William Maynard Mills

William Maynard Mills, born c. 1777 in Bishops Hull, Somerset, son of William Mills (q.v.) and nephew of Thomas Milliken Mills (q.v.). Married Elizabeth Willesford. Awarded compensation along with Mary Mills (q.v.) for the Potwork Estate and the Old Windward Estate, Nevis, as administrators of William Mills.

1. William Maynard Mills was born circa 1777 in Bishops Hull, Somerset, according to the 1851 census, the son of William Mills (the father is consistently given in this form although William Maynard Mills (b. 1777) was described on his marriage as William Maynard Mills 'junior', son of Wm., and Articles of Clerkship dated 1793 for William Maynard Mills of Bishops Hull give his father also as William Maynard Mills). Births/baptisms are not available online for Bishops Hull for the relevant period but there was at least one younger brother as again the marriage describes William as the eldest son. There were probably other siblings, too, some of whom could have died as there are four burials in Bishops Hull with names that occur later in the family: Elizabeth, 1774, Thomas Milliken, 1774, Adriana, 1779 and Thomas, 1783 at around the right time, though no ages are given so no means of knowing if these were children or adults. There was almost certainly another child called Adriana, a name that recurs in the family, as there was marriage in 1791in Bishops Hull for Adriana Mills and Joseph Edy. There is a detailed family tree for the family, showing Adriana as Adriana Dewindt Mills, born 28/01/1773 in the British West Indies. She married Joseph Edye, son of John Edye and Hannah King, on 12/03/1791in Bishops Hull and died on 08/11/1859 in Paris, aged 86. The birth in British West Indies might indicate that earlier children were born there though William Maynard’s place of birth seems to be in Bishop’s Hull.

2. There is no sign of William Maynard until his marriage, noted in The Gentleman’s Magazine, Vol 84, page 808 for September 1798: ‘At Tavistock, Devon, William Maynard Mills, jun, esq of Millikan-hall, eldest son of Wm. Esq. of Bishop’s Hull, co. Somerset, to Miss Eliz. Willesford, only daughter of the late Richard Vyvyan W. esq.’. Elizabeth’s father was the Rev Richard Vyvyan Willesford, sometime Master of Tavistock Grammar School, Rector of Coryton, Devon, 1795-1834 and Vicar of Awliscombe, 1803-34, J.P. for Devon. He is also described as chaplain in ordinary to the Prince Regent. Her mother was Susannah Bovey.

3. There were several children to this marriage, some identified from the census and others through other means. From the census there is Elizabeth c1800, Richard V(yvyan?), c1801, Francis c1806, and John c1810. In The Monthly Magazine Vol 27 P 214 for March 1809 there is a death announcement: ‘At Tavistock, Adriana Dewindt, youngest daughter of William Maynard Mills, esq.’. However, it seems certain that there was a later daughter, also called Adriana Dewindt Mills, presumably after the one who died as they seemed keen to keep the name in the family. Proof here is more complicated but the 1851 census shows an Elizabeth Borron to be a daughter of William Maynard Mills. Various online correspondence shows an Adriana Dewindt Mills married to a (John) Arthur Borron, for example ‘Michael Paul Borron was the fifth and youngest son of Dr. Arthur Borron (married to Adriana DeWindt Mills) who emigrated from Scotland abt. 1837 and settled in Macon Co., MO. Other sons were: Arthur, Archibald, Edward James, and Charles McKinney.’. (There is a memorial to Michael online.) The Register for Manchester Grammar School has details of John Arthur Borron senior: ‘John Arthur Borron  ….when past middle age he married, secondly, Elizabeth Willesford Dewindt Mills, daughter of William Maynard Mills, esq., and sister to the wife of his son, Arthur …’. This family also emigrated to the United States. (Elizabeth is shown as a writer and poet on various online websites.)

4. The 1841 census for Stone House, Great Witley, Worcestershire, shows Francis Mills, 30, Surgeon, William Maynard Mills, 60, Ind., Elizabeth Mills, 60, Ind., William Dye, 35, Medical Assistant, and 2 servants, all born out of county. By 1851 more members of the family are living together. At Bleathwood, Little Hereford, Worcestershire there is Francis Mills, Head, Unmarried, 45, General Practitioner M.B.C.J.L. Licentiate of the Apothecaries Company of London & Farming 500 acres employing 6 labourers, born Somersetshire, Wellington, William Maynard Mills, Father, Widower, 74, Gentleman, born Somersetshire, Bishops Hull, John Mills, Brother, Married, 41, Architect, born Somersetshire, Wellington, Richard V Mills, Brother, 50, Medical Practitioner, born Somersetshire, Bichops Hull, Elizabeth Borron, Sister, Widow, 51, born Somersetshire, Bishops Hull and Florence Borron, Niece, 14, born Scotland, plus 3 servants.

5. William’s wife, Elizabeth, has died between 1841 and 1851 although, with the absence of a middle name, there is no obvious death registration. By 1861 Francis is shown as the Uncle of Charlotte Walker, Head, 33, School Mistress, born Worcester, Martley, and her sister Louisa, 15, Pupil Teacher, born Gloucester, Dunforten(?) with the family living in Areley Kings, Worcestershire. William’s death is registered in the March quarter of 1857 in the Tenbury district of Worcestershire.

6. One of the claim notes describes William as ‘of Newcastle upon Tyne’ but no evidence of William has been found there.

7. Will of William Maynard Mills of [Bickley in the parish of Lindridge] [made in 1856] proved 03/07/1857. The will is short and uninformative, confirming his marriage settlement, leaving household effects to his son Francis and his residuary estate among his children.

8. See also the letters of Thomas Mills and John Mills, written between 27/01/1752 and 14/03/1771. These are held in the Museum of London and familiar names occur amongst the recipients, including William Maynard and Elizabeth Dewindt. Many are written to the West Indies.

T71/882: Nevis claim nos. 105 and 106.

1. 1851 census online; National Burial Index online; Boyd’s marriage Index online; www.tizzana.com.au/familyhistory/auld/p42.htm#i2089 [accessed 05/01/12].

2. The Gentleman’s Magazine, Vol 84, page 808 for September 1798 available at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lw_QAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA808&lpg=PA808&dq=william+maynard+mills&source=bl&ots=uIG_xh636i&sig=Dpx2c6f9qyH344wLCNhhy5Y7PXc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZEsDT6SvA4Po8QPm_rDBAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=william%20maynard%20mills&f=false; Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900 [database online]; The Gentleman’s Magazine, Vol 87, Part 1, Page 493 for June 1817 online at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UysLPplGXv0C&pg=PA493&lpg=PA493&dq=richard+vyvyan+willesford&source=bl&ots=lJxWPoeF7P&sig=JPyuawf3rh_RiiCzB2SXxU7FxT8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ANoFT4jkNZSp8QPXr6irAQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=richard%20vyvyan%20willesford&f=false.

3. 1851 census online; The Monthly Magazine Vol 27 P 214 March 1809 at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4Kl764Ko_WwC&pg=PA214&lpg=PA214&dq=william+maynard+mills&source=bl&ots=wKSvTk1KmE&sig=67yhPIBvv3rDiZWfUc0efGs3-Qc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZEsDT6SvA4Po8QPm_rDBAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=william%20maynard%20mills&f=false; http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=5&p=surnames.borron [accessed 05/01/12]; www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28595704 [accessed 05/01/12]; Manchester School Register at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HAYNAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=elizabeth+willesford+de+windt+mills+borron&source=bl&ots=p3SnkO66Ml&sig=cZwCw7Tbix6j9mboSr0oKPwOOUM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TCUET_CzCYbrOaP_9KQI&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=elizabeth%20willesford%20de%20windt%20mills%20borron&f=false [accessed 05/01/2012].

4. 1841 census online; 1851 census online.

5. 1851 census online; FreeUKGen, England and Wales Free BMD Database, Deaths, 1837-1983 [database online].

6. T71/882 Nevis 105.

7. PROB 11/2255/35.

8. www.google.com/cse?cx=003092795076118122479%3Azzi1yeof-ie&ie=UTF-8&cof=FORID:0&sa=Search&q=thomas%20mills#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=thomas%20mills&gsc.page=1 (item 2).