Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr.

https://www.sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/RedBones.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5048347/joseph-willis
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Rev. Joseph Willis, Father of the Red Bones

Copyright ©2005, Steven Pony Hill, all rights reserved.

In the early 1800's a number of small settlements were founded in western Louisiana near the border with Texas, which have perplexed researchers and historians. These isolated communities were called "Red Bones" by the local folk, and their social standing hovered somewhere between whites and blacks. The community members themselves claimed to be Indians, descendants of tribes of the Carolinas. One of the earliest persons to settle this area was the Reverend Joseph Willis, also known as the father of the Red Bones.

Joseph Willis was born between 1755 and 1758 in New Hanover, North Carolina (not far from Robeson County home of the Lumbee Indians). Joseph was born to the Indian slave of Agerton Willis, and so, by law Joseph was also considered a slave. When Agerton died in 1776, his will provided for Joseph to receive his freedom and inherit the entire estate. Unfortunately, Joseph was still a minor and the estate was placed under the control of Agerton's brother, who subsequently objected to a slave receiving any of the property. The will never became legal, and Joseph remained in slave status for another eleven years.

The Reverend Joseph Willis died on September 14, 1854. He is buried at Occupy Baptist Church cemetery.

Only three years after the death of Joseph, a wagon train from the east led by Alfred Mayo would arrive with more families of mixed-Indian blood. In South Carolina small settlements of mixed-Indian families had been commonly called "Red Bones", and this label apparently followed them west of the Mississippi. These intermarried with the Willis, Sweat, and Perkins families who were already settled, and the 'Red Bone' community of today was founded. 6

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Born a slave to his father, Joseph Willis, was to gain his freedom years after his father set him free in his Will. Eventual freedom came on 6 Dec 1787 from a emancipation bill passed in the North Carolina General Assembly. Joseph fought with the Swamp Fox in the Revolutionary War, and would become the first Baptist minister to cross the Mississippi River bringing the Baptist faith into French controlled Louisiana.

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His mother was a Cherokee Indian, one of his father's slaves. Before his death, Agerton Willis decreed in his will that he wanted Joseph freed, and for him also to inherit his entire estate. However, Agerton's brother Daniel circumvented the will; by the time Joseph was freed, at the age of about 30, he was able to inherit only a tenth of what his father had willed to him.

At the time of the Revolutionary War, he was still a young man; surrounded by neighbors loyal to the British, he left, with a friend, for South Carolina, where he joined forces with General Francis Marion, "the Swamp Fox."

He was the "first Baptist Preacher of the Word West of the Mississippi River" (on his tombstone).

See "Trinity County Beginnings," Trinity County Book Committee, 1986, p 787- 800. Correspondent: Cecil Willis.

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• Residence: North Carolina, United States
• Residence: St Thomas, Cheraws District, South Carolina, United States - 1790
• Residence: Craven, North Carolina - 1800
• Residence: Opelousas, Louisiana, United States - 1810
• Residence: St Landry, Louisiana, United States - 1820
• Residence: Rapides, Louisiana, USA - 1830
• Residence: North Carolina - 1833
• Residence: Rapides, Louisiana, United States - 1840
• Residence: Rapides, Louisiana - 1850

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From http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/willis/4118/

Re: Rev. Joseph Willis' Children

Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr.(1758-1854) and his first wife Rachel Bradford (1762) had the following children: (1) Agerton Willis (1785),(2) Mary Willis (1787),(3)Joseph Willis, Jr., (1792) and(4) Rachel Willis (1794).Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr. and Rachel Bradford lived in Bladen County, North Carolina near the Cape Fear River.Rachel, may well have died giving birth (or soon thereafter) to her daughter Rachel. Perhaps this is the reason Joseph named his second daughter Rachel and not the first.

Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr. married a second wife Sarah, (an Irish women) Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr. and his second wife Sarah had the following children:(5) Jemima Willis (1796) and (6) Sarah Willis (1798). By 1794 Joseph had moved to Greenville County (the Washington Circuit Court District), South Carolina. Sarah is called Joseph’s wife in a deed dated August 8, 1799, but died soon thereafter. She died between1799 – 1802.

Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr. married a third wife Sarah (?) Johnson. Joseph settled at Bayou Chicot, Louisianain 1805.It was at Bayou Chicot that most of his children were born. Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr. and Sarah Johnsonhad the following children:(7) Sally Willis (1802) [Although she could be the same as Sarah Willis (1798) above],(8) William Willis (1804),(9) Lemuel Willis (1812),(10) John Willis (1814), and(11) Martha Willis(?)(1825).(12-15) Four females were listed in the 1830 census between the ages of five and twenty.

It is interesting to note that Rev. Joseph Willis, Sr.'s sons Joseph Willis, Jr., William Willis and Lemuel Willis all had daughters named Sarah.

Rev. Joseph Willis'fourth and last wife was Elvy Sweat.Joseph moved to Spring Creek, east of Calcasieu River near Glenmora, Louisiana around 1828-1829. By 1833 he was living near Tenmile Creek.According to familytradition,Elvywas not good to him. As a result ofthis and Joseph’s failing health, his son Lemuel went and got him and took him to his home in Oakdale, where he lived the remainder of his life.Rev. Joseph Willis Sr. and Elvy Sweat had the following children:(16) Samuel Willis (1836) and (17) Aimuwell Willis (1837-1937).

Rev. Joseph Willis' Other Possible Children There were four females listed in the 1830 census between the ages of5-20for Rev. Joseph& household.

The 1850 Rapides Parish Census also lists an additional four males for Joseph Willis & household: James Willis (1841), William Willis (1845), Timothy Willis (1847) and Bernard Willis (1848). It would be unlikely thatRev. Joseph Willis would have a second son named William.Aimuwell Willis (1837-1937) always said he was Joseph Willis’ youngest son.Perhaps these last four males were grandchildren ofRev. Joseph Willis.

Historian Ivan Wise wrote in "Footsteps of the Flock: or Origins of Louisiana Baptist" (1910) that two sons (18-19) ofJoseph died "poisoned on honey and were buried a half mile from the present town of Oakdale, Louisiana." I have not been able to find their graves.
Ivan Wise also said, in 1910, that Rev. Joseph Willis had 19 children.

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From Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 15 2016, 4:57:26 UTC

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First Baptist Preacher of the Word West of the Mississippi River

Born part-Indian slave to his English father, Agerton Willis. Later, he would state in a Louisiana affidavit that his mother had been Cherokee Indian. First freed in his father's 1776 Will that was blocked by other members of family. Finally emancipated by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1787. Volume 24, pp. 885-951.

Fought during the Revolutionary War under General Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox" operating out of the Pedee region in South Carolina.

Married 4 times: Rachael Bradford (1762-1794);Sarah from Ireland (b-unknown); Sarah Johnson (b-1780); and Elvy Sweat (b-1820)with record of 19 children total.

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Dec 15 2016, 4:47:45 UTC
• https://www.ancestry.com/boards/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=4234&p=surnam...

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Married 4 times:

1. Rachael Bradford (1762-1794);
2. Sarah from Ireland (b-unknown);
3. Sarah Johnson (b-1780); and
4. Elvy Sweat (b-1820)

19 children total.

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First wife of Rev. Joseph Willis

1. mother of Joseph Willis (1789–1854) and
2. ?

Died in childbirth

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Sarah from Ireland (b-unknown) 2nd wife
Children?

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Rev. Joseph Willis and his 3rd wife Sarah Johnson had 6 children:

1. William R. 1804 LA;
2. Lemuel Joseph 1812 LA;
3. John 1814 LA;
4. Olivia 1815 LA;
5. Martha 1825 LA;
6. unnamed son born between 1826-1830 buried 1/2 mile from present town of Oakdale, LA.

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4th wife Elvy Elizabeth Sweat Willis had 6 children together.

1. Samuel b-abt 1835 LA;
2. Aimuewell b-1837 LA;
3. James b-1841 LA;
4. William b-1845 LA killed in the Civil War;
5. Timothy b-1847 LA; and
6. Bennard "Ben" b-1847 LA.

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