Wallis Families of New England

In recent years there have been several great articles on the 17th century New England families surnamed Wallis, the English variation of the Scottish name Wallace.  

• WALLIS, NATHANIEL, b. ca. 1632, d. Beverly, Mass. 18 October 1709.  Maine Genealogist 29:51-68 (4 generation study).
• WALLIS, NATHANIEL, b. ca. 1670, d. Danvers, Mass., between 7 March 1749/50 and 1 April 1762.  New England Historical & Genealogical Register [NEHGR] 161:138-45.
• WALLIS, JOHN, b. ca. 1627, d. Gloucester, Mass., 13 September 1690.  NEHGR 152:286-310, 391-414, 153:29-51, 183-206, 293-318, 489-98 (six generation study); NEHGR 153:291-92 (wife’s identity); NEHGR 160:99-100 (note on wife Mary Phippen); NEHGR 162:299 (correction).

These three articles take care of the Wallis families living in Essex County, Mass. to the south and Maine to the north.  That leaves George Wallis of early Portsmouth, N.H.  His family has no genealogy.  There are four sources you can use for starting your research:

• Genealogical Dictionary of Me. and N.H. has the first two generations (pp. 715-17);
• Some Early Settlers of Epsom, New Hampshire by J.M. Moses (1910), pp. 194-95, this work appears to be either partially or wholly taken from:
• Boston Evening Transcript of June 10, 1907 Note #992 by contributor P.P.M.; and
• History of Rye, New Hampshire by Langdon B. Parsons (1905).  Sorry to have to say this, but I don't hold Parsons' work in high esteem.  He immediately makes an error in the Wallis family (Ralph should be George).

Using these works you can lay out a skeletal foundation for the family.  You'll immediately see a mass of contradictions.  And from there, you need to examine all the primary records: deeds, probates, vital records where they exist, and court cases.  

Comments

[Heather Rojo]

Do you have any information on a Spencer Wallis, who married Sarah Wilkinson about 1770? They lived in and near Exeter, New Hampshire.

[Martin Hollick]

Yes, I do. Spencer Wallis was the son of William and Comfort (Cotton) Wallis; grandson of Samuel and Hannah (Seavey) Wallis; great-grandson of William and Jane (Drake) Wallis; and great-great-grandson of the immigrant, George Wallis and his wife Eleanor (---). Spencer died prior to 1 June 1793 when administration of his estate was granted to his wife Sarah. He was called a shipwright of Exeter.

Martin

[Martin Hollick]

Actually his death was reported at The New-Hampshire Recorder, and the Weekly Advertiser; Date: 10-07-1790; Volume: III; Issue: 26; Page: [3].

Martin

[Heather Rojo]

I am trying to gather information on the Wilkinson family. I have a Sarah Wilkinson, daughter of Samuel Wilkinson of Deerfield and Epping, named as "Sarah Wallis, of Epping, married woman" in a deed. I think this is the Sarah, wife of Spencer Wallis. This deed is recorded in Rockingham County, book 0146, page 0219.

[Martin Hollick]

Its possible. Whats the date of the deed? If before 1790, seems possible.

Martin