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Samuel Willis, Robert Willis's father was born about 1751, the son of Thomas Willis and his wife Elizabeth. He was baptized in Bitton on 28^th^ July 1751 and he was the 8^th^ child in a family of 12 children.

An Agreement made and entered into the……day of February in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and Twenty Five Between Elizabeth Willis of Abingdon Spinster, William Nurse of Hanham and Mary his wife, Thomas Willis and Samuel Willis the younger, both of Hanham aforesaid Yeomen, John Burgess of Kingswood in the parish of Bitton and Jane his wife, Joseph Burgess of Kingswood aforesaid who married Phoebe Willis lately deceased, William Willis of the same place Stonecutter, and Martha Willis of Stapleton Spinster of the one part and Robert Willis of Hanham aforesaid Yeoman of the other part follows

Robert Willis was born in 1777. I have not been able to find a baptism, but according to my Aunt Nell's notes, he was born on 28^th^ February 1777. His parents were Samuel Willis and his wife Sarah (nee Rawbone). The birthdate agrees with Robert's reported age of 74 in the 1851 Census as well as his age of 85 in his burial entry

Every summer when I was growing up I used to watch on BBC or listen to the commentary of John Arlott to the England Test Matches. One summer, 1966, I remember particularly well that West Indies toured England and they featured a Barbadian player - Seymour Nurse, who was 2^nd^ only to the great Gary Sobers in runs scored that series.

When looking at your family history it is important to recognize the bad with the good. I was aware growing up that there were Nurses in Barbados. Seymour Nurse who was a famous cricketer in the West Indies teams of the 1960s, was a Barbadian. Recently, I discovered references to a family of Sugar Plantation owners and therefore Slave owners with the name Nurse, and it is more than likely that Seymour Nurse was descended from one of these slave owners, as enslaved children often took the name of their owner, especially when their owner was in fact their biological father.

Considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being (blessed be God) in tolerably good health of body and of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding I **Robert Nurse** of Hanham Green in the hamlet of Hanham within the parish of Bitton in the County of Glouceter do make ordain and publish this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following

Abstract of the title of Mr Thomas Wall and wife to a messuage, garden, orchard and Malthouse at Hanham in the parish of Bitton in the county of Gloucestershire

This is the Last Will and Testament of me Jonathan Couch Nurse of Hanham Green, Gloucestershire, Maltster.

This is the Last Will and Testament of me Robert Nurse of the Parish of Bitton in the County of Gloucester, Maltster.

I, Robert Willis of the Hamlet of Hanham in the Parish of Bitton in the County of Gloucester, Yeoman, being of sound mind, memory and understanding, thanks be to God for the same and knowing the frailty of this mortal life and the certainty of death and being therefore desirous to settle my worldly affairs do make and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in manner following, that is to say.