A Stray Strand of Dover Willis’
Whilst looking for something else on the International Genealogical Index (IGI) this afternoon I came across 2 whole other strands of Willis’ in Dover.
One goes back to a John and Judith Willis, whose son Charles (bap 1663) married a Joane Redward in 1680. From them I’ve traced a further two generations…
The second begins with Andrew Willis and his wife Sarah, who had at least six children, all baptised in the parish church of St James the Apostle in Dover between 1652 and 1670.
As yet no connection found to my own Willis line!
*KNOWN ISSUES*
There are a couple of known issues with The Willis Tree which I need to make visitors aware of, and which will affect your experience of the site depending on which web browser you’re using.
In Internet Explorer…
… the main menu [Home, About Me, Family Tree etc] is shown as a vertically-stacked list of links. When shown correctly it should be a horizontal strip across the screen.
In Chrome…
…Pedigree Charts in the Family Tree section get stuck on the ‘Loading…’ screen and just show empty boxes where the ancestor details should be.
In Opera…
…Pedigree Charts in the Family Tree section get stuck on the ‘Loading…’ screen and just show empty boxes where the ancestor details should be.
New contact – from the Willis of Deal
Had an email from Laurie, she says:
‘Hello Paul, I believe I am related to some of these Willis’, but am still trying to make a definite connection. My 2nd grt grandfather, John Henry Bushell (Born in Walmer), married a Hannah Willis in 1868. At least I’m 99% sure her last name was Willis with my research, but I have sent for the marriage certificate to be 100% sure. Hannah was born abt 1848 in Deal, Kent. After researching the census’ I believe her father and mother to be James & Judith Willis. James Willis was born in Deal abt. 1810. On most of the census’ they lived in Ripple. Judith (nee unknown) was born in Mongeham abt 1810. That is as far as I have gotten so far. I do not know James Willis’ fathers or mothers name. I could see your tree had alot of Willis’ in Deal and feel that they must be related somehow.’
I’ve done a little bit more research online and been able to trace the James Willis (b1810) as this one… I’ve contacted Laurie to let her know!
Roll of Honour – new additions
With data from FadedGenes and the Dover Virtual War Memorial sites, I’ve been able to add three more names to the Roll of Honour. These are: Walter John Hopper (1894-1940), Charles Gammon (1896-1917) and Thomas Sifleet (1889-1917).
The information from FadedGenes means I’ve been able to add the ancestral lines of some of these as well, and thereby add more individuals to the family tree.
Royal Links!
My 31xGreat Grandfather was one Rognvald I “The Wise” Eysteinsson, who was born in Norway in about 834 and died in the Orkey Islands of Scotland in about the year 890. Rognald was also the 4xGreat Grandfather of William ‘The Conqueror’, King of England. William is not my direct ancestor (he is my 27xGreat Uncle!), however we do share an ancestor in William’s mother, Herleve de Falaise (1003-1050) who was mistress to Robert I, Duke of Normandy. Herleve later married Herluin de Conteville (1001-1066) and their daughter, Emma, married Richard I, Viscount of Avranches. Richard’s son, Albreda, fought alongside King William at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, after which he was given land around Okehampton in Devon. Over the next few decades the family moved to Kent, in particular a hamlet outside Folkestone called Hougham. Richard I’s great grandson, Robert, took the Hougham name as his surname, becoming Robert de Hougham (1160-1230). It was Robert’s 15xGreat Grand daughter, Alice Hougham (1758-1798) who married into what would become my mother’s family.
James Lightfoot – the man who married his dead wife’s sister…
James Lightfoot was born in Deptford in London in about 1841 and married his first cousin, Elizabeth Alefounder in 1866. She died in 1870 and by the 1871 Census James was living with Elizabeth’s sister, Susannah Wesley Alefounder and later that year they were “married”.
Under the 1835 Marriages Act this would have been illegal and by the period in question was a contentious issue. There are many references in The Times newspaper from 1849 onwards to attempts to change the law in this respect, all of which were defeated until the Deceased’s Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act was passed in 1907. It is very unlikely that James and Susanna would have been unaware of what they were doing!
A new Calloway contact in NZ!
Had a message today via GenesReunited from Robin, who is a descendant of Samuel Calloway and Mary Syflet. He lives in New Zealand, although was originally born and brought up in Surrey in the UK.
Turns out we are 5th cousins!
We’ve exchanged email addresses and I’m looking forward to sharing information with him…
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