John Willis

We do not have the baptism for John.
But I think the photo of the little girl that Donna has ties the families together.
So this section is still on probation - I am making lots of assumptions.

Max's tree shows John Willis baptised Slaidburn 1797 - but I have not found it referenced elsewhere. That is not to say I doubt it, all the other info I have checked from that tree has been correct and he does give a date not just the year.

From Clapham Parish Register (Findmypast)
John Willis of this parish bachelor
and Nancy Horner of this parish spinster
married by banns
third day October 1826
by Jas Robinson Curate
both made their marks
witnesses Thos (Oldfield?)
Ellen Leech her mark

1841 census
Clapham with Newby
all born Yorkshire
John Willis 40 Ag Lab
Nancy 35
Bridget 12
Ellen 7
Isabella 5
Henry 3
William 3 months
Edward 35 (Fioller????) possible death MarQ 1847 Settle

I think Edward is John's brother, the one baptised as Edmund.
Bridget the daughter, named for John's mother.
I have used a tree on ancestry by Paul Dixon.

1851 Clapham
John Willis 53 pauper Ag lab born Ing
Nancy 46
Ellen 17
Henry 12
William 8
John 6
Thomas 4
apart from John, all born Clapham
described as a pauper but so were the other ag lab on this page

1861 Clapham
John Willis Wid. 63 Ag Lab born Easington
Isabella 34 Housekeeper      born Clapham
John 16 Platelayers lab.       born Clapham
John W Horner nephew 4    born Settle
Bridget Leech 22 visitor      born Clapham
servant out of place

1871 Clapham
John Willis Wid. 73 Ag Lab born Ing
Alice Maudsley Wid. 51 servant born Cowside
Henry Kaley 53 lodger journeyman blacksmith
                           born Cheshire

Probate 1879
John Willis late of Clapham cattle dealer died 8 Aug 1879 to Thomas Willis of 23 Chester road Tuebrook near Liverpool, engineer the son. Effects under £800

(Donna I think the photo of the little girl is the daughter of Thomas, granddaughter of John Willis)

possible death reg. from freebmd site
MarQ 1861 Settle, Nancy Willis
SepQ 1879 Settle, John Willis age 81

children of John Willis and Nancy Horner baptised at Clapham
Ann Willis          c. 6 May 1827
Bridget Willis     c. 15 Mar 1829
Jane Willis          c. 26 May 1831  bur. 4 May 1837 Clapham
Ellen Willis         c.1833
Isabella Willis     c. 21 May 1836
Henry Willis        c. 21 Jun 1838
William Willis     c. 16 May 1841
John Willis           c. 20 May 1843 death JunQ 1843 Settle
John Willis          c. 16 Jul 1844
Thomas Willis
..............................................................................................
Ann Willis born 1827
marriage on ancestry
Liverpool St Philip 21 Jan 1850
Charles Wells stonemason Laznean St, father William stonemason
Ann Willis                          Bold Place, father John farmer
both signed
witnesses Joseph Miles, Bridget Willis

1841Clapham
Restus? (near Turnerford)
William Dawson 55 ind
Isabella 40
Ann Willis 14 F. S
John Turner 70 Ag lab
1851 Liverpool
Charles Wells 30 stonemason born Latham
Ann 23                                    born Clapham
Bridget Willis 22 milliner dressmaker 
       wife's sister                       born Clapham

1861 Gloucester St, Griffin Hotel
         Liverpool
Charles Wells 40 Licenced victualler
Ann 33
Bridget Willis 31 sister-in-law barmaid
Mary Ceekhall gen. ser.

probate 1868
Charles Wells late of Wilton Street, Liverpool victualler died 8 Sept 1868 to John Clayton of 25 Stark street Liverpool Publican effects under £200.
..................................................................................
Bridget Willis born 1829
1841 living in Clapham with her parents
1851 living in Liverpool with sister Ann
1861 living in Liverpool with sister Ann
1871 Liverpool, Mount Pleasant, Russell Street
Bertha Willis 41 Publican born Clapham
Henry Willis 33 Publican born Clapham
Mary Anne Alderson 20 servant born Clapham

probate 1874 Bridget otherwise Bertha Willis late of Berry-street Liverpool spinster died 23 May 1874 to John Willis of Clapham cattle dealer the father next of kin effects under £200
.....................................................................................
Ellen Willis born 1833
1841 living in Clapham with her parents
1851 living in Clapham with her parents
marriage on Ancestry
Everton St. Peter 27 Feb 1859
Robert Edwards 28 watchmaker 29 Field St, father Robert Coachman
Ellen Willis 25                           112 Field St, father John Labourer
both signed
witnesses Charles Lowcock jun. Bridget Willis

1861 Liverpool 12 Limes St.
Robert Edwards 30 watchEnape? maker born Prescott
Ellen 27                                                    born Clapham
John 1                                                       born Liverpool
Martha 2m                                                born Liverpool

possible death DecQ 1868 West Derby Ellen Edwards age 35
.......................................................................................
Isabella Willis born 1836
used MaryCooper43 tree on ancestry

1841 living in Clapham with her parents
1851 Liverpool 48 Dale St.
Isabella Willis 16 servant born Clapham
(to a Victuler)
1861living in Clapham with widowed father

marriage on findmypast Clapham
24 Oct 1861
John Johnson miner, groom Clapham father William labourer
Isabella Willis of age, father John labourer
both signed
unusually there are 5 witnesses - all signed not sure if I am reading them correctly
Mary Dean?, Tho Shelvey? Thomas Preston
John Story Dean, Mary Johnson

1871 Clapham
John Johnson 27 Ag lab born Wenning Bank
Isabella 35  born Clapham
Mary A 7
Thomas H 5
William 2
Matthew 2 months
Isabella Sarton 45 nurse born London
1881 Wray
Mill cottages
John Johnson 37 Coachman born Clapham
Isabella 45                               "        "
Mary A 17 dressmaker            "        "
Thomas H 15 silk dresser       "         "
William 11                               "        "
Matthew 10                              "        "
Isabella 7                                born Yealand
Agnes Ellen 3                          "         "
John 7 months                          "         "
1891 Hornby
John Johnson 49 coachman   born Clapham
Isabella 55                                "         "
Thomas Henry 25 silk dresser  "         "
Agnes Ellen 13                       born Yealand Conyers
John 10                                   born Lancaster
Frederick Walter 8                  born Wray
John father, did 79 general lab. born Garstang
1901 Bolton le Sands
Hawkshead West Lodge
John Johnson 60 coachman   born Clapham
Isabella 66                                "         "
William 31 silk dresser            "         "
Matthew 30  silk dresser          "         "
John 20 coachman                  born Lancaster
Agnes E 23                             born Yealand Conyers
Isabella Hayes 27 day married born Yealand Conyers
1911 Bolton le Sands
West Lodge Hawkshead Bolton le Sands
John Johnson 68 coachman born Clapham
Isabella 74                               "        "
Agnes Ellen 33                     born Yealand Conyers
Ellen Marion Hayes 9 granddad. born Skerton Lancaster
They had been married 49 years had 9 children 1 had died.

death reg.
DecQ 1919 Lancaster John Johnson age 76
DecQ 1926 Ulverstone Isabella Johnson age 90
................................................................................
Henry Willis born 1838

1841 living with parents in Clapham
1851 living with parents in Clapham
1861 Liverpool
25 Dale Street
Henry Willis age 22 born Clapham
one of 4 barmen at a licensed victualler
1871 living with his sister Bertha/Bridget

birth reg. JunQ 1838 Settle Henry Willis
death reg. DecQ 1876 West Derby Henry Willis age 39
..................................................................................
William Willis born 1841

birth MarQ 1841 Settle William Willis
1841 living with parents in Clapham
1851 living with parents in Clapham
1861 Liverpool, Mount Pleasant
50 Ranelagh? St
Henry Langsketh 29 Grocer born Bentham
Elizabeth 26 sister housekeeper born Bentham
Joseph Collins 20 boarder grocers app born Cumberland
William Willis 19 boarder grocers app born Clapham
Richard Foster 15 nephew grocer merchants app born Bentham

don"t know what happened to him after
.....................................................................................
birth JunQ 1843 Settle John Willis
death JunQ 1843 Settle John Willis
.....................................................................................
John Willis born 1844

birth JunQ 1844 Settle John Willis
death Mar Q 1919 West Derby John Willis age 78
wife's death  JunQ West Derby Mary Willis age 64 (b. 1845)

1851 living with parents in Clapham
1861 living with father in Clapham
1871 West Derby
57 Romily St
John Willis 26 labourer born Clapham
Mary 27                         born Kirkby
Annie 2                          born Liverpool
Thomas Willis 24 brother born Clapham
Will Molyneaux 30 brother in law born Kirkby
Isabella "       27 sister in law born Cumberland
Mary Cressley 59           born Cumberland

marriage
Everton St Peter 22 Jan 1866
John Willis 22 labourer 23 Watmough St father John farmer
Mary Tyrer 22                        "             "  father Henry farmer
both signed
witnesses James Leonard, Catherine Farrington

children of John Willis and Mary Tyrer
Annie Willis
Ellen Willis
Henry Willis
Margaret Nancy Willis
Henry Willis
Albert Willis
2 missing

1881 West Derby
37 Radcliffe St. Everton
John Willis 36 cab owner  born Clapham
Mary 37                             born Kirby
Annie 12                            born Liverpool
Ellen 9                                  "        "
Margaret 4                            "        "
Henry 2                                 "        "
Samuel Cropper 42 lodger  born Liverpool
Edmund Harper 26 lodger  born Manchester

1891 West Derby
19 Cobden Street
John Willis 46 general labourer born Clapham
Mary 46                                     born Kirby
Nellie 19     cigarett maker        born Liverpool
Marat 14     domestic nurse          "       "
Henry 12                                       "       "
Albert 9                                         "       "
Saml Cropper 52 boarder cotton porter (dock)
Andrew Rolands 37 "      furniture remover

1901 Everton
19 Cobden Street
John Willes 56 cotton porter (dock) born Clapham
Mary 56                                            born Kirby
Henry 22  cotton porter (dock)        born Liverpool
Albert 19 cotton porter (dock)          "        "
James Morgan 54 boarder printing compositor
Jane Chester 40          "                     born Liverpool

1911 19 Cobden Street
John Willis 67 porter (warehouse?) cotton born Clapham
married 44 years, 8 children born, 3 died
Margaret Hogben dau. mar. 8 years, 2 children born Liverpool
John Hogben 8 grandson                                      "        "
Ann Jane Brown 56 ?
Bessie Fitzsimons 58 ?

...............................................................................
Thomas Willis

Parish

Slaidburn
genuki Slaidburn has useful information about the parish.
In particular under maps the one showing parish boundaries is an old map showing the old names.
You can enlarge the view so it is possible to read the names.
Near the green number 280, there is the name Old Ing which might be relevant to John Willis eldest son of Henry. It is near Easington. Close by is Clapham Common and Austwick Common. So if the Willis family lived in this part when they married they were close to Clapham parish. If you scroll to the left you will find Botton Head which I think is where Nicholas Willis was in 1841. Further over to the left near the green number 133 is Over Wyresdale and just below it is Doe Holme the farm where John Remington and Isabella Leech lived, and where Richard and Isabella Slinger ended up.

Clapham
I am slowly slowly making my own transcript of the parish register from findmypast starting with baptisms 1748 - 82. It is in a clear hand and mostly notes residence. Gentry indicated by use of Mr. craftsmen noted, but farmers and agricultural labourers making up the majority no occupation. Some page corners bent hiding part of entries.

Again genuki Clapham has useful information about the parish. The parish boundaries old map shows the village of Clapham near the green number 276. Just to the left you can find Tewit Hall, where Nicholas was born, Green Close and three squares below Dubgarth where Ann was born.
For the Remingtons over to the left going towards Ingleton you can see Yarlsber where our Jane Remington lived with her daughter.

A modern map by googling Slaidburn farms is also useful. If you try Clapham farms it gives you a map of London Clapham. But you can move the Slaidburn round. Tewitt farm is signed twice, on one of them is a photo - do not know if it is the right building but it is stone.

There is a lovely photo of Dubgarth - google Dubgarth Harling (rootsweb website).

Henry Willis

I am working from other peoples research, which I shall acknowledge. I do try to confirm records but it is not always possible to do so. Therefore I shall colour information that I have verified. I also want to note records it would be helpful to look at.
..........................................................
Henry Willis lived and died before the census and civil registration. We only have limited information to go on. We do not know where he came from.
This information on the Willis family came from Max's Tree which used to be online - I think from the Trewartha family.

Henry Willis married Slaidburn parish church 11Feb 1797
Bridget Turner

their children
John Willis christened Slaidburn 25 Dec 1797
Ellen Willis christened Slaidburn 29 Nov 1799
(I have not found these two in the indexes of Slaidburn on Ancestry)
Edmund Willis christened Clapham *
Henry Willis christened Clapham 8 Nov 1807 born 8 Oct 1807, Dubgarth
Ann Willis christened Clapham 5 Oct 1812 born 5 Sep 1812, Dubgarth
Isabella Willis christened Clapham 5 June 1814, Green Close
Nicholas Willis christened Clapham 17 Oct 1819, Tewit Hall, farmer
Joseph Willis christened Clapham 2 Oct 1821, Tewit Hall
.........................................................................................................
The images of the parish register of Clapham is on Findmypast.
Henry Willis of Clapham was buried there 29 Dec 1831 aged 24 (son)
Bridget Willis  of Clapham buried 26 June 1833 age 55 (wife)
Henry Willis of Clapham buried 29 Jan 1834 age 78

Joseph Willis of Austwick buried 20 March 1834 age 86.
At this time I do not think this Joseph is related to Henry.
His death was in the Lancaster Gazette March 22 1834
On the 17th inst. at Austwick Mr Joseph Willis at the advanced age of 86, father of Mr. Willis, solicitor of this town.
None of our Willis's deaths were in the newspapers.
I do not think Henry left a will either.
Early wills for this area are at Lancashire Records Office in Preston.
There are two we should look at - both I do not think are our Willis.
For the above
WRW/L/R643/105 1 May 1834
Joseph Willis, Yeoman, Austwick
and probably from his family
WRW/L/R635/102 13 Apr 1811
Joseph Willis, Yeoman, Austwick
If Henry had made a will it would be there.

..................................................................................................
*I think this was a mistake, and should have been Edward.
Only the father noted as Henry.
Bridget's father was Edward, it could be that Henry's father was John. Bridget's oldest brother also called John.
Note the gap between Edmund/Edward and Henry 6 years.
This was the time of the Napoleonic wars. The country feared an invasion by Napoleon.
notesfrombywaters.co.uk mentions 1803 muster rolls of Austwick, and 1807 registers of electors in Clapham and Austwick.

If the age on the burial is correct Henry Willis would have been born about 1756.
There seems to be a big age gap between Henry and Bridget. (20 years)
..................................................................................................
The parish register for Slaidburn is at Lancashire record office.
But I did find Bishop Transcript marriages for Slaidburn on Findmypast.

Henry Willis of the parish of Slaidburn Husbandman
and Bridget Turner of the same parish Spinster
were married in this church by publication of Banns
this Eleventh day of Febuary in the year one thousand seven hundred and
ninty seven.
By me Joseph Bowman curate
Henry Willis
Bridget Turner - her mark
In the presence of
Henry Maudsley
Wm Slaiter

Wm Slaiter was witness to many of the marriages, so probably has no relevance.
Henry Willis could sign his name.
He was probably a tenant farmer (husbandman).
Bridget Turner was a local girl - we will look at her family later.
Her parents were Edward Turner and Ellen Heaton, and they had a large family from the look of it.
Speculation - the two names of the Willis children which do not appear in Bridget's immediate family are Ann and Nicholas so they might be Willis names.

Geography

By coincidence we went on the winter cumbrian mountain express by the railway touring company on Saturday. A steam hauled excursion over the picturesque Settle Carlisle line. We have done this tour many times and it never fails to deliver a memorable experience.
For myself, it is the route that is of the most interest because the whole day has me glued to the window. Nearly the whole way has some kind of significance in terms of family history. Not having a car this is the closest I get to some of the areas.
Part of the route passes east from Clitheroe to join the Settle line at Hellifield, then north through Settle. It is skirting the area the Willis family lived.
As the train pulls way east of Clitheroe the land slowly rises up and it becomes less inhabited with lonely stone farmhouses. The green of the valley contrasting to the harsher uplands. Even though it was only January lambs were gambling about the fields. I guess ours was the first steam train they had seen. Past Horton in Ribblesdale the landscape is true mountains and moorland. Today the cloud sat full square on the tops - grey dampness. I've seen this land graced with glorious blue skies and bright sunlight, I've ridden above the clouds sunken in the valleys, another time the land was blanketed in snow but perhaps today we experienced the more common conditions desolate wild muted colours. There were still many walkers wrapped up warm, around Ribbleshead.

A series of valleys separated by uplands runs west to east.
......................................................................................
mountains
valley - Bentham, Ingleton, Clapham (from Lancaster in the west to Settle in the east)
upland - Forest of Bowland - Slaidburn
valley - Clitheroe, Remington, Gisburn
.........................................................................................

Donna

Our American cousin Donna has very kindly contacted me, and told me such interesting things about our common ancestors. She has rekindled interest in this branch of the family. It is so nice to have someone to share the journey. So thank you, thank you so much Donna. Donna has some photos and letters that are of such interest.
Our common ancestors are Henry Willis and Bridget Turner. Their story begins in the parish of Slaidburn an area I know nothing about. The Remington line descends from Ann Willis their daughter, Donna's line from their son Nicholas Willis.
I will post as we go along, from the point of view of someone who knows nothing, because I know when I look back on this in a couple of months time I shall have forgotten my train of thought. Suggestions and corrections welcomed.