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Facts and Events
Estate Records
- On 20 Oct. 1845 Ann Willis, in Lafayette Co., Miss., executed official renunciation of the provisions under the will of her late husband, Britton Willis. In June 1846 in Marshall Co., Miss. she executed Power of Attorney to David G. Willis to act on her behalf in obtaining her settlement.
Notes
- Britton Willis, according to his 1832 Revolutionary War Service Pension Application, stated he was born in NC and removed in childhood to Saluda Old Town in SC. She gave his age as 74 when he executed a supplement on 30 May 1833, thus he was born in 1758 0r 1759. At age 17 or 18 he enlisted as a Minute Man and served "on the frontiers of Georgia." I won't bore you with the details of his service but he was, at one point, on an expedition against the Cherokee Indians. This expedition was under Pickens, Clark and Anderson. Britton stated that he stayed in Georgia until 8 or 10 years after the war and then returned to South Carolina. He settled in Pendleton District where he stayed about 15 years, after which he moved to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. This pretty much tracks with the records we have found to date. For example, he was enumerated in Pendleton Dist., SC in both 1790 and 1800. From 1810 through 1840 he was enumerated in Muhlenberg Co., KY. His death occurred in 1844 in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
- From Genforum Message Board (Willis):
- Britton Willis, Revolutionary War patriot, born 1758 in North Carolina. After Revolutionary War, obtained a land grant in GA., and remained there for about 9 yrs. He then went to Pendleton County, SC for about 15 years before moving to KY where he died in 1845. His will in Muhlenberg Cty. KY reflected a man with a substantial estate consisting of both land and slaves.
- One of his children was James Willis, B. 1783 in GA. James moved to SC and KY and ultimately settled in Marshall Cty, Miss., about the time of the last Chickasaw Cession there. James' will dated April 17, 1855 probated in Marshall Cty, Miss. Two sons of the 14 children named in that will migrated to the new Indian Territory (Okla) during the Trail of Tears. They were Raleigh Britton "Rolly" Willis who settled in Doaksville, Choctaw Nation, and James Hamilton "Hamp" Willis who settled Willis in the area of Pickens Cty, Chickasaw Nation, which became Marshall Cty, OK. Raliegh married a 1/2 Choctaw Indian and :James "Hamp" married a Chickasaw Indian.
- I believe I am descended from Raleigh Britton Willis, but have not been able to make the direct connection. I have several bio's about the Willis family, mostly on the James "Hamp" Willis line. The Raliegh Britton line is very limited.
- My great grandmother Sarah Jane Willis, B. 1890 said their family came to OK during the Trail of Tears, which got me on this track. She is deceased now, so I have limited info. She also said they still had relatives in AL and Miss. when she married in 1906.
Citations
- http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/i/l/James-K-Willis-TX/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0051.html
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