Rebecca Mills

John Mills first wife was Rebekah (Unknown) Mills. Please see notes below.

Wife #1: Rebekah (Unknown) Mills, married about 1708
Children: (see will text - he mentions his children were all by first wife but doesn't name her) - see research notes [1]

Thomas Mills, born 1709
John Mills, Jr, born 27 Dec 1712
Hur Mills, born 1714
Henry Mills, born 23 Nov 1720
Mary Mills, born about 1724
Wife #2: Rebecca (Unknown) Mills - children with this wife were not named in the will, but referred to as "her children." They are: [1]

William Mills born 27 Oct 1742
Rebeckah Mills, born 15 Feb 1743/1744
George Mills, born 08 Dec 1747
Benjamin Mills, born 08 Dec 1747
Alice Mills, born 22 Dec 1750
Tabitha Mills, born 08 Apr 1753
Jonathan Mills, born 14 May 1757
Will of John Mills: 28 Sep 1759, Rowan County, NC [2]

Transcription of the will of John Mills, Sr. [3]

In the name of God, Amen, the 28th day of September, 1759. I, John Mills senior of the County of Rowan of Province of North Carolina, being sick and weak in body but of sound and perfect memory thanks be to almighty for the same and calling to mind the uncertainties of this frail and mortal life of that it is appointed for all men once to die and after death to come to judgment, do make and ordain this my last will and testament disnuling and revoking all former wills made by me; and as for such worldly estate it has pleased God to bless me with in this life; I give devise dispose of bequeath of as followeth:
Imprimis; First and principally I recommend my soul to almight God my creator; Secondly I recommend my body to the earth to be buried in a Christian and decent manner at the discretion of my (illegible) hereafter named:

I give and bequeath unto my wife beloved wife Rebecah Mills all my movable goods, cattle, lands, debts and demands due to me to be left to her discretion for the support of her children to her of her heirs, executors, administrators and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son Thomas Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son John by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son Hur Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my son Henry Mills by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part he hath already received to him, his heirs and assigns forever.
I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Beeson by my former wife, one shilling starting with that part she hath already received to her, her heirs and assigns forever.
I nominate my wife beloved wife Rebecah Mills whole and sole executive of this my last will and testament. In witness thereof I have set my hand and fixed my seal this twenty-eighth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine. Signed, sealed and published, and pronounced by the said John Mills sen. as his last will and testament.
In presence of: William Beeson, William Baldwin, John Baker
John O. Mills, his mark and seal

Research Notes
From a Mills family researcher: ""John Mills married twice and both wives were named Rebecca. There was no marriage to Rachel Bates that can be substantiated. John and Rebecca Mills both signed the marriage certificate of their eldest son Thomas in 1730. John MILLS' will of 1761 Rowan Co., NC clearly names his first batch of children by name and indicates they were by his former wife leaving each 1 shilling. The rest of his estate went to his well beloved wife Rebecah for the support of HER children who are not named in the will. The second Rebecah is also named executor. From Hinshaw's Vol.I we learn that Rebeckah was his second wife and their first child William was not born until 1742. This suggests to me that his first wife was still living in 1730 when her son Thomas married and she is a different Rebeckah from the one who he married after her death and began having children with 12 years after son Thomas Mills married. I think it is highly unlikely that he was married to wife #2 in 1730 and it took them 12 years to produce a child from the second marriage."
per https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-99967

His first marriage to Rebecca Harrold was about 1708 and with her he had five known children. The death of Rebecca Harrold has not been found recorded but various deed transactions and the birth of son William show she has passed after 1730 (when she signed the marriage record of son Thomas) and by 1741.

The book Walk Cheerfully Over the Earth by descendant James O. Bond[2] states that a handwritten account of the arrival in Philadelphia by great-grandson Jeremiah Mills was once in the possession of a great-great-granddaughter Belva Bennett and read as follows: My great grandfather, I cannot tell how many generations back, came from England and arrived in Philadelphia in the early days of that now populous city. There was another young man with him by the name of Harrold. On landing I suppose they had nothing but their hands to depend on for a living and lumber for building being in demand these two young men bought what was called a whip saw and went to work. How long they continued in this line of work I am not able to say, but it was until they wore the saw out, then they broke it in tow and made themselves hand saws, one of which I remember to have seen as a boy. It was the Mills family property..."

John was a member of the Quaker group which secured 100,000 acres of land in the Shenandoah Valley in 1732 and founded the Quaker settlement near Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia. He acquired title to 1315 acres in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia. In the patent this is described as "on a branch of the Opeckon near but not adjoining Lewis DeMoss' land." The DeMoss family is first found in Baltimore in 1715. In 1743, John made deeds conveying part of this land to each of his four sons wherein he is described as "John Mills, Sr. of Prince Georges County, Maryland, farmer." On this land stood the Mills Creek Baptist Church, the first of the denomination in the Shenandoah Valley.[1]

John married a second time by early 1742 to Rebecca ____________ and with her had seven children between 1742 and 1757.

John passed away 24 Nov 1760, presumably at New Garden, Guilford County, North Carolina.[3][4] He is believed interred at the New Garden Friends Cemetery, Guilford County, North Carolina but there is no burial record or grave maker.[5] As was common for the era, there are no grave markers in this Quaker cemetery prior to about 1820.

Wives
It may be seen that his first wife was Rachel Bates but this is proven erroneous. (Note: Ruth Ladd is one of many to erroneously give his first wife as Rachel Bates based on a misread of a marriage record in Boston. Similarly, the work of James O. Bond cited elsewhere on this profile also misidentifies the first wife as Rachel Bates, even suggesting her probable burial location though it is the likely burial location of Rachel Harrold.)

Children with Rebecca Harrold

Both of John's wives were named Rebecca, the first being Rebecca Harrold whom, based on the birth of known children, he married about 1708 and presumably in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Thomas - b 1709
John (Jr) - b 27 Dec 1712
Hur - b 1714
Henry - b 23 Nov 1720
Mary - b abt 1724
Children with Rebecca ______________[4]

The maiden name of John's second wife has not been found.

William - b 27 Oct 1742
Rebecka - b 15 Feb 1745
George (twin) - b 8 Dec 1747
Benjamin (twin) - b 8 Dec 1747
Alias (Alice)(daugther) - b 22 Aug 1750
Tabitha - b 8 Apr 1853
Jonathan - b 14 May 1757

per https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mills-319

John Mills Sr. and his first wife, Rebecca MILLS were probably married about 1708, based solely on the birth of the their first son Thomas MILLS. These births were probably recorded in Hopewell Monthly Meeting, Frederick Co., VA, but occurred in Chester Co., PA. Their children were Thomas Mills, John Mills Jr., Hur Mills, Henry Mills and Mary Mills. Unfortunately, the Hopewell records were lost in fire in 1759.

A special thanks is extended to those contributors, Richard, Scott and Vicky that made the linking of all five children of John Sr . and Rebecca Mills possible.

• Reference: Find a Grave was removed.

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See also: http://myrootsaredeep.blogspot.com/2010/04/john-mills-iii.html
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mills-319 scroll down to the bio - this claims John Mills IV was not married to Rachel Bates.

See Rebecca Mills