Robert Willis of Hanham (Born 1777)

3^rd Great Grandfather - FFMMF¹

Robert Willis was born in 1777. I have not been able to find a baptism, but according to my Aunt Nell’s notes (Nurse 1953), 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 Census² as well as his age of 85 in his burial entry³

I have not been able to find out much about Robert’s early life, and there is a bit of confusion as a Robert Willis, born to Benjamin and Betty Willis was baptised at Hanham Abbots⁴ 2 months after the birth date that I have for Robert.

There is a military record for a Robert Willis who was born in Hanham 1n 1777 and enlisted in 1804 to the Fifty-second Regiment of Foot, being discharged in 1817⁵, but I think this is for the “other” Robert Willis.

Robert married Dinah Leonard on the 24^th June 1810⁶ at St. Nicholas in the City of Bristol.

Robert and Dinah had 6 children, 1 son, Samuel baptised on 11^th July 1813⁷ and 5 daughters, Mary Leonard baptised 2^nd December 1810⁸, Sarah and twins Frances and Elizabeth who were all baptised on 23^rd February 1817⁹, when Sarah was already 3 years old, and Dinah who was the youngest, who was baptised 3^rd April 1825 at the age of 6 at Oldland¹⁰.

The baptism of the three middle girls indicates that Robert was already considered a Yeoman (“Yeoman” 2023), and he lived at Martin’s Farm (see Figure 2). He lived there, or at least he continued to farm there until at least 1832, as he is mentioned as occupier in the Land Tax Assessments^11,12.

From 1824, he is also listed as the Owner and Occupier of Mould House, and in the 1841 Census he is listed as the occupier of Mould House¹³, so at some point he moved from Martin’s Farm to Mould House. Whereas he was a tenant at Martin’s Farm he was the owner of Mould House and in his will he mentions that he purchased Mould House from Francis Earl.

The only child to marry and have a family of her own was Dinah, who married samuel Nurse on Christmas Day 1848. while all the other children survived childhood they all died between the age of 19 and 32.

Robert was active in Hanham Abbots church serving as Chapel Warden for a couple of terms in the 1830s.

Dinah died on the 2^nd May 1851 and was buried at St Mary, Bitton a week later¹⁴. Robert’s daughter Dinah and son-in-law Samuel Nurse moved into Mould House, presumably to look after Robert who was in his 70s, as they are all listed as occupiers in the 1861 Census.

The following year Robert died on the 17^th November, 1862 and a very good age of 85. He was buried at St Mary Bitton on 5^th December 1862¹⁵.

In addition to Mould House which Robert bought in 1824 from Francis Earl, Robert had a share in land and buildings adjoining Hanham Common and in the Batch, which he refers to in his will as his one-sixth part share of the property known as Thomas Willis’s Estate - Thomas Willis being Robert’s grandfather.

He also mentions in his will that he has a sixth part share in buildings on College Street and Brandon Street in the city of Bristol, as well as more buildings in the Batch, on Jeffris Hill near Christchurch and some land in Keynsham.

All of this real property he left to his daughter Dinah, which was valued at £200 for the purpose of probate. This was a pretty decent amount of money in the 1860s, worth about £30,000 today.

References

Footnotes