NCNEWHAN-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Re: [NCNEWHAN] Willis Family
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 19:31:11 -0500
References: <004101c114a0$9928df00$17c028d8@pavilion>

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 7:27 PM
Subject: [NCNEWHAN] Willis Family


> My Willis family came to Southeast Virginia from England, in the
Chesapeake
> Bay area, the same area that the pilgrims first settled. There in the 1740
’
> s, in Isle of Wight County and Nansemond County (now the city of Suffolk)
> was the place that Joseph Willis’ father, Agerton Willis, three uncles and
> one aunt called home. The family had come to America from Devonshire,
> England. I believe, but I cannot prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt,
the
> English father of these five children was Benjamin Willis, Jr. (born circa
> 1690) and the grandfather was Benjamin Willis, Sr. (born circa 1670).
>
> The four Willis brothers were Joseph’s father Agerton Willis (born circa
> 1727; died 1777), and his brothers Daniel Willis (born circa 1716; died
> 1785), Benjamin Willis III (born circa 1725; died 1785), and George Willis
> (born circa 1730). The one known sister of these four brothers was Joanna
> Willis (born circa 1730; died 1791). Joanna married James Council (born
> circa 1716) of Isle of Wight County, Virginia in about 1751. James was the
> son of John Council and Benjamin Willis Jr.’s sister Josie Willis (born
> circa 1681), and grandson of Hodges Council. Hodges had also immigrated
from
> Devonshire, England to America.
>
> In the early 1750’s, the family including James and Joanna moved south.
> Between 1740 and 1770, hundreds of Virginians moved to North Carolina as a
> result of the Virginia legislature passing a law requiring all
non-residents
> to acquire ten acres of land for each head of stock ranging in the colony
or
> to become citizens.
>
> Thus the family left Virginia, probably by sea, and landed down the coast
at
> New Hanover (now named Wilmington), North Carolina. New Hanover had North
> Carolina’s most navigable seaport and even though it was not used much for
> transatlantic trade, this meant the area of the state was easily
accessible
> from all other English settlements along the coast.
>
> Randy Willis
> www.randywillis.org
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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