**IMMIGRANT
Dr. Richard WELLS
•Marriage: Francis WHITE
•Died: ca or After Jun 22, 1667 Anne Arundel, MD, USA
Richard Wells could be the son of John and Elizabeth Elyott Wells of Saltash, England.
Harry Wright Newman supports this theory because Richard son, George, used a seal on his documents that was highly similar to the arms of the Wells of Saltash, County Cornwall, England.
That Wells family settled in County Cornwall about 1530 from Lincolnshire.
Their arms included a shield with a chevron with three birds and horses head for the crest.
This evidence suggests that the Wells in Saltash need to be studied closely.
What we know for sure about Richard is that he was a staunch Puritan of wealth and influence at a period of history when the Puritans were in power.
He and his wife were both the immigrant ancestors in this line.
He immigrated from England to Virginia before Sep. 13, 1637.
Richard was unmarried when he arrived and settled south of the James River in Virginia.
He received head rights in Charles City Co. Virginia and received fifty acres of land on the River between two creeks.
He apparently had property back in England.
He is sometimes confused with another Richard Wells also in Virginia.
Our Dr. Richard Wells is apparently the Richard who was a Surgeon.
He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1645. He and his family probably moved to Maryland to seek religious freedom offered by Lord Baltimore in 1653.
The fact that he was a liberal puritan provoked the move.
He took with him all of his children but Martha who had not been born, plus his servants, Thomas Boone, Henry Symonds, George Hall, Thomas Linstead, Edward Howard and Martha Windright.
The birth place of he and his wife's children was in Virginia.
Only their daughter, Martha's, birth date and place is unknown.
In Maryland, he was granted 600 acres on Herring Bay that he named "Wells".
Herring Bay is a bay in Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It lies in the mid-Chesapeake Bay along the western shore.
He built the Manor House they lived in throughout their days on that property.
He was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission on July 22, 1654
He along with Capt. Fuller, Richard Preston, William Durand Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Leonard Strong, John Lawson, John Hotch, and Richard Ewen controlled Maryland's government from 1654-1658.
Any four of them could act as long as one of them was Fuller, Preston or Durand.
He held multiple offices for the courts.
He accumulated much wealth in the form of land and a sixteenth of a ship called "The Baltimore."
In checking public record, one family researcher has found this Richard Wells and his sons to be ambitious, furious when thwarted, and unsympathetic to those who could not further their interests.
After his death in 1677, his son Richard returned to England where his fathers will was probated at the Prerogative Ct. of Canterbury, (1668).
He still owned land in England at that time.
His estate was appraised on Dec. 5, 1667 by Capt. John Howell and Godfrey Bayley.
In it, a "chirugeon chest" contained interest in the ship "Majesty".
His total worth was L1, 735/6/4 plus 57, 145 pounds of tobacco, several servants, silver plate, L7/8/9 currency.
His Majesty owed him several sums on top of that.
His will was witnessed by Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner and Wm. Linckhorne.
He named five sons and three daughters.
He wished all things to be divided including things in Maryland (the plantation where he lived), Virginia and England.
According to a book on the "Welsh Family" whom his grandson, Thomas Stockett through daughter Mary married into, Richard held the title of "Major" as well as Dr. 1360
• Will, Jun 22, 1667. 1358
The will of Richard Wells reads as follows. (Richard Wells,
Senior, of the Coll. of Ann Arundel in the Province of Maryland, 22 June 1667, proved in Maryland 31 Aug. 1667 and in London 14 November 1668.)
To my son Richard that plantation I do now live upon at Herring Creek., being called by the name of Wells and laid out for six hundred acres (and other tracts and parcels). To my son George my land in Baltimore County, namely three hundred acres, purchased of Capt. George Goldsmith, called the Planter's Delight "being now seated ".
To my son John that parcel called Langford's Neck, on the N. side of Chester River in Talbot Co., being "patented" and laid out for fifteen hundred acres, and was purchased of John Langford, Gent.
To my son Robert three hundred and fifty acres called West Wells, lying on the W. side of the plantation I now live on, in Herring Creek Bay.
To my son Benjamin that parcel called Benjamin Choice, being
patented and laid out for two hundred and eight acres, lying W. of a Divident belonging unto Mr. Francis Holland of Herring Creek.
To my daughter, Martha, sometime the wife of an Anthony Salaway, twelve pence.
To my daughter Anne, supposed wife unto Mr. John Stansby, chirurgeon, twelve pence as a reward for her disobedience. To my daughter Mary, wife unto Mr. Thomas Stockett, three cows to be delivered, after my decease, in the Co. of Ann Arundel, and one hudred pounds of money, to be paid in the city of London within twelve months after my decease.
To my five sons all my whole estate remaining, to be divided amongst them both cattle, goods, money in England, tobacco, debts, servants, negroes and all things whatsoever belonging unto me in Maryland, Virginia or in England.
And they to be my executors.
With: Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner, and Wm. Linckhorne. (Probate was granted (in London) to Richard Wells, the eldest son, with power reserved for the others.) NEHGR, Vol. 47, p. 529.
• Probate, Aug 21, 1667,,, MD, USA. 1358 His will was proved in Maryland on Aug. 31, 1667 and in London (or
Canterbury, Kent Co., England) the following year on Nov. 14, 1668 in the Prerogative Court.
Dr. married Francis WHITE, daughter of Sir Richard WHITE and Lady Catherine WESTON. (Francis WHITE was born in, Essex, England and died before 1677.)
CHILDREN
•Mary WELLS
•Richard WELLS
•William WELLS
•George WELLS
•John WELLS
•Robert WELLS
•Benjamin WELLS
•Ann WELLS
•Elizabeth WELLS
•Frances WELLS
•Martha WELLS
NOTES ON PURITANS
The Puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, including, but not limited to, English Calvinists.
Puritanism in this sense was founded by John Calvin from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England.
Puritan ideals either became incorporated into the Church of England, such as the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism
They lost favor when Charles I and II reigned. many left England then
NOTES ON SALTASH
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth(where the Pilgrims left from) over the River Tamar.
It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall".
Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill.
Saltash is the largest town within the East Cornwall area and is one of the largest in Cornwall.
NOTES ON HOUSE OF BURGESSES
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America.
The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America and to make conditions in the colony more agreeable for its current inhabitants.
FROM MARYLAND ARCHIVES
WELLS, RICHARD (?-1667). IMMIGRATED: ca.
1652 as a free adult with his wife and eleven chil-
dren from Charles City County, Virginia. RE-
SIDED: in Herring Creek Hundred, Anne Arundel
County. MARRIED Frances White, daughter of
Richard White and possibly Lady Katharine Wes-
ton. Frances was possibly the granddaughter of
Sir Richard Weston, Earl of Portland. Her brother
was Jerome White (?-by 1677). CHILDREN. SONS:
Richard, who married Sophia (?-1671), daughter
of Richard Ewen (?-1660); Benjamin, who mar-
ried Frances Hanslap; George Wells (?-1696); John;
Robert; and William. DAUGHTERS: Anne, who
married John Stansby (?-ca. 1682/83); Mary, who
married first, Thomas Stockett (?-1671), and sec-
ond, George Yates; Martha, who married first,
ca. 1652, William Ayres, and second, by 1658,
Anthony Selway (Salloway); Frances; and Eliz-
abeth. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: held provincial office within two
years of arrival in Maryland. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: physician, planter, merchant; held one-six-
teenth share of the ship Baltimore. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Assembly, Providence
(Anne Arundel County), 1654; Parliamentary
Commission, 1654-1657/58. OTHER PROVINCIAL
OFFICE justice, Provincial Court, 1654-1657/58.
LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Anne Arundel County,
1658-1665 (quorum, 1661-1665). OUT OF COL-
ONY SERVICE: burgess, Virginia, 1645. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: between June 22 and August 31,
1667, in Anne Arundel County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, at least £1,735.6.4 sterling, 205,112
pounds of tobacco (including 4 black servants, 5
white servants, and 31 oz. plate). LAND: 4,025
acres in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Talbot
counties.
Dr. Richard WELLS
•Marriage: Francis WHITE
•Died: ca or After Jun 22, 1667 Anne Arundel, MD, USA
Richard Wells could be the son of John and Elizabeth Elyott Wells of Saltash, England.
Harry Wright Newman supports this theory because Richard son, George, used a seal on his documents that was highly similar to the arms of the Wells of Saltash, County Cornwall, England.
That Wells family settled in County Cornwall about 1530 from Lincolnshire.
Their arms included a shield with a chevron with three birds and horses head for the crest.
This evidence suggests that the Wells in Saltash need to be studied closely.
What we know for sure about Richard is that he was a staunch Puritan of wealth and influence at a period of history when the Puritans were in power.
He and his wife were both the immigrant ancestors in this line.
He immigrated from England to Virginia before Sep. 13, 1637.
Richard was unmarried when he arrived and settled south of the James River in Virginia.
He received head rights in Charles City Co. Virginia and received fifty acres of land on the River between two creeks.
He apparently had property back in England.
He is sometimes confused with another Richard Wells also in Virginia.
Our Dr. Richard Wells is apparently the Richard who was a Surgeon.
He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1645. He and his family probably moved to Maryland to seek religious freedom offered by Lord Baltimore in 1653.
The fact that he was a liberal puritan provoked the move.
He took with him all of his children but Martha who had not been born, plus his servants, Thomas Boone, Henry Symonds, George Hall, Thomas Linstead, Edward Howard and Martha Windright.
The birth place of he and his wife's children was in Virginia.
Only their daughter, Martha's, birth date and place is unknown.
In Maryland, he was granted 600 acres on Herring Bay that he named "Wells".
Herring Bay is a bay in Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It lies in the mid-Chesapeake Bay along the western shore.
He built the Manor House they lived in throughout their days on that property.
He was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission on July 22, 1654
He along with Capt. Fuller, Richard Preston, William Durand Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Leonard Strong, John Lawson, John Hotch, and Richard Ewen controlled Maryland's government from 1654-1658.
Any four of them could act as long as one of them was Fuller, Preston or Durand.
He held multiple offices for the courts.
He accumulated much wealth in the form of land and a sixteenth of a ship called "The Baltimore."
In checking public record, one family researcher has found this Richard Wells and his sons to be ambitious, furious when thwarted, and unsympathetic to those who could not further their interests.
After his death in 1677, his son Richard returned to England where his fathers will was probated at the Prerogative Ct. of Canterbury, (1668).
He still owned land in England at that time.
His estate was appraised on Dec. 5, 1667 by Capt. John Howell and Godfrey Bayley.
In it, a "chirugeon chest" contained interest in the ship "Majesty".
His total worth was L1, 735/6/4 plus 57, 145 pounds of tobacco, several servants, silver plate, L7/8/9 currency.
His Majesty owed him several sums on top of that.
His will was witnessed by Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner and Wm. Linckhorne.
He named five sons and three daughters.
He wished all things to be divided including things in Maryland (the plantation where he lived), Virginia and England.
According to a book on the "Welsh Family" whom his grandson, Thomas Stockett through daughter Mary married into, Richard held the title of "Major" as well as Dr. 1360
• Will, Jun 22, 1667. 1358
The will of Richard Wells reads as follows. (Richard Wells,
Senior, of the Coll. of Ann Arundel in the Province of Maryland, 22 June 1667, proved in Maryland 31 Aug. 1667 and in London 14 November 1668.)
To my son Richard that plantation I do now live upon at Herring Creek., being called by the name of Wells and laid out for six hundred acres (and other tracts and parcels). To my son George my land in Baltimore County, namely three hundred acres, purchased of Capt. George Goldsmith, called the Planter's Delight "being now seated ".
To my son John that parcel called Langford's Neck, on the N. side of Chester River in Talbot Co., being "patented" and laid out for fifteen hundred acres, and was purchased of John Langford, Gent.
To my son Robert three hundred and fifty acres called West Wells, lying on the W. side of the plantation I now live on, in Herring Creek Bay.
To my son Benjamin that parcel called Benjamin Choice, being
patented and laid out for two hundred and eight acres, lying W. of a Divident belonging unto Mr. Francis Holland of Herring Creek.
To my daughter, Martha, sometime the wife of an Anthony Salaway, twelve pence.
To my daughter Anne, supposed wife unto Mr. John Stansby, chirurgeon, twelve pence as a reward for her disobedience. To my daughter Mary, wife unto Mr. Thomas Stockett, three cows to be delivered, after my decease, in the Co. of Ann Arundel, and one hudred pounds of money, to be paid in the city of London within twelve months after my decease.
To my five sons all my whole estate remaining, to be divided amongst them both cattle, goods, money in England, tobacco, debts, servants, negroes and all things whatsoever belonging unto me in Maryland, Virginia or in England.
And they to be my executors.
With: Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner, and Wm. Linckhorne. (Probate was granted (in London) to Richard Wells, the eldest son, with power reserved for the others.) NEHGR, Vol. 47, p. 529.
• Probate, Aug 21, 1667,,, MD, USA. 1358 His will was proved in Maryland on Aug. 31, 1667 and in London (or
Canterbury, Kent Co., England) the following year on Nov. 14, 1668 in the Prerogative Court.
Dr. married Francis WHITE, daughter of Sir Richard WHITE and Lady Catherine WESTON. (Francis WHITE was born in, Essex, England and died before 1677.)
CHILDREN
•Mary WELLS
•Richard WELLS
•William WELLS
•George WELLS
•John WELLS
•Robert WELLS
•Benjamin WELLS
•Ann WELLS
•Elizabeth WELLS
•Frances WELLS
•Martha WELLS
NOTES ON PURITANS
The Puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, including, but not limited to, English Calvinists.
Puritanism in this sense was founded by John Calvin from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England.
Puritan ideals either became incorporated into the Church of England, such as the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism
They lost favor when Charles I and II reigned. many left England then
NOTES ON SALTASH
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth(where the Pilgrims left from) over the River Tamar.
It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall".
Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill.
Saltash is the largest town within the East Cornwall area and is one of the largest in Cornwall.
NOTES ON HOUSE OF BURGESSES
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America.
The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America and to make conditions in the colony more agreeable for its current inhabitants.
FROM MARYLAND ARCHIVES
WELLS, RICHARD (?-1667). IMMIGRATED: ca.
1652 as a free adult with his wife and eleven chil-
dren from Charles City County, Virginia. RE-
SIDED: in Herring Creek Hundred, Anne Arundel
County. MARRIED Frances White, daughter of
Richard White and possibly Lady Katharine Wes-
ton. Frances was possibly the granddaughter of
Sir Richard Weston, Earl of Portland. Her brother
was Jerome White (?-by 1677). CHILDREN. SONS:
Richard, who married Sophia (?-1671), daughter
of Richard Ewen (?-1660); Benjamin, who mar-
ried Frances Hanslap; George Wells (?-1696); John;
Robert; and William. DAUGHTERS: Anne, who
married John Stansby (?-ca. 1682/83); Mary, who
married first, Thomas Stockett (?-1671), and sec-
ond, George Yates; Martha, who married first,
ca. 1652, William Ayres, and second, by 1658,
Anthony Selway (Salloway); Frances; and Eliz-
abeth. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: held provincial office within two
years of arrival in Maryland. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: physician, planter, merchant; held one-six-
teenth share of the ship Baltimore. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Assembly, Providence
(Anne Arundel County), 1654; Parliamentary
Commission, 1654-1657/58. OTHER PROVINCIAL
OFFICE justice, Provincial Court, 1654-1657/58.
LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Anne Arundel County,
1658-1665 (quorum, 1661-1665). OUT OF COL-
ONY SERVICE: burgess, Virginia, 1645. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: between June 22 and August 31,
1667, in Anne Arundel County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, at least £1,735.6.4 sterling, 205,112
pounds of tobacco (including 4 black servants, 5
white servants, and 31 oz. plate). LAND: 4,025
acres in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Talbot
counties.
**IMMIGRANT
Dr. Richard WELLS
•Marriage: Francis WHITE
•Died: ca or After Jun 22, 1667 Anne Arundel, MD, USA
Richard Wells could be the son of John and Elizabeth Elyott Wells of Saltash, England.
Harry Wright Newman supports this theory because Richard son, George, used a seal on his documents that was highly similar to the arms of the Wells of Saltash, County Cornwall, England.
That Wells family settled in County Cornwall about 1530 from Lincolnshire.
Their arms included a shield with a chevron with three birds and horses head for the crest.
This evidence suggests that the Wells in Saltash need to be studied closely.
What we know for sure about Richard is that he was a staunch Puritan of wealth and influence at a period of history when the Puritans were in power.
He and his wife were both the immigrant ancestors in this line.
He immigrated from England to Virginia before Sep. 13, 1637.
Richard was unmarried when he arrived and settled south of the James River in Virginia.
He received head rights in Charles City Co. Virginia and received fifty acres of land on the River between two creeks.
He apparently had property back in England.
He is sometimes confused with another Richard Wells also in Virginia.
Our Dr. Richard Wells is apparently the Richard who was a Surgeon.
He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1645. He and his family probably moved to Maryland to seek religious freedom offered by Lord Baltimore in 1653.
The fact that he was a liberal puritan provoked the move.
He took with him all of his children but Martha who had not been born, plus his servants, Thomas Boone, Henry Symonds, George Hall, Thomas Linstead, Edward Howard and Martha Windright.
The birth place of he and his wife's children was in Virginia.
Only their daughter, Martha's, birth date and place is unknown.
In Maryland, he was granted 600 acres on Herring Bay that he named "Wells".
Herring Bay is a bay in Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It lies in the mid-Chesapeake Bay along the western shore.
He built the Manor House they lived in throughout their days on that property.
He was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission on July 22, 1654
He along with Capt. Fuller, Richard Preston, William Durand Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Leonard Strong, John Lawson, John Hotch, and Richard Ewen controlled Maryland's government from 1654-1658.
Any four of them could act as long as one of them was Fuller, Preston or Durand.
He held multiple offices for the courts.
He accumulated much wealth in the form of land and a sixteenth of a ship called "The Baltimore."
In checking public record, one family researcher has found this Richard Wells and his sons to be ambitious, furious when thwarted, and unsympathetic to those who could not further their interests.
After his death in 1677, his son Richard returned to England where his fathers will was probated at the Prerogative Ct. of Canterbury, (1668).
He still owned land in England at that time.
His estate was appraised on Dec. 5, 1667 by Capt. John Howell and Godfrey Bayley.
In it, a "chirugeon chest" contained interest in the ship "Majesty".
His total worth was L1, 735/6/4 plus 57, 145 pounds of tobacco, several servants, silver plate, L7/8/9 currency.
His Majesty owed him several sums on top of that.
His will was witnessed by Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner and Wm. Linckhorne.
He named five sons and three daughters.
He wished all things to be divided including things in Maryland (the plantation where he lived), Virginia and England.
According to a book on the "Welsh Family" whom his grandson, Thomas Stockett through daughter Mary married into, Richard held the title of "Major" as well as Dr. 1360
• Will, Jun 22, 1667. 1358
The will of Richard Wells reads as follows. (Richard Wells,
Senior, of the Coll. of Ann Arundel in the Province of Maryland, 22 June 1667, proved in Maryland 31 Aug. 1667 and in London 14 November 1668.)
To my son Richard that plantation I do now live upon at Herring Creek., being called by the name of Wells and laid out for six hundred acres (and other tracts and parcels). To my son George my land in Baltimore County, namely three hundred acres, purchased of Capt. George Goldsmith, called the Planter's Delight "being now seated ".
To my son John that parcel called Langford's Neck, on the N. side of Chester River in Talbot Co., being "patented" and laid out for fifteen hundred acres, and was purchased of John Langford, Gent.
To my son Robert three hundred and fifty acres called West Wells, lying on the W. side of the plantation I now live on, in Herring Creek Bay.
To my son Benjamin that parcel called Benjamin Choice, being
patented and laid out for two hundred and eight acres, lying W. of a Divident belonging unto Mr. Francis Holland of Herring Creek.
To my daughter, Martha, sometime the wife of an Anthony Salaway, twelve pence.
To my daughter Anne, supposed wife unto Mr. John Stansby, chirurgeon, twelve pence as a reward for her disobedience. To my daughter Mary, wife unto Mr. Thomas Stockett, three cows to be delivered, after my decease, in the Co. of Ann Arundel, and one hudred pounds of money, to be paid in the city of London within twelve months after my decease.
To my five sons all my whole estate remaining, to be divided amongst them both cattle, goods, money in England, tobacco, debts, servants, negroes and all things whatsoever belonging unto me in Maryland, Virginia or in England.
And they to be my executors.
With: Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner, and Wm. Linckhorne. (Probate was granted (in London) to Richard Wells, the eldest son, with power reserved for the others.) NEHGR, Vol. 47, p. 529.
• Probate, Aug 21, 1667,,, MD, USA. 1358 His will was proved in Maryland on Aug. 31, 1667 and in London (or
Canterbury, Kent Co., England) the following year on Nov. 14, 1668 in the Prerogative Court.
Dr. married Francis WHITE, daughter of Sir Richard WHITE and Lady Catherine WESTON. (Francis WHITE was born in, Essex, England and died before 1677.)
CHILDREN
•Mary WELLS
•Richard WELLS
•William WELLS
•George WELLS
•John WELLS
•Robert WELLS
•Benjamin WELLS
•Ann WELLS
•Elizabeth WELLS
•Frances WELLS
•Martha WELLS
NOTES ON PURITANS
The Puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, including, but not limited to, English Calvinists.
Puritanism in this sense was founded by John Calvin from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England.
Puritan ideals either became incorporated into the Church of England, such as the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism
They lost favor when Charles I and II reigned. many left England then
NOTES ON SALTASH
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth(where the Pilgrims left from) over the River Tamar.
It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall".
Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill.
Saltash is the largest town within the East Cornwall area and is one of the largest in Cornwall.
NOTES ON HOUSE OF BURGESSES
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America.
The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America and to make conditions in the colony more agreeable for its current inhabitants.
FROM MARYLAND ARCHIVES
WELLS, RICHARD (?-1667). IMMIGRATED: ca.
1652 as a free adult with his wife and eleven chil-
dren from Charles City County, Virginia. RE-
SIDED: in Herring Creek Hundred, Anne Arundel
County. MARRIED Frances White, daughter of
Richard White and possibly Lady Katharine Wes-
ton. Frances was possibly the granddaughter of
Sir Richard Weston, Earl of Portland. Her brother
was Jerome White (?-by 1677). CHILDREN. SONS:
Richard, who married Sophia (?-1671), daughter
of Richard Ewen (?-1660); Benjamin, who mar-
ried Frances Hanslap; George Wells (?-1696); John;
Robert; and William. DAUGHTERS: Anne, who
married John Stansby (?-ca. 1682/83); Mary, who
married first, Thomas Stockett (?-1671), and sec-
ond, George Yates; Martha, who married first,
ca. 1652, William Ayres, and second, by 1658,
Anthony Selway (Salloway); Frances; and Eliz-
abeth. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: held provincial office within two
years of arrival in Maryland. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: physician, planter, merchant; held one-six-
teenth share of the ship Baltimore. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Assembly, Providence
(Anne Arundel County), 1654; Parliamentary
Commission, 1654-1657/58. OTHER PROVINCIAL
OFFICE justice, Provincial Court, 1654-1657/58.
LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Anne Arundel County,
1658-1665 (quorum, 1661-1665). OUT OF COL-
ONY SERVICE: burgess, Virginia, 1645. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: between June 22 and August 31,
1667, in Anne Arundel County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, at least £1,735.6.4 sterling, 205,112
pounds of tobacco (including 4 black servants, 5
white servants, and 31 oz. plate). LAND: 4,025
acres in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Talbot
counties.
Dr. Richard WELLS
•Marriage: Francis WHITE
•Died: ca or After Jun 22, 1667 Anne Arundel, MD, USA
Richard Wells could be the son of John and Elizabeth Elyott Wells of Saltash, England.
Harry Wright Newman supports this theory because Richard son, George, used a seal on his documents that was highly similar to the arms of the Wells of Saltash, County Cornwall, England.
That Wells family settled in County Cornwall about 1530 from Lincolnshire.
Their arms included a shield with a chevron with three birds and horses head for the crest.
This evidence suggests that the Wells in Saltash need to be studied closely.
What we know for sure about Richard is that he was a staunch Puritan of wealth and influence at a period of history when the Puritans were in power.
He and his wife were both the immigrant ancestors in this line.
He immigrated from England to Virginia before Sep. 13, 1637.
Richard was unmarried when he arrived and settled south of the James River in Virginia.
He received head rights in Charles City Co. Virginia and received fifty acres of land on the River between two creeks.
He apparently had property back in England.
He is sometimes confused with another Richard Wells also in Virginia.
Our Dr. Richard Wells is apparently the Richard who was a Surgeon.
He was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1645. He and his family probably moved to Maryland to seek religious freedom offered by Lord Baltimore in 1653.
The fact that he was a liberal puritan provoked the move.
He took with him all of his children but Martha who had not been born, plus his servants, Thomas Boone, Henry Symonds, George Hall, Thomas Linstead, Edward Howard and Martha Windright.
The birth place of he and his wife's children was in Virginia.
Only their daughter, Martha's, birth date and place is unknown.
In Maryland, he was granted 600 acres on Herring Bay that he named "Wells".
Herring Bay is a bay in Anne Arundel County in the U.S. state of Maryland. It lies in the mid-Chesapeake Bay along the western shore.
He built the Manor House they lived in throughout their days on that property.
He was appointed a member of the Parliamentary Commission on July 22, 1654
He along with Capt. Fuller, Richard Preston, William Durand Edward Lloyd, Capt. John Smith, Leonard Strong, John Lawson, John Hotch, and Richard Ewen controlled Maryland's government from 1654-1658.
Any four of them could act as long as one of them was Fuller, Preston or Durand.
He held multiple offices for the courts.
He accumulated much wealth in the form of land and a sixteenth of a ship called "The Baltimore."
In checking public record, one family researcher has found this Richard Wells and his sons to be ambitious, furious when thwarted, and unsympathetic to those who could not further their interests.
After his death in 1677, his son Richard returned to England where his fathers will was probated at the Prerogative Ct. of Canterbury, (1668).
He still owned land in England at that time.
His estate was appraised on Dec. 5, 1667 by Capt. John Howell and Godfrey Bayley.
In it, a "chirugeon chest" contained interest in the ship "Majesty".
His total worth was L1, 735/6/4 plus 57, 145 pounds of tobacco, several servants, silver plate, L7/8/9 currency.
His Majesty owed him several sums on top of that.
His will was witnessed by Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner and Wm. Linckhorne.
He named five sons and three daughters.
He wished all things to be divided including things in Maryland (the plantation where he lived), Virginia and England.
According to a book on the "Welsh Family" whom his grandson, Thomas Stockett through daughter Mary married into, Richard held the title of "Major" as well as Dr. 1360
• Will, Jun 22, 1667. 1358
The will of Richard Wells reads as follows. (Richard Wells,
Senior, of the Coll. of Ann Arundel in the Province of Maryland, 22 June 1667, proved in Maryland 31 Aug. 1667 and in London 14 November 1668.)
To my son Richard that plantation I do now live upon at Herring Creek., being called by the name of Wells and laid out for six hundred acres (and other tracts and parcels). To my son George my land in Baltimore County, namely three hundred acres, purchased of Capt. George Goldsmith, called the Planter's Delight "being now seated ".
To my son John that parcel called Langford's Neck, on the N. side of Chester River in Talbot Co., being "patented" and laid out for fifteen hundred acres, and was purchased of John Langford, Gent.
To my son Robert three hundred and fifty acres called West Wells, lying on the W. side of the plantation I now live on, in Herring Creek Bay.
To my son Benjamin that parcel called Benjamin Choice, being
patented and laid out for two hundred and eight acres, lying W. of a Divident belonging unto Mr. Francis Holland of Herring Creek.
To my daughter, Martha, sometime the wife of an Anthony Salaway, twelve pence.
To my daughter Anne, supposed wife unto Mr. John Stansby, chirurgeon, twelve pence as a reward for her disobedience. To my daughter Mary, wife unto Mr. Thomas Stockett, three cows to be delivered, after my decease, in the Co. of Ann Arundel, and one hudred pounds of money, to be paid in the city of London within twelve months after my decease.
To my five sons all my whole estate remaining, to be divided amongst them both cattle, goods, money in England, tobacco, debts, servants, negroes and all things whatsoever belonging unto me in Maryland, Virginia or in England.
And they to be my executors.
With: Francis Stockett, Bonham Turner, and Wm. Linckhorne. (Probate was granted (in London) to Richard Wells, the eldest son, with power reserved for the others.) NEHGR, Vol. 47, p. 529.
• Probate, Aug 21, 1667,,, MD, USA. 1358 His will was proved in Maryland on Aug. 31, 1667 and in London (or
Canterbury, Kent Co., England) the following year on Nov. 14, 1668 in the Prerogative Court.
Dr. married Francis WHITE, daughter of Sir Richard WHITE and Lady Catherine WESTON. (Francis WHITE was born in, Essex, England and died before 1677.)
CHILDREN
•Mary WELLS
•Richard WELLS
•William WELLS
•George WELLS
•John WELLS
•Robert WELLS
•Benjamin WELLS
•Ann WELLS
•Elizabeth WELLS
•Frances WELLS
•Martha WELLS
NOTES ON PURITANS
The Puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, including, but not limited to, English Calvinists.
Puritanism in this sense was founded by John Calvin from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England.
Puritan ideals either became incorporated into the Church of England, such as the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism
They lost favor when Charles I and II reigned. many left England then
NOTES ON SALTASH
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth(where the Pilgrims left from) over the River Tamar.
It was in the Caradon district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall".
Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill.
Saltash is the largest town within the East Cornwall area and is one of the largest in Cornwall.
NOTES ON HOUSE OF BURGESSES
The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America.
The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America and to make conditions in the colony more agreeable for its current inhabitants.
FROM MARYLAND ARCHIVES
WELLS, RICHARD (?-1667). IMMIGRATED: ca.
1652 as a free adult with his wife and eleven chil-
dren from Charles City County, Virginia. RE-
SIDED: in Herring Creek Hundred, Anne Arundel
County. MARRIED Frances White, daughter of
Richard White and possibly Lady Katharine Wes-
ton. Frances was possibly the granddaughter of
Sir Richard Weston, Earl of Portland. Her brother
was Jerome White (?-by 1677). CHILDREN. SONS:
Richard, who married Sophia (?-1671), daughter
of Richard Ewen (?-1660); Benjamin, who mar-
ried Frances Hanslap; George Wells (?-1696); John;
Robert; and William. DAUGHTERS: Anne, who
married John Stansby (?-ca. 1682/83); Mary, who
married first, Thomas Stockett (?-1671), and sec-
ond, George Yates; Martha, who married first,
ca. 1652, William Ayres, and second, by 1658,
Anthony Selway (Salloway); Frances; and Eliz-
abeth. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RE-
LIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: held provincial office within two
years of arrival in Maryland. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: physician, planter, merchant; held one-six-
teenth share of the ship Baltimore. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Assembly, Providence
(Anne Arundel County), 1654; Parliamentary
Commission, 1654-1657/58. OTHER PROVINCIAL
OFFICE justice, Provincial Court, 1654-1657/58.
LOCAL OFFICE: justice, Anne Arundel County,
1658-1665 (quorum, 1661-1665). OUT OF COL-
ONY SERVICE: burgess, Virginia, 1645. WEALTH AT
DEATH. DIED: between June 22 and August 31,
1667, in Anne Arundel County. PERSONAL PROP-
ERTY: TEV, at least £1,735.6.4 sterling, 205,112
pounds of tobacco (including 4 black servants, 5
white servants, and 31 oz. plate). LAND: 4,025
acres in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Talbot
counties.
