1644 this church
became divided. A number of the inhabitants left
and, uniting with a further body from Wether sfield,
Conn , founded under Mr. Pierson a new church at
Brauiord, within the jurisdiction of New Haven. In
1667 Mr. Pierson migrated yet a fourth time. The
cause of this last change is among the most significant
incidents in the early history of New England.
"Wlien by order of Charles II, a new charter was
granted to Connecticut, incorporating New Haven
with that colony, several of the townships of New
Haven resisted. This resistance, based on the ex-
clusive tenacity with which the New Englander re-
garded the corporate life of his own community, was
intensified by the peculiar conditions of the two colo-
nies in question. New Haven, rigidly and severely
ecclesiastical from the outset, had like Massachusetts
made church membership a needful condition for the
enjoyment of civil rights. No such restriction was
imposed in Connecticut. The men of Branford, sup-
ported by Mr. Pierson, opposed the union with Con-
necticut. When this opposition proved fruitless, they
198 A History of the Willis Family
forsook their homes, leaving Branford almost de-
populated and taking their civil and ecclesiastical
records with them, followed by many from New
Haven, Milford and Guilford, and led by Mr. Pierson
they migrated to Newark, New Jersey, in the sum-
mer of 1667 and there established a fresh church."
Newark was named in honor of Mr. Pierson 's Eng-
lish home and there he died on Aug. 9, 1678. As
Mr. Pierson had been a leader in Massachusetts, on
Long Island and in Connecticut, so he was one of the
leading men in all the civil as well as religious affairs
of the new settlement in New Jersey, and of course
was the first minister there. In 1659 Mr. Pierson
published a pamphlet entitled ''Some Helps for the
Indians, showing them how to improve their natural
reason, to know the true God and the true Christian
Religion." It is a short statement of the fundamen-
tal principles of Monotheism, with a linear trans-
lation into the tongue of the Indians of New England.
He preached to the Long Island Indians in their
own language. He was a direct ancestor of ours, as
his daughter, Grace, married Samuel Kitchell (2nd).
He had ten children; we will note but two.
2 Rev. Abraham Pierson, Jr., born in Lynn, Mass., in
1641 ; graduated at Harvard College in 1668. He was
ordained a colleague of his father at Newark in
March, 1672. When Yale College was established, in
1701, he was elected its first president and served
until 1707. His bust adorns the campus at Yale. He
died at Killingworth, Conn., March 7, 1707.
2 * Grace Pierson, dau. of Rev. Abraham Pierson, Sen'r,
was born at Branford, Conn., July 31, 1650, m.
Samuel Kitchell. (For further record see Kitchell
genealogy, 2d generation.)
Urufn
BRUEN FAMILY,
The following history of the Bruen family has been
collected from various sources, including Ormerod's
** County Palatine, Cheshire, and City of Chester," pub-
lished in 1797, various works on John Bruen the Puritan,
etc. Ormerod states his data has been gained "From
original Deeds, the Inquisitions, the Visitations of 1566,
1580, 1613, and the Registers of Tarvin."
Bruen-Stapleford. — "At a very early period it became
the property of one of the few families who did not adopt
the local name, but contrary to the general practice in
this part of England, communicated their name to the
Township."
200 A History of the WillLs Family
Robert le Brun, first of the family of which there is
record, occurs in a grant of lands bearing date 1230, and
in another deed dated 1260, mentioning his daughter Eva
and her husband Philip de Stretton, and from other old
deeds it appears that at that early period the township
had received the name of Bruen-Staplef ord ; so it follows
the family was a prominent one previous to 1230,
1 *Robert Le Brun, of Stapleford, anno. 1230, his son
2 *Robert Le Brun, of Stapleford, son and heir, living
in 1262.
3 *Roger Le Bruyn, of Stapleford, living 32 Edw. I.,
m. Emma, sole daughter and heiress, their son
4 *Robert Le Bruyn, of Stapleford, his son
5 *Roger Le Bruyn, of Stapleford, was living 11 Edw.
II. He was appointed seneschal to Sir John de
Orreby and surveyor of his Cheshire estates. He
married Catherine, daughter of John de Leigh. Their
daughter m. John de Holford in 1347.
6 *Nicholas Le Bruyn, of Stapleford, son and heir, m.
Elena, daughter of Roger de Praers and sister and
sole heiress of Henry de Praers, of Duddon. She
brought Nicholas one-quarter of Clotton, one-half
of Duddon and other lands ; their son and heir
7 *Roger Le Bruyn, of Stapleford, had lands in Clot-
ton, Wymbalds, Traft'ord, Oscroft, Tarvin, Childer,
Christleton, Guilden Sutton, Burton, Sutton, Huxley,
Hargreave and Chester. He married Katherine,
daughter of Sir John Norreys, Knight, ward of
Geoffrey Osbaldeston; marriage covenant dated 6
Ric. IL
8 *Thomas Le Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford, m. Alice,
daughter of Thomas Greenway, of Biddulph, county
Stafford, and had
A History of the Willis Family 201
9 *James Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford, m. a daughter
and co-heir of Thomas Dedwode, of Chester, in 1535.
10 *John Bruyn, of Bruen-Stapleford, son and heir, m.
Margaret, sister of Richard Done, of Utkinston, Esq.
They evidently had no children, as John covenants
with Sibilla, wife of Geoffrey Starkie, that James
Bruyn his brother shall marry Anne, daughter of
Geoffrey Starkie; and by another deed of the same
year he enfeoff's his brother James, husband of Anne,
with his lands in Bruen-Stapleford, Burton, A¥ym-
balds, Trafford, etc. This was during 17 of Edw. IV.
John Bruen (10th) was granted Feby. 21, 1 Ric.
III., a royal pardon. He was then one of the bailiffs
of Flint and late in arms against Richard the Third
for all murders, rapes, rebellions, insurrections, felo-
nies, conspiracies, confederacies, riots, routs, secret
meetings, illicit embraceries, concealments, negli-
gencies, extortions, misprisons, ignorances, con-
tempts, forfeits and frauds practiced up to date.
11 *James Bruyn, of Bruen-Stapleford, brother of John
and heir, who m. Anne, daughter of Geoffrey Starkie
by Sibilla his wife, had
12 * John Bruyn, of Bruen-Stapleford, m. Mary, daughter
of Otley, of Otley, county Salop, their son
13 *John Bruyn, of Bruen-Stapleford, m. (2nd) Lady
Dorothy, daughter of Sir Thomas Holford, of Hol-
ford and Chester. John had a pardon under the seal
of England, 1st Mary.
14 *John Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford, second son and
by survivorship the heir of John Bruen, Esq., by his
second wife. Lady Dorothy, daughter of Sir Thomas
Holford, in the hundred of Bucklow. He was born
in 1560, died 1625, buried at Tarvin. He was married
three times and had nineteen children. His first wife
202 A History of the Willis Family
was Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Hardware, of
Chester, Esq., *'a worthy and wise gentleman" who
had been twice Mayor of Chester. Elizabeth was the
widow of John Cooper, Alderman of Chester. She
was born in 1562 and buried at Tarvin January 18,
1596. They had eight children.
John Bruen, m. secondly the "very amiable and
beautiful Anne Fox," daughter of John Fox, and had
nine children,
Katherine, baptized Feb}^ 7, 1601.
Abigal, baptized April 3, 1603.
Jonathan, baptized Jany. 6, 1605; buried January
13, 1605.
15 *Obadiah, baptized Dec. 25, 1606; and five other
children.
John Bruen (14th), m. a third wife and had Mary and
a son, who died young; this John Bruen, 14th in
descent from Robert Le Brun, was the celebrated
English Puritan of whom so much has been written.
One of his sons by his second wife, Anne Fox, was
15 *Obadiah Bruen, born at Bruen-Stapleton, baptized
at St. Andrew's church, Tarvin, county Cheshire,
England, 25th Dec, 1606; m. Sara, probably in
Shrewsbury, and had five children,
16 Mary, bapt. 12th June, 1634, at St. Julian's church,
Shrewsbury, county Salop, England; m. John Bald-
win, Sr., of Milford, Conn., 1653, as his 2nd wife; she
d. Sept. 2nd, 1670.
16 Sara, bapt. at Tarvin May 1, 1636; no other record.
16 Rebecca, d. April 15, 1721, m. on Sept. 2, 1663, as
2d wife, Thomas Post, of Norwich, Conn. ; he d. 1701.
16 Hannah, b. July 9, 1643, at Gloucester, Mass.; m.
Oct. 20, 1663, John Baldwin, Jr., of Milford, Conn.,
A History of the Willis FamiUj 203
called John Baldwin, Sr., at Newark, N. J. ; he was
b. 1640; will, 1700.
16 *John, b. June 2, 1646, at Gloucester, Mass., d. at
Newark, N. J., 1695 or 1696; m. Esther, dau. of Dea-
con Richard Lawrence, of Branf ord. Conn. ; she was
bapt. at New Haven in 1651 ; they had five children,
17 Eleazer, b. 1674 or 75, d. 1711 ( ?) ; will proved Feb.
12, 1712 ; he had Eleazer by 1st wife, and twin sons,
Obadiah and Timothy, by his 2nd wife, Ruth Baldwin.
17 Joseph, d. Feb. 1, 1753, in his 76th year ; m. and had
David and Ruth. David was the direct ancestor of
Mr. Frank Bruen, of Bristol, Conn.
17 *Sarah, b. at Newark, N. J., in 1679, d. April 30, 1745,
at Whippany, N. J. ; m. Abraham Kitchell, b. Newark,
N. J., 1679, d. at Whippany Dec. 2, 1741; Abraham
and Sarah his wife are buried beside each other in
the old cemetery at Wliippany.
17 Esther, m. Joseph Baldwin; she d. Sept. 20, 1776,
aged 92 ; she is mentioned in will of Sarah Lawrence,
her aunt.
17 John, d. Sept. 8, 1767, in his 77th year; m. Mary
Tompkins.
(For further record of Abraham Kitchell 3rd and
Sarah Bruen 17tli, see Kitchell Genealogy, third
generation.)
204 A History of the Willis Family
Bruen Arms.
Arms — ''Argent, an eagle displayed, sable."
Crest — "On a wreath a fisherman, party per pale,
argent and sable, each several articles of dress counter-
changed; in the right hand a fisherman's staff, in the left
hand a landing net thrown over the shoulder, or."
Note. — Historians of Connecticut and New Jersey have been led into many
errors owing to the tloiible marriages of the sisters Mary and
Hannah Bruen, of the 16th generation, to the father and son,
John Baldwin, Sr., and John Baldwin, Jr., of Milford, Conn.,
further complicated by the fact that John Baldwin, Jr., was called
John Baldwin, Sr., after his removal to Newark, N. J., which many
of the historians did not know or take into consideration. Mr. S. H.
Congar, the Newark historian, as Mr. Frank Bruen, of Bristol,
Conn., says, ' ' went up in the air over it, ' ' and yet even in this
day it is not unknown, the authors knowing a case where father
and son married sisters.
Tliese liistorians, not liking the idea of a father and son marrying
sisters, attempted to regulate these undoubted marriages by stating
that Obadiali Bruen brought over with him from England a half
sister, named Mary, of which there is absolutely no proof, and
family records in England prove there could not have been a
Mary to come over with Obadiali. Savage, Caulkins. Congar and
others made this error, and Baldwin and Tuttle blindly followed
them without further research.
The children of Obadiah Bruen and the marriages as given are
without question correct, having been verified by Mr. Frank Bruen,
of Bristol, Conn., after research work covering twenty-five years.
JOHN BRUEN, OF BRUEN-STAPLEFORD,
PURITAN.
*Jolin Brueii, of Bruen-Stapleford, was born in 1560
and died after a remarkable life in the year 1625 ; he was
14th in descent from Robert Le Brnn, of Stapleford,
anno. 1230.
As he was our ancestor and father of Obadiah Bruen,
the first of the family in this country, we believe a short
history will prove of interest to his descendants.
He has been called ''the greatest Puritan of them all"
by one wi'iter; another author says, "though a Puritan,
he was no slave to the narrow bigotry of a sect."
Some of the books containing references to him are:
"John Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford;" "A Faithful Re-
monstrance of the Holy Life and Happy Death of John
Bruen," by William Hinde, London, 1641 ; "Of this scarce
book, an abridgment by William Coddington was printed
at Chester in 1799;" Ormerod's "County Palatine,
Cheshire, and City of Chester," printed in 1797; "Mor-
ton's Monuments of Fathers," printed in 1706; "Fuller's
Worthies;" "Assheton's Journal" and Clark's "Marrow
of Ecclesiastical History," London, 1675; the latter book
contains the biography of Queen Elizabeth and several
noblemen, and states; "John Bruen, Gentleman, is one
of the few individuals whose private virtues alone, in
the rank of a country gentleman, have obtained a place
in the annals of biography."
In Clark's history there appears a portrait of John
Bruen, which has been re-engraved by Richardson. This
206 A History of the Willis Family
portrait represents him in close dress with a pointed
beard, mustacios and ruff. Volumes have been written of
him and but little can be quoted here ; our random notes
are taken from the various authors mentioned without
specially noting each.
''John Bruen was sent in his tender years to his Uncle
Dutton, of Button, where for three years he was taught
by the schoolmaster James Roe. The Dutton family had
by charter control of the minstrels of the county. Young
Bruen became an expert dancer. At that time he said
the holy Sabbaths of the Lord were wholly spent in all
places about us in May-games and May-poles, pipings and
dancings. " " When about seventeen, he and his brother
Thomas were sent as Gentlemen-Commoners, to St. Al-
ban's Hall, Oxford, where they remained about two years.
He left the University in 1579 and in the following year
was married by his parents to Elizabeth, a daughter of
Henry Hardware, Esq., who had been twice Mayor of
Chester. Elizabeth was a young widow, her first husband
having been John Cooper, Alderman of Chester. Having
married in 1580, he returned to his father's seat at
Bruen-Stapleford and entered into all the amusements
to which his youth and fortune prompted him. ' '
"He kept fourteen couple of great mouthed dogs."
"Then being in the prime of his youth, he spent too
much time in hunting, hawking and such carnal delights."
"This career of pleasure terminated with the death of
his father in 1587, who, together with his lands, left him
charged with the portions of twelve children. To relieve
himself from these incumbrances the park of Bruen-
Stapleford, well furnished with deer, was dis-parked and
the hawJ.s and hounds and every unnecessary expense
were cut off and the whole mind of the new proprietor
turned to the forming within his family a pattern of
A History of the Willis Family 207
religious economy, which was certainly eccentric, but ap-
pears to have originated solely in the unaffected piety
of its master."
''The benevolence and piety of Mr. Bruen had rendered
him such an object of respect in the county that many
of the most distinguished families were among the con-
stant inmates of his house and begged that their chil-
dren might be brought up under his direction."
"He lived very comfortably with his wife Elizabeth
for seventeen years, seeing his eight sons and daughters
as Olive plants round about his table."
She died suddenly, and a short time thereafter he mar-
ried the "beautiful and amiable Anne Fox" and had nine
more children, the fourth of whom was Obadiah, born in
1606, the first Bruen in this country and our ancestor.
On the death of his second wife Mr. Bruen married a
third time and lived in Chester until he had cleared the
remaining debts from his estate, which had been handed
down to him by his father; his third wife brought him
two children, a son and daughter, so John Bruen was
great in his family as in many things, having had three
wives and nineteen children.
"Inanno. 1590 he established a preacher in his Chapel.
There resorted many to him, some to the Chapel to feed
their souls and many into the Hall to feed their bellies,
to his no small cost, but the Pipers, Fiddlers, Bearwards,
Players and Gamesters he sent away with great fret-
ting. ' '
* ' Fleeces from his flock were consumed in clothing the
poor of his parish, to which purpose all the profits of two
of his mills were appropriated."
"His house was a common inn. Many that passed be-
twixt Ireland and England and came to Chester would
take up his house for their lodging place that they might
208 A History of the Willis Family
rejoice their hearts in seeing his face. His ordinary
table was bountiful, and for the furtherance of it he had
a great flight of pigeons, a warren of conies, delicate fish
ponds, beside the ordinary provision about the house.
His cellar was open and free to all within the bounds of
moderation. ' '
'*He had a servant named Robert Passfield, a man
utterly unlearned, who for the help of his memory in-
vented and formed a girdle of leather long and large,
which went twice about him ; this he divided into several
parts, allotting every book in the Bible in order to one
of these divisions ; then for the chapters he affixed points
or thongc of leather to the several divisions, and made
knots by fives or tens to distinguish the chapters of that
book, and by other points divided the chapters into their
particular contents, or verses, as occasion required. This
he used instead of pen and ink in hearing sermons, and
coming home he was able by it to repeat the sermon, quote
the texts, etc., to his master, and thus save him from
sitting through the long sermons, which girdle master
Bruen kept after his death, hung it up in his study and
would m'irrily call it the girdle of verity. ' '
Historians and others condemn Mr. Bruen for but one
act; he removed all the ancient and beautiful painted
windows in his oM^n chapel and the parish church at
Tarvin and regiazed them with plain glass at his own
expense, "because they savored too much of Popery."
In the following extract Mr. Bruen speaks himself:
' ' One that dwelt in my Farm in Wimble Stafford, see-
ing two Godly persons going in the way, said to one
with him, I will dance, and swagger, and swear to anger
yonder two Puritans, and so he did to their great grief:
But presently the revenging hand of God was upon him,
A History of the Willis Family 209
so that immediately he fell sick, was carried home in a
cart and within three days died most fearfully. All
glory to God."
Obadiah Bruex,
*Obadiah Bruen, Esq., also frequently mentioned in
Connecticut and New Jersey colonial records as Hon.
Obadiah Bruen, was the fourth child of John Bruen
(14th g.), of Bruen-Stapleford, and his second wife, the
** beautiful and amiable Anne Fox."
Obadiah was born at Bruen-Stapleford and baptized
at St. Andrew's church, Tarvin, county Cheshire, Eng-
land, Dec. 25, 1606. He married Sara, probably in
Shrewsbury, county Salop, England, as there is docu-
mentary evidence from Shrewsbury that he was admitted
to the Drapers Guild there and he was called the son of
John of Stapleford, county Cheshire. This does not mean
that Obadiah was a draper, as at that time the guilds,
as at the present time, were close corporations in the
nature of stock companies, and the members were often
composed of the wealthiest and most important men. In
1655 the Drapers voted him £10, saying he was then in
New England. There is also documentary evidence that
Obadiah Bruen bought the interest of Richard Percival,
of Shrewsbury, a fellow Draper, in a plantation at what
is now Portsmouth, New Hampshire; he sold this in
1642 and is named as of Gloucester and Cape Ann.
The eai'liest known record of Obadiah Bruen in New
England is Mcli. 2, 1640-41, when he and others were
propounded for freemen at Plymouth. "As this was
earlier than any vessel would be apt to arrive, it is very
probable that he was in N. E. the year before." His
first child, Mary, was baptized at Shrewsbury; his second
210 A History of the Willis Family
child, Sara, was baptized at Tarvin; his third child, Re-
becca, uncertain, but his fourth child, Hannah, and fifth
child, John, were born at Gloucester, Mass., where he
lived shortly after reaching- New Kngland. Was made
freeman in 1642 and selectman and representative 1647
to 1651.
He then removed to Pequot, now New London, Conn.,
where as early as 1653 he was town Recorder. In April,
1660, he was appointed commissioner to hold Court and
was re-appointed in the years 1663-64-65-66. In May,
1660, he was empowered by the General Court to ad-
minister oaths. There is not a year, from his arrival
in New England, about 1640, and in Connecticut about
1651, that his name is not frequently mentioned in the
records, and it is surprising the many positions of public
trust that he filled.
To prove his exalted standing in the Connecticut
Colony we need but mention the fact that Obadiah Bruen
was one of the nineteen important men of Connecticut
who petitioned King Charles II. for the Charter of Con-
necticut, and was one of the grantees to that instrument
April 20, 1662.
In May, 1663, the General Court appointed him one of
the commissioners to settle the differences between the
settlers and the Niantic Indians, the latter having com-
mitted many outrages on the colonists.
Notwithstanding the foregoing and a great many other
honors which cannot be mentioned here, and in spite of
the fact that he was one of the patentees of the Charter,
when the Connecticut Colony forced the people on the
Sound to join them, against their will, he with many
others became so dissatisfied with the state of affairs
that they signed the "fundamental agreements" and re-
moved to Newark, N. J., with their families, 1666-67.
A History of the Willis Family 211
Mr. Brueii, like many others of the colonists who took
this step, was approaching old age and the emigration
is not less remarkable when we consider that these men,
occupying the very first place in the Colony of Connecti-
cut, after having established themselves in comfortable
homes and spent the best years of their lives in building-
up the community should voluntarily relinquish all they
had accomplished, move to a new wilderness and in their
old age begin life anew.
At Newark Obadiah Bruen continued to occupy the
high station he held in his former home. He w^as one of
the purchasers of the site of Newark from the Indians
(described under Samuel Kitchell) and was active in all
the important affairs of the new town.
The date of his death is uncertain, but he was living
in Newark in the year 1680.
The account of his children and the children of his son
John will be found in the Bruen genealogy.
Obadiah Bruen, Robert Kitchell and his son Samuel,
Robert Treat and Jasper Crane were probably the five
most important men in the Newark settlement ; we should
include also the Rev. Abraham Pierson. These w^ere our
ancestors and their children married among themselves ;
it is not surprising, therefore, that the granddaughter
of Obadiah Bruen, Sarah by name, should have married
the grandson of Robert Kitchell, Abraham by name.
Abraham Kitchell and his wife, Sarah Bruen, were
among the early settlers at Wliippany; she survived her
husband by a few years and was buried beside him in
the old Wliippany cemetery, where their graves and
tombstones can still be seen. She came of a very ancient
and distinguished line of ancestors, and it is good for
her manv descendants to know where she and her hus-
212 A History of the Willis Family
band Abraham lie, awaiting the last trumpet call, a
sacred shrine which all their offspring should visit.
Esther, John Bruen's wife, survived him, as the
Newark records state: "Esther, widow of John Bruen,
Planter, received a grant of Land from the Lords Pro-
prietors of New Jersey in 1696." John Bruen was a
large land owner, as the Newark records give accounts
of several grants to him.
Richard Lawrence.
*Deacon Richard Lawrence was a man of the first
position in the New Haven Colony. He was specially
prominent in church affairs, but while a staunch church-
man was appointed to many offices of trust in civil affairs.
He signed the "fundamental agreements" and moved to
Newark with the Rev. Abraham Pierson in 1667. His
name is frequently mentioned in the early Newark
records. His daughter Esther, b. in Branford, said to
have been a young lady of unusual beauty, "both of mind
and countenance," married John Bruen, as already
noted.
HOLFORD FAMILY.
As the Holford family are in the direct line of our
ancestry and two marriages, one in very ancient times,
were contracted with the Bruens, and more especially as
it was through the Holford line that our ancestry runs
back to Alfred the Great and CharlemagTie, it is thought
proper to give the family genealogy, so that any one
wishing to more fully investigate this line of descent
can have an easy starting point. The Holfords were
settled in county Cheshire, England, previous to 1234, as
there are deeds to lands still on record dated in that year ;
the first by name ^vas :
1 *William Toft, younger son of Roger Toft, lord of
Toft ; m. Joan, daughter of Richard de Lostock, and
had
2 *Roger de Holford, living in 1337; m. Margery,
daughter of Richard le Dispenser, but died without
issue.
3 *Henry, was his brother and heir, and had
4 *John, m. a daughter of Roger BrujTi, of Stapleford
(see Bruen genealogj^) ; the marriage is recorded in
the vear 1347. Thev had
5 * Willi am, m. Margaret, daughter of Sir Richard Ven-
ables, and had
6 *Thomas, d. 1464; his son
7 *Thomas, m. Maud, daughter of William Buckley,
dcDutv Judge of Chester in 1444 ; their son
8 *Sir George Holford, of Holford, sheriff of Chester in
1524; their son
214 A History of the Willis Family
9 *Sir John Holford, of Holford, Knight, m. in 1507
Margery, sole daughter and heir of Raufe Brereton,
of Iscote, in Flintshire ; their son
10 *Sir Thomas Holford, of Holford and Chester, m. first
Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Butler. Sir
Thomas Holford m, second Jane, widow of Hugh
Button, of Button, daughter of Sir William Booth,
of Bunham Massy. By the latter marriage Sir
Thomas had
11 *Lady Borothy Holford, who married John Bruen
(13th) of Bruen-Stapleford. (See Bruen genealogy
and genealogy to Alfred the Great, etc.)
There Avere two Holford families in Cheshire, one
of which sprang from Sir George Holford and should
not be confused with the direct line of Holfords of
Holford.
Holford of Holford Arms.
Arms — "A greyhound pass. sa. "
Crest — "A greyhound's head sa., collared and ringed
or."
GEXEALOGY SHOWING ROYAL ANCESTRY.
From Alfeed the Great, King of England, and Charle-
magne (Charles the Great), King of France.
The genealogy which follows can be traced by the curi-
ous through "Burke's General Armory," "Burke's
Peerage" and "Americans of Royal Descent." The
ancestry being }3art of the family history, it is thought
proper to give it here.
As the genealogy of the Holford and Bruen families is
recorded in this book, the line of descent can be followed
through Sir William Booth, Sir Thomas Holford, Lady
Dorothy Holford, John Bruen 13th, and so on down the
line through the various families. It will be noticed we
have carried the ancestry back to the grandfather of
Alfred the Great and for five generations back of Charle-
magne, giving an unbroken ancestry for 1356 years in
the latter instance. Any good history of France and
England can be consulted by the descendants.
Egbert, son of Eahlmund, a
King of Kent, d. 839; had
son
Ethelwulf, d. 887, m. Os-
burgh ; had
Alfred the Great, King
of England, b. at Wantage
in 848, d. 900; m. Alswith,
daughter of a Mercian No-
bleman ; his son
Edward (The Elder), d.
925; had
Edgina, m. first Charles
III, King of France, and
was the mother of Louis
IV; she m. second Henry,
Count of Vermandois, and
had Lady Agnes de Ver-
mandois, who m. Charles,
Duke of Lorraine.
1 Pepin (The Elder) also
called ''Pepin of Landen,"
b. about 560, d. 639 ; he was
the first of the family of
note; he had daughter.
2 Begga, m. Ansegishl, son of
Arnulf ; had son
3 Pepin of Heristal, d. 714;
had
4 Charles Martel (The Ham-
mer), d. Oct. 22, 714; had
5 Pepin (The Short), d. Sept.
24, 768; m. Bertha, daugh-
ter of Charibert, Count of
Laon ; had
6 Charlemagne; Charles the
Great, b. April 2, 742, d.
Jany. 28, 814; m. Hilde-
garde, daughter of Duke
Godfrey of Suabia; had
216 A History of the Willis Family
7 Louis I. (The Pious or Le Debonaire), b. 778, d.
840; m. Lady Judith (The fair maid of Bavaria),
daughter of Count Welf ; had
8 Charles IL (The Bald), b. 823, d. 877; had
9 Louis IL (The Stammerer, or Le Begue), d. April
10, 877 ; had
10 Charles III. (The Simple), b. Sept. 17, 872, d. at
Peronne Oct. 7, 927 ; m. Edgina, daughter of Edward
(The Elder), son of Alfred the Great of England;
Princess Edgina was thus the granddaughter of
Alfred; had
11 Louis IV., King of France 936-954; m. Princess Ger-
berga, daughter of Henry I. (The Fowler), Emperor
of Germany; had
12 Charles, Duke of Lorraine; m. Lady Agnes de Ver-
mandois, great-granddaughter of Alfred the Great
of England ; had
13 Charles, Duke of Lorraine, heir to the throne of
France, usurped by Hugh Capet and was exiled to
Germany; had
14 Wigerius, Duke of Lorraine ; had
15 Baldric-Teutonicus, m. a daughter of Fitz Gilbert de
Tonebridge ; had
16 Nicholas De Bashaville, or Bacqueville, Lord of
Castle Martel in Germany; m. a daughter of Her-
fastus the Dane and a neice of Gunnara, Duchess of
Normandv; had
17 William De Martel, Earl of Gaurrenna, or Warren,
in Normandy; m. a daughter of Rafe de Torta, a
noble Dane, Protector of Normandy during the
nonage of Duke Richard I., and had,
18 Rodger De Mortimer (brother of William de War-
ren, first Earl of Surrey), both companions of Wil-
liam the Conqueror; had,
A Hist or If of the Willis Family 217
19 Ralph De Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore Castle, who
also accompanied the Conqueror ; m. Lady Millicent ;
had,
20 Hugh De Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer of Wig-
more, d. 1185; m. Lady Maud; had,
21 Roger De Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wig-
more, d. 1215; m. first Lady Millicent, daughter of
Robert de Ferres, 4th Earl of Derby, and had,
22 Lady Joan De Mortimer, m. Walcheline De Beau-
champ, d. 1235, son of Walter, 4th Baron de Beau-
champ ; had,
23 William De Beauchamp, 5th Baron Beauchamp of
Elmsley, d. 1268; m. Lady Isabel, daughter of Wil-
liam, 6th Baron Mandit and 4th Baron Hanslape,
Heritable Chamberlain of the Exchequer; had
24 William De Beauchamp, 6th Baron Beauchamp,
created Earl of Warwick, d. 1298; m. Lady Maud,
daughter of John Fitz John, Chief Justice of Ire-
land in 1258 and widow of Gerard de Furnival; had
25 Guy De Beauchamp, 2nd Earl of Warwick, b. 1275,
d. 1315; m. Lady Alice, daughter of Ralph de Toni
and widow of Thomas de Layborne ; had
26 Lady Matilda De Beauchamp, m. Geoffrey, 2nd
Baron de Say, Admiral of the King's Fleet, d. 1359;
had
27 Lady Idonis De Say, m. Sir John Clinton, Knight of
Mantoch, 3rd Baron Clinton, governor of Warwick
Castle, b. 1326, d. 1397 ; had
28 Lady Margaret Clinton, m. Sir Baldwin de Mont-
fort; had
29 Sir William De Montf ort, d. 1453 ; m. Lady Margaret
Peche; had
30 Sir Baldwin De Montf ort, b. 1445, d. 1475 ; m. Lady
Joanna Vernon; had
218 A History of the Willis Family
31 Robert Montfort of Bescote, Staffordshire; had
32 Katherine Montfort, m. Sir George Booth, d. 1483,
son of Sir William Booth, Sheriff of Chester ; had
33 Sir William Booth, d. 1519 ; m. Lady Ellen, daughter
of Sir John Montgomery; had
34 Lady Jane Booth, m. secondly Sir Thomas Holford,
son of Sir John Holford, of Holford, Knight; had
35 Lady Dorothy Holford, m. John Bruen (13th) of
Bruen-Stapleford, Cheshire; had
36 John Bruen, of Bruen-Stapleford, 14th in Bruen
genealogy, Puritan, philanthropist, b. 1560, d. 1625;
m. secondly "the very amiable and beautiful" Anne
Fox ; had
37 Obadiah Bruen, baptized Dec. 25, 1606, b. at Bruen-
Stapleford, county Cheshire, England; m. Sarah,
moved to New England 1639, d. at Newark, New
Jersey, after 1680; had
38 John Bruen, b. at Gloucester, Mass., June 2, 1646, d.
before 1697, at Newark, N. J. ; m. Esther, daughter
of Deacon Richard Lawrence; had
39 Sarah Bruen, b. 1679, at Newark, N. J., d. April 30,
1745, at Whippany, N. J. ; m. Abraham Kitchell, b.
Newark, N. J., 1679, d. 1741, son of Samuel Kitchell,
one of the founders of Newark ; had
40 Joseph Kitchell, b. 1710, d. Dec. 24, 1789; m. Rachel
Bates; had
41 Aaron Kitchell, b. 1744, d. June 25, 1820; m. Phoebe
Farrand, b. 1743, d. Mch. 12, 1807. He was a member
of the State Legislature of New Jersey, member of
the United States Congress and United States Sen-
ate, friend and confidential advisor of General
George Washington and one of AVashington 's pall-
bearers ; had
A History of the Will is Family 219
42 Lucy Kitchell, b. Mch. 15, 1779, d. May 7, 1863 ; m.
John Fairchild, b. April 25, 1781, d. May 9, 1863; had
43 Susan Caroline Fairchild, b. June 7, 1803, d. Oct. 5,
1884; m. James Harvey Cook on Feby. 4, 1826; had
44 Electa Caroline Cook, b. Feby. 21, 1827, d. April 21,
1866; m. June 15, 1853, Edwin Ethelbert Willis, b.
April 7, 1827, d. Feby. 21, 1899; their children were
45 Frances Caroline Willis, b. Sept. 4, 1854.
45 Ida Julia Willis, b. Jany. 8, 1856; m. Theodore F.
Hunter.
45 Charles Ethelbert Willis, b. Aug. 30, 1857 ; m. Emma
Bradley Howard.
45 Edward Hervey Willis, b. June 21, 1860, d. Feby.
8, 1906.
45 Henry Cook Willis, b. Nov. 15, 1862; m. first Alta
C. Stearns, m. second Jessie Robinson.
45 Agnes Mary Willis, b. June 23,1863, d. Feby. 13,1866.
45 Electa Caroline Willis, b. April 21, 1866, d. April
23, 1866.
Charles Ethelbert Willis (45), m. June 3, 1896, Emma
Bradley Howard, b. Feby. 6, 1870, and have
46 John Howard Willis, b. Feby. 8, 1900.
46 Charles Ethelbert Willis, Jr., b. Dec. 10, 1904.
46 Francis Macleod Willis, b. June 16, 1907.
Magna Charta Barons.
Through the above ancestry the Willis family is de-
scended from three of the twenty-five Barons who forced
Magna Charta from King John at Runnymede in 1215,
and their names are among the "Magna Charta Sure-
ties," or signers. They were Roger and Hugh Bigod,
ancestors through the de Beauchamps, and Geoffrey de
Say, ancestor of Geoffrey de Say. (See 26th generation,
above. )
220 A Histonj of the Willis Family
Descent From Chaelemagne Through the Kings
OF England.
1 Charlemagne, b. 742, d. 815 ; m. Hildegarde of Siiabia,
had
2 Louis I. (Le Debonaire), b. 778, d. 840; m. Judith,
dau. of Count Welf or Count Guelph-Otterf , ancestor
of the Royal House of Great Britain, had
3 Charles 11. (The Bald), b. 823, d. 873; m. Ermen-
trude, dau. of Count of Orleans, had
4 Princess Judith, widow of Athelwulf, King of Eng-
land ; m. 2d Baldwin, Count of Flanders, had
5 Baldwin II., Count of Flanders, m. 889, Elstrude,
youngest dau. of Alfred the Great, King of England,
had
6 Arnold, Count of Flanders, d. 965, aged 81, m. Alice,
dau. of Count of Vermandois, had
7 Baldwin III., Count of Flanders, d. 962, m. Matilda
of Province, had
8 Arnold II., Count of Flanders, d. 989, m. 956 Rosala,
dau. of Beringarius II., King of Italy, had
9 Baldwin IV. (Fairbeard), d. 1036, m. Eleanor, dau.
of Richard, Duke of Normandy, had
10 Baldwin V., Count of Flanders, d. 1067, m. Adele,
dau. of Robert II., King of France, son of Hugh
Capet, King of France, had
11 Matilda, m. in 1052 to William The Conqueror,
father of William Rufus, King of England 1087-
1100 and
12 Henry I., King of England 1100 to 1135, m. Maud,
dau. of Malcolm III., King of Scotland, had
13 Maud or Matilda, m. Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of
Anjou, in 1127, had
14 Henry II., King of England, 1154 to 1189, m. Eleanor,
divorced wife of Louis VII., King of France, had
A Histoyy of the Willis Family 221
Richard (The Lionheart), King of England, 1189 to
1199, also
15 John, King of England, 1199 to 121 G, who signed
Magna Charta, m. Ishol, dau. of Agmered Tailefer,
10th count of Angouleme, had
16 Henry III., King of England, 1216 to 1272, had
17 Edward I., King of England, 1272 to 1307, m. Elea-
nor, dau. of Ferdinand III., King of Castile, parents
of Edward II., of England, also of
18 Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet, who m. Humphrey
Bohun, had
19 William Bohun, Earl of Northampton, d. 1360, had
20 Elizabeth Bohun, m. 1359, Richard Fitzallen, Earl
of Arundel and Surry; beheaded 1398, had
21 Lady Elizabeth Fitzallen, m. 2d Sir Robert Goushill,
had*
22 Lady Joan Goushill, m. Thomas, Lord of Stanley,
1458, K. G., had
23 Lady Elizabeth Stanley, m. Sir Richard IMolineaux,
slain in Bloreheath, 1459, had
24 Lady Margaret Molineaux, m. Sir AVilliam Bulkley,
Justice of Chester, had
25 William Bulkley of Eaton, had
26 Maud Bulkley, m. Sir Thomas Holford of Holford,
had
27 Sir George Holford, m. Isbel Leigh, had
28 Sir John Holford, m. Margaret Brereton, had
29 Sir Thomas Holford, m. Lady Jane Booth, had
30 Lady Dorothy Holford, who m. John Bruen of
Bruen-Stapleford, 13th Bruen generation.
mi^uAi
KITCHELL FAMILY.
Our ancestors of the Kitchell family were gentlemen of
the County of Kent, England. The following records are
official :
A History of the Willis Family 223
From the "Visitation of Kent, 1663-8."
Thomas Kitchell of Clifford 's Inn, London.
Thomas Kitchell of New Inn, London, = Deborah, da. of Boles of Kent
and clerk of Dover Castle. I
Eliz., da. of Nicholas = William Kitchell of ye = Anne, da. of Francis
Knight of Canterbury, City of Canterbury,
1 Wife, S. P. Gent, 1663.
Lovilace of Canterbury or
2 Wife
Francis, son and heir. Thomas William Kitchell.
From "Alumni Oxonienses. " "Kitchell, Francis, son of William, of Can-
terbury, Gent. Trinity Coll., matric. 14 Feby., 1678-9, aged 16.
B. A. 1682."
From the "Visitation of Middlesex, 1634 (C. 28, 5V>)."
John Kitchell of Combe nere Greenwich.
Thomas Kitchell, of Addington = Jane, da. of Eobt. Barnes of
Wichlinge, in Kent.
^ ..
Thomas Kitchell, of New Inn = Debora, da. of Jo. Bolde of
in com. Middx. 1634
Wihorn in Kent
Her grandmother was a Blechenden.
I I I I
Anne Thomas Edw. William
"Extracted from the Visitation of Middlesex in 1634,
now remaining in the Herald's College, London, this 21
Aug., 1883. Stephen Tucker, Somerset Herald."
With the exception of the Oxford record, the above is
from the book by Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1883.
Marriage Licenses Issued at Canterbury.
1622, Sept. 18 — Thomas Kitchell, aged 26, gent., bachelor,
of London, and Deborah Bowie, aged 20, maiden,
da. of John Bowie, of Wareburn, gent.
224 A History of the Willis Family
1631, June 21 — Robert Kitcliell, yeoman, widower, of
Rolvenden, and Margaret Sheafe, aged 30, maiden,
of Tenterden.
1631, Oct. 7— William Stratfold, 25, gent., bachelor, of
Dover, and Mary Kitchell, aged 20, maiden, da. of
Thomas Kitchell, of Dover, gent.
1638, Mch. 12— Robert AVells, bachelor. Vicar of Holling-
bourne, and Jane Kitchell, aged 26, maiden, da. of
Thomas Kitchell, of Dover, gent.
1660, Dec. 10 — William Kitchell, gent., widower, of Can-
terbury, and Anne Lovilace, aged 26, maiden, da. of
Francis Lovilace, of Canterbury, Esq'r.
Maeriages.
1596, May 17— John Kitchell and Johne Jordan, at Beck-
enham, county Kent.
1622, July 29— Simon Crowden and Eliz. Kitchell, at St.
Nicholas, Depford.
1632, July 21— Robert Kitchell and Margaret Sheafe, at
St. Mary Bredin, Canterbury. The difference in
year license was issued and marriage performed
would be accounted for by old and new style, 1631-2,
etc., probably the same year.
1652, Jany. 9^Thomas Kitchell and Hannah Harflete, at
St. Clement Danes, Middlesex.
Baptisms at Rolvenden, County Kent.
1623, Oct. 30— John Kitchell, son of Thomas, Gent.
1634, April 27— Harman, son of Robert Kitchell and
Margaret his wife.
1635, Dec. 6— Samuel, son of Robert Kitchell and Mar-
garet his wife.
A History of the Willis Family 225
Burials.
1655, Mch. 29 — Thomas Kitcliell, gent., buried from the
Temple.
1656, Jany. 4 — Mr. Thomas Kitchell, one of the Anne.
(Anncient?) gents, of New Inn.
1657, July 15 — Edward Kitchell, gent.
Barry's "Genealogy of Kent" says Deborah, da. of
William Stratford and grandchild of Thomas Kitchell,
died July, 1719, aged 81; buried in St. James church,
Dover. Elizabeth, the only surviving child, married the
second time Philip, Earl of Harwich, Lord High Chan-
cellor of England.
Robert Kitchell is put down in the marriage license as
yeoman; the following is a definition of yeoman in 16th-
17th century:
"A class of holders of land." "Yeoman thus meant
a countryman, a man of the district, in the special use
of the word for a class of landholders."
"Yeoman^ frequently a younger son, having left the
ancestral manor and acquired land for the founding of
a new branch of the ancient tree."
Robert Kitchell was undoubtedly the son of John and
Johne (Jordan) Kitchell, m. May 17, 1596. Investiga-
tions by the authors at Canterbury lead them to believe
this is correct, although he is not mentioned in the * ' Visi-
tation of Middlesex, ' ' 1634, as the pedigree is only carried
down through the eldest son and heir.
1 *Mr. Robert Kitchell was born in the county of Kent,
probably Combe, in 1604, and died in Newark, New
Jersey, in 1672. He was married twice; his first
wife we do not know, but he m. secondly, on June 21,
226 A History of the Willis Family
1632, Margaret Slieafe, dau. of the Rev. Edward
Sheafe, of Cranbrooke, county Kent, England.
Mr. Kitcliell obtained the marriage license at Can-
terbury, The license mentions Margaret as "aged
30, maiden, of Tenterden," and Robert as "of Rol-
venden. " Rolvenden is about ten miles from Cran
brooke ; the marriage took place at the church of St.
Mary Bredin, Canterbury, the latter place being in
Kent.
"On April 26, 1639, the ship Arabella sailed from
England with a party of Puritan refugees, led by
the Rev. Henry Whitfield, and anchored in the harbor
of Quinnipiac, now New Haven." At New Haven
there was a small settlement, made the year before
by a party from Massachusetts, which had been led
to this place by the Rev. John Davenport.
Note — We have followed the original spelling of tlie name Kitchell, which
without question is the correct one; 1. e., Kitchell instead of Kitchel,
as given by Mr. Harvey D. Kitchel in his book ' ' Robert Kitchel
And His Descendants, ' ' and followed by other writers from this
spelling.
We can find no warrant whatever for spelling the name with
but one 1. It is a matter of individual taste.
All the ancient records of Canterbury Cathedral and county
Kent, England (and there are a great many) spell the name Kitchell.
These records are memorial tablets in Canterbury Cathedral, records
of births, deaths, marriage licenses, marriages and baptisms.
The first of the name in this country signed the ' ' Covenant ' ' on
shipboard at New Haven as "Mr. Robert Kitchell." All the old
Connecticut and Newark records so spell the name. Old tomb-
stones in Hanover and Whippany use this spelling. The original
tombstone of Hon. Aaron Kitchell so had it ; the records at Wash-
ington, D. C, of Hon. Aaron Kitchell so spell it.
' ' Miscellanea Genealogiea et Heraldica, ' ' containing much
Kitchell data from Kent pertaining to this family, spells it Kitchell.
Being natives of New Jersey and descendants of the old Kitchells,
where no other spelling of the name was known, we trust that
future historians will follow the ancient and correct version and
spelling and so save confusion, which would tend in time to cause
a serious split and develop two families where there should be
but one.
A Histonj of the Willis Family 227
''While yet on shipboard this company (the Whit-
field party) bound themselves in a Plantation Cove-
nant to sit down and join themselves together in one
certain plantation, and they soon after settled at
Guilford, Conn., choosing the borders of the Sound
for the special reason that they would be out of the
jurisdiction of the Connecticut Colony, as from the
first they suspected that colony of serious defection
from Puritan principles and practice, and sought
to maintain their purity and independence by put-
ting this safe distance between them and the heresy.
"The )Guilford settlers were generally men of
character, culture and substance. Several of them
were of University training, and he (Robert Kitchell)
held a large place among them in all trusts and
dignities."
The "Plantation Covenant" was signed by all the
men of the party before landing at New Haven; it
reads as follows :
"We whose names are hereunder written, intend-
ing by God's gracious permission, to plant ourselves
in New England, and, if it may be, in the southerly
part, about Quinnipiac; We do faithfully promise,
each to each, for ourselves and families, and those
that belong to us, that we will, the Lord assisting
us, sit down and join ourselves together in one
intire plantation, and to be helpful each to the other
in every common work, according to every man's
ability, and as need shall require; and we promise
not to desert or leave each other or the plantation,
but with the consent of the rest, or the greater part
of the company who have entered into this engage-
ment. As for our gathering together in a church
228 A History of the Willis Family
way, we do refer ourselves until such time as it
shall please God to settle us in our plantation.
''In witness whereof, we subscribe our hands, the
first day of June, 1639. ' '
Twenty-five members of the company signed this
covenant, the first one being "Mr. Robert Kitchell."
Mr. Kitchell was probably older than most of
the settlers; was one of the administrators of the
new settlement until the church was established.
"Agreed that the Civil power for the administra-
tion of justice and preservation of peace shall re-
main in the hands of Robert Kitchell, William Chit-
tenden, John Bishop and William Leete, formerly
chosen for that work, until some may be chosen out
of the church that shall be gathered here."
"Sept. 29, 1639, Henry Whitfield, Robert Kitchell,
William Leete, William Chittenden, John Bishop and
John Cofifinge, as agents of the associate planters,
purchased the tract which constitutes nearly all of
the present town of Guilford, from Shaumpishuh,
the Sachem-squaw of the Menunkatucks. The price
paid was a dozen of each of the following articles:
coats, shoes, stockings, mirrors, faddoms of wam-
pum, hoes, hatchets, knives, hats, pooringers, spoons,
four kettles and two English coats." "Dec. 17, 1641,
they purchased what is called the Neck, eastward to
Tuckishoag Pond. " " Jany. 13, 1664, Samuel Kitchell
and William Leete purchased a strip of territory on
the northern border of Guilford from Uncas, the
Mohegan Sachem; and this they afterwards sold to
the town."
"During the twenty-seven years of his residence
in Guilford, from 1639 to 1666, Robert Kitchell held
a prominent place among the most active and trusted
A History of the Willis Family 229
of the planters. He occupied the corner of Broad
and Fair streets, and the corner still carries the
name. He was Deputy from Guilford in the General
Court at New Haven in 1650, 1656, 1661, 1662 and
1663, and Treasurer for the Plantation for many-
years."
^*By all the tokens Robert Kitchell stands out a
stanch, tenacious character, intensely Puritan, a
Pilgrim Father, even to the second degree. ' '
The Rev. Henry Whitfield remained in Guilford
twelve vears and then returned to England. "His
Stone House, built in 1639, is still standing, reputed
to be the oldest dwelling in the United States, and
certainly one of our most venerable antiquities."
In the foregoing, we have quoted liberally from
''Robert Kitchel And His Descendants," by H. D.
Kitchel.
In the year 1666, with Robert Treat and others,
Mr. Kitchell removed by ship to Newark, New Jersey,
and with him his son Samuel, and in the latter place
they both at once took a leading position.
"Mr. Robert Kitchell was a leading civil Magis-
trate at Newark and was called at Newark the bene-
factor of the settlement."
After Mr. Kitchell 's death, in 1672, his widow
Margaret removed to Greenwich, Conn., in 1678,
where she died in 1682; their son
* Samuel Kitchell, was baptized at Rolvenden, county
Kent, England, Dec. 6, 1635, so he was but four years
old when the family came to Connecticut. In the
Guilford records he appears as having held the office
of Town Clerk and some other minor offices ; became
freeman at Guilford May 4, 1654.
230 A History of the Willis Family
Before leaving Connecticut both Samuel and his
father, Robert, signed the "fundamental agree-
ments. ' '
On the arrival of the settlers at Newark Samuel
Kitchell became one of the leaders of the new colony
and retained this position until the time of his death,
in 1690, He was one of the commissioners to lay
out the new township of Newark and one of the first,
with his father, to accompany Robert Treat from
Connecticut in 1666. "On May 21, 1666, Samuel
Kitchell was chosen by the planters as one of a
board of eleven to form the new township of Newark
and provide rules for its government."
On May 11, 1667, Obadiah Bruen, Michael Tomp-
kins, Samuel Kitchell, John Brown and Robert Den-
nison purchased for themselves and associates, from
the Indians, a tract of land "bounded with the Bay
eastward and the Great River Pesayak northward,
the Great Creek or river in the meadow, to the head
of the cove, then bearing a west line for the south
bounds, etc. ; on the west line back into the country
to the foot of the great mountain." The compen-
sation given the Indians for this land was "fifty
double hands of powder, one hundred bars of lead,
twenty axes, twenty coats, ten guns, twenty pistols,
ten kettles, ten swords, four blankets, four barrels of
beer, ten pairs of breeches, fifty knives, eight hun-
dred and fifty fathoms of Wampum, twenty ankers
of liquor, twenty hoes and three troopers' coats."
The Indians who received the above for their tribes
were the three Sachems, Wekaprokikan, Wame-
SAME and Mamistoxe, and i\\Qj signed the deed with
the white settlers. The land evidentlv ran from the
Hackensack river back to the Orange mountains.
A Histori/ of the Willis Family 231
That was certainly some Wampum, nearly a mile,
and one can almost see the hilarious time those
Savages had with "four barrels of beer and twenty
ankers of liquor."
"When the Rev. Abraham Pierson, Jr., was called
to be helpful to his father" Samuel Kitchell was ap-
pointed with the Deacons in making the rate for their
maintenance. Samuel and Abraham, Jr., were
brothers-in-law.
In 1684 "Thos. Huntington, with Mr. Johnson,
Mr. Ward, Mr. Kitchell, Mr. Curtiss, Deacon Lau-
rence, Ephraim Burwell and others were appointed
a committee to treat with the Governor" to maintain
their town rights, etc.
"No second rate men at that time were put upon
a committee to contend for the rights of the town."
— Hinman.
Mr. Samuel Kitchell married twice, first Elizabeth
Wakernan, at New Haven, in 1 651 ; secondly to Grace
Piei'son, dau. of the Rev. Abraham Pierson and sis-
ter to Rev. Abraham Pierson, Jr., first president of
Yale College. Mr. Kitchell died in his fifty-eighth
year; one of his sons by Grace Pierson was Abra-
ham Kitchell.
The records of the early period of the Town of
Newark have been collected in a volume and are
worthy the perusal of the descendants of our
Puritan ancestors. The book can be found in the
Newark Public Librarv, and clearlv demonstrates
that the ancestors of whom we are writing were all
worthy men and the most active and the leaders in
both the church and civil government. We have been
tempted to include many items of great interest to all
of us, but "we must draw the line" for the present.
232 A History of the Willis Family
Ancient Newark was built on what are now Wash-
ington, Mulberry, Broad and Market streets. Most
of the town lots were at first of six acres each. They
were drawn bv lot. Robert Kitchell drew lot number
12 and Samuel Kitchell number 15.
Robert Kitchell had adjoining him for neighbors
Mr. Peck, John Rogers and Mr. Obadiah Bruen, and
was located on the east side of the present Mulberry
Street. Samuel Kitchell had for neighbors John
Catling and Josiah Ward, and was on the west side
of Mulberry Street. Each settler also received land
outside the town for cultivation. Samuel Kitchell
received in various lots 116 acres.
*'The costs of purchase of land and 'transport of
Mr. Pierson,' their minister, were met by general
assessment. Each head of a family was rated at
£50, with £10 additional for each child or servant,
and for goods of all sorts a valuation by seven asses-
sors; then of that whole amount each should pay
two-thirds. Abraham Pierson 's two-thirds stood at
£429; Jasper Crane and Thomas Lyon, £380 each;
and so down. Robert and Samuel Kitchell were
rated together £500. At money's worth of the time,
it was a wealthv communitv
? >
'Deacon Abraham Kitchell was a member of the ju-
diciary and one of the prominent men of Newark
at an early age. In 1710, at the age of 31 years, he
resigned his seat on the bench and removed to Han-
over, or Wliippany, in what is now Morris County.
Whippany, the name of an Indian tribe, was origi-
nally "Whippanong;" the terminal ''ong," found
on many of the Indian names of northern New Jer-
sey, meaning water.
A History of the Willis Family 233
He 111. Sarah Brueii, dau. of John Brueii and
grand-daughter of Hon. Obadiah Bruen (see Bruen
Family). He was a large land owner; one purchase,
made by him May 20, 1724, was for 1,075 acres.
Deacon Abraham was a Lieutenant in Hanover
1722; Justice of the Peace 1725 (consequently Esq'r)
and Deacon in the church at Whippany.
In the New England Historical and Genealogical
Register for 1853, Book VII, p. 267, appears the fol-
lowing article on
"Early Settlers of Morris County, New Jersey."
*'In the notice of the early settlement of Hanover in
Morris, supposed to be the earliest within the limits of
what is now Morris and Sussex Counties, given in Bar-
ber and Howe's 'Collections,' it states that Timothy,
Samuel and Joseph Tuttle, three brothers from the
North of England, near the river Tweed, Joseph and
Abraham Kitchell, brothers, and Francis Lindsley, all
from England, were among the first emigrants. This is
all a mistake, if documentary evidence is better than tra-
dition, and not more true with respect to one than another
of the persons named.
''Deacon Abraham Kitchell, who was also one of the
judiciary, died in 1741, aged 62, and with Joseph
Lindsley, the son of Francis, who came from Branford,
sleeps in 'God's acre,' in Whippany, together with Jo-
seph and Timothy Tuttle. John Lindsley, the- brother
of Joseph, lies in the old cemetery in Morristown, and
Ebenezer's narrow-house is in the 'mountain society's'
city of the dead. These were some of the little folks of
Newark in its infancy. Samuel Kitchell, the father of
Abraham, was one of those who for themselves and their
associates purchased of the 'Indians belonging to Hack-
234 A Hisfori/ of the Willis Family
insack, the known acknowledged proprietors,' the terri-
tory now occupied by the living and the dead in Orange,
Bloomfield, Belleville and this city (Newark). He mar-
ried Elizabeth Wakeman at New Haven in 1651, and with
his father Robert, who was there a member of the Gen-
eral Court in 1661, was prominent among the founders
of Newark. He died in 1690. His sons were Samuel and
Abraham, His daughters were Elizabeth Tompkins,
wife of Seth, Abigal Ward, wife of John, Mary Ward,
wife of Josiali, Susanna and Grace.
"The second wife of Samuel Kitchell was Grace, a
daughter of the Rev. Abraham Pierson, who, with the
majority of his church and congregation, united with
Milford brethren and friends in 1666, in the settlement
of 'New-work,' or 'Pesayak-towne,' on 'the great river
Pesavak' as it is called in the deed from the native
Americans.
"Mr. Pierson died Aug. 9, 1678. Though no rude me-
morial marks the resting place of the first pastor of the
mother of churches, enough is known to indicate its
locality. In the course of the judicious improvements
now in progress under the direction of the Committee
on Public Grounds, the hitherto unknown repository of
the mortal remains of 'Mr. Samuel Kitchell' has been
discovered, as also that of 'John Gardner, Esq'r,' who
died in 1719, the son-in-law of John Ward, Jun'r , he
having married Abigal Ward. His sons were Gershom
and Thomas. With a little attention on the part of those
whose ancestry were the pioneers of Essex and Morris,
much can be done to beautify the sacred enclosure, into
which were gathered the successive generations that
finished their course within the town-plot and its vicinity
A History of the Willis Family 235
until a I'ecent period — an ancestry of whom none should
be ashamed, and of whom every one is entitled to decent
sepulcher. ' '
One of the sons of Deacon Abraham Kitchell was,
4 *Joseph Kitchell, m. Kachel Bates and had among
others,
5 *Hon, Aaron Kitchell, who m. 1st Phoebe Farrand;
they were our great-great-grandparents. Aaron
Kitchell was a noted man at the time of the Revolu-
tionary war. His birthplace and home were at Han-
over, N. J. Mr. H. D. Kitchel, in his book, ''Robert
Kitchel And His Descendants," renders the follow-
ing tribute:
*&
"This man deserves our honorable remembrance as
one who rose by the singular force of his character,
against every disadvantage, to fill a large place of influ-
ence and render great public service in his time. He
was one of the patriot leaders of New Jei'sey in all that
period of doubt and strife that ])receded, attended and
followed the War of the Revolution. The great conflict
was nowhere more bitter and critical than in New Jersev :
and the ardent patriotism and wise leadership of Aaron
Kitchell did much to shape the action of that State during
the w^ar, and the polity of the nation after its close.
"The style and quality of the man very early appeared.
Bred to a farmer's life, with onh^ the scanty education
to be picked up at home, he craved some more active and
enterprising field than on the farm. * * * In the open-
ing scenes of the Revolution, he was foremost in the
great debate, a zealous and sagacious champion of free-
dom. He was among the very earliest volunteers in the
army. But he was soon found capable of larger service
236 A History of the Willis Family
than in the ranks. Now Jersey was full of the King's
men, open enemies or secret conspirators against liberty ;
and then, as later, the 'fire in the rear' was to be watched
and met. He was intrusted with much of this work, and
the extreme delicacy and difficulty attending it tasked his
utmost wisdom. He was put on the Commission of for-
feited Estates and dealt with the Tories far and near.
** After the close of the war, he was for some years in
the State Legislature. In 1799, he was elected Repre-
sentative in Congress, and held that position by suc-
cessive re-elections 'till 1807. He was then chosen IT. S.
Senator, and served four years in that capactiy, when
continued ill health led him to resign. He is described
as a tall, spare, athletic person, who pined in the uncon-
genial life of Washington, and longed to return to his
simple Hanover home. * * *
''This Memorial is over his grave in Hanover church-
yard:
'He was a man of sountl, vigorous, and discriminating; mind:
Of affections warm, steady and charitable :
Of genius bright, active and penetrating :
Of industry vigorous and enterprising :
Of temper mild and resohite :
Of manner plain :
Of religion, a firm believer in Christ, and died in
full assurance of a happy reward.
He was an active, faithful and zealous advocate
of the freedom of his country, and for thirty-
six years was a member in the State and
National Councils.
Thus sleeps the man whom bounteous Heaven
Hath all the gifts of nature given ;
Sound in judgment, with a religious mind.
To his Saviour his breath resigned."
A History of the Willis Family 237
"And this testimony seems only true and just. He
early displayed a cool sagacity in civil affairs which
compelled him into public service. He was prompt, firm,
clear-seeing and tenacious of his purpose. The people
recognized his natural gift of leadership, and steadily
honored him with public trusts, and held him fast in
them, only releasing him when broken health obliged
him to retire. In private life he was simple, genial,
honored and loved bv his nei^'hbors. In Congress he
was prized as a wise counsellor, with a rare genius for
shaping difficult matters discretly. He was an earnest
Republican in principle (which party was the predecessor
of the Democratic party), a zealous adherent of Jef-
ferson, for whose election he labored strenuously, and
whom he supported against Burr in the long balloting
of the two Houses of Congress that finally gave Jefferson
the prize. An instance is given of his insight and deft
handling of all matters, small or large. At a time when
nearly all Morris County went crazed with an epidemic
superstition, in the famous 'Morristown Ghost' aifair,
he almost alone kept his head in the general panic. He
came to the haunted spot with 'Old Hagar, his favorite
five-foot-and-three-inch-barrel gun, and proposed as a
test to try one shot at his ghostship, am-^vhere within ten
rods. The bursted wreck of Old Hagar is all that re-
mains ; but it shows how wisely the ghost declined the
trial. The bare proposal shot him through with daylight
and made an end of the wretched delusion."
Aaron Kitchell was born of a fine ancestry, from those
who had filled positions of great responsibility and in-
fluence in the public atfairs of their times, but handi-
capped by being one of a family of ten children and
born in a new settlement, where rigid economy was nee-
238 A Historij of the Willis Family
essaiy, he rose by sheer grit to one of the highest offices
in the Nation, the United States Senate.
There being no opportunity of obtaining an education
except at home, he was practically self-taught "pursued
a course of reading and study, scarcely allowing himself
necessary sleep." He is said to have borrowed and read
every book in the neighborhood, and with the assistance
of the Presbvterian minister and the local doctor to have
acquired a fine classical education.
At the breaking out of the Revolution he immediately
enlisted as a private, but was soon selected to fill more
important positions than that of a soldier. He was in
the confidence of both the Continental Congress and Con-
tinental Armv, and being selected to counteract the Torv
influences in northern New Jersey he used all his wit and
sagacity to countermine, foil and nip in the bud the
many Tory plots which sprang up. He was with Wash-
ington at Morristown, a friend of and confidential ad-
visor, and in charge of the War-Chest. Mr. Kitchell
continued his friendship with Washington, which had
been formed at Morristown, until the death of the latter,
and on Washington's death Aaron Kitchell was requested
to and performed the service of pallbearer at his funeral.
The story runs that while the British army was in
the vicinity rumor went about that they were going to
make a raid down through Hanover Neck, Aaron Kitchell
lived there and had the money which he had brought
from Philadelphia to pay the troops at MorristoAvn. He
sent word to his wife Phoebe (Farrand) to take the
money at midnight down to the Great Meadows and bury
it under a tree which stood there and tell no one, which
she did, and marked the tree that she might find it again.
There has been a story that she could not find the money
after burying it, and several times the field has been dug
A Hist on/ of the WiUis Family 239
over by treasure-hunters searcliing- for it. However, it
was never lost, and Mr. Kitchell had the money when re-
quired wherewith to pay the troops.
Through Mr. Kitchell 's activity in suppressing Tory
plots be became particularly obnoxious to them, and
perhaps the more so as his brother Abraham, who had
enlisted as a soldier at the outbreak of the war, had left
the army to accept the position from the Continental
Congress on "Inquisition," which meant to receive and
sell or otherwise dispose of the property confiscated from
the Tories. The consequence was that the Tories put a
price on both Aaron's and Abraham's heads, and one
night three Tories came to Aaron Kitchell 's home to take
him. He was very cool and showed them he did not fear
them; asked them to come in and be seated and treated
them to cider. His wife and a little niece of eleven years
were in the room, and while the Tories were drinking
Mrs. Kitchell suddenly said to the child, "come, it is
time you were in bed," and taking her from the room
dropped her from a window and told her to run home
quickly and get her father (Abraham Kitchell) to come
with assistance. The little girl proved of ready wit and
alarmed her father, who with some neighbors soon ar-
rived and the three Tories were caught in their own
trap.
To show further tlie loyalty and confidence of the
women of those strenuous times, we will relate how Anna
Kitchell, wife of Uzal Kitchell, who was a first cousin
of Aaron, replied to a timid Deacon who urged her to
procure British protection. Looking at him with scorn
she said, ' ' Having a husband, father and five brothers in
the American army, if the God of battles does not care
for us we will fare with the rest. ' '
240 A History of the Willis Family
Following- is a letter written by Aaron Kitchell to his
wife Phoebe (Farrand) Kitchell, while he was at Wash-
ington :
Crrv OF Washington, January 17th, 1806.
My Dear:
Last evening' I Received your letter of the 2nd Instant and
am glad to hear that you are in better health than when you
wrote the last. I am sorry to be informed that Betsy is unwell.
I have no prospect that I can be at home (let what will be the
situation in the family) before late in the Spring, perhaps not
before Summer. I wrote you some time ago, and gave you all
information Respecting Business at home M'hich seemed nec-
essary. I can only add that I wish Aaron to take particular
care of the Cattle, such of the cows and heifers which are forward
with calf must be fed with corn.
I am Detained in this place and expect I probably shall be for
a long time. We have an abundance of business and of im-
portance before us. The House of Representatives have been
for Ten days Engaged in Consultation iipon Business of a pri-
vate nature. I expect Senate will be as long and this is but a
small portion of the most important business, if so much time
is to be consumed upon each ; and the Common business also
done, I am of opinion that the year will not be long enough to
Complete our Business. I find living is better than when I was
in this place before, at least provision is better, but it is difficult
to get it cooked.
We have to eat our Beef and our Turkeys with the Blood fol-
lowing the knife, however we cook it at the table occasionally
after it is brought to the table, but if the provision is better, the
people are not, at least in appearance.
I believe that since the Days of Sodom there has not been a
worse or more Dissipated set than those who call themselves
Citizens. Take from the Inhabitants all officers of the Govern-
ment, Members of Congress and their particular attendants
A Historic of the Willis Famihi 241
{and many of these by the way, are not too good), and four out
of five of the remainder will be in the Rank of NegToes, Beggars,
Thieves and Strumpets, however with these Government is
afflicted; and such are the Citizens of this admired City; the
Capitol of the United States. We have had very warm weather
this Season, until New Year the ground was not froze. Since
then the weather has been Variable. Last Tuesday was un-
comfortable warm, with Rain in the morning, but towards Even-
ing the wind turned to the North-East with some snow, in the
Evening, since which the weather has been severely Cold. I have
been in general, in health. Since I came to this place, but the
late great change of Weather, I have taken cold but am able to
go out. Wishing you all at home health and happiness, I am
Yours, &e.
Mrs. Phoehe KiteheU. Aaron Kitchell.
The spelling and capitals are correct according to the
usage of one hundred years ago.
A fev>' years back, Smith Ely, Esq., great-grandson of
Aaron Kitchell, had removed the stones over the graves
of Aaron Kitchell and his wife and the graves of Aaron's
father and mother, which are alongside, and erected a
magnificent monument over and covering the four graves.
It is of highly polished granite and built of huge blocks
of stone, a lasting memorial to a grand old gentleman.
The inscription on this monument is the same as that
on his old tombstone and alreadv given.
Aaron Kitchell had one unfortunate e])isode in his life.
Some time after the death of his first wife he contem-
plated a second marriage and rode forth to call on a lady
he knew to ask her to marry him. There was a siren
lurking in his path, in form an attractive widow, who
had already been three times married and had two cliil-
242
A Histoyy of the Willis Family
Monument to Hon. Aaron Kitchell.
clreii by lior first liiisband, her last venture having Tjeen
with William Willis, a brother of our great-o-randfather
Russel Willis. Her maiden name was AVilson.
Well, this attractive widow suspected the errand of
our cavalier ancestor, and as he was passing her house
she intercepted him and invited him in. He, of course,
could do no less than accept, and the dashing widow, hav-
ing had much experience, Mr. Kitchell proposed and was
at once accepted on this his first visit.
"Marry in haste and repent at leisure" proved but
too true in this instance, as the gay widow turned out
to be a shrew with a terrible temper and he could not
live with her. She was also a schemer, and when her hus-
band died carried away for her two children and herself
evervtliini^' she convenientlv could. About the onlv arti-
A History of the Willis Family 243
cle of silverware that escaped her notice was a pair of
sugar-tongs, now a treasured possession of Miss Frances
C. Willis, his great-great-granddaughter.
Hon. Aaron Kitchell was born in 1744 and died
June 25, 1820. One of his ten children was,
6 *Lucy Kitchell; she married John Fairchild; they
were our great-grandparents. (For further record
see Fairchild Genealogy, 6th generation.)
To quote once again from Rev. H. D. Kitchel: *'As
early as in the Fifth Generation from Robert Kitchell,
the Farrands appear with a special affinity between them
and the Kitchells.
"Abraham and Aaron, take wives of that name, and
their sister Jemima goes wholly over to it ; and from that
time the two names and families have been intertwisted
continually, down to the present. In every well consti-
tuted household on either side, there is found a Farrand
Kitchell or a Kitchell Farrand, in token of the mingled
blood.
"These earliest connections occurred in the line of
Joseph; but a little later Samuel Farrand, of this line,
crossed over to Mary Kitchell, of the line of John. And
they did what in them lay to turn the main stream into
this branch. ' '
Kitchell Arms.
Arms. — On a field az. bor. or. a hawk with wings expand-
ed, belled, or.
Crest. — A hawk with wings expanded, couped or.
KITCHELL GENEALOGY.
In the following genealogy the authors have followed
the lines as given in ''Robert Kitchel And His Descend-
ants" beyond the 5th generation, up to which point we
had, making corrections and additions in several in-
stances and adding considerable new family data. We
are disappointed in not being able to bring many more
of the families down to date, but through indifference
of manv to whom we have written we have not been able
to obtain the necessary information :
1 *Robert Kitchell, b. in Kent. Eiig-land, 1604, son of John
and Johne (Jordan) Kitchell. of Combe, Kent, England.
Robert d. in Newark, N. J., in 1672. He m. 1st unknown ;
m. 2nd Margaret, dan. of Rev. Edward Sheafe, of Cran-
brooke, Kent. England ; marriage took place at St. Mary
Bredin church, Canterbury, on July 21, 1632. Margaret
was b. ]602. d. Greenwich, Conn., 1682. They had,
2 Harman, baptized at Rolvenden, Kent, April 27, 1634.
2 *SamueI, baptized at Rolvenden, Kent, Dec. 6, 1635, d. April
26, 1690 at Newark, N. J.
2 Joanna, m. Rev. Jeremiah Peck.
2 Sarah, d. May 10. 1651, at Guilford, Conn.
Samuel Kitchell, m. 1st Elizabetli Wakeman, at New Haven,
in 1651 ; she was a dau. of Mr. John Wakeman, magistrate
and one of the important men of Connecticut; they had,
3 Sarah, b. Dec. 9, 1657.
3 Elizabeth, b. Feby. 1, 1659, m. Seth Tompkins, d. Milford,
Conn.
A History of the Willis Family 245
3 Abigal, b. Aug. 10, 1661. in. Jolin Ward, d. Newark, N. J.
3 Samuel.
3 Mar3% m. Josiah Ward, d. Newark.
3 Susauna, m. "Insign" Jonathan Baldwin, d. Milford, Conn.
*Samuel Kitchell (2nd) m. secondly at Branford, Conn., in
1666, Grace, dau. of Rev. Abraham Pierson and sister of
Rev. Abraham Pierson, Jr., who was the first president of
Yale College. Grace was b. July 31, 1650; they had,
3 *Abraham Kitchell, b. Newark 1679, d. Dec. 12, 1741; m.
Sarah Bruen, b. 1679, d. April 30, 1745, dau, of John and
Esther (Lawrence) Bruen, and had,
4 Samuel, b. 1704, d. Nov. 1732.
4 * Joseph, b. 1710, d. Mch. 22, 1779 ; m. Rachel Bates, d. Dec.
24, 1789.
4 John, b. 1714, d. Jany. 9, 1777 ; m. 1st Maria Phoenice, m.
2d not found, m. 3d Mercy Parkhurst.
4 David, b. 1723, d. Dec. 26, 1753 ; m. Ruth Tuttle, b. 1713,
d. April 4, 1780.
4 Grace, m. Benjamin Lindsley.
4 Mary Allis, b. 1725, d. Mch. 29, 1762 ; m. Paul Leonard.
4 Abigal, m. Edmund Crane.
THE LINE OF JOSEPH KITCHELL.
(4th Generation.)
•Joseph Kitchell (4tli) m. Rachel Bates, and had,
5 Abraham, b. Aug. 26, 1736, d. Jany. 11, 1807 ; m. 1st Sarah
Ford, in. 2d Rebecca Farrand.
5 Moses, emigrated to Kentucky.
5 *Aaron, b. 1744, d. June 25, 1820; m. 1st Phoebe Farrand,
m. 2d a widow, Wealthy Willis, nee Wilson, but had no
children by second marriage.
5 Asa, b. Oct. 28, 1748.
5 John, emigrated to Kentucky with Moses.
5 Sarah, m. Benjamin Lindsley,
5 Grace, m. Samuel Ford.
5 Joanna, m. John Bridge.
5 Phoebe, m. 1st Beach, m. 2d Randall.
5 Jemima, m. Phineas Farrand.
*Aaron Kitchell (5th) m. Phoebe Farrand, b. 1743, d. Mch.
12, 1807, and had ten children ; Aaron was our great-great-
grandfather.
6 Farrand, b. Mch. 9, 1769, d. June 4, 1818; m. Esther
Mulford.
6 Joanna, b. Jany. 18, 1771 ; m. Philetas Miller.
6 Jemima, b. Mch. 6, 1773, d. in infancy.
6 Ambrose, b. Dec. 31, 1774, d. May 12, 1854 ; m. Betsy Mul-
ford; he was the grandfather of Smith Ely, Esq., at one
time Mayor of New York City.
6 Susan B., b. Dec. 9, 1776 ; m. Timothy Mulford.
A History of the Willis FauiHy 247
6 *Luey. b. Mch. 15. 1779, d. May 7. 1868; m. John Fairchild.
6 Electa, b. April 6, 1782, m. Elias Carter.
6 Aaron, Jr.. b. April 18, 1784, d. July 17, 1828; m. 1st
Phoebe Smith, m. 2d Jane Jacobus.
6 Betsey, b. Oct. 9, 1786, d. Feby. 5, 1854 ; m. Baxter Sayre.
6 Mary, b. Oct. 4, 1788, m. Martin E. Thompson.
*Lucy Kitchell t6th) and John Fairchild were our great-
grandparents (for further record see Fairchild Genealogy,
6th Generation.)
Children of Abraham (ofh) and Sarah (Ford) Kitchell.
6 James, b. Nov. 7, 1759, d. Oct. 1, 1842 ; m. 1st Hannah Day,
b. Aug. 16, 1770, d. Sept. 8, 1805 ; m. 2d Hannah Tuttle, b.
April 9, 1771. d. Feby. 9, 1854.
6 Sarah, b. Dec. 8, 1761, d. 1833 ; m. Thomas Gardner.
6 Elizabeth, b. Feby. 14, 1764, d. 1831 ; m. David Stiles.
6 Eunice, b. Sept. 2, 1766, d. Feby. 8, 1863; m. Darius
Pierson.
6 Ford, b. Jany. 28, 1770, d. Sept. 19, 1842; m. Elizabeth
M'Carty.
6 Demas, b. Mch. 4, 1772.
6 Lewis, b. Feby. 6, 1775, d. Dec. 1, 1776.
Children of Abraham {5th) and second wife, Rebecca
(Farrand) Kitchell.
6 Lewis, b. Mch. 1, 1778, m. Mary Compson.
6 Joseph, b. Nov. 11, 1779, d. Nov. 26, 1847 ; m. Nancy Allen,
dau. of Capt. Job Allen, of Rockaway, N. J.
6 Abraham, b. Aug. 20, 1781.
6 Charity, b. April 14, 1783, m. John Allen.
6 Nancy, b. Feby. 25, 1785, d. May 27, 1867.
248 A Histonj of the Willis Family
6 Cyrus, b. Jany. 26, 1787, m. Mary Fairchild.
6 Ebeiiezer,
6 Rebecca,
6 Rebecca, b. Mch. 6, 1792, d. 1868 ; m. Demas Badgeley.
6 Ebenezer, b. Dec. 11, 1794, m. Joanna Tuttle.
er ^
' (. b. July, 1789, d. young.
Children of Asa Kitchell {5th).
6 Ai'ua, b. Aug. 9. 1771.
6 Grace, b. June 10, 1773. d. Oct. 4, 1792.
6 Abigail, b. Dec. 28, 1774.
6 Benajah, b. Oct. 22, 1776.
6 Jo5;eph, b. July 31, 1779. d. 1840, Palestine, 111.
6 Tiii'othy, b. Nov. 30, 1781, d. Jany. 3, 1793.
6 Tryphena, b. April 16, 1785.
6 Wickliff, b. May 21, 1789, m. Elizabeth Ross; he d. Pana,
111., Janv. 2, 1869.
Children of James {6th) and Hannah {Day) Kitchell.
7 Azei, b. July 11, 1790, d. Aug. 16, 1807.
7 Matthias, b. Oct. 24, 1792, d. July 31, 1857; m. Caroline
Beach, b. Nov. 14, 1808.
7 Elizabeth Thompson, b. Aug. 11, 1795, d. Aug. 5, 1867 ; m.
Samuel Farrand.
7 Charity Ford, b. Jany. 21, 1798, d. Dec. 18, 1875 ; m. James
Ford Kitchell, son of James 6th by 2d wife, Hannah Tuttle.
7 Samuel, d. 1871.
Children of Ford {6th) and Elizabeth {M'Carty) Kitchell.
7 Electa, b. Jany. 8, 1802, d. Oct. 21, 1830.
7 Sarah, b. May 1, 1807.
7 Euphemia, b. Mch. 2, 1809, d. Aug. 4, 1874; m. Ludlow
Pruden.
7 Emily, b. Sept. 25, 1811, m. Rev. Nelson Slater, Cal.
A History of the Willis Family 249
7 Elizabeth, b. Get. 7, 1813.
7 Abraham Ford, b. May 24, 1815, d. Aug. 10, 1872; m.
Elizabeth M. Farrand.
7 Charity Ann, b. Feby. 11, 1817, d. Aug. 30, 1873.
7 Jane Rebecca, b. Sept. 25, 1818, m. Michael Doland.
7 Mary Seely, b. April 9, 1822.
Children of Lewis {6th) and Mary {Compson) Kitchell.
7 Nelson.
7 Eliza.
Children of Joseph (6th) and Nancy (Allen) Kitchell.
7 Harriet, b. April 30, 1802, d. April 16, 1847; m. Oct. 26,
1820, to Nehemiah Hayden, b. Oct. 27, 1789, d. April
20, 1861.
7 Julia, b. June 24, 1804, d. 1866 ; m. James McDougall.
7 Rachel, b. May 5, 1806, d. 1891 ; m. Stephen Hinds in 1825,
he d. 1869.
7 Abraham, b. Jany. 2, 1808, probably died young.
7 John, b. Jany. 1, 1809, in N. J., d. Mch. 3, 1860, at Palmyra,
Iowa; m. April 4, 1833, Esther Peck, she d. Oct. 22, 1910,
at Upland, Calif., aged 97 years.
7 Agal, b. April 4, 1811, probably d. young.
7 Elizabeth, b. April 3, 1813, d. in Cincinnati; m. John
Han num.
7 Mary Ann, b. April 16, 1817, m. Thomas Fry.
7 Rebecca, b. Jany. 16, 1819, d. Sept. 24, 1894; m. Levi W.
Norcross, who d. Mch. 4, 1904.
7 Sarah, b. Oct. 11, 1820, d. in childhood. ,
7 Cyrus, b. Feby. 11, 1823, d. at Ormond, Florida.
7 Nancy, b. May 6, 1825, m. Peter Snyder and left a large
family.
250 A History of the Will is Family
Children of Ehenezer {6th) and Joanna (Tuttle) Kitchell.
7 Rebecca Ann.
7 Abraham.
7 Jacob.
By second wife:
7 Lodi.
7 Horace.
7 Caroline, m. Marshall, Missouri.
7 Mary, m. Everett Graff.
Children of Farrand (6th) and Esther (Mulford) Kitchell.
7 Nancy, b. April 7, 1794, d. Oct. 23, 1873.
7 John, b. Aug. 31. 1796, m. Sarah Cook.
7 Timothy, b. Aug. 19, 1799, m. Eliza Cook.
7 Bethuel, b. Dec. 17, 1802, d. Oct. 11, 1813.
7 Aaron, b. Oct. 11, 1805; graduate of Princeton College 1829
and Theological Seminary; d. in Texas, 1864.
Children of Ambrose {6th) and Betsey {Midford) Kitchell.
7 Phoebe Farrand, b. July 8, 1798, d. Dec, 1876 ; m. Dr. Gains.
7 Julia Ann, b. Nov. 9, 1800, d. Mch. 4, 1864 ; m. Epaphras C.
Ely, b. April 15, 1795, d. July 17, 1864.
7 Joseph, b. Mch. 26, 1803, m. Anna Maria Ely, d. Nov. 9,
1875.
7 Esther Eliza, b. Dec. 20, 1805, m. Abram Bertholf.
7 Ambrose Ward, b. Mch. 13, 1808, m. Ann Eliza Mulford.
Children of Aaron, Jr. {6th) and Jane {Jacobus) Kitchell.
7 Phebe Smith, b. May 18, 1817, m. Ezra Pruden.
7 Farrand, b. Nov. 5, 1819, m. Eliza E. Ball.
A History of the Willis Family 251
Children of Benajah Kitchdl {6th).
7 Margaret, b. 1805. m. Amos Miller.
7 Aaron, b. Jany. 1, 1811, m. Liidicia H. Miinson.
7 Benajah, d. 1824.
7 Harriet, d. 1824.
Children of Wickliff {6th) and Elizabeth {Ross) Kitchell.
7 Rhoda, b. Feby. 10, 1813, d. Jany. 1, 1877.
7 Jabez, b. Sept. 27. 1815, d. Jany. 27, 1820.
7 Emily, b. April 16. 1818, d. Aug. 25, 1819.
7 Alfred, b. Meh. 29. 1820. d. Galesburg, 111., Nov. 11, 1876;
was a Judge at Galesburg.
7 Lucretia, b. Aug. 28, 1822.
7 Virginia, b. Sept. 15, 1824.
7 William Ross, b. Mch. 5, 1827, d. Sept. 21, 1842.
7 Edward, b. Dee. 21, 1829, d. July 11, 1869 ; lawyer in Olney,
111., Lieut. Col. three years in Civil war and became Briga-
dier General by brevet.
7 Mary, b. Jany. 30, 1832.
7 John Wickliff, b. May 30, 1835.
Children of Jason {6th) and Abigail {Andress) Kitchell.
7 Lucinda, b. Sept. 19, 1807, m. Marcus Harrison; children,
William, Jane.
7 Joseph Y., b. Mch. 10, 1809, d. Mch. 4, 1813.
7 Amza, b. Jany. 29, 1811, d. July 16, 1837.
7 David A., b. April 24, 1813, d. ; m. Rachel Beach ; one
daughter, Mary.
7 Lyman, b. June 18, 1815, d. Feby. 18, 1816.
7 Joseph, b. Dec. 10. 1816, d. Dec. 1, 1898 ; m. Phoebe Maria
Odell.
7 Harvey, b. Dec. 21, 1818 ; m. Sara Elizabeth Young ; no
children.
252 A History of the Willis Family
7 Alfred, b. Dec. 6, 1820, d. ; m. Katherine Wolfe ; one daugh-
ter, Carrie W.
7 Hannah Mariah, b. Jany. 7, 1822, d. Aug. 1, 1846.
7 Jane, b. July 24, 1825, d. ; m. James Winans ; two daughters.
7 Jason Sylvester, b. Nov. 6, 1827, d.
7 Nancy Caroline, b. Nov. 7, 1832, d. ; m. Walter Shipnian ;
two daughters and one son.
Children of Joseph {7th) and Phoehe Maria (Odell) Kitchell.
8 Sara Elizabeth, b. Mch. 2:i, 1843, m. J. Edward De Forest;
no children.
8 Leo Fish, b. July 3, 1846, m. Sara Budd ; one daughter,
Cora Budd, m. Herbert Walker.
8 Charles Lyman, b. -Jany. 3, 1849, d. Mch. 29, 1861.
8 Joseph Franklin, b. April 18, 1851, d. Feby. 28, 1854.
8 Joseph Franklin, Jr., b. Feby. 22, 1857, m. Mary Alice Dod,
of Newark, N. J.
8 Helen Maria, b. Jany. 5, 1859, d. Mch. 9, 1861.
Child of Joseph Franklin (8th) and Mary Alice (Dod) Kitchell.
9 William Dod Kitchell, b. Oct. 15, 1895.
Children of Matthias {7th) and Caroline {Beach) Kitchell.
8 Charles Henry, b. July 8, 1835; Atty., N. Y. ; m. Margaret
A. S. Hazard.
8 Caroline Beach, b. May 26, 1836 ; d. June 21, 1838.
8 Matthias Day, b. Mch. 1838, m. Anna C. Doughty.
8 Henrietta S., b. Oct. 16, 1839. m. Silas H. Cowles.
8 James F., b. July 6, 1841, m. Irene A. Mathews.
8 Horace B., b. Sept. 6, 1843.
8 Frank Thompson, b. July 6, 1845, d. Mch. 21, 1847.
8 Walter, b. June 2, 1849.
A History of the WiUis Family 253
Children of Abraham Ford (Tth) and Elizabeth M.
(Farrand) Kitchell.
8 Farraud. d. in Anderson ville prison in Civil war.
Newton.
Isaac.
Harriet.
Children of John {7th) and Esther {Peck) Kitchell.
8 Lucy, b. Mch. 24, 1834, d. Jany. 28, 1905; m. Aug. 25,
1854, Michael Laverty, son of Samuel and Elizabeth
Laverty; he was b. Jany. 11, 1824, d. Dec. 11. 1901.
8 Sarah, b. May 13, 1836, d. Dec. 1, 1839.
8 Nancy, b. Mch. 2, 1838, d. April 13, 1887; m. 1st Robert
Fink, b. Sept. 24, 1836, killed at Millikens Bend, near
Vicksburg, June 7, 1863 ; Nancy m. 2d Rev. W. C. Martin,
Nov. 5, 1874.
8 Charles Wesley, b. Mch. 1, 1840, m. Sept. 29. 1867, Mary,
dau. of John and Eliza Morris; he d. Dec, 1909.
8 Aaron, b. April 23, 1842, d. Nov. 6, 1910 ; m. Mary, dau. of
John P. and Louise Hart, on Sept. 29, 1868 ; she d. Dec.
6, 1895. He m. 2d Mary Hamilton, Nov. 25, 1897, d. Sept.
7, 1908.
8 Harriet, b. Jany. 22, 1844, m. 1st Sidney A. Gaylor Dec.
23, 1863 ; m. 2d Montgomery McCormick Sept. 4, 1871, sou
of James and Jane McCormick, b. June 17, 1843.
8 James, b. Jany. 28, 1846, m. Aleyzan Webster, dau. of
Johnson and Mary Anu Cooper Webster; she was b. Jany.
29, 1850, d. Jany. 9, 1899.
8 Mary, b. Feby. 24, 1848, m. Herbert M. Lewis Oct. 15, 1868,
who was b. April 17, 1843, d. Sept. 30, 1908.
8 Esther Eliza, b. Dec. 19, 1849, m. Sept. 15, 1875, to William
Atchison, b. Feby. 21, 1850, son of Walter W. and Margaret
Atchison.
8 John Whitney, b. Mch. 20, 1852, d. Dec. 1, 1853.
254 A History of the Willis Family
Children of John {7th) and Sarah (Cook) Kitchell.
8 John Cook, b. Nov. 24, 1836, d. young.
8 Sarah Ann, b. Feby. 22, 1838.
8 George Farrand, b. June 26, 1840.
Children of Timothy {7th) and Eliza {Cook) Kitchell.
8 Louisa. Lizzie, Franklin, Clifford.
Children of Joseph {7th) and Anna Maria {Ely) Kitchell.
8 Joseph Henry, b. Aug. 8. 1827, m. Fanny Gains.
8 Edward Lewis, b. Aug. 3, 1831.
8 Ambrose Ely, b. Aug. 12, 1834, m. Josephine Meeker.
8 George Ring. b. Oct. 1. 1839, m. Sarah C. Squire.
Children of Farrand {7th) and Eliza E. {Ball) Kitchell.
8 Robert Ball, b. Nov. 18, 1844.
8 Ezra Pruden, b. Jany. 9, 1847.
8 Aaron, b. Dec. 30, 1848.
8 Eleanor Farrand, b. Sept. 20, 1851.
8 Frank Paxton, b. Oct. 19, 1854.
8 Sarah Jane, b. Jany. 1, 1857.
Children of Aaron {7th) and Ludicia H. {Munson) Kitchell.
8 Susan, b. 1836, m. John T. Walton.
8 William, b. 1839, m. Sarah Vincent.
8 Ann M., b. 1842, m. C. B. Perrigo.
8 Albert M., b. 1854, m. Ann Elizabeth Shaw.
Child of Judge Alfred Kitchell {7th).
8 Margaret Elizabeth, m. John E. Frost.
A Histori/ of the Willis Family 255
Children of Charles Henry (8th) and Margaret A. S.
(Hazard) Kitchell.
9 Irving J., b. Oct. 31, 1863, d. Nov. 2, 1872.
9 Caroline, b. Sept. 30, 1866.
9 Edith Holmes, b. April 8, 1869.
9 Gertrude Hoff, b. Oct. 15, 1870.
Children of Matthias Day (8th) and Anna C.
(Doughty) Kitchel.
9 Emma L., b. Aug. 2, 1868.
9 Henrietta C, b. Oct. 17, 1871.
9 Susan B., b. Dec. 5, 1873.
9 Anna Millicent, b. Jany., 1876; m. Dr. Norton Cleveland
Ricardo on July 3, 1916.
Children of Joseph Henry (8th) and Fanny (Gains) Kitchell.
9 Nellie, Edith.
Children of Ambrose Ely (8th) and Josephine
(Meeker) Kitchell.
9 Daniel M., Maria Ely.
Child of George Ring (8th) and Sarah C. (Squire) Kitchell.
9 John Henry, b. Oct. 30, 1871.
Children of Montgomery (8th) and Harriet
(Kitchell) McCormick.
9 George Chalmers, b. Oct. 20, 1872, m. June 22, 1897, Carrie,
dau. of Samuel L. and Dora Greenman Sherman ; she was
b. Feby. 5, 1873. Proprietor of the "Morning Express,"
Fort Collins, Colorado.
256 A History of the Willis Family
9 James Garfield, b. Feby. 24, 1874, m. June 24, 1905, Nina,
dau, of Clark and Orplia Webster; she was b. 1881. Pro-
prietor with his brother George of the "Morning Express,"
Fort Collins, Colorado.
9 Jennie Esther, b. Oct. 24, 1877. m. April 26, 1900, Edw.
S. Martin, son of Henry Martin.
10 Ruth, b. Sept. 27, 1907. at Fort Collins, Colo.
Children of George C. {9th) and Carrie {Sherman) McCormick.
10 Paul Sherman, b. Aug. 12, 1901, at Albia, Iowa.
THE LINP: of JOHN KITCHELL.
(4th Generation.)
"The children of John Kitchell (4th) are here given with
some uncertainty as to the order of their birth and from which
of his last two wives some of them came. There is no doubt as
to Obadiah, David and Phineas, and the probable mothering was
as follows:"— H. D. Kitchel.
John Kitchell (4th) m. 1st Maria Phoenice and had,
5 Obadiah. Captain in the Revolution, b. 1740, d. Oct. 3,
1798; m. Sarah Reynolds, d. Jany. 26, 1822.
By a second wife, name not found :
5 Samuel..
5 Mathew, m. Sally.
5 Joseph.
5 Daniel.
5 Joel.
5 Anna, m. David Wood.
5 Rhoda, m. Dr. Squire.
By the third wife, Mercy (Parkhurst, probably) :
5 David, b. July 6, 1754, d. Feby. 15, 1836 ; m. Rachel Bates,
b. July 6, 1760, d. Aug. 12, 1802.
5 Benjamin.
5 Phineas, b. Aug. 14, 1763, d. July 29, 1853; m. Esther
Mulford, b. June 2, 1762, d. Nov. 30, 1842.
5 Bethuel.
5 Josiah, b. April 9, 1796, d. May 5, 1825; m. Sarah Ball,
d. Dec. 4, 1842.
258 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Capt. Ohadiah {5th) and Sarah (Reynolds) Kitchell.
6 William, b. June 9, 1763, m. Margaret, dau. of Colonel Ellis
Cook.
6 John, b. Aug. 6, 1766.
6 Jesse, b. Nov. 5, 1768, d. 1823 ; m. 1803 Mary Hopping, b.
1773, d. 1836.
6 Ellis, b. Feby. 16, 1770, d. Sept. 22, 1776.
6 Jacob, b. April 4, 1773, m. Sarah E. Eagles.
6 Betsey, b. Feby. 28, 1775, m. Stephen Baldwin.
6 Moses, b. Jany. 7, 1778, m. Esther .
6 Lydia, b. May 16, 1782, m. Moses Day.
6 Sally, b. July 19, 1786, m. Baker.
6 Daniel, twin of Sally, d. very young.
Children of Samuel Kitchell (5th).
6 Isaac.
6 Betsey, m. Chadeayne.
There were other daughters.
Children of Mat hew (5th) and Sally Kitchell.
6 Luzetta, m. Barbour.
6 Betsey, m. Lyman Hurd.
Children of David (5th) and, Rachel (Bates) Kitchell.
6 William, b. Sept. 4, 1779, m. Mary Mulford.
6 Harvey, b. Sept. 14, 1785, d. in Savannah, Ga.
6 Phoebe, b. Nov. 11, 1787, m. Ezekiel Gould.
6 Philemon, b. Sept. 8, 1789.
6 Rosina, b. Mch. 31, 1797, m. Dr. Henry Christie, Texas.
6 David, b. Feby. 10, 1799, m. Maria Kitchell (7th), dau. of
Jacob and Sarah.
6 John, b. Mch. 10, 1802.
A History of the Willis Family 259
Children of Phineas (oth) and Esther {Mulford) Kitchell.
6 Mulford, b. 1783, d. Nov. 17, 1832; m. Lucy Goodrich, d.
Nov. 15, 1856.
6 Mary, b. June 14. 1789, d. 1856; m. Samuel Farrand (6th),
b. Sept. 6, 1781, d. 1848.
6 Jonathan, b. Nov. 17, 1785, d. July 4, 1863 ; m. Caroline
Holley, b. Oct. 7, 1785, d. April 14, 1849. Rev. Jonathan
Kitchell was born in Hanover. N. J., ordained 1810, minis-
tered to churches in Whitehall, Peterboro, Bolton and
Peru, N. Y., Ferrisburgh and Sandgate, Yt. ; m. in 1859
Mrs. Huldah Hamblin, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and resided
there till his death.
6 Joseph, b. Aug. 7, 1794, d. Feby. 22, 1874 ; m. Mary Cottrell,
b. Feby. 11, 1794, d. July 23, 1852.
6 Sally, b. Aug. 11, 1800, m. William B. Hamblin, b. April
9, 1801.
Children of Josiah {5th) and Sarah (Ball) Kitchell.
6 Ann, b. Oct. 16, 1794, m. David P. Farrand.
6 Emily, b. Sept. 30, 1797, m. David Hammond,
6 Samuel, b. Jany. 1, 1800, m. Harriet R. Williams.
6 Electa Caroline, b. Aug. 12, 1806.
6 Jane, b. Feby. 14, 1810, m. David W. Hoyt 1829 and Mosea
Swazey 1838.
6 Sarah, b. May 8, 1816, m. James E. Downie.
6 Benjamin, b. June 3, 1818, m. Mary Ann Shaw.
Children of William (6th) and Margaret (Cook) Kitchell.
The authors are in some doubt as to whether the following is
entirely correct as to names and positions of the several children ;
we have added Nancy, whom we know was a child of William,
and also Philetta, who is given by H. D. Kitchel as a daughter
of William and Mary (Mulford) Kitchell, which is an error.
260 A History of the Willis Family
7 Mahlon, m. Betsey Kitchell, dau. of Isaac Kitchell (5th.)
7 William Melvin, b. April 21, 1800.
7 John Newton.
7 George Whitfield.
7 Ellis Cook.
7 Catherine, m. Leonard.
7 Matilda, ra. John Bedford.
7 Lettie, m. Jenkins.
7 Betsey, m. Jacob Hopping.
7 Electa, m. Timothy Hopping.
7 Mary, m. Jonas Cooper.
7 Philetta.
7 Nanej.
Children of Jesse {6th) and Mary {Hopping) Kitchell.
7 Obadiah, b. Nov. 24, 1803, d. April 19, 1874.
7 Jane Eliza, b. 1805 (?) d. Feby., 1852.
7 Silas Hopping, b. Jany. 26, 1808, d. Nov. 25, 1877 ; m. 1st
Sarah Baldwin, 2nd Francis M. Seymour in 1844; she was
b. 1818, d. 1892.
7 Sarah Reynolds, b. 1811, d. Jany. 31, 1876; m. Jonathan
Elston.
7 Nancy Ailing, b. 1815, d. 1898.
Children of Jacob {6th) and, Sarah E. {Eagles) Kitchell.
7 Gteorge, Betsey, Harriet, John, Emeline, Edward ; Maria,
m. David Kitchell ; Esther, Charlotte, William.
Children of Moses {6th) and Esther Kitchell.
7 Samuel, Harvey, Maria.
A History of the Willis Family 261
Children of Isaac Kitchell {6th).
7 Betsey, m. Mahlon Kitchell (7th), son of William.
7 Mary, m. Bodie.
7 Sarah, m. Russell.
Children of William {6th) and Mary {Mulford) Kitchell.
7 Mary, Rachel, Jehiel, William; David Erastus, m. Hen-
rietta M.
Children of David {6th) and Maria {Kitchell) Kitchell.
7 Phoebe, b. Sept. 1, 1821, m. James C. Ogden.
7 Henry, b. Feby. 19, 1825.
7 Charlotte, b. Ang. 25, 1826.
7 Pamelia, b. April 19, 1829 ; m. John Doremus, b. August
27, 1829, d. 1867.
7 Sarah, b. Oct. 25, 1831, m. William Hopping.
Children of Jonathan {6th) and Caroline {Holley) Kitchell.
J Charlotte Holley, b. May 8, 1810, m. Rev. Daniel Ladd, b.
Jany. 22, 1804, d. Oct. 11, 1872 ; Missionary in Cyprus and
Turkey.
r Harvey Dennison, b. Feby. 3, 1812, d. Sept. 11, 1895, buried
at Detroit, Mich. ; m. 1st Ann S. Sheldon, b. Dec. 4, 1815,
d. June 1, 1858 ; m. 2d Mrs. Ophelia Sayre, b. Oct. 1, 1821,
d. June 21, 1864 ; m. 3d Mrs. Harriet T. Smith, b. May 10,
1815. Pastor Congregational Church, Thomaston, Conn.,
1838-1848; First Cong. Church, Detroit, Mich., 1848-1864;
Plymouth Cong. Church, Chicago, 111., 1864-1866 ; President
Middlebury College, Vt., 1866-73, of which he was a gradu-
ate in 1835 and D. D. in 1858.
J Lucy Caroline, b. Sept. 5, 1813 ; m. Stoddard H. Martin, b.
Jany. 6, 1811, d. July 31, 1865.
262 A History of the Willis Family
7 Esther Childs, b. April 5, 1819; m. William R. Hoyt, b.
April 25, 1816.
7 Harriet Newell b. Aug. 27, 1820; m. Charles M. Minor, b.
Dec 12, 1817.
7 Celestia Ophelia, b. Sept. 29, 1823 ; m. James P. Bishop, b.
June 6, 1818.
7 Laura Asenath, b. Feby. 28, 1829, d. Sept. 4, 1831.
Twin daughters, b. April 24, 1826, d. young nameless.
Children of Joseph {6th) and Mary (Cottrell) Kitchell.
7 Joseph Huntington, b. May 2, 1819, d. Oct. 28, 1872; m.
Fanny MeCrady.
7 Mary Ann, b. Jany. 26, 1820, m. Philip C. Searle.
7 Ann Eliza, b. April 28, 1822, m. Frank C. Crane.
7 Oscar Fitzalan, b. Oct. 25, 1824; m. Delia Ann Goodwin,
d. May, 1878.
7 Ann Jane, b. Jany. 8, 1828, d. Mch. 12, 1856; m. Joseph
Williams.
7 Harriet Elizabeth, b. Jany. 6, 1835, d. May 24, 1876.
Children of Benjamin {6th) and Mary Ann {Shaiv) Kitchell.
7 Mary Tirzah, b. Jany. 23, 1845, m. Juan Avolos, of Cuba.
7 William Sweezy, b. Nov. 9, 1846. d. Feby. 2, 1848.
7 William Shaw, b. June 6, 1851.
Children of Mahlon {7th) and Betsey {Kitchell) Kitchell,
Daughter of Isaac Kitchell {7th).
8 Isaac, m. Mary F .
8 Andrew.
8 Mary. m. Henry W. Ferguson.
8 AVilliam, m. Sophia .
A History of the Willis Family 263
Children of William Melvin Kitchell {7th).
8 Marietta, m. Rev. Edward Griffith.
8 Margaret, m. Muchmore.
8 William, b. April 21, 1827, d. Dec. 29, 1861; Chemist and
Geologist. Prof. Newark Institute. Geologist of the State of
New Jersey; m. Marcia Burnham Smith, b. Jany, 8, 1836,
d. Oct. 26, 1911, dan. of Hiram and Mary (Osborn) Smith,
of Trov, N. J.
Children of John Neivton Kitchell {7th).
8 Duress, Hudson, Croton and others.
Children of George Whitfield Kitchell {7th).
8 Electa, Mary Ann, Margaret, Susan, George Whitfield.
Children of Obadiah {7th) and Mary Catherine {Craig) Kitchell.
8 Silas Manning.
8 Mary Hopping, m. William Nichols.
8 Elsie, m. Stephen Clark.
8 Nancy Emma.
8 Obadiah Wilbur.
More complete details of this family given elsewhere.
Children of Silas H. {7th) and Sarah {Baldwin) Kitchell.
8 Jane Elizabeth, b. Nov. 11, 1832.
8 Mary, d. young.
8 Sarah Louise, b. July 13, 1837, m. H. C. Tillinghast.
8 Charles Henry, b. July 25, 1840, m. Phoebe Smalley.
8 Silas Hopping, d. young.
264 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Silas H. and 2d wife, Frances M.
(Seymour) Kitchell.
8 Albert Langdon, b. 1845, d. 1846.
8 Henrietta Seymour, b. Jany. 4, 1847, d. Dec. 29, 1876; m.
Leroy Salisbury.
8 Frederick William, b. 1848. d. 1849.
8 Emma Josephine, b. July 15. 1850. m. Towner K. Webster
July 7, 1874.
8 Alice Mary, b. Oct. 11. 1852, d. 1887.
8 Laura Frances, b. Dec. 6, 1854.
8 Francis James, b. April 7, 1858, m. Alice A. Webster on
June 26, 1890; she was b. Oct. 14, 1868.
8 Robert Walter, b. Oct. 30, 1860, m. Ora Howard.
These children were all born in Newark, N. J.
Children of David Erastus {7th) and Henrietta M. Kitchell.
8 James D., Mary E.. George Wallace, Phoebe.
Children of Harvey D. {7th) and Ann {Sheldon) Kitchel.
8 Harvey Sheldon, b. Aug. 12, 1839; m. Elizabeth K. Reed,
b. Jany. 7, 1849 ; Yale, 1861.
8 Cornelius Ladd, b. July 5, ] 841 ; m. Alice Lloyd, b. Aug.
20, 1847.
8 Courtney Smith, b. June 19, 1843; ra. 1st Charlotte A.
Sayre, b. Nov. 1, 1845, d. Nov. 26, 1868 ; 2d wife Virginia
M. West, b. Aug. 23, 1851 ; Yale 1865.
8 Luther Hart, b. Nov. 6, 1845 ; m. Mary H. Durkee, b. Mch.
28, 1849 ; Yale 1867.
8 Farrand Deforest, b. Nov. 4, 1849 ; m. Flora M. Porter, b.
Dec. 11, 1850.
8 Anna Sheldon, b. Dec. 4, 1852, d. Mch. 11, 1855.
8 Stanley Rice, b. July 4, 1855 ; Williams College, 1876.
A History of the Willis Family 265
Child of Harvey D. {7th) and Ophelia (Sayre) Kitchell.
8 Ophelia Sayre. b. June 2, 1864, d. Aug. 24, 1864.
Children of Oscar F. {7th) and Delia Ann {Goodwin) Kitchell.
8 Carrie Eugenia, b. May 5, 1855, m. Dr. George M. Beck-
with.
8 Charles Herbert, b. Dec. 20, 1864.
Children of Isaac {8th) and Mary F. Kitchell.
9 George Whitfield, Mary.
Children of William {8th) and Sophia Kitchell.
9 Mary. Isaac. Julia.
Children of William {8th) and Marcia Burnham
{Smith) Kitchell.
9 Johu Smith, b. April 22, 1857, d. Nov. 24, 1915 ; m. Clifford,
daughter of Monroe and Henrietta (Stevens) Howell, of
Troy, New Jersey, on Oct. 6, 1896.
9 Helen Matilda, b. Feby. 14, 1860, m. Feby. 9, 1899, Richard
C. Lake, of Chicago, Banker.
Child of Charles Henry {8th) and Phoebe {Smalley) Kitchell.
9 Victor Theodore.
Children of Francis J. {8th) and Alice A. {Webster) Kitchell.
9 Howell Webster, b. June 14, 1891.
9 Francis Robert, b. Mch. 1, 1893.
9 Alice, Louise, twins, b. June 26, 1895.
9 Grace Elizabeth, b. May 20, 1904.
All of these were born in Chicago, 111.
266 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Harvey Sheldon {8th) and Elizaheth
(Reed) Kitchel.
9 Robert Reed, b. Sept. 9, 1871.
9 Anna Sheldon, b. Aug. 23, 1873.
9 Harvey Denison, b. Oct. 10, 1877. d. April 2, 1878.
Child of Cornelius Ladd {8th) and Alice Lloyd Kitchel.
) William Lloyd, b. Nov. 30, 1869 ; m. April 16, 1896, Grace,
daughter of Edwin S. and Ella (Welch) Wheeler, of New
Haven, Conn.
Cornelius Ladd Kitchel was born July 5, 1841, at Ply-
mouth Hollow (now Thomaston), Conn.; Bachelor of Arts
Yale College 1862, Bachelor of Divinity Yale Theological
School 1867. Tutor in Greek at Yale College 1865-67, Pastor
of First Congregational Church at Guilford, Conn., 1870-73 ;
thus in the eighth generation returning to the town and
church of which Robert Kitchell (1st), his direct ancestor,
was one of the founders and "seven pillars," Aug. 22,
1639, two hundred and thirty-one years having elapsed,
and Cornelius Ladd Kitchel was the twelfth pastor in descent
of this church from the Rev. Henry Whitfield, the leader and
spiritual head of the Guilford church and settlement.
Cornelius Ladd Kitchel was pastor of the First Con-
gregational Church of Salisbury, Conn., 1877-1883, Instruc-
tor in Greek Yale College 1886-1900, head of "Bureau of
Self -Help" Yale College 1900-1909, at which last mentioned
date he retired. Married Aug. 1, 1867, Alice, daughter of
William Moore and Jane (Lowrey) Lloyd, of Altoona,
Penna. ; one child, William Lloyd Kitchel. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Kitchel are still living in New Haven.
William Lloyd Kitchel was born in New Haven, Conn.,
Nov. 30, 1869 ; Bachelor of Arts Yale College 1892, Bachelor
of Law Yale Law School 1895; has practiced law in New
A History of the Willis Family 267
York City since date last mentioned, is at this time (1916)
a member of the legal firm of Cadwalader. Wiekersham &
Taft. 40 Wall Street.
Child of Courtney {8th) and Charlotte {Sayre) Kitchell.
9 Hart Savre, b. June, 1867.
Children of Luther Hart {8th) and Mary {Durkee) Kitchell.
9 Alice Cornelia, b. June 4, 1874, d. May 2, 1875.
9 Marguerite Tyrrell, b. April 3, 1876.
9 Harriet Harvey, b. Aug. 12, 1877, d. Aug. 6, 1878.
Children of Farrand Deforest {8th) and Flora {Porter) Kitchel.
9 Cornelius Porter, b. Oct. 7, 1875, m. Edith Ray, of Brooklyn,
N. Y., on Oct. 17, 1907.
9 Helen Blanche, b. Aug. 10, 1878. d. April 28, 1879.
9 Ralph Tyrrell, b. Mch. 7, 1881, d. Oct. 21, 1889.
9 Allan Farrand, b. Dec. 28, 1885, m. Helen Binney, of Sound
Beach, Conn., on July 6, 1909.
9 Gertrude Sheldon, b. Jany. 5, 1889, d. June 26, 1890.
Child of Cornelius Porter {9th) and Edith {Ray) Kitchel.
10 Elizabeth, b. Jany. 3, 1912.
Children of Allen Farrand {9th) and Helen {Binney) Kitchel.
10 Barbara, b. Oct. 18, 1910.
10 Elnora, b. Feby. 7, 1912.
10 Allan Farrand, Jr., b. July 9, 1913.
10 Douglas Binney, b. Mch. 1, 1915.
268 A History of the Willis Family
Children of John Smith {9th) and Clifford (Howell) Kitchell.
10 Marcia, b. Jany. 9, 1899.
10 William, b. Oct. 29, 1901, d. April 15, 1902.
10 John, b. Mch. 14, 1903.
10 Irene, b. Aug. 10, 1904.
Children of William Lloyd (9th) and Grace (Wheeler) Kitchel.
10 Lloyd, b. New York City May 26, 1898.
10 Saxton Wheeler, b. New Haven, Conn., June 23, 1901.
10 Alice Lloyd, b. Bronxville, New York, Nov. 12, 1905.
10 Denison, b. Bronxville, New York, Mch. 1, 1908.
WEBSTER FAMILY.
Emma Josephine Kitchell (8th), dau. of Silas H. and
Frances M. (Seymour) Kitchell (7th), was b. in Newark,
N. J., July 15, 1850; m. Towner Keeney Webster July 7,
1874; their children,
9 Henry Kitchell Webster, b. Sept. 7, 1875, m. Mary Ward
Orth, Sept. 7, 1901.
9 Henrietta Seymour Webster, b. Aug. 6, 1877, m. Arthur W.
Bass, June 7, 1904.
9 Anna Towner Webster, b. Dec. 13, 1879, d. June 26, 1880.
9 Towner Keeney Webster 2d, b. May 28, 1881, m. Anne M.
Fradd Sept. 10, 1907.
9 Josephine Haviland Webster, b. June 12, 1883, m. Walter
A. Strong April 16, 1913.
9 Ronald F. Webster, b. Oct. 13, 1890, m. Elizabeth Storrs
Fabian, Sept. 7, 1915.
9 Maurice Willis Webster, b. Sept. 20, 1892.
Children of Henry K. {9th) and Mary (Orth) Webster.
10 Henry Kitchell 2d, b. Jany. 21, 1905.
10 Stokely Orth, b. Aug. 23, 1912.
10 Roderick Sheldon, b. Sept. 14, 1915.
Chilren of Arthur W. {9th) and Henrietta Seymour
{Webster) Bass.
10 Elinor Kitchell Bass, b. June 6, 1905.
10 Arthur William Bass 2d, b. Feby. 9, 1907.
10 Barbara Bass, b. Jany. 5, 1912.
270 A History of the Willis Family
Children of Towner K. 2d {9th) and Anne M. (Fradd) Webster.
10 Elizabeth Jane, b. July 22, 1908.
10 Towner Keeney 3d, b. Dee. 21, 1910.
Child of Walter A. {9th) and Josephine Haviland
{Webster) Strong.
10 Walter Ansel Strong 2ci b. Aug. 10, 1914.
Child of Ronald F. {9th) and Elizabeth Storrs {Fabian)
Webster.
10 Elizabeth Fabian 2d, b. June 22, 1916.
ANCESTRY OF DR. OBADIAH WILBUR KITCHELL
Captain Obadiah Kitchell, of the Revolution, 5th gene-
ration, b. 1740, d. Oct. 3, 1798 ; m. Sarah Reynolds, d. Jany.
26, 1822 ; they had ten children, one of whom was,
6 Jesse, b. Nov. 5, 1768, m. Mary Hopping, had,
7 Obadiah Kitchell, b. Hanover, N. J., Nov. 24, 1803, d. New-
ark, N. J., April 19, 1874; m. Mary Catherine Craig, Dec.
16, 1840, b. May 9, 1820, d. Oct. 21, 1914, dau. of Andrew
and Elise (Manning) Craig and granddaughter of Captain
James Craig and Lieutenant Isaac Manning, both of whom
served with the New Jersey troops during the Revolution.
Children of Ohadiah and Mary Catherine (Craig) Kitchell.
8 Silas Manning, b. Springfield, N. J., Sept. 13, 1841, d.
Newark, N. J., Aug. 25, 1871; m. Mary Gearhard, of New-
ark, July 1. 1864, served in Beam's Battery, 1st (?) New
Jersey Artillery, in Civil War.
8 Mary Hopping, b. Springfield, N. J., July 19, 1844; m.
William B. Nichols, of Newark, Dec. 30, 1863, who was b.
in New York City Dec. 22, 1837, d. in Newark Dec. 12, 1912.
8 Elsie Craig, b. Springfield, N. J., Aug. 20, 1847, d. Newark,
N. J., Aug. 25, 1911 ; m. Stephen M. Clark Sept. 25, 1873,
who was b. in New York State and d. in Newark Dec. 8,
1903.
8 Emma Nancy, b. Newark, N. J., May 9, 1851, d. Newark
May 12, 1895.
8 Obadiah Wilbur, b. Newark, N. J., March 17, 1862.
272 A History of the Willis Family
Dr. Obadiah Wilbur Kitchell.
Dr. Kitchell is a graduate of Columbia University, from which
institution he received the degree of A. B., Ph. B. and A. M.,
and has been honored with the degree of D. Sc. from Bucknell
University.
For many years Dr. Kitchell has been head of the Department
of Mathematics and Logic in the New York State Normal School
at Plattsburg.
THE LINE OF DAVID KITCHELL.
(4th Generation.)
Children of David {4th) and Ruth (Tuttle) Kitchell.
5 Uzal, b. 1746, m. Anna Tuttle.
5 Stephen, d. 1822, m. Hannah Darlingr.
5 Zenas, d. young.
5 Abigail, d. young.
Children of Uzal {5th) and Anna {Tuttle) Kitchell.
6 David, b. 1770, d. at sea.
6 Abigail, b. 1772, m. Samuel Tuttle.
6 Jabez, b. 1778, d. 1779.
6 Julia, b. 1781, ra. Stephen Baker.
6 Jared, b. 1785, m. Sarah Freeman.
Children of Stephen {5th) and Hannah {Darling) Kitchell.
6 Ezekiel, d. in Cuba 1848. m. Mary Bishop.
6 Joseph, d. single.
6 Zenas, b. Aug. 25, 1785, m. Mary Tuttle.
6 Jemima, m. W. 0. Ford.
6 Susan, m. Jonathan Richards.
6 Timothy, M. D.. d. Aug., 1870.
Children of Jared {(ith) and Sarah {Freeman) Kitchell.
7 Anna, William H., Robert, John, Delia.
Children of Ezekiel {6th) and Mary {Bishop) Kitchell.
7 Charlotte, m. Calvin Howell.
7 Albert, d. 1856.
7 Alexander, d. in Cuba.
274 A History of the Willis Family
7 Joseph.
7 Charles M., d. 1834 in lUiuois, m. Caroline Freeman.
7 Susan Amanda, m. Silas Ford.
7 Francis, d. 1835.
Children of Zenas {6th) and Mary {T utile) Kitchell.
7 Elizabeth, Stephen, Francis Wilmont; Isabella, m. Ezra
Fairchild ; David F., Parkhurst.
Children of William H. Kitchell {7th).
8 Sarah, m. Kobert Halliday; Francis, Jared Ludlow, Wil-
liam H., Jr., Charles, Kate.
Children of Robert Kitchell {7th).
8 J. Warren, Mary, Timothy, Ida.
Children of Charles M. {7th) and Caroline {Freeman) Kitchell.
8 Francis Wilbur.
8 Henry C, m. Emma Pruden, 2d wife Mary Reynolds.
8 Charles M.
8 Tillie C, d. 1874, m. A. K. Fairchild.
Children of Stephen Kitchell {7th]
8 Frank, Mary, Clara, Nellie, Ned, Bessie.
Children of Francis Wilmot Kitchell {7th).
8 Agnes, Leroy, Harold Howell.
Children of David F. Kitchell {7th).
8 Lizzie, Edgar, Frank, Fred, May.
A History of the Willis Family 275
Children of Parkhurst Kitchell {7th).
8 Lottie, Fred, Joseph.
Children of Henry C. {8th) and Eynma {Pruden) Kitchell.
9 Caroline, b. Aug. 15, 1855.
9 Nettie.
9 Charles.
By second wife, Mary Reynolds :
9 William.
SAYRE, BOORMAN AND MOODY FAMILIES.
First in New Jersey, Deacon John Sayre, had son,
Deacon Ephraim Sayre, b. Mch. 4, 1746, d. 1816; m. Han-
nah Meeker; lived in Madison, N. J.
Children of Ephraim and Hannah (Meeker) Sayre.
Sarah, b. April 1, 1773, m. Thomas Richards.
Mary, b. Sept. 1, 1774, m. Calvin Howell.
Archibald, b. April 28, 1776, m. Martha Sayre.
Rachel, b. Mch. 24, 1778.
Daniel, b. Feby. 20, 1780.
James C, b. Nov. 11, 1781, m. Betsey Hamilton.
Hannah, b. Feb. 15, 1783, d. Dec. 1, 1805.
Baxter, b. Mch. 16, 1786, d. Sept. 17, 1857; m. Betsey Kitch-
ell, dau. of Hon. Aaron Kitchell (5th).
Priscilla, b. July 8, 1790, d. Nov. 8, 1878 ; m. James Cromie.
David A., b. Mch. 12, 1793, d. Sept. 11, 1870; m. Abby V.
Hammond.
Children of Baxter and Betsey (Kitchell) Sayre.
7 Emilius K., b. Mch. 20, 1810; Amherst College, 1828; m.
Elizabeth Stanford Pierson.
7 Phoebe A., b. Mch. 14, 1812, m. Milo Osborne, Lenox, Mass.
7 Elizabeth Kitchell, b. July 22, 1814, m. James E. H. Wallin.
7 Mary T., b. Sept. 13, 1817, m. Samuel M. Raymond, Darien,
Conn.
7 Ephraim F., b. Nov. 30, 1819, m. Catherine L. Ely, of Han-
over, N. J.
7 David Franklin, b. Jany. 14, 1822 ; University of New York,
1844; m. Sarah E. Ely, of Hanover, N. J.
A History of the Willis Family 277
Emilius Kitchell Sayre, b. Mch. 20, 1810, Madison, N. J , d.
at Monticello, Wis. Jaiiy. 13, 1899; m. Elizabeth Stanford
Pierson on June 30, 1844; she was b. April 14, 1823, in
New York City, d. June 14. 1896 ; they had 8 children, one
of whom was
8 Charlotte Johnson Sayre, b. April 24, 1845, Lexington, Ky. ,
m. Sept. 20, 1883, at Christ Church, N. Y., Thomas Hugh
Boorman, b. Kent, England, May 31, 1851.
Children of Thomas Hugh and Charlotte J. (Sayre) Boorman.
9 Elizabeth Stanford Sayre Boorman, b. New York City Aug.
3, 1884 ; m. on Jany. 17. 1906, Lieutenant Lucian Barclay
Moody, U. S. A., b. Oct. 29. 1882. at Huron, S. D.
9 Kitchell Monckton Boorman. b. June 30, 1887, at Brooklyn,
N. Y.
Children of Lucian Barclay and Elizabeth S. 8. (Boorman)
Moody.
10 Elizabeth Boorman Moody, b. Nov. 19, 1906, at Watervliet
Arsenal, N. Y.
10 George Putman Moody, b. March 13, 1908, at Manilla, P. I.
Children of David Franklin and Sarah (Ely) Sayre.
8 Agnes E., b. May 11. 1852.
8 David F., Jr., b. June 14, 1857.
8 Elizabeth M., b. Mch. 31, 1859.
8 Susan E., b. Aug. 7, 1862.
8 James E., b. Nov. 4. 1864.
THOMPSON FAMILY.
Martin E. Tliompson, b. April 15, 1787, d. July 26, 1877;
m. Mary, dan. of Hon. Aaron (5th) and Phoebe (Farrand)
Kitchell; she was b. Oct. 5. 1788, d. Feb. 9, 1864. Their
children were,
6 Elizabeth Allen, b. Jany. 12, 1811, d. May 5, 1836; m.
Henry Beach.
6 Susan Louise, b. Oct. 3. 1812. m. George James Price.
6 Matilda, b. Nov. 30. 1814, m. Eliab PI. Tompkins.
6 Aaron Kitchell. b. Sept. 8, 1817, d. Feby. 16, 1873 ; m. Grace
Worthington.
6 Charles Augustus, b. Oct. 11. 1819. d. Jany. 19, 1822.
6 William Potter, b. Jany. 14, 1822, m. Priscilla Amoreaux.
6 Mary Emma, b. July 22, 1824. m. Jabez E. Munsell.
6 Charles Augustus, 2d b. Nov. 19, 1827, d. April 8, 1855.
6 Jacob Martin, b. Feby. 13, 1829, d. Dec. 23, 1829.
6 Edwin Belknap, b. Feby. 4, 1831; m. Helen E. Osborne,
dau. Milo and Phoebe (Sayre) Osborne, and granddaughter
of Betsey Kitchell (6th).
6 Henrietta Elizabeth, b. Nov. 6, 1834.
Child of Eliab H. (67/0 (Oid Matilda {Thompson) Tompkins.
7 Louise, m. G. Gifford Stilwell.
Children of Aaron Kitchell {6th) and Grace {Worthington)
Thompson .
7 Grace Worthington.
7 Emma Munsell.
7 Walter Ledyard, b. Nov. 8, 1862, m. Annie Blake on Aug.
18, 1891 ; she was b. Sept. 6, 1865, dau. of Eli Judson and
Eliza A. (Chapin) Blake.
A History of the Willis Family 279
Children of Walter Ledyard {7th) and Annie
(Blal-e) Thompson.
8 Margaret Blake, b. July 17. 1892.
8 Frances Worthington, b. Aug. 23, 1896.
8 Asa Worthington, b. July 10, 1900.
Children of Jahez E. {6th) and Mary Emma
{Thompson) Munsell.
7 Mary Abby.
7 Henry.
7 Grace Worthington.
7 Charles Edward.
7 Emma Louise.
7 Florence.
Children of Edwin Belknap {6th) and Helen Elizabeth
{Osborne) Thompson.
7 Mary Helen.
7 Annie Sayre.
7 Susan Louise.
PRICE FAMILY.
George James Price (6th), b. Dee. 1, 1811, d. Dec. 11,
1861; m. Meh 8, 1836, Susan Louise Thompson (6th), b.
Oct. 3, 1812, d. July 2, 1908; they had,
7 Mary Elizabeth, b. May 14, 1837, m. Herbert Vail.
7 Margaret Matilda, b. Feby. 12, 1839.
7 Martin Thompson, b. Sept. 19, 1840, m. Mary Latting.
7 Harriet Louise, b. May 14, 1843.
7 George James. ) b. Nov. 3, 1846, d. Feby. 1, 1848.
7 Edward Munsell [ b. Nov. 3, 1846, d. Dec. 6, 1910.
7 George James ) b. July 21, 1850, d. Sept. 4, 1854.
7 William Thomp.son j b. July, 21, 1850 ; m. Oct. 21, 1880,
Mary Ellen Weeks, b. May 1, 1854.
7 Frank, b. May 4, 1852.
7 George James, b. May 17, 1859.
Children of William Thompson {7th) and Mary Ellen
(Weeks) Price.
8 Daniel Weeks, b. July 11, 1887, d. Mch. 8, 1889.
8 Anne Onderdonk, b. Jany. 7, 1890.
ELY FAMILY.
The Ely family became connected with the Kitchells by
the double intermarriage of two of the children of Ambrose
and Betsey (Mnlford) Kitchell, of the 7th generation, with
the Ely's. They were,
Julia Ann Kitchell, m. Epaphras C. Ely, b. April 15, 1795,
d. July 17, 1864.
Joseph Kitchell, m. Anna Maria Ely, who d. Nov. 9, 1875.
Children of Epaphras C. (7th) and Julia Ann (Kitchell) Ely.
8 Ambrose K., b. Jany. 31, 1823.
8 Smith, b. April 17, 1825; Member of New York State Sen-
ate 1858-9 ; member of 42d and 44th Congress ; Mayor of
New York City in 1877 and 1878 ; Grandson of Hon. Aaron
Kitchell, and had erected the beautiful monument over the
grave of the latter in Hanover Churchyard, New Jersey;
he died July 4, 1911.
8 William H., b. May 14, 1829 ; m. Josephine Rogers.
8 Edwin A., b. June 15, 1836.
8 Maria Louise, b. June 2, 1844, m. George B. Vanderpoel,
BALL FAMILY.
The family name of Ball is one of the oldest in Eng-
land, having been brought in by the Roman invasion,
and the name is of Roman origin. There have been
many distinguished men of the name in England and
Burke gives a list of several families bearing arms.
The family of Ball from which our ancestors came has
probably caused more dispute among historians and
genealogists than any American family of note, involving
as it does the ancestry of George Washington, whose
mother was Mary Ball. One authority, writing of the
Balls of Virginia, says: "It would appear there has been
no one of the family with curiosity, enterprise or money
sufficient to institute a Crown search, which would cost
£5." The fact remains, however, that back of the grant-
ing of arms to the Ball of Northamptonshire, in 1613,
the ancestry of the Virginia and New England Balls has
not been traced. Many books on genealogy, following
the Dowman Manuscript, trace the ancestry of Col. Wil-
liam Ball, of Virginia, back through seven generations to
William Ball, Lord of the Manor of Barkham, in Berk-
shire, thus : William Ball, of Barkham, 1480 ; Robert d.
1543 ; William d. 1550 ; John d. 1599 ; John, William, Col.
William, of Virginia. This is evidently an error, as the
Barkham Coat of Arms is quite different from the arms
of the Northamptonshire Balls, granted in the year 1613
and borne by both Ailing Ball of New England and Col.
William of Virginia. We do not know, however, that the
following is correct : *William Ball, of Wiltshire, Eng-
land, bearing the arms granted in 1613, had six sons, and
A History of the WiUis Family 283
all of these came out to the colonies. Two of these,
Ailing and William, came from Kent, but the authors do
not know the place of departure of the others. Their
names and dates of arrival in this country are as follows :
Ailing to New England before 1639, Francis to New Eng-
land in 1644, Richard to New England in 1650, John to
New England, Samuel to New England, and Col. William
to Virginia in 1650.
A short record of descent from these brothers is as
follows :
^Ailing
Riehai
•d
John Francis
Samuel Col. William
Edward Col. John
John Samuel
Col. Joseph
Caleb John
Samuel Ahigal
Mary
John Eliphalet
True
Geo. Washington
Samuel Flamen
Edward
Lydia Stephen
All of these brothers bore the same arms, though the
crests, as was the common usage among brothers, is dif-
ferent in the cases of Ailing and William. (See end of
article. )
Col. William Ball was the grandfather of George Wash-
ington. He was a merchant and gained his military
titles in this country, first Captain, then Colonel. He
arrived in Virginia in 1650 and settled at the mouth of
the Corotoman river, in Lancaster County; some years
after his arrival, by purchase and grants, he acquired
much land and at his death was a large landowner. He
left two sons — William, who left eight sons and one
daughter — and Col. Joseph Ball, who Avas the father of
Mary the mother of Washington.
2 *Alling Ball, our ancestor, settled first at Boston, be-
fore 1639, and removed from there to New or East
Haven before 1644; his wife's name was Dorothy
and we know of two sons.
3 *Edward.
284 A History of the Willis Family
3 Col. John, who had John, who had Rev. Eliphalet, a
very distinguished graduate of Yale College and the
founder of Balston, New York. In the vear 1783
George Washington visited his cousin, Rev. Elipha-
let Ball, at his home at Balston and they wrote and
spoke of each other as cousins.
*Edward Ball, son of Ailing, was a distinguished
man. One of the first men of Branford, he held
several offices of trust in Connecticut. AVhen the
people were deciding to move to Newark he was one
of the first twenty-three who made up their minds to
make the change and signed the first agreement,
with the twenty-two others, on October 2, 1665. It
was signed at '*Brainford, " as written in the docu-
ment. He also signed the "fundamental agree-
ments" at Branford in 1666, when the people were
about to move, and went on with the Rev. Abraham
Pierson and others in the spring of 1667. There are
many records at Newark showing his active life
there. He was committeeman on boundaries, on set-
tlement with the Indians, with the Lords Proprie-
tors, etc. He was assigned six acres as his home lot,
between Broad and Washington Streets, as they are
at present, the site of or near Park Street. He was
prosecuted for a rescue, with John Harrison, Feby.
1672, but released from the fines by paying court
charges. In 1683, Edward Ball, Azariah Crane and
Jospeh Riggs were appointed "to lay out the bounds
between us and Hockquecanung. " In 1686 Edward
Ball was one of a large committee at Newark "to
take notice of all lands that persons had appro-
priated to themselves and order how a forth division
of land should be laid out." He was also on another
important committee for Newark in 1682.
A Histori/ of the Willis Family 285
"Edward Ball and Joseph Harrison, of Newark,
were appointed Ally's for Newark, Oct. 1st, 1686,
to see the town orders executed and prosecute offend-
ers and have one half the sums recovered for their
fees." In 1693 he was appointed High Sheriff of
Essex, and Grand Juror in 1709.
Edward Ball was b. in 1642, m. Abigal Blatchley.
The date of their deaths are unknown, but he prob-
ably died at his home place in Newark, and he w^as
known to be alive in 1724, aged 81 or 82. His son
4 * Caleb was born in Connecticut about 1663, and the
last trace of him alive was in 1716, when he was
witness to a deed.
He owned the homestead at Newark, which his
father had probably given him, but there is a record
of his having returned it to his father on May 1,
1704. He probably lived afterward with either his
son Caleb or son John at Millbrook, and it is likely
that he died there.
The name of his wife, Sarah, appears only once
and that on a deed dated Feby. 19, 1705.
5 *John Ball, son of Caleb, born about 1700, lived first
at Newark and moved to Hanover, N. J., about the
year 1740; his son,
6 * Samuel, known for many years as Deacon Ball, was
our great-great-grandfather, and was a man for
whom all his descendants should remove their hats
when his name is mentioned, for he was indeed that
Captain Samuel Ball who helped raise and was ap-
pointed to the command of the very first company
of minute men raised in New Jersey, in 1775, for
operation against the British, then at New York, and
the beginning of the Revolution. It is good to have
been descended from such a patriot, so all honor to
286 A History of the Willis Family
our grand old ancestor. It was not long before these
minute men tasted of war, as \\\ey were sent to the
water-front to watch the British. The latter landed
a greatly superior force and chased the Jerseymen
through the streets of Newark and had a bloody run-
ning fight with them for many miles. This fight will
be reproduced in Newark this year (1916) during the
two hundred and fiftieth anniversary celebration of
the founding of that citv. Samuel Ball's daughter
was
7 *Lydia, m. Peter Cook; they v.-ere our great-grand-
parents.
It is through Lvdia Ball and her ancestors that we
have relationship with George Washington.
Ball Arms.
The arms of Ailing Ball of New England and Col. Wil-
liam Ball of Virginia are the same.
** Argent a lion passant sable, on a chief of the second
three mullets of the first."
Crest of Allixg — "A stag trippant proper,"
Motto — * ' Semper Caveto. ' '
Crest or Col. William — "Out of the clouds proper, a
demi-lion rampant sable, powdered with estoiles argent
holding a globe or. ' '
Motto — "Coelumque tueri. "
BALL GENEALOGY.
1 *Williain, of Wiltshire, England, had six sons,
2 *Alling, New England before 1639 ; m. Dorothy Tuttle
Francis, New England, 1644.
John, New England.
Samuel, New England.
2 Richard, New England, 1650.
2 Col. William, Virginia, 1650, great-grandfather of Wash-
ington.
*Alling Ball, m. Dorothy Tuttle and had two sons,
3 *Edward, b. 1642-3.
3 Colonel John, who had 4th John, who had 5th Rev. Elip-
halet, the founder of Balston, New York.
*Edward Ball m. Abigail Blatchley, b. 1664 and had,
4 *Caleb, b. 1663, m. Sarah Thompson and had two sons,
5 Caleb.
5 *John, b. 1700, d. 1776-7.
*John Ball married and had,
6 *Samuel (Deacon), b. 1734, d. Jany. 12, 1810; Captain of
the first company of minute men in New Jersey in 1775.
He m. first Miller and had five children,
7 Ann, b. March 25, 1760.
7 Elizabeth, b. Oct. 31, 1761.
7 Cornelius, b. Dec. 8, 1763.
7 Aaron, b. May 20, 1768, d. 1806.
7 Samuel, b. May 26, 1770.
288 A History of the Willis Family
*Captam Samuel Ball (Deacon), m second Deborah (Far-
rand) Plume, a widow; b. at Bloomfield, N. J., in 1744, d.
1806 and had seven children,
7 Electa, b. Aug. 25, 1772.
7 *Lydia, b. Nov. 2, 1773, d. March 9. 1832, buried at Northfield,
N. J. ; m. Peter Cook.
7 Sarah, b. Feby. 24, 1775.
7 John, b. Sept. 14, 1778.
7 James Harvey, b. May 18, 1780.
7 Amzi, b. Nov. 29, 1783.
7 Deborah, b. Nov. 16, 1786.
*Lydia Ball married Peter Cook ; they were our great-grand-
parents. (For further record see Cook Genealogy, 6th gene-
ration.)
BRANFORD NOTES.
Before leaving Branford the following testimonial or
agreement was drawn up and signed by those soon to
leave for Newark, New Jersey ; it is recorded in Branford
first book of records.
"Jan. 20, 1667.
"For as much as yt appears yt ye nndertakiug and ye set-
tlement of this place of Branford was procured by and for men
of Congregational principles as to Church Order according to
ye platform of discipline agreed on by ye Synod in 48 or there-
abouts, drawn from ye word of God, in yt which we yt yet re-
main here can say we have found much good and quietness, to
our great comfort, for ye which we desire for to bless God, and
yt it may so remain unto such as do continue their abode in this
place and to such as shall come to fill up ye rooms of those yt
are removed and yt do intend for to remove from this place of
Branford.
First We all do see cause now for to agree yt an orthordox
minister of yt judgment shall be called in and settled
amongst us —
21y The gathering of such a Church shall be Incouraged
31y The upholdment of such church officers shall not want
our proportionate supply of maintenance according to
rule.
41y We will not in any wise Incroach upon tliem in Civil
or Ecclesiastical respects and this we freely and volun-
tarily engage ourselves unto — jointly and severally so
long as we remain inhabitants in this place, and this
we bind ourselves unto by our subscription unto this
51y
agreement.
* * *
290 A History of the WiUis Family
61y It is also agreed yt whosoever shall come for purchase
or be admitted a free planter here, shall so subscribe be-
fore his admittance or his bargain vallid in Law amongst
us."
Signed by 48 men, among others Jasper Crane, Samuel
Plum, John Ward, Daniel Swain, Samuel Ward and Ed-
ward Ball.
FAIRCHILD FAMILY.
1 *Mr, Thomas Fayrechild, the first of the family in
this country, was among the first settlers of Strat-
ford, now Bridgeport, Conn., where he was a mer-
chant. His first wife, Sarah, was a daughter of
Robert Seabrooke, who came to Connecticut in
1638-9; from this marriage we are descended. He
married a second time Catherine Craigg. In the
year 1668 the Government of Connecticut took a cen-
sus of the inhabitants of the towns ; the original re-
turn from Stratford is still among the records of
Connecticut ; it reads :
"A list of ye Inhabitants of Stratford drawn up by ye
Townsmen and Recorder by Order from ye Governor and
Mr. James the 27th day of March 1668, as foUoweth, and
diligently recorded by order from ye present Townsmen
this 28th day of March 1668."
There follows a long list of the inhabitants of
Stratford, the first four only of whom have *'Mr."
before their names. "Mr. Thomas Fayrechild" is
the third name on this list.
Thomas Fayrechild 's son by his first marriage, was
2 *Zachariah, and he had a son,
3 * Caleb, now spelled Fairchild, who married Ann
Troubridge, a widow who was born Sherwood.
Caleb Fairchild 's name appears many times in
colonial records ; his signature to deeds and as wit-
ness to wills can still be plainly read. He was fre-
292
^-1 History of the Willis Family
quently appointed to administer and inventory es-
tates, wliicli shows he was a man of importance in
those davs.
Home of Caleb Fairchild, Whippany, N. J.,
Built About 1735 or '36.
Cak^b moved from Connecticut and settled at
Whippany, X. J., May 1st, 1735; his wife died of
smallpox the same year and Caleb died of the same
disease on May 1st, 1777. His will was made Oct.
4, 1773, and probated May 14, 1777. On the 25th
Nov., 1749, he was appointed High Sheriff of Pe-
quannock by Governor Belcher, of the Colony of
New Jersey. He had two sons,
* Samuel, our ancestor, and Abner, who was an officer
in the Revolution and held the rank of Captain in the
Continental army. Abner had seven sons — Abijah,
Jonathan, Nathaniel, Peter, Stephen, Abiel and
Abner, Jr., all of whom w^ere soldiers in the Revolu-
A History of the Willis Family 29
o
tion, so Abner and all his children were patriots.
Samuel, our ancestor, had seven sons and one
daughter,
* Captain Abraham Fairchild, our great-great-grand-
father, was an officer in the Revolution, one of his
brothers was Lieutenant Winchell Fairchild in the
same war, and three other brothers, Moses, Hesekiah
and Benjamin, were soldiers. The two brothers,
therefore, Abner and Samuel, furnished two Cap-
tains, one Lieutenant and ten soldiers for the Revo-
lutionary Avar, certainly a record to be proud of.
Captain Abraham Fairchild 's commission was in the
Continental Line.
Captain Abraham lived in a house at Whippany,
on the bank of Wliippany ri\'er near the dam, and
carried on the business of woolen manufacturer; he
also had saw and grist mills. He was a Justice of
the Peace from 1792 until 1804. He died at Whip-
pany July 4, 1843. His wife, Phoebe, died in 1846
at the home of her son-in-law, William Sayre, at
Madison, N. J., and husband and wife are buried be-
side each other in Whippany churchyard. Their son,
*John Fairchild, our great-grandfather, lived in the
house, which is still standing, in 1916, at Whippany,
near the end of the bridge which crosses Whippany
river. The house is now owned and occupied by
Mr. McEuan. In this house our grandmother,
* Susan Caroline Fairchild, who married James Har-
vey Cook, was born.
John Fairchild moved from the Whippany home
first to Little Falls, N. J., then to New York and
then to Malapardis, N. J., where he died May 9th
1863.
Home of Johx Fairchild, Whippaxy, N. J.,
Built ix 1800.
FAIRCHILD GENEALOGY
1 *Thomas Fayrechild, first at Stratford, Conn., d. Dec. 14,
1670; m. Sarah, dan. of Robert Seabrooke, and bad
2 *Zachariab, b. Dec. 11, 1651, d. June 3, 1703; m. Hannah
Beach, Nov. 3, 1681 ; she was b. Dec, 1665, and had
3 *Caleb Fairchild, b. Sept. 10, 1693, d. May 1, 1777: m. Ann
Troubridge, a widow who was b. Sherwood ; she d. 1735.
Caleb moved from Connecticut and settled at Whippany,
N. J., May 1, 1735 ; they had two sons
4 *Samuel, d. before Jany. 16, 1778; m. Hannah Winehell, who
d. before Jany. 24, 1805.
4 Captain Abner Fairchild, officer in the Continental army,
had seven sons who served as soldiers in the Revolution —
Abijah, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Peter, Stephen, Abiel and
Abner, Jr.
A History of the Willis Family 295
Samuel Fairchild (4th) m. Ilannali Wiiichell and had
seven sons and one daughter,
5 Moses, b. 1748, baptized Oct. 26, 1755, soldier in Eevolution.
5 Benjamin, b. 1742, baptized Sept. 7, 1755, soldier in Revolu-
tion.
5 *Abraham, Captain in Continental army, b. 1753, baptized
Oct. 26, 1755, d. July 4, 1843.
5 Hesekiah, b. Sept. 7, 1755, baptized Oct. 26, 1755, soldier in
Revolution,
5 Solomon, b. 1757.
5 Winchell, Lieutenant in Revolution, b. Nov. 1758.
5 Isaac, b. 1760.
5 Lucy, b. 1763.
*Captain Abraham Fairchild (5t]i), m. Phoebe Russell on
May 8, 1780, and liad
6 * John Fairchild, b. April 25, 1781, d. May 9, 1863 ; m. Jany.
14, 1802, Lucy, dau. of the Hon. Aaron Kitchell ; she was b.
Mcli. 15, 1779, d. ]\Iay 7, 1863 ; they were our great-grand-
parents. They had seven children
7 *Susan Caroline, 1). June 7, 1803, d. Oct. 5, 1884.
7 Jane Ogden, b. April 13, 1805, d. April 14, 1889; m. James
Woodhouse.
7 Edmund K., b. April 23, 1807, d. Sept. 4, 1886 ; m. Nancy
Beech on April 29, 1829.
7 Aaron K., b. :May 13, 1809, d. Sept. 29, 1849; m. Sarah
Maria Odell on :\lay 18, 1836.
7 Lent W., b. July 19, 1811, d. Nov. 16, 1867 ; m. Abbie Crane
on July 25, 1843.
7 Abraham F., b. Aug. 9, 1818.
7 Samuel A., 1). June 28, 1820.
*Susan Caroline Fairchild (7th) m. James Harvey Cook on
Feby. 4, 1826. They were our grandparents. (For further
record see Cook Genealogy, 7th generation.)
296 A History of the Willis Family
Aaron K. Fairchild (7th), m. Sarah ]Maria Odell, and had
8 Mary Jane Fairchild, b. July 25, 1837, d. Sept. 30, 1911;
m. June 9, 1864, Major Henry Farrand Willis.
8 Lucy Anna, b. Feby. 22, 1840, d. April 18, 1904.
8 Sarah G., b. Jany. 3, 1846. d. Oct. 15, 1849.
Mary Jane Fairchild m. Major Henry Farrand Willis.
(For further record see Willis Genealogy, 15th generation.)
COOPER FAMILY.
1 *Mr. John Cooper was born at Olney, Buckingham-
shire, p]ngland, in 1594. He came from England in
1635, in the Hopewell, with his wife Widroe and four
children
2 Mary, aged 13 years.
2 John, aged 10 years.
2 Thomas, aged 7 years.
2 *Martha, aged 5 years.
He was from his arrival a prominent figure in the
affairs of Boston and Lynn, Mass. In 1636 he was
made freeman at Boston, was one of the elders of
the church when it was organized at Lynn, in 1638,
and he is on record as o^vning one hundred acres in
that town. He was one of the twenty heads of fami-
lies who formed the settlement of Southampton,
Long Island, in 1640. He was living in Southampton
in 1655, and probably afterward, *' where he was a
man of reputation." He moved to Connecticut and
was "representative" May, 1659, and after that date.
He was in the list of freeman at New Haven in Oct.,
1669.
*His daughter Martha married Ellis Cook 1st. (For
further record, see Cook Genealogy, first genera-
tion.)
HOWELL FAMILY.
*" William Howell, of Wedon, in County of Bucks,
England, purchased the manor of Westbury, in
Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire, in 1536. The old
stone manor house is still standing, though the re-
mains of a foundation near it shows that some por-
tions of it have been taken down. It is two full
stories and what is called a double house and is
nearly covered with ivy. William Howell married
first Maude, second Anne Hampton. His will of
date Nov. 30, 1557, directs his body to be buried in
the parish church of Wingrave, in the chancel before
the high altar. Gives legacies to the poor of Ayles-
bury, to the poor of Whitechurch and to the poor of
Marsh. Gives his wife Anne his lands in Watton
and Hamme for her life, and at her decease they are
to go to his son Henry. Gives his eldest son John
his lands in Marsh Gibbon and in default of issue to
his son Henry and in default of issue to his son
Jacob. To each of his daughters £20 and a legacy
for bells for Hardwich Church. He died in 1557 and
John the eldest son inherited the manor and himself
died without issue in 1576, so Henry inherited the
manor. ' '
*Henry, "Gent.," was the son of William and second
wife Anne; he was buried the 20th July, 1625; his
son
*Edward, "Gent.," baptized July 22, 1584, married
first Frances; she was buried July 2, 1630. "Edward
(3rd) was the first in this country; he came with his
A Histoty of the Willis Family 299
family to Boston, where in 1639, he was made free-
man May 14, 1639-40. He soon removed to Lynn,
where he had a grant of 500 acres. During- the
w^inter of 1639-40, a new settlement was projected
on Long Island of which he seems to have been the
leader, as the agreement of terms of founding the
plantation is in his handwriting, as well as the laws
adopted by the first settlers, and to the last year of
his life he was always a magistrate and member of
the Colonial Legislature at Hartford, Conn. The
manner in which his name is mentioned in the colo-
nial records of New England and New York point
to the conclusion that he was the leader and first
man in the Southampton, Long Island settlement."
His daughter by his first marriage with Frances
was
1- *Margaret Howell, baptized Nov. 24, 1622, and mar-
ried the Rev. John ]\[oore, of Southold, L. I. (For
contiuation of this record, see Moore Family, which
follows. )
Howell Aeims
Arms. — "Gules three towers tripple turreted, argent."
Crest. — "A steel helmet in profile.
Motto. — ' ' Tenax propositi. ' '
Howell Family, of Morristowx, N. J.
Benjamin Franklin Howell, of the 10th generation, b. Oct.
11, 3 822, d. Nov. 8, 1908; m. Nov. 24, 1858, Frances Helena
Willis, of the 15th generation; b. May 9, 1825, d. Mch. 2,
1912, dau. of Thomas Compson and Deborah (Farrand)
Willis; they had,
Willis Kirkpatrick, b. Oct. 30, 1860 ; m. Oct. 24, 1893, Hester
Washburn, b. Oct. 24, 1867.
800 A History of the Willis Family
Lilian H., b. Nov. 13, 1862.
(Twins.)
Helen, b. Nov. 13, 1862, d. Nov. 18, 1862.
Children of Willis Kirkpnfrick and Hester (Washburn) Howell.
"Willis Washburn, b. Mch. 7. 1895.
Laurence Benjamin, b. Dec. 27, 1897.
Catherine Frances, b. April 6, 1899.
Thurlow Washburn, b. April 10, 1900, d. April 11, 1916.
Sidney Kirkpatrick, b. Fehy. 8. 1907.
MOORE FAMILY.
*Rev. John Moore was a celebrated Puritan minister,
was one of the early settlers of New England and
lived at Lynn, Mass., previous to the migration from
that place to Southampton, Long Island, in 1640.
He married Margaret, the daughter of Mr. Edward
Howell, leader of the new settlement at South-
ampton ; they had,
* Joseph Moore, b. Oct. 29, 1651; m. Sarah Halsey,
b. June 1st, 1661 ; their daughter was
*Sarah Moore, who married Abiel Cook 3rd. (For
further record, see Cook Genealogy, 3rd generation. )
COOK FAMILY.
*Ellis Cook, the first of the family in this country, was
born in Hertfordshire, England, in 1617. He came to
America at the age of twenty, in 1637, and settled in
Lynn, Mass. He was evidently a yomig man of means,
as he bought propertj^ at Lynn and afterward on Long-
Island. In 1644 he removed to Southampton, Long-
Island. This settlement was made in 1640 by Edward
Howell (one of our ancestors) and others, who formed a
company for the settlement at Lynn, Mass. (For Edward
Howell, see "Howell Family.")
Our ancestor Ellis Cook's name first appears in the
town records in 1653, when all the male inhabitants were
formed into four "squadrons" for certain public service.
Ellis' Cook's name appears as placed in the third squad-
ron. His village lot was on the east side of Main Street,
the second one south of the Meeting House. He after-
ward lived near the water mill on the road to Bridge-
hampton. He married Martha Cooper, daughter of Mr.
John Cooper. (See "Cooper Family.") There is no
record of Ellis Cook's age, death or burial, as none of
the first settlers at Southampton had tombstones, there
being no stone in the neighborhood, but the second genera -
Note. — In ' ' Alumni Oxonienses ' ' appears the following : ' ' Ellis Cooke
of Devon, matriculated Broadgates Hall, Oxford, 10 Nov., 1621,
aged 19. B. A. 28 June, 1622. Vicar of Dawlish, Devon, 1627."
As this name, Ellis, is a very unusual one in ancient times, and
being also Ellis Cooke, the name of our ancestor of Southampton,
L. I., and a common name in the Cook family through all the cen-
turies to the present times, we feel certain that Ellis Cooke of
Oxford, must have been a very near relative of our ancestor.
A History of the Willis Family 303
tion had, and his son Ellis Cook (2nd) was buried on the
west side of Mecox, or Mecock's, Bay, where his grave is
marked with a stone ; he died in 1706, aged 44 years. The
will of Ellis Cook (1st) is on record in the Surrogate's
office in New York City and is dated September 5th, 1663,
and recorded July 17, 1669, so he probably died shortly
before the latter date. From his will we learn he had
five children: John, Martha, Ellis, Jr., Mary and our
ancestor, Abiel, who was born after the death of his
father in 1669. None of these children were of age when
the will was written in 1663 and he appointed his wife
executrix, and his brothers-in-law, John and Thomas
Cooper, overseers of his property. He mentions various
articles in his will and his property in the village and
also on Mecox Bay, of which he appears to have had a
large tract. In the will his name is spelled Cooke, but
the name is spelled everywhere in the town records Cook.
Ellis Cook moved to Mecox Bay in 1659, but retained his
town house, which after his death was exchanged by his
widow and son Abiel for property at Mill Neck^ now
Watermill.
''It is said that nearly all of the original settlers of
Southampton were titled men, but did not use their titles
in this country." Nearly all their names are found in
"Burke's General Armory" as entitled to coats of arms.
Seven families of the name Cook are in Burke's and
seventy-one of the name of Cooke.
Ellis Cook (1st) had a son Abiel (2nd), who had a
son Abiel (3rd), who married Sarah Moore, a great-
granddaughter of Edward Howell, the leader of the
Southampton colony. Ellis Cook (4tli), son of Abiel,
moved to Hanover, New Jersey (Livingston now), and
on June 22, 1744, bought of Cornelius Drake a farm of
110 acres, lying on the south side of the road to the old
304 A History of the Willis Family
"Iron Works" and extending from the Passaic river 62
chains westerly. When the second French and Indian
war broke out, in 1756, Ellis Cook (4th) made his will;
it is recorded in Book F, Wills, page 104, in office of
the Secretary of State, at Trenton, New Jersey. It is
dated March 11, 1756, and was proved Aug. 31, 1756.
The reason for making his will at that time is said to
be this : Col. Peter Schuvler recruited a regiment in
New Jersey known as the "Jersey Blues." The home
of the Colonel was near Newark. Enrolled in this regi-
ment were the two young sons of Ellis (4th) — Epaphras,
who was our great-great-grandfather and but nineteen
years old at the time, and his brother John, who could
not have been more than seventeen or eighteen years
old. AMiether these two bovs enlisted or were drafted is
not known, but the latter is suspected, and their father
Ellis, rather than have his two boys go alone decided to
accompany them, so he made his will and went along.
In what capacity Ellis went is not known, but it is sup-
posed he held a commission; the records, however, are
so meagre that this has not been determined for a suretv,
but as Ellis was fifty-three years old in 1756 it is
reasonable to suppose such must have been the case. Col.
Schuyler's regiment joined the army for the invasion of
Canada and he was stationed with his regiment at
Oswego when that place was assaulted by the Marquis
de Montcalm, Avho gave the British and colonial troops
a terrible beating, capturing the fortress with 1400
prisoners, a large quantity of ammunition and provisions
and other stores, 134 pieces of artillery and several ves-
sels lying in the harbor. Col. Schuyler and half his
Jersey Blues were captured; the Colonel was afterward
exchanged. The two boys, Epaphras and John Cook,
escaped and returned to their home in safety, but their
A Histonj of the Willis Family 305
father, *Ellis, was killed on the retreat and lies resting
in an unknown grave. The battle of Oswego took place
on Aug. 14th, 1756. Ellis Cook (4th) married twice. By
his first wife he had no children, but by his second mar-
riage to Mary Williams he had five sons — Williams, Ellis,
Jonathan, Epaphras and John. The family evidently
had ''good fighting blood," for all these five sons served
in the Revolution. Ellis was a Colonel in both the New
Jersey State Troops and after that in the Continental
army. He saw nuich service and hard figthing ; was with
General Philip Schuyler at Lake Champlain, the invasion
of Canada and other hard fought fields. He served for
a time on General Washington's Staft* and had a brilliant
career as an officer. His four brothers served as soldiers
and our great-great-grandfather, *Epaphras, and his
brother John, the veterans of Oswego, as already noted,
fought bravely throughout the war, a family for their
descendants to be ]jroud of. Epaphras married Sarah
Smith and one of his sons was Peter Cook, our great-
grandfather, who married Lydia Ball. Their son, James
Harvey Cook, our grandfather, was a gentleman well
known in New York City. He was Alderman during the
years 1838-39-40-50-51, and after that was Commissioner
of Charities and Corrections and was noted for his kind-
ness to the poor and charital^le undertakings. He was a
close personal friend of the great philanthropist. Dr.
Winterbottom, and they worked together for the poor
of the city. They bought for their families, in common,
a burial lot in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn. Dr.
Winterbottom 's sister, Mrs. Ann S. Stephens, the writer,
was a close personal friend of Mr. Cook during his life-
time. James Harvey Cook's portrait hangs in the City
Hall, New York. He was a staunch Democrat and a mem-
ber of Tammany Hall in the days when the first men of
306
A History of the Willis Family
the city were its members and it was an honor to belong-
to the organization. Late one night there was violent
knocking at his door ; he put his head out of the window
James Haevey Cook.
and saw a party of men who said they were a delegation
to notify him that he had been selected by Tammany for
the Mayoralty. In those days, as today, such selection
meant a certain election. INIr. Cook replied, "Wait a
moment, gentlemen," withdrew his head, went to his
wife and informed her of the honor. She said to him.
A Histonj of tJic WiUls Family
307
"Harvey, you remember you told me you would not
again accept office ; go tell the gentlemen you cannot take
it, ' ' which he did, and closed the window and the incident.
Mks, James Harvey Cook.
Rear Admiral Francis Augustus Cook.
Colonel Ellis Cook (5th generation), married twice;
his second wife's name was Perkins, her maiden name
Ely. By this marriage he had a son, Dr. George W.
Cook, of Hyde Park, New York, whose son was General
Benjamin Ely Cook, married Elizabeth Griffin and lived
at Northampton, Mass. Their son was Francis Augustus
Cook ; he was born at Northampton May 10, 1843.
308 A History of the Willis Family
The following article, copied from "AMio's Wlio in
America," will tell of him, though the article is somewhat
abbreviated :
" Rear- Admiral Francis Angnstus Cook, appointed from
Massachusetts and graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy,
1863. Promoted ensign Oct. 1, 1863; master 1866; lieutenant
1868 ; lieutenant commander 1868; commander 1880; captain
1896; rear admiral March 21, 1903; retired Sept. 5, 1903.
"Admiral Cook, then Captain, commanded the cruiser Brook
lyn at the bk)ckade of Santiago and was Chief of Staff for
Admiral Schley. On July 3, 1898, at the battle of Santiago,
with Admiral Cevera's Squadron, the Brooklyn pursued the
Spanish ship Cristobal Colon until she ran ashore at Rio Tor-
quino, fifty-five miles from Morro Castle, Santiago, and Captain
Cook going on board received the surrender of the commander,
Captain Moreau. "
In Admiral Schley's report on the battle of Santiago,
he says :
"I deem it a high privilege to commend to you for such action
as you may deem proper, the gallantry and dashing courage, the
prompt decision and skillful handling of their respective ves-
sels of Capt. Philip. Capt. Evans, Capt. Clark and especially
of my chief of staff Capt. Cook, who was directly under my
personal observation, and whose coolness, promptness and cour-
age were of the highest order."
Capt. Cook was advanced five numbers in rank "for
eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle."
Admiral Cook married Carrie Earle, of San Francisco,
CaL, on Sept. 2, 1868; they had two sons, Frank and
Earle, both in the navy and both served on the blockade
of Cuba. Admiral Cook died at Northampton, Mass.,
Sept., 1916.
COOK GENEALOGY.
1 *Ellis Cook. b. in Hertfordshire. Eiig-land, 1617, d. 1669,
Southampton, Long Island ; ni. Martha Cooper, b. 1630, and
had five children,
2 John.
2 Martha.
2 Ellis. Jr.. b. 1662, d. 1706.
2 Mary.
2 *Abiel, b. 1669.
*Abiel Cook, ni. and had two children.
3 *Abiel, Jr.. d. April, 1740, at Southampton, L. I.
3 Josiah.
*Abiel Cook (3rd), m. Sarah, daughter of Joseph Moore,
great-granddaughter of Edward Howell (see Howell family)
and had,
4 *Ellis. b. 1703, d. 1756.
4 Phoebe.
4 Susanna.
4 Nathan.
4 Abiel, Jr.
4 Zebulon.
4 Samuel.
4 Lemuel.
4 Abigail, b. 1725. d. 1759 ; m. Benjamin Howell, July 17, 1751.
4 Anna.
*Ellis Cook. m. first Temperance, b. 1705. d. Dec. 9, 1723,
and had no children ; m. second Mary Williams, b. 1706,
d. April 19, 1754; they were married in 1730 and had.
310 A History of the Willis Family
5 Williams, b. 1731, d. Troy, N. J. ; m. twice.
5 Col. Ellis, b. 1732, d. April 17, 1797 ; m. 1st Margaret Gris-
wold Cocker, m. 2d a widow named Perkins, whose maiden
name was Ely.
5 Jonathan.
5 *Epaphras, b. Jany. 19, 1737. d. April 18, 1809.
5 John.
*Epaphras Cook m. at Livingston, N. J.. Sarah Smith, b.
May 15, 1741, d. July 21, 1812, and had,
6 Rebecca, b. Sept. 13, 1766, m. Moses Ely, grandfather of
Smith Ely, Esq., at one time mayor of New York city.
6 *Peter, b. Oct. 30, 1767, d. April 11, 1841 ; m. Lydia Ball.
6 Epaphras, b. Jany. 25, 1771, d. April 18, 1809; m. Char-
lotte.
6 Mary, b. Aug. 5, 1774, d. Dec. 4, 1831 ; m. Jones.
6 Abraham, b. Feby. 15, 1782, d. Mch. 11, 1825; m. Elizabeth
Baldwin.
6 Sarah, b. Sept. 11, 1784, d. June 19, 1827; m. James
Blackford.
*Peter Cook m. in 1797, Lydia Ball, b. Nov. 2, 1773, d. March
9, 1832, buried in Northfield, N. J. She was a daughter
of Samuel Ball. Peter and Lydia were our great-grand-
parents; they had,
7 Ashbel, b. May 24, 1798, d. Sept. 25, 1799.
7 *James Harvey, b. Oct. 13, 1799, d. Aug. 31, 1868 ; m. Susan
C. Fairchild.
7 Epaphras, b. Oct. 4, 1801, m. Abby Beckhorn.
7 Electa C, b. May 19, 1803, d. April 24, 1825 ; m. Nov. 20,
1824, Jonathan Force.
7 John Ball, b. Dec. 18, 1804, d. Oct. 14, 1888; m. Oct. 21,
1833, Susan Huntington.
7 Sarah, b. Nov. 7, 1806, d. Nov. 23, 1843 ; m. May 9, 1834,
John Kitchell.
A Histonj of the Willis Family 311
7 Phoebe Ann, b. Jany. 5, 1815, d. July 21, 1834.
7 George, b. Jany. 80, 1817, d. Nov. 12, 1869; m. Sept. 30,
1847, Mary Jane Bloomer.
* James Harvey Cook (7th) m. Feby 4, 1826, Susan Caroline
Fairchild, b. June 7, 1803, d. Oct. 5, 1884; they were our
grandparents and had,
8 *Electa Caroline, b. Feby. 21, 1827, d. April 21, 1866; m.
June 15, 1853, Edwin Ethelbert Willis (15th).
8 John Fairchild, b. Dec. 22, 1828, d. Jany. 8, 1893 ; m. first
Frances Hatfield, m. second M. Agnes Schofield.
8 James Harvey, Jr., b. Oct. 7. 1831, d. April 25, 1903; m.
May 29, 1885. Helen Marsli ; they had no children.
*Electa Caroline Cook and Edwin Ethelbert Willis were
our father and mother. (For further record, see Willis
Genealogy, 15th generation.)
John Ball Cook (7th), b. Dec. 18, 1804, d. Oct. 14, 1888;
m. Oct. 21, 1853, Susan C. Huntington and had two chil-
dren,
8 Susan Kent, b. Jany. 31, 1836, d. April 2, 1836.
8 Susan, b. Dec. 26, 1837, d. Jany. 10, 1911, at Duxbury,
Mass.
Sarah Cook (7th), b. Nov. 7, 1806, d. Nov. 23, 1843; m. at
Hanover, N. J., May 9, 1834, John Kitchell, b. Aug. 31,
1796, and had,
8 John Cook Kitchell, b. Nov. 24, 1836, d. in infancy.
8 Sarah A. Kitchell, b. Feby. 22, 1838, d. Feby., 1888.
8 George Farrand Kitchell, b. June 26, 1840, d. May 9. 1894.
312 A Hisiory of the Willis Family
George Cook (7th), b. Jany. 30, 1817, d. Nov. 12. 1869;
m. Sept. 30, 1847, Mary Jane Bloomer, b. Aug. 28, 1826,
d. Oct. 26. 1877. and had,
8 George Harvey, b. Sept. 9, 1848, d. Jany. 14, 1914; m.
Addie M. Sillinian.
8 Frances Bloomer, b. Jany. 9, 1853, d. Ang. 6, 1905.
8 Jolni G., b. March 16. 1855. d. April 16, 1857.
George Harvey Cook (8th) m. April 20. 1870, Addie M. Silli-
nian. b. Oct. 2, 1847, and had,
9 Herbert Bloomer, b. Nov. 5, 1870. d. Ang. 23, 1896.
9 Bessie A., b. Aug. 20, 1872, m. Thomas Pendreigh.
9 Nellie Gertrude, b. March 27, 1874, m. George M. Warner.
Bessie A. Cook (9th) m. Feby. 27, 1900, Thomas Pendreigh
and had one child,
10 Helen Pendreigh, b. Sept. 5. 1906.
Nellie Gertrude Cook (9th) m. Nov. 7, 1896, George M.
Warner and had.
10 Herbert Warner, b. Oct. 13. 1898.
10 John Huntington Warner, b. May 22, 1900.
John Fairchild Cook (8th), b. Dec. 22, 1828, d. Jany. 8.
1893; m. first April 6. 1853, Frances Maria Hatfield, b
May 3, 1829, d. Nov. 16, 1857, and had one child, James
Harvey, b. July 10, 1854, d. Aug. 19, 1854. John F. Cook
m. second. May 15, 1861. IVIargaret Agnes Schofield, b.
May 21, 1834, d. April 29. 1908, and had,
9 Emily Augusta, b. March 11, 1862.
9 Caroline Louise, b. April 3, 1863.
9 May Fairchild, b. May 18. 1864, d. Dec. 17, 1864.
9 Allan Fairchild. b. Feby. 21, 1866, d. Sept. 13. 1909; m.
H. Lilian Behrends.
A History of the Willis Family 313
9 Spencer Schofiekl, b. June 10, 1867.
9 Myron Henry, b. Aug. 21, 1868, d. July 17, 1869.
9 Fletcher Montgomery, b. Jany. 11, 1870, ni. Grace Catterall.
9 Francis Clement, b. July lo, 1871, m. Frances N. Webber.
9 Agnes Living.ston. b. July 28, 1878.
Allan Fairchikl Cook (9th) m. Jany. 15, 1891, H. Lilian
Behrends, b. July 17, 1871, and had one child,
10 Allan Behrends Cook, b. Jany. 12, 1892.
Fletcher Montgomery Cook (9th) m. March 2, 1904, Grace
Catterall and has one child,
10 Adam C. Cook, b. March 19, 1905.
Francis Clement Cook (9th) m. Oct. 5, 1896, Frances N.
Webber, b. Oct. 9, 1878, and has,
10 Margaret A., b. May 9, 1902.
10 Frank Clement, b. March 6, 1906.
10 Albert Webber, b. May 26, 1908.
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A ROLL OF HONOR.
Comprising 153 Revolutioxaey Heroes.
Xo list of the men of the families of our immediate an-
cestors in New Jersey who took part in the Revolution
has ever been compiled as a matter of family history,
and we believe this story would be incomplete should we
not here record their names.
That the ten New Jersey families, which comprise
the ancestry of the 16th generation of the Willis family,
did their full share in the Avar for independence, the
authors of this history believe the following imposing-
list will fully demonstrate. There were, of course, others
connected by marriage, but only the families of which
this volume is a record will be given, and for the sake of
absolute correctness only the names of those officers and
soldiers who went from the two counties of Morris and
Essex, in New Jersey, will be here used, except in one or
two instances of well known relationship. The counties
of Morris and Essex join at Hanover, often mentioned
in this history, and the county line is less than one-half
mile from the old Hanover church. The homes of our
ancestors were on both sides of and in most instances very
near this count}' line, which will explain why brothers
were enrolled from different counties. All the families
except one first lived in Newark, which is in Essex county,
and then moved back into the county to the outskirts of
Essex and over the line into Morris county. It is the more
remarkable that nearly all the men whose names are
given lived within a radius of five or six miles, taking
Hanover or Whippany as a center, and many of them
316 A Hist oil/ of the Will is Family
are sleeping in the cliurcliyard which surrounds the old
Presbyterian church at Hanover.
There were many more officers and soldiers of the
same family names in adjacent counties of the state,
more distant in relationship, who should no doulit be
included; and there were quite a large number probably
who served in the Continental Line which we cannot dis-
tinguish, as in the Continental lists no counties are given
and it is difficult to be quite certain of the individuals.
We can vouch for all the following names, however, as
being near of kin, and the list is so impressive that it is
surely large enough to show the intense loyalty of our
ancestors to the cause of freedom.
We doubt if many families in the thirteen colonies
can produce a longer list of patriots, including as it does
153 officers and soldiers.
These names are all found in the lists of Revolutionary
troops of New Jersey, compiled by General Stryker for
the State of New Jersey; undoubtedly his lists are the
most accurate ever gathered together; but all army lists
of the Revolution are admittedly imperfect, in that many
names of both officers and soldiers have been lost to
])Osterity; we trust, therefore, if any of the families find
a treasured name of an ancestor has been omitted they
will forgive us, for we have done our best.
It is but just that this Honor Roll should first mention
our great-great-grandfather, Captain Samuel Ball, who
helped raise and was Captain of the very first company
of minute men raised in New Jersey in the early spring
of 1775.
Abbreviations.
M. C. means from Morris County. N. J. means New Jersey Troops.
E. C. means from Essex County. C. A. means Continental Army.
A Hiistoiii of the Willis Fauilljj 317
The Willis family gave four soldiers —
William N. J. Under 21 years when war broke out
in 1775.
Bethuel N. J. Tender 18 years when war broke out
in 1775.
Joseph N. J. Also C. A. Ujider 14 years when war broke out
in 1775.
Russel N. J. Under 12% years when war broke
out in 1775.
The above were brothers, sons of William Willis. Russel was our great-
grandfather; all from M. C.
The Farrand family gave three officers and four soldiers —
OFFICERS.
Lieutenant Bethuel. .. .M. C. N. J. Our great-great-grandfather.
Lieutenant Phineas . . .M. C. N. J. Brother of Bethuel.
Lieutenant Moses . . . . E. C. N. J.
SOLDIERS.
Samuel M. C. N. J. ^ Brothers of Lieutenants Bethuel and
Ebenezer M. C. N. J. f Phineas.
Daniel M. C. N. J. Son of Lt. Bethuel; he was our
great-grandfather and but eleven
years old when the war begun.
James E. C. N. J.
The Ward family gave six offi,cers and thirty soldiers —
OFFICERS.
Lt.-Col. Mathias E. C. N. J.
Captain Jonas E. C. N. J.
Captain Israel M. C. N. J.
Captain Jonathan ....M. C. N. J.
Lieutenant Timothy . . M. C. N. J.
Corporal Caleb M. C. X. J.
SOLDIERS.
Bethuel E. C. N. J. Daniel ...M. C. N. J.
Caleb, Sr. . . E. C. N. J. Enos M. C. N. J.
Caleb, Jr. ..E. C. N. J. George ...M. C. N. J.
Jabez E. C. N.J. Israel, Jr.. M. C. N. J. Son of
Capt. Israel
318
A History of the Willis Family
Jacob . . .
. .E.
C.
N.
J.
John
.M.
C.
N. J.
James . . .
. .E.
C.
N.
J.
Timothy
.M.
C.
N. J.
Jonas . . .
.E.
C.
N.
J.
also C.
A.
Edward .
.M.
c.
N. J.
Jonathan
. .E.
C.
N.
J.
Jonathan
. ,
N. J
Joseph . .
. .E.
C.
N.
J.
Samuel C.
N. J.
Josiah
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
Benjamin
C. A.
Nathaniel
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
Calvin . .
C. A.
Samuel . .
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
Isaac . . .
C. A.
Stephen .
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
John ....
C. A.
Timothy .
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
John ....
C. A..
William .
. .E.
c.
N.
J.
also C.
A.
Nathaniel
C. A.
The Plume family gave two officers and three soldiers —
OFFICEKS
Ensign Isaac E. C. N. J. The name is also spelled Plum and
Corporal Stephen E. C. C. A. Plumb.
SOLDIERS.
David E. C. C. A.
Abrani E. C. N. J.
Isaac E. C. N. J.
The Kitchell family gave two officers and fourteen soldiers —
OFFICERS
Captain Obadiah M. C. N. J. Moses Kitchell was a Forage Master
Moses M. C. N. J. ami also a Purchasing Forage
Master.
Moses
Aaron . .
Asa . . . .
Abraham
John
Daniel . .
David . . .
Phineas .
Benjamin
Uzal
Aaron
Isaac . . .
James . .
Matthias
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
.M. C.
SOLDIERS
N. J.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
N.
C.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
J.
A.
Aaron was our great-great-grand-
father, the others were his
brothers, of the 5th Kitchell
generation.
I All these were brothers, sons of
1 John Kitchell, 4th generation,
first cousins of Aaron ; they
i were brothers of Capt. Obadiah.
Son of David and first cousin of
Aaron.
Wagoner.
also C. A.
Matross gunner.
A History of the Wilt is Family
319
The Ball family gave seven officers a)id twenty-three soldiers —
OFFICERS
Captain Samuel E. C. N. J. Captain of the first companj' of
minute men raised in New Jersey
for the War of Independence.
Captain Samuel Ball was our
great-great grandfather.
Captain Joseph E. C. X. J. Capt. Joseph also served as quarter-
Ensign John
Surgeon's Mate
Stephen
Sergeant Edward
William
Benjamin
N. J.
master.
N. J. Assistant Surgeon.
C. A.
X. J. Forage Master.
X. J. Wagon Master.
SOLDIERS
Aaron
E.
C.
X. J. William
E.
C.
X. J
Abner . .
E.
c.
X. J. Caleb
M.
C.
X. J.
Bethuel
E.
c.
X^. J. David
M.
C.
N. J
Daniel .
E.
c.
N. J. Jacob
M.
c.
X. J
David . .
E.
c.
N. J. John
M.
c.
X. J
Edward
E.
c.
X. J. Samuel
M.
c.
X. J
John . . .
E.
c.
X. J. William
M.
c.
N. J
Joseph .
E.
c.
X. J. Cornelius
C. A
Silas ...
E.
c.
X'. J. Joshua
C. A
Thomas
E.
E.
c.
c.
X. J. Valentine ....
C. A
Timothv
N. J.
Uzal ...
E.
c.
N. J.
The Fairchild family gave ttiree officers and ten soldiers-
OFFICERS
Captain and Adjutant
Abraham M. C. C. A. Our great-great-grandfather.
Captain Abner M. C. C. A. Uncle of Abraham.
Lieutenant Winchell ..M. C. X". J. Brother of Abraham.
Benjamin
Moses . . .
Hesekiah
SOLDIERS
M. C. X. J.
.M. C. X. J.
.M. C. X. J.
Brothers of Captain Aln-aham
Fairchild.
320
A History of the Willis Family
Ahijah
Jonathan
Nathaniel
Peter . . .
Stephen .
Aldel . . .
Abner, Jr.
M.
C.
N.
J.
M.
C.
N.
J.
M.
C.
N.
J.
M.
C.
N.
J.
M.
C.
N.
J.
M.
c.
N.
J.
E.
c.
N.
J.
Matross gunner, Capt. Neil 's Co.
of Artillery.
These were all brothers, sons of
Captain Aimer Fairchild.
The Cook family gave five officers and thirteen soldiers-
Colonel Ellis
OFFICERS
.M. C. N. J.
Also Continetal Army. Colonel Ellis
Cook was with General Schuyler
in the campaigns of Lake Cham-
plain and the invasion of Canada ;
he also took ]>art in many other
battles and liad a splendid record
as an oflScer; served for a time
on General Washington 's Staff.
He was a brother of our great-
great-grandfather, Epaphras Cook.
Second Major Daniel. .M. C. N. J.
Quartermaster Zebedee M. C. N. J.
Captain Stejjhen M. C. C. A.
2nd Lieutenant George. M. C. C. A.
SOLDIERS
Epaphras
Williams
John
Jonathan
. . E. C.
. . E. C.
.M. C.
. M. C.
Benjamin . .M. C.
Ellis M. C.
George .... M. C.
Jabez M. C.
James . . . .M. C.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
also C. A.
also C. A.
also C. A.
Epaphras Cook was our great-
great-grandfather and a vet-
eran of the war of 1756; all
of these were brothers of
Colonel Ellis Cook.
Richard
Stephen
William
Joshua
M. C. N. J.
M. C. N. J.
M. C. N. J.
E. C. N. J.
The Bruen famili/ gave two officers and seven soldiers-
OFFICERS
Captain and Major
Jeremiah E. C. C. A,
2ud Lieutenant Caleb. .E. C. N. J.
A History of the Willis Family
321
Abraham
Elijah .
Jabez
Joshua . .
Barnabas
Elias . . .
Jonatlian
....E. C.
C.
C.
C.
E.
M.
M.
M. C.
M. C.
M. C.
SOLDIEBS
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
C. A.
N. J.
N. J.
N. J.
In Genl. Stryker 's book the last
three are spellel Brewen, but are
of same family.
The Smith family gave one officer and fourteen soldiers —
OFFICER
Hiram Smith, from M. C, was Ensign in N. J. troops and Lieutenant
in the Continental Army.
SOLDIERS
Anthony .
.M.
C.
N.
J.
also C.
A.
Eliphalet
..M. C.
N. J.
also C. A,
Asher . . . ,
. .M.
C.
N.
J.
James . .
.M. C.
X. J.
Benjamin
.M.
C.
N.
J.
.Jasper . .
.M. C.
N. J.
Charles .
. .AL
C.
N.
J.
Jesse . . .
.M. C.
N. J.
Christian
. .M.
C.
N.
J.
John . . .
.M. C.
N. J.
also C. A.
Elijah . .
. .M.
C.
X.
J.
Samuel . .
.M. C.
N. J.
Elanthan ,
, .M.
C.
N.
J.
also C.
A.
William .
.M. C.
N. J.
It will be observed from the above that the Willis
familv of the 16th ^"eneration had the following' direct
ancestors in the Revolution: Of our four great-grand-
fathers there were Russel Willis, who was but twelve and
one-half years old, and Daniel Farrand, who was but
eleven years old when the war started in 1775, but both
enlisted as soon as they were old enough and saw much
service; our other two great-grandfathers were but in-
fants. Of our great-great-grandfathers there were, of
course, eight; of these William Willis was past military
age and died in 1777; another, John Sanford, died in
1767, and a third, Robert Plume, died in 1769. This left
five available for service, three of whom were officers —
Captain Samuel Ball, Captain and Adjutant Abraham
Fairchild, and Lieutenant Bethuel Farrand; the other
322 A Historif of tJie Willis Fautily
two were soldiers, Epapliras Cook and Aaron Kitchell;
the latter early in the war left the ranks to become confi-
dential advisor and friend of Washington and in charge
of the War-Chest at Morristown.
Envoy.
' Heroes of old ! I humbly lay
The laurel ou your graves again;
Whatever men have done, men may —
The deeds you wrought are not in vain.
iFamiltj l&narli
Jffamtlg ^ttuxli
^Family ^^ttavh
3Famtlg Sl^rorb
IFamtlg ISitcavli
IFamilg IS^rnrft
Iffamtlg l&ttath
iFamilg l^tcaxh
Part II
HOWARD FAMILY
HOWARD FAMILY.
The first of the Howards of this line in Virginia was
William, who appears in the old land books as having
purchased 200 acres from Col. Richard Lee, Esqr., in
October, 1653, the account of which can be found in a
grant to William Howard in 1654 ; this grant is recorded
in Land Book No. 3, page 7, of Gloucester County, Va.
It was the eighth grant recorded in Gloucester county,
six grants having been made in 1653 and the Howard
grant was the second in 1654.
Mr. Howard was, therefore, among the earliest settlers
in Gloucester county.
He arrived in Virginia in the year 1636, as we know
from a petition to the King, which is hereafter noted.
The wording of the grant is interesting and is given
below as a matter of family record :
' ' To all &c whereas &e now Know Yee, That I, ye said Richard
Bennett Esqr. do Give and Grant unto William Howard foner
hundred acres of land scitnated in Glocester County, Begin-
ning att a great poplar mark*^ by a little branch of Bennets
Creek, running up west by north to Mob jack path, thence by
ye path and mark'^ trees to a white oake Corner tree mark*^
thence south west, and north west, by west three hundred and
forty perches by fouer small springs, thence north by west to
ye place where it began ; The said land being due unto ye said
William Howard viz. Two hundred acres part hereof by pur-
chase from Col. Richard Lee Esqr, as appears from under his
326 A History of the Willis Family
hand dated ye 25th of October 1653 and two hundred Acres of
residue by and for ye transportation of fouer persons into this
Colony &c. To have and to hold &c yielding and Paying unto &c
such payment is to be made seaven yeares after ye first grant or
sealing thereof, &c not before : Provided &c Dated ye 5th of
June 1654 Anno Excell. Antho : Haines, Alex Kimrose, John
Daye."
In 1667 William Howard was granted 164 acres, "Be-
ginning &c by the path that goes from sd Howards house
to Mr. Forsith ' ' etc., etc. This is dated April 1, 1667. On
August 14, 1671, William Howard was granted 108 acres,
"Beginning &c at the pitch of the Oyster shell point,"
Mr. Howard had in these three grants 672 acres.
Richard Bennet, Esqr., was the Governor General of Vir-
ginia at that time.
The Howard name appears in a list of prominent
colonial families of Eastern Virginia compiled in later
years by Mr. Francis Cabell, of Warminster, Va.
In 1676 some of the planters of Gloucester county
petitioned the Burgesses for relief and compensation for
damages done by the King's troops during the Bacon
rebellion. The Burgesses received the petition and it
"was declared to savor so strongly of the (old leaven of
rebellion) that it must be expunged from the records."
Among others this petition was signed by William
Howard, Sr., and William Howard, Jr.
By a fortunate discovery, made recently by one of the
authors of this history of a petition of William Howard
made to the King in the year 1677, we learn the year he
arrived in Virginia, that he had but one son and was of
"great age" in 1677. This petition is recorded in the
Colonial Office, London, England. A copy can be found
in "Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, America
A Histurij of the Willis Family 327
and West Indies, 1677-80," page 180, article 489, edited
by Noel Sainsbury, London, 1896. It reads :
"Petition of William Howard, a loj^al subject of His Majesty,
and a great sufferer by the late unhappy trouble there, now in
England, to the King. Has lived 41 years quietly in Virginia,
and served as a volunteer under Sir William Berkeley against
the Great Indian Emperor Appochankonaugh, when he re-
ceived several wounds. His great age prevented his serving
in the time of the late rebellion, but he sent his only son well
mounted and several of his ablest servants against the rebels.
Some of Bacon's men were forcibly quartered at petitioners
house when Major Robert Beverley, with a force of 30 armed
men, took them prisoners and plundered petitioners house to
the value of £500 sterling. Is now come to England, and prays
that his servants and goods possessed by Beverly, may be re-
stored to petitioner." Endorsed, "Read in Council Novr.
23rd 1677."
During the Civil war Mr. John HoAvard, of Richmond,
Va., having many papers relating to the family history
and the only full records known to exist, fearing that
Richmond might be captured, placed these valuable docu-
ments, with other papers, in a trunk and left them with
relatives at Columbia, S. C. On the destruction of Colum-
bia by fire, in the spring of 1865, the trunk and contents
were burned. Both the courthouses of Gloucester and
Buckingham counties, with all records, have also been
burned, and it is in consequence most difficult to obtain
the complete record of the present How^ard family. The
authors of this history are therefore at some disadvan-
tage ; however, from land office and other records, family
tradition, etc., we arrive at a very conclusive genealogy.
First, William Howard, Sr. His son, Wm. Howard, Jr.,
probably had three sons, John, Benjamin and Thomas,
famil}" names to the present time.
328 A History of the Willis Family
John received a grant of land in Northumberland
county in 1653.
Benjamin received a grant in Kent county in 1658.
Thomas, whom we know lived in Gloucester county,
probably on the old Howard estate.
In Land Book 7, page 643, we find a record of Thomas,
and it is the only time we have found his name in the
colonial records. It is a land grant to his daughters,
and follows :
"To all ye Whereas know ye yt I ye gov. Francis Lord
Howard Gov. doe with ye advice and consent of ye Councill of
State accordingly Give and Grant unto Mary, Elizabeth, and
Anne Howard Daughters of ]\Ir. Thomas Howard one hundred
and Eighty Acres of land in Petsoe parish Glost County," etc. etc.
The above grant was made in the year 1685.
"Petsoe parish" was undoubtedly intended for Pets-
worth parish.
Some years later, in the 17th century, another family
of Howards settled in various counties in Virginia, from
1683 till after the opening of the eighteenth century, but
family tradition has it that they were not related to the
Gloucester Howards,
Many Howards were born, baptized, married and died
in Abingdon parish, Gloucester county, as shown in the
old Abingdon Church Register, and many Howards are
buried in the old Abingdon churchyard, Gloucester
county, Virginia.
According to family tradition Allen Howard, who
founded Howardsville, in what is now Albemarle county,
came from Gloucester county and w^as descended from
the first William Howard there, so his father w^as prob-
ably Mr. Thomas Howard, though it is possible his
father mav have been either John or Benjamin. This
A History of the Willis Family ' 329
is the only uncertainty in the genealogy, which some
future historian may more fully determine.
We first find Allen Howard's name in the land books
in 1719, when 242 acres were granted to *' Allen Howard,
gentleman," in Prince George county, and 338 acres were
also granted to him in the same county in 1722. In
1725 there was granted 445 acres in Isle of Wight county
to ''Allen Howard, gentleman, of Henrico county," so
he must have been living in the latter county at that time.
He next appears in a grant of 56 acres January 10, 1730,
in Goochland county, now Albemarle, at the site of
Howards ville, which he founded, followed by grants of
400 acres in 1735, 250 and 34 acres in 1739, 69, 2053 and
2380 acres in 1741, a total of 5242 acres at Howardsville,
on both sides of the Fluvanna river, now called the James
river, and a large island in the river. The estate was in
the present counties of Albemarle, Nelson and Bucking-
ham, the larger part on the south side of the James river,
in Buckingham.
It may interest his descendants to know that the Colo-
nial Government required, to hold the land so granted,
that the grantee should cultivate three acres in every
fifty within three years and pay to the colonial treasurer
one shilling for each fifty acres, "to be paid upon the
Feast of Saint Michael the Arch Angel."
It is probable, taking the Land Office records as a
guide, that Allen Howard was the first settler in that
part of the State. In all the grants he is spoken of as
"Allen Howard, gentleman," and in the last one as
"Capt. Allen Howard, gentleman."
A few years after Albemarle county was cut off from
Goochland county Mr. Howard was elected to the House
of Burgesses, being a member for the years 1752-3-4-5-
8-9, 1760 and 1761. Most of these vears his colleas-ue
330 A Histonj of the Willis Famihj
from Albemarle was Peter Jefferson, the father of
Thomas Jefferson.
Allen Howard had three sons. One, Jolin Howard,
born February 20, 1733, a revolutionary soldier, moved
to Kentucky with his family and was one of the early
settlers of Boonesboro. He is said to have been 108 years
old when he died. John Howard's son, Benjamin, was a
distinguished man. He was born at or near Howards-
ville, Va., in 1760, and went with his father to Kentucky.
He served in the Kentucky Legislature and in 1807 repre-
sented Kentucky in Congress. He resigned his seat to
become Governor of Upper Louisiana Territory. When
the territory of Orleans became the State of Louisiana,
in 1812, what had been the territorj^ of Louisiana became
the territory of Missouri, with St. Louis its capital, and
Governor Howard became the first Governor of Missouri
Territory, He held the office until 1813 when he was
appointed Brigadier General in the United States Army
and resigned. General Howard was assigned to the com-
mand of the 8tli military department, which included the
territory west of the Mississippi river. He married Mary
Thompson, daughter of Stephens Thompson, Esq. Gen-
eral Howard died at St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 18, 1814.
Benjamin Howard, son of Allen, lived on the estate in
Buckingham county and was elected to the House of
Burgesses in the years 1769-70-71-72, but died before the
session of 1772 opened.
William Howard, the remaining son of Allen Howard,
probably lived on the estate in Albemarle county. He
was born March 13, 1736, and died March 22, 1815, in
his 80th year. His wife's name was Jane. She died
June 9, 1817.
A Eistonj of the Willis Familij 331
William Howard, Jr., son of William, grandson of
Allen, was born Sept. 20, 1765. He married Elizabeth
Harris, who was born April 11, 1767. They had five
sons, William, James, Mathew, Francis and Thomas;
also some daughters, not determined. The lands of
Allen Howard, located in Albemarle county, in the next
succeeding generation passed to William Howard Carter,
descended through his mother from William Howard, Jr.
All records of Buckingham county having been de-
stroyed when the courthouse was burned, also the
family records having been burned at Columbia, S. C,
as heretofore noted, the records of Benjamin Howard, of
Buckingham county (Burgess), as to his family are not
at present available ; it is known, however, that William
Alleyne Howard, his grandson, was born on the family
estate in Buckingham county and from there moved to
Newington, in Cumberland county, Va.
WiT.LiAM Alleyne Howard.
William Alleyne Howard was born in Buckingham
county, Va., Aug. 18, 1787. From Buckingham he re-
moved to Cumberland county, Va., where he had an
estate called Newington. While living at Newington he
was married twice, first to Frances Cochran Kincaid and
had two children. He married secondly Rebecca Elizabeth
Travis Anderson and had five children, two of whom
were daughters, who died in infancy.
From Cumberland county Mr. Howard removed with
his three sons by his last marriage to Mecklenburg county
and lived at Boydton. He was by profession an archi-
tect of much renown.
A few years before his death, which occurred on April
5, 1859, Mr. Howard removed to North Carolina ; part
332
A Ulsfonj of the WiUls Family
of an article wliicli appeared in the Warrenton (N. C.)
News at the time of his death foHows :
"Died, at his residence in this eonnty, on the 5th inst. Wm.
A. Howard, in the 72nd year of Ins age. He was a native of
Virginia, where lie resided until within tlie last few years of
his hfe, when he moved to this state and county. He was much
Kebecca E. T. (Axdersox) Howard.
respected for his great intelligence and high character. Gifted
with rare natural powers of mind, he had cultivated them to
an extraordinary degree, and it was well said of him that his
knowledge was as extensive and varied as it was accurate, and
that it was always as accurate as the source from which it was
derived. The unostentatious ease and readiness with which
A History of tJic WiUis Family 333
he used it, gave to his conversation the peculiar charm of united
pleasure and instruction. He was a man of many noble vir-
tues, and in doing good to others forgot himself; and whether
in the bright days of prosperity, or in adverse fortune, his
pure and high-souled integritj^ and honor. Ins straightforward
and manly bearing, and his generous and lofty spirit, ever in-
vested his life with an elevation of character which insured
the homage of general respect and regard."
Dr. William Travis Howard.
Dr. William Travis Howard, LL. D., born in Cumber-
land comity, Va., January 12, 1821, son of William A.
and Rebecca Elizabeth Travis (Anderson) Howard.
"He vras educated at Hampden-Sidney and Randolph-
Macon colleges and studied medicine under Dr. John Peter
Metaner, an eminent surgeon of Prince Edward county, Va.,
and at Jefferson Medical College, where he was graduated M. D.
in 1844. He practiced first in Warren county, North Carolina,
and removed to Baltimore, Md., in 1865, where he was at once
appointed adjunct professor of physiology in the University
of Maryland.
"In 1867 he was elected to the newl,y created chair of gyne-
cology and diseases of children, which he occupied for nearly
thirty years. His classroom lectures were reported and printed
in book form, but were revised and enlarged by him each year
until they were made up almost exclusively of his own large
experience.
"Dr. Howard was the author of many articles in the medical
journals and invented many gynecological instruments of a
useful and practical character.
"In association with Dr. H. P. C. Wilson he founded the
Hospital for the Women of ]\Iaryland in 1875. He was one of
the founders of the Baltimore Gynecological and Obstetrical
334 A History of the Willis Family
Society in 1878, which he served as president in 1881, and of
the American Gynecological Society, of which he was president
in 1885. He was consulting gynecologist to the Union Protestant
Infirmary, to the Hebrew Hospital and Asylum Association of
Baltimore, and to the Johns Hopkins Hospital ; an honorary
member of the Obstetrical and Gynecological Society of Wash-
ington, a corresponding member of the Gynecological Society of
Boston, and an honorary member of the State Medical Society
of North Carolina.
* ' Dr. Howard was married three times : first to ]\Irs. Lucy
M. Davis Fitts, of North Carolina ; second to ]\Iiss Anastasia
Lafayette Waddill, of North Carolina ; third to ^liss Rebecca
N. Williams, of Baltimore."
He had no children by these marriages. Dr. Howard
died July 31, 1907; he is buried in Hollywood, Richmond,
Va. — From ''National Cyclopedia of American Bio-
graphy," by permission of the Publishers, James T.
White & Co., New York.
John How^ard,
John Howard was the second son of William Alleyne
and Rebecca Elizabeth Travis (Anderson) Howard, He
was born at Newington, Cumberland county, Va., May
5, 1824. He afterwards removed with his parents and
two brothers to Mecklenburg county, Va., and received
his education at Randolph-Macon College, where, in 1844,
he took the degree of Master of Arts. He then read law
with the Hon. Edward J. Chambers, at Boydton, and
afterwards taught a classical school in Nottowav county.
Subsequently he attended the University of Virginia,
where, in 1849, he took the degree of Bachelor of Law\
In the autumn of 1849 Mr. How^ard settled in the city
of Richmond and entered upon the practice of his pro-
A Hist 01- 11 of the Win is Family
335
fession, and during his long life was ever prominent in
the legal and social affairs of the city.
"When he took up law as his profession he placed in subjec-
tion to its pursuits every other wooing- tendency of his mind,
and its study and research became the absorbing- devotion of
his life.
JoHx Howard
"Looking back on his career with a single glance it is found
that the highest and most responsible employment of our pro-
fession came to him — important cases, involving new, intricate,
and far-reaching principles— civil, political and international-
many of which took hhn to the Supreme Court of his own state,
others to the Supreme Court of other states, and some to the
336 A History of the Willis Family
Supreme Court of the United States. In all of these courts he
displayed such ability and learning as to place him by the side
of the leading lawyers of the country. The record of these
cases and his briefs furnish enduring evidence of his right to
the high position awarded to liim in his profession. He never
lent his talents and industry to base ends. He never accepted
employment or rendered service where another was to be deprived
of his property or his rights. It was his boast that he never
took a case in whose justice he did not believe. He recognized
what every honorable lawyer recognizes, that his first duty was
to himself.
"One other quality must be noted which, as a lawyer, he had
in an eminent degree — courage ; the courage to vindicate the
truth at all hazards, regardless of popular feeling or popular
clamor. Adverse circumstances only made keener his sense of
duty and stouter his resistance to wrong.
"He was a great reader, and kept himself well informed as
to the leading thoughts and questions of the day. Philosophy,
metaphysics and even theology had much fascination for him,
and it may be assumed that if he had had more leisure he would
have been a writer as well as a reader on these subjects. In early
life he often contributed lyrics to the 'Southern Literary Mes-
senger'; and a few years since, at the request of friends, he
republished his poem, 'The Mystic Circle of Kate's Mountain,'
an In ]\Iemoriam to INIiss Harrison, of Bi-andon, which is a poem
of great merit, and deserves a place in the permanent literature
of the country."
On February 13, 1866, at Casa di Lago, near Talla-
hassee, in Leon County, Florida, Mr. Howard married
Marv C^atherine Macleod, a descendant of Dr. Donald
Macleod, of Dunvegan, Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Mr. Howard departed this life in Richmond, Va., at
5 P. M. on Sunday, March 12, 1899. He is buried in
Hollywood.
A History of the Will is Family 337
By the marriage of AVilliam Alleyne Howard to Re-
becca Elizabeth Travis Anderson the Howard family can
trace their ancestry back to George Anderson, who mar-
ried Jane Tucker; bej^ond him to John Tucker, who m.
R. E. Travis, next Ed. Travis, next Ed. Travis, next
Ed. Travis. The Travis family, together with the
Amblers, after the removal of the settlers from James-
town Island to Williamsburg, were the o^^mers of the
Island, the original Virginia settlement of 1607.
The Amblers and Travises were Burgesses from
Jamestown Island for many years. They elected them-
selves, and it was known as ''the rotten, or pocket
borough. ' '
Through John Tucker's daughter R. E. Travis, mar-
ried to John Coles, the Howards are related to the Coles,
Carters, Singletons, Rutherfords, etc., etc.
*William Alleyne Howard, b. Aug. 18, 1787, d. April
5, 1859; m. July 28, 1811, Frances Cochran Kincaid,
d. Jany. 16, 1816 ; they had,
Francis Elizabeth Cary HoAvard, b. July 16, 1812.
Robert Kincaid Howard, b. Oct., 1813.
William Allevne Howard, m. secondlv Rebecca
Elizabeth Travis Anderson, b. Feby. 2, 1788, d. April
25, 1871 ; buried in Hollywood ; they had five children,
William Travis Howard, M. D., b. Jany. 12, 1821, d
July 31, 1907 ; buried in Hollywood.
Jane Tucker Howai'd, b. Oct. 17, , d. April
1827.
*John (Tucker) Howard, b. May 5, 1821, d. March 12,
1899; buried in Hollywood.
George Howard, M. D., b. Jany. 29, 1826, d. at Balti-
more.
338 A History of the Willis Family
Jane Tucker Howard, second dau. of name, b. Dec.
23, 1827, d. Dec. 3, 1830.
All the children of William A. Howard were b. in
Cumberland county, Va.
*John (Tucker) Howard, known as John Howard, m.
Mary Catherine, dau. of Dr. John Donald and Eliza-
beth Laing (Bradley) Macleod, on Feby. 13, 1866;
she was b. May 16, 1842 ; they had five children,
William Travis Howard, b. March 13, 1867, m. Mary
Cushing Williams.
*Emma Bradley Howard, b. Feby. 6, 1870, m. Charles
Ethelbert Willis.
Anastasia Howard, b. Jany. 10, 1873.
Mary Macleod Howard, b. Nov. 26, 1874.
John Howard, Jr., b. April 10, 1876.
AVilliam Travis Howard, M. D., m. Mary Cushing
Williams on Aug. 15, 1896 ; she was b. in Baltimore }
they have three children,
Mary Cushing Howard, b. June 24, 1900.
Philip Williams Howard, b. , 1904.
William Travis Howard, Jr., b. , 1908.
'Emma Bradley Howard m. Charles E. Willis. (For
further record, see Willis Genealogy, 16th genera-
tion.)
I i
Dr. William Travis Howard, pathologist; b. 'Sans
Souci,' Stateburg, S. C, Mch. 13, 1867. Student U. of Va.,
1885-7 ; M. D. University of Md. 1889, graduate student
Johns Hopkins 1889-93; m. at Watch Hill, R. I., Alary
Cushing Williams, of Baltimore, Aug. 15, 1896; engaged
in teaching and research in pathology since 1892; pro-
A Hisfonj of the Willis Faniilij 339
fessor of pathology Western Reserve University, Cleve-
land, 1894-1914 ; Assistant Commissioner of Health, Balti-
more, since 1914; was Bacteriologist Cleveland Board of
Health ; President American Association of Pathologists
and Bacteriologists 1902 ; member Association American
Physicians ; Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Md. ;
Author of numerous papers on pathology and bacteri-
ology."— From ''Who's Who in America."
HARRIS AND MACLEOD FAMILIES.
1 *Francis Harris, a native of London, Captain in the
Cold Stream Guards, was born in August, 1710. He
eloped with Mary Goodall, of Bushy Park, Andover,
Hampshire, England, an heiress and ward in Chan-
cery. Among other property in Hampshire she
owned a farm called * ' Wild Horn. ' ' They emigrated
to the Colony of Georgia shortly after Lord Ogle-
thorpe had planted the colony in 1733. Having asso-
ciated himself with James Habersham, under the
firm name of Harris & Habersham, they opened up
one of the first commercial and exporting houses in
the colony. "VMien Mrs. Harris received the money
from her English estate Mr. Harris took up lands
on the Ogeeche river and became a planter.
Mr. Harris was a member of the first General
Assembly and was elected as Speaker at the first
meeting held in Savannah January 15, 1751. After-
wards, under Gov. John Reynolds, the first Royal
Governor of the colony, he was a member of the
Council, having been appointed August 6, 1754, and
was at the first meeting held October 30, 1754. He
was Lieutenant-Colonel of the First Regiment of
Foot Militia, in 1757, and promoted to Colonel in
1759. He had two children,
2 Francis Henry Harris, d. 1782.
2 *Elizabeth Harris, b. 1760, m. Dr. Donald Macleod
in Savannah Dec. 23, 1782.
The will of Francis Harris was dated at Savannah, Ga.,
July 15, 1771, and recorded Nov. 1, 1771. In his will he
A History of the Wilt is Family
341
gives his daughter Elizabeth "all those plantations or
tracts of land Containing in the whole Eleven hundred
and fifty acres, more or less, Situate at Great Ogeeche,
in the province aforesaid, known by the names of Bushy
Park & Mountventure," and one-half of all his negroes
and live stock.
To his son Francis Henry Harris he gives the other
half of his negroes and live stock, his place in Savannah,
"known by the number One, in Frederick Tything, Darby
Ward;" his plantation at Little Ogeeche, "known by the
name of Mear," containing 1300 acres, and 3400 acres
situated at Little Ogeeche Neck, but provides that after
Lt.-Col. Francis Henry Harris.
the latter plantation is valued that Francis Henry shall
pay his sister Elizabeth one-half of the appraised value
"within two years." The balance of his estate he gives
his son Francis. He directs his "Executors to maintain
and educate my children in a genteel manner agreeable
342 A Histonj of the Willis Family
to their fortune until they reach the age of twenty-one
years or day of marriage."
Lieut. Col. Frances Henry Harris was sent to
England when a boy to receive his education, and while
he was prosecuting his studies at Magdalen College,
Oxford, the disturbance between the mother country
and the colonies commenced. His devotion to his native
country would not permit him to remain in England, and
accordingly he left college and arrived in Georgia prob-
ably about the beginning of January, 1775, as on Janu-
ary 23rd of that year he became a member of the Pro-
vincial Congress of Savannah. In June, 1775, he became
one of the Council of Safetv and was also a member of
the Colonial Legislature. He was commissioned Captain
of the First Georgia by the Continental Congress on
January 7, 1776, advanced to Major July 5, 1776, and
Lieutenant-Colonel on Sept. 17, 1776.
"In the latter capacity he is mentioned as leading a detach-
ment of troops, under Col. Ashe, to relieve Charleston, and
while encamped at Briar Creek, forty miles below Augnsta, on
the Georgia side of the Savannah river, Ashe was surprised in
a night attack by General Prevost, who was marching up from
Savannah. The Continental troops were utterly defeated and
Ashe lost almost his entire army, by death, capture and dis-
persion ; in fact, the Georgia Brigade was not again used as a
unit during the war."
Lieut. Col. Harris, after a gallant defence, was
taken prisoner, but he must have been exchanged or
escaped, as in the history of South Carolina he is men-
tioned as being at the battle of Camden Aug. 16, 1780,
''where he displayed great prowess," and at the battle
of Eutaw Springs Sept. 8, 1781, "where he showed much
skill."
A History of the Willis Family 343
Lt. Col. Harris was never married though twice en-
gaged.
In 1782, having gone on a visit to General Sumpter at
Stateburg, he became involved in an argument concern-
ing a Miss Bohun and a duel followed; he was wounded
and died from the effects. '*He was buried at the High
Hills of Santee; but his relatives have never been able
to discover his grave."
A miniature of Col. Harris, painted while he was a stu-
dent at Oxford, by Cosway, one of the most famous of
English miniaturists, shows him to have been an un-
usually handsome man. This miniature is now, in 1916,
owned by Miss Fanny Goodall Macleod, of Tallahassee,
Florida.
The will of Lt, Col. Francis Henry Harris was dated
''in the Parish of Christ Church, in the State of Georgia,"
April 27, 1777. In the will he bequeaths "unto James Clay,
son of my much esteemed friend Joseph Clay, Esqr., the
sum of Five Hundred pounds, good and lawful money of
the state aforesaid. I give and bequeath unto my God-
Daughter, Catherine Clay, Daughter of the said Joseph
Clay, the sum of Five Hundred pounds." The balance
of his estate he gave to his sister Elizabeth, as follows :
"And all the rest residue and remainder of my Estate
and Effects, both real and personal, situate and being in
this, or in any other part of the world, I give devise and
bequeath to my Dear Sister Elizabeth Harris," etc.
1 *Dr. Donald Macleod, who married Elizabeth Harris,
was born in 1755, at Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye,
Scotland. He was the son of Donald and Catherine
Macleod. Dr. Donald Macleod was an officer in the
Black Watch regiment, emigrated to the Colony of
Georgia about the time of the Revolution, and mar-
ried Elizabeth Harris on December 23, 1782. Dr.
344 A Histoyy of the Willis Family
Donald Macleod died in Savannah June 20, 1802;
iLllizabeth, his widow, died in Savannah Feby. 16,
1808. They had three children,
2 *Francis Harris Macleod, b. Sept. 15, 1784, d. Jany.
18, 1864.
2 Catherine Macleod, b. Jany. 18, 1786, d. IVIarch 21,
1807 ; m. George "VV. MacAlister in 1803 and died near
Harrisburg, Pa., leaving one daughter, Catherine
Amelia, b. in Pennsylvania in 1807, d. in Savannah
on March 13, 1826, aged nineteen years.
2 Mary Eliza Macleod, b. Sept. 9, 1795, d. July 27, 1814.
* Francis Harris Macleod m. Mary Ann Millen, dau. of
John and Sarah Millen, of Savannah, Dec. 31, 1807;
their children,
3 Sarah Elizabeth, b. Sept. 28, 1808, d. .
3 Francis Harris, b. Jany. 16, 1810, d. Oct. 26, 1810.
3 Ann Alethia, b. March 6, 1812, d. .
3~ *John Donald, b. May 22, 1814, d. Oct. 4, 1887.
3 Mary Catherine, b. July 25, 1815, d. June 8, 1837.
3 William Harris, b. Oct. 27, 1817, d. Sept., 1872.
3 Frances Goodall, b. Dec. 19, 1819, d. Sept. 13, 1857.
3 Richard Habersham, b. June 28, 1828, d. March 24,
1870; m. Julia Law.
After the death of John Millen his widow, Sarah,
married James Jones, who d. in Washington while
a member of the Sixth Congress. She was the daugh-
ter of John Eppinger. She d. in Savannah Feby.
24, 1814.
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o
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346 A History of the Willis Family
Doctor John Donald Macleod (3d) m. Elizabeth
Laing Bradley, of South Carolina, in 1836, He
studied medicine at the Chai'leston College. "In
1850 he became a citizen of Florida and resided
thereafter in the counties of Leon or Madison, and d.
at Tallahassee. He was one of the most successful
. planters in that section and always the honorable,
courteous and hospitable country gentleman of the
olden time, and loved and appreciated by all who
knew him well. He had a great fondness for field
sports and a very active life was conducive to the
good health which Dr. Macleod enjoyed for more
than the allotted years of men. ' ' They had six chil-
dren,
4 John Bradley, b. July 25, 1838, d. Sept. 12, 1907;
was in the Confederate army.
4 Francis Henry, b. April 19, 1840, d. Mch., 1864; was
in the Confederate army, was wounded at Vicksburg,
and died of his wounds at Nashville, Tenn.
4 *Mary Catherine, b. May 16, 1842, m. John Howard,
of Richmond, Va.
4 Margaret Millen, b. June 9, 1846, m. Dr. Geo. W.
Betton June 5, 1867.
4 Elizabeth Bradley, b. Mch. 18, 1848, d. Dec. 17, 1898;
m. Geo. W. Marshall March, 1868.
4 Francis Goodall, b. Nov. 5, 1856.
*Mary Catherine Macleod m. John Howard, of Eich-
mond, Va., on Feby. 13, 1866. (For further record,
see Howard Genealogy, 6th generation.)
William Harris Macleod (3rd) m. Martha A. Salmon,
of Greenville, S. C, who was fourteen years of age,
and shortly afterwards emigrated to Missouri with
A Hlsturij of the Willis Family 347
a number of other families from that section of South
Carolina. They were m. in Greenville Nov. 21, 1839.
She died in Versailes, Mo., 1852. She was born July
4, 1825. They had seven children,
4 Sarah Elizabeth, b. Aug. 27, 1840.
4 Francis Harris, b. Feby. 1, 1842, who was assassi-
nated in a cowardly way by a company of Union
troops at the beginning of the war.
4 Annie C. Millen, b. Dec. 19, 1843, d. 1872.
4 Julia Law, b. Oct. 27, 1845.
4 George Butler, b. July 4, 1847.
4 Laura Virginia, b. Jany. 6, 1849, d. .
4 Nancy Thurston, b. June 3, 1850, d. .
Richard Habersham Macleod (3rd) m. Julia, dau.
of William and Alethia (Jones) Law, of Jjiberty
County, Georgia. Julia Law was b. Feby. 8, 1832,
d. March 7, 1904; their children,
Richard Habersham, b. Feby 10, 1860.
Mary Anna (Minnie), b. April 3, 1865, m. Robert
Maxey Hull.
Children of Robert Maxey and Minnie {Macleod) Hull.
Robert Maxey, d. .
Minnie and Julia, twins, d. in infancy.
Macleod.
Albert.
Nannie.
DUNVEGAN CASTLE.
Birthplace of Doctor Doxald Macleod.
Dr. Samuel Johnson, with Boswell, visited Dunvegan
Castle in 1773, and the Dr. speaks of it in his ''Visit to
the Hebrides." Another writer, A. R. Hope-Moncriffe,
A History of the Witlis Family 349
in his book, "The Highhuids and Islands," refers to
the visit of Johnson and Boswell as follows :
"Leaving tlie comparatively green promontory of Sleat, the
party rode over moors and bogs to Carriechatcliin, near Broad-
ford, where bad weather kept them for a couple of days, till
?Iacleod of Rassay sent his carriage for them, ***** The car-
riage turned out to be an open boat, in which four half-naked
men, chorusing Galic songs, rowed them through the Sound of
Scalpa, and across a rough open sea to the island of Rassay.
"In the new mansion house, to which the Laird had removed
from his tumble down castle, they found a whole troop of
Macleods, who every night danced and sang in honor of their
guests; but where they all slept was not so evident, some forty
persons in eleven rooms.
"Among the rest was the Macleod of Dunvegan, a young man
fresh from Oxford, who invited the strangers to his castle, * * * *.
Landed at the harbor of Portree, in the Isle of Skye, then not
even a village, where an emigrant ship was lying as a hint of
new times for the Highlands, they went round by Kingsburg,
that Johnson might have the satisfaction of making Flora
^racdonald's acquaintance, * * * *. Dunvegan, to Boswell's
delight, was a real old castle, romantically placed on a rock,
and his companion rejoiced to find that its Chatelaine, having
lived in London, 'knew all the arts of southern elegance, and
all the modes of English economy,' * * * *. At Dunvegan they
remained a week, hearing the traditions of the castle, and seeing
its relics, for one, that horn of Rorie ]\Iore, to hold two or three
bottles of wine, which every Laird of ^lacleod must drink at a
draught in proof of his manliood; in our degenerate days, it
appears, this ceremony has to be performed by help of a false
bottom. No doubt they also saw, though neither of them men-
tions it, another more lordly drinking-cup bearing the date
993, which seems to have been a clialice; also the 'fairy
flag' of Dunvegan, a faded silk banner from the East, probably
350 A Hist or ij of the Willis Family
a relic of crusading, which may be displayed thrice, and thrice
only, to save the house of Macleod from ruin, as it has done
twice, and may do once more. Though the young chief was
d<ep in debt, he let wine flow generously, there being indeed
no custom house in Skye, and venison came to the table every
day in its various forms."
KING FAMILY.
1 Captain John King, b. Northampton, England, 1629,
d. Northfield, Mass., Dec. 5, 1703; m. Sarah Holton,
of Massachusetts, on Nov. 18, 1656; she d. May 6,
1683; they had,
2 Thomas King, b. Massachusetts, July 14, 1662, d.
Massachusetts Dec. 26, 1711; m. Mary Webster, b.
Connecticut, d. Massachusetts Sept. 27, 1706. The
marriage took place in Connecticut in Nov., 1690;
they had,
3 Thomas King, b. Connecticut, d. Connecticut; m.
Sarah Mygart, b. Connecticut March 9, 1691, d. Con-
necticut ; m. in Connecticut Nov. 6, 1712 ; they had,
4 Captain Timothy King, b. Connecticut Oct. 20, 1727,
d. Wintonbury, Conn., Jany. 18, 1812; m. Sarah
Fitch, b. Connecticut May 5, 1736, d. Wintonbury
May 20, 1785 ; married in Wintonbury April 19, 1753 ;
they had,
o Roswell King, b. Windsor, Conn., May 3, 1765, d.
Roswell, Ga., Feby. 15, 1844; m. Catherine Barring-
ton, b. San Savilla, Ga., Feby. 22, 1776; married
on April 14, 1792 ; they had,
6 Barrington King, b. Darien, Ga., March 9, 1798, d.
Roswell, Ga., Jany. 17, 1866; m. Catherine M.
Nephew, b. in Mcintosh County, Ga., Feby. 22, 1804,
d. in Roswell, Ga., July 7, 1887; married in Darien,
Ga., Jany. 30, 1822; they had,
7 Barrington S. King, b. in Liberty County, Ga., Oct.
17, 1833, d. Averasboro, N. C, March 10, 1865; m.
Sarah Elizabeth Macleod, 4tli generation, b. in Ver-
352 A Hist on/ of the Willis Family
saillesj Mo., Aug. 27, 1840; married at Marietta,
Ga., July 28, 1859; they had,
8 Harris Macleod King", b. at Roswell, Ga., April 29,
1860.
Captain Timothy King (J-th) was commander of the
Brig. Defiance during the Revolution, with 12 guns and
70 men, as shown in Connecticut records on page 604,
*' Connecticut Men in the Revolution." The Defiance was
a privateer.
Captain John King (1st) was Military Commander
of Northampton in 1692, Representative from Northamp-
ton in 1679-89, also a grantee of Northfield, and one of
the committee for settling that town; he was also in the
King Philip's war.
Barrington S. King was killed at the head of liis com-
mand at the battle of Averasboro, N. C, March 10, 1865.
His wife, Sarah Elizabeth Macleod, while b. in Missouri,
was educated and partly raised in Georgia, her grand-
father, Francis Harris Macleod, having brought her out
from Missouri when she was a voumr 2-irl.
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