George WILLIS

1821 - 1875  (54 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	George WILLIS  [1, 2, 3]
  Born	1821	Barham, Kent, England   [1, 2, 3]
  Christened	20 May 1821	Barham, Kent, England   [4]
  Gender	Male
  Census	30 Mar 1851	Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England
  	Occupation: Labourer
  Census	7 Apr 1861	25 Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent, England
  	Occupation: General Labourer
  Occupation	8 Feb 1864	Buckland, Dover, Kent, England
  	Occupation recorded as 'Workman in a Brewery' on daughter Clara's death certificate.
  Census	2 Apr 1871	St Radigund's Road, Dover, Kent, England
  	Occupation: Labourer
  Died	7 Nov 1875	St Radigund's Road, Dover, Kent, England   [5, 6]
  	Age: 54
  	Cause: Pneumonia 14 days (double)
  Person ID	I444	WILLIS01
  Last Modified	8 Aug 2020

  
  

  Mother	Mary WILLIS ,   c. 15 Jan 1804, Barham, Kent, England
  Children	+ 1. George WILLIS,   b. 1821, Barham, Kent, England ,   d. 7 Nov 1875, St Radigund's Road, Dover, Kent, England  (Age 54 years)
  Family ID	F3236	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner	Mary Ann SUTERS ,   c. 21 Sep 1821, St James the Apostle, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. 3 Sep 1895, St Radigund's Road, Dover, Kent, England  (Age ~ 73 years)
  Married	28 Mar 1846	St Peter & Paul Parish Church, Charlton, Dover, Kent
  Children	+ 1. George Robert WILLIS ,   b. 1 Jan 1847, Charlton, Kent, England ,   d. 29 Jan 1922, 21 Astley Avenue, Dover, Kent, England  (Age 75 years) + 2. Mary Ann WILLIS ,   b. 4 Mar 1848, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. Before 1911  (Age 62 years)   3. Emma Elizabeth WILLIS ,   b. 1849, Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England + 4. Maria WILLIS ,   b. 1851, Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. Yes, date unknown + 5. John William WILLIS ,   b. Jun 1853, Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England   6. Clara WILLIS ,   b. Aug 1855, Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. 8 Feb 1864, Dover, Kent, England  (Age ~ 8 years) + 7. Louisa WILLIS ,   b. 1857, Charlton Green, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. 1 Dec 1879, Dover, Kent, England  (Age 22 years)   8. Charles Henry WILLIS ,   b. 1859, Buckland, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. 7 Feb 1876, Dover, Kent, England  (Age ~ 16 years) + 9. Alfred Thomas WILLIS ,   b. May 1864, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. 4 Dec 1934, 13 Noah's Ark Road, Dover, Kent, England  (Age ~ 70 years)   10. James Augustus WILLIS   ,   b. 1865, Buckland, Dover, Kent, England ,   d. Queensland, AUSTRALIA
  BMD Records		MARRIAGE: WILLIS, George & SUTERS, Mary Ann - 1846
  Family ID	F105	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Census Records » Slide Show		1851 - WILLIS George
  		1861 - BENEFIELD, John & WILLIS, George 1861 Census return for George & Mary Willis of 25, Union Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent, England (page 1)
  		1871 - WILLIS, George & Mary Ann [SUTERS] 1871 Census return for George & Mary Ann Willis at St Radigund Road, Buckland, Dover, Kent, England.

  
  

  BMD Records » Slide Show		MARRIAGE - WILLIS, George & SUTERS, Mary Ann - 1846
  		BAPTISM: WILLIS, George - 1821
  		DEATH: WILLIS, George - 1875

  
  

• Notes

  Early on in my research I found there was no reliable record as to who were the parents of my 2x great grandfather, George Willis. In the Barham Parish Baptism Records, Mary Willis, George's mother is described as 'Spinster' and George as 'base born' (i.e. illegitimate). Meaning that it's unlikely to find out who George's father was. Searching the parish records there were two 'candidates' for Mary. Either (1) Mary Ann Willis (born 1801), the daughter of Ingram Willis & Elizabeth Pilcher. She married George Benefield in 1823, two years after George was born. OR (2) Mary Willis (born 1804), the 'base-born' (ie illegitimate) daughter of Martha Willis. (Note: Ingram and Martha were brother & sister). However 'candidate (1) is unlikely because if George Benefield was George's biological father, then why did he keep the surname Willis? In those days before the adoption acts were in place, many children used the surname of their mother's husband, even if they were not his child, especially if they were very young at the time when their mother married. Back then a woman who was not married and had a baby were called before the parish council who tried to find out who the father was in order that the parish would not have to support the mother and child (on the parish). Research has been made in the “Parish Chest” notes of Barham which contains quite a few references to children born to unmarried women. But as yet no refererence to Mary Willis and George has been found. Mary was aged 20 when George was born, and George Benefield aged 23. He living in Womenswold, and Mary in Barham. It's likely that if George was Benefield's baby he would have married her as soon as he was able and given the child his surname. So we are left with Mary, the 'baseborn' daughter of Martha Willis. Christened: Barham Parish Records describe Mary Willis, George's mother as 'Spinster' and George as 'base born' (i.e. illegitimate)

  
  

• Sources

  [S02] **1871 England Census, Class: RG10; Piece: 1011; Folio: 32; Page: 32; GSU roll: 827261. Name: George WellisBirth Date: abt 1821Birth Place: Barham, Kent, EnglandResidence Date: 1871Residence Place: Buckland, Kent, England http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1871&h=12620721&ti=5538&indiv=try [S03] **1851 England Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 1632; Folio: 199; Page: 27; GSU roll: 193534-193535. Name: George WillitsBirth Date: abt 1822Birth Place: Barham, Kent, EnglandResidence Date: 1851Residence Place: Charlton, Kent, England http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1851&h=3160840&ti=5538&indiv=try [S07] **1861 England Census , Class: RG9; Piece: 550; Folio: 102; Page: 32; GSU roll: 542659. Name: George WillisBirth Date: abt 1822Birth Place: Wingham, Kent, EnglandResidence Date: 1861Residence Place: Buckland, Kent, England http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1861&h=7450157&ti=5538&indiv=try [S08] International Genealogical Index [IGI], The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. [S13] FreeBMD - Death Index: 1837-1983, http://www.freebmd.org.uk, 1875 DEC Dover 2a 545 . [S73] CERTIFICATE: Death [GRO], DYE 460111 (Reliability: 3). Occupation listed as 'Worker on a Brewery' Informant: Mary Ann Willis, daughter of deceased, present at death. Residence: 1 Wellesley Terrace, Dover.