938
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
John Addison Willett. John Addison Wil-
lett, cashier of the First National Bank of
Newport News, is descended from a very old
American family, which was located for sev-
eral generations in the state of New York.
Rev. Thomas Willet, first known ancestor
of the American family, born 1510, died 1598,
was rector of Barley, sub-almoner to Ed-
ward VI., prepender of Ely in the reign of
May I., married, in 1560, Elizabeth, whose
surname is unknown. She was probably his
second wife. They were the parents of Rev.
xAndrew Willet, D. D., who entered Cam-
bridge College at the age of fourteen years,
and pursued his studies for a period of
eighteen years. He was rector of Barley,
county Leicester, England, for twenty-three
years, and the author of over forty treatises.
He was called "the walking library." One of
his descendants, Ralph Willet, of Merley
Hall, was founder of the celebrated Merley
Library. One of his sons. Colonel Thomas
Willet, born 1605, was a dissenter, and
lived for some time at Leyden, Holland,
whence he came, in the spring of 1630, to
Plymouth, Massachusetts, and was magis-
trate there from 165 1 to 1664. He was a
very extensive trader, and had privileges in
Maine, traded with New Amsterdam and
with Europe, and became very wealthy for
his time. The Indians reposed great con-
fidence in him, and he had much influence
in restraining them from attacks upon the
settlers. He died August 4, 1674, before the
beginning of King Philip's war. Through
his commercial relations with New Amster-
dam, he was intimately acquainted with the
people of that town, and was popular with
them. Upon the approach of the English
fleet, bound to capture New Amsterdam in
1664, he joined it at Boston, and was made
first mayor of New York under that title
by Colonel Nichol, the English governor, to
whom the town was surrendered in Sep-
tember, 1664. In 1673 h^ removed to Bar-
rington, Rhode Island, where he died. An-
other son, Richard Willet, born 1620, mar-
ried Mary Washburn, who accompanied
him to America, and after tarrying a short
time at Boston and at New London, Con-
necticut, settled on Long Island, among the
first in what was known as Jericho, in the
present town of Oyster Bay. His name ap-
pears among the records of fifty proprietors
of land in the early settlement of the town
of Hempstead, which was founded in 1643.
He was a tax payer at Jericho in 1657, and
appears of record, April 18, 1658, as one of
the assistants to the magistrate of Hemp-
stead court. He was surveyor of highways
in 1639, a townsman in 1662, and died at
Jericho about 1665. His wife Mary was a
daughter of William and Jane Washburn,
who were among the early settlers of Hemp-
stead. She was born in 1629, probably in
England, and died in 1713, aged about
eighty-five years. Early in the history of
the Quaker movement in Long Island she
became identified with that society, was a
minister, and held meetings at her own
house in Jericho as early as 1678. They
were the parents of Hope Willets, born
July, 1652, who married Mary Langdon.
Their son, Joseph Willet, married Deborah
Seaman, and they were the parents of John
Willett, born 1718, who married Rachel
Hughes. Cornelius, son of John Willett,
was born January 15, 1756, and died April
9, 1843. i" Argyle, Washington county,
New York. Tradition says that he was a
revolutionary soldier, and received land in
Argyle from the state as a reward for this
service. His name does not appear on the
printed muster rolls of New York Soldiers
of the Revolution. He was affiliated with
the Presbyterian church, and married, in
1780, Nancy Whalen, born June 16, 1761,
died April 19, 1843, surviving her husband
ten days. They had children: Hannah,
born October 30. 1781 ; Elizabeth, October
12, 1783; James W., February 15, 1786; Wil-
liam, January 30, 1788; John, mentioned be-
low ; Samuel, January 5, 1792; Sarah, Octo-
ber ID, 1793; Cornelius S., November 21,
1795 ; Nancy, November 19, 1798; Henry S.,
September 11, i8di ; Reuben W., October
27, 1804.
John Willett, son of Cornelius and Nancy (Whalen) Willett, was born January 10, 1790, and settled not far from the paternal homestead, in Tinmouth, Rutland county, Vermont. Thence he returned to his native county, settled in North Granville, New York. He entered the war of 1812 as 'a drummer boy, but never reached the front. Lie was a successful farmer, and active in the interests of the Presbyterian church. He married Saiinda Allen, a descendant of Ethan Allen, the revolutionary hero of Ver- mont. Their son. Addison W'illett. born 1820. in Tinmouth. was eight years old when his parents remo\-ed to North Granville. His
