Wills in Dorset

Introduction
Origins of the name
Variants of the name
Marina Wills (1835-?)
John Wills (1809-?)
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Introduction

This page is devoted to the WILLS ancestors of my mother - the origins of the name, who they were and where and when they lived.

The genealogical data in these pages is accurate to the best of my current (at the time of writing) knowledge. This means it is of very variable reliability, since sources at one extreme are 100% certain (e.g. I know who I married, where and when, and the identity of my parents) to the mere rumour level, such as LDS data extracted from the IGI and Ancestral File, and reminiscences of elderly relatives, some now deceased. Anyone wishing to make any use whatever of this information is therefore strongly advised to contact me for source details.

Origins of the name

The surname Wills means son of Will. The latter has two possible origins, either as a diminutive of the given name William, or (in south and south-west England) a dweller by a stream (from the West Saxon Weill).

Variants of the name

Willes, Willis, Wilson, Willeson, Willison, Willson, Wyllis.

Marina Wills (1835-?)

My maternal grandmother's maternal grandmother was Marina Wills, who was born in Maiden Newton, Dorset in about 1835. According to the 1851 census she was then employed as a farm servant.

On 11th August 1857 she married John Reed at Maiden Newton parish church. The couple produced at least two children: Rebecca Mary and John (born Wimborne, about 1873).

John Wills (1809-?)

Marina's father was John Wills, who was born in Maiden Newton, Dorset in about 1809. He was an agricultural labourer, and appears to have married his wife Mary some time before 1833. The 1851 census shows the couple (both aged 42) living at 133 Claremont, Maiden Newton, with their six children: Elizabeth (age 18, born in neighbouring Frome Vauchurch), Marina, Rebecca (15, born Maiden Newton), and Frances (10, born Maiden Newton).

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This page last updated 27th December 1999