HENRY WILLES was born in Windsor, Connecticut, October 14, 1690, son of Lieutenant Joshua Wills, or Willes, of Windsor, by his second wife, Hannah, daughter of Thomas Buckland, of that town.
In October, 1716, the General Assembly of Connecticut granted liberty to the inhabitants of that part of Norwich known as Norwich West Farms (incorporated in 1786 by the name of Franklin) to form a religious society; and not long after Mr. Willes was invited to preach as a candidate. He proved acceptable to the people (about fifty families), and with a view to his settlement permission was obtained, in May, 1718, from the Assembly for the organization of a church. Accordingly, on October 8, 1718, a church of eight members (the Second or West Church in Norwich) was gathered, and Mr. Willes ordained pastor.
For a long series of years his ministry was quiet and happy; but the derangement produced by the formation in 1734 of another society in Norwich, and the attempts to fix the location of a new house of worship, resulted in great disaffection among the people. In the Great Awakening of 1740, Mr. Willes sympathized with his friend, Benjamin Lord (Y. C. 1714), the pastor of the parent church in Norwich, and bade the revival godspeed. By 1746, however, a Separate Society was formed at the West Farms, by skilfully taking advantage of the existing elements of discontent. In October, 1747, the General Court interposed to prevent the summary dismission of Mr. Willes, and two years later they gave a final decree for the payment of his dues, and advised him to resign.
He resigned accordingly, January 23, 1749–50; but remained in the parish until his death, which happened there, after a week's illness, from paralysis, September 3, 1758, at the age of 68 years. The inventory of his estate amounted to £651; it included one hundred and eighty-six volumes.
He married, October 27, 1718, Martha, daughter of John and Lydia (Pratt) Kirtland, of Saybrook, Connecticut, and a sister of the Rev. Daniel Kirtland (Y. C. 1720).
She was born August 11, 1695, and died December 11, 1773, in her 79th year. The Rev. Dr. Lord, of Norwich 1st Society, preached and published funeral sermons on occasion of the deaths of Mr. Willes and his wife.
They had a large family, three sons and eight daughters.
The Rev. D. Ellis Willes (Y. C. 1850) is a direct descendant.
