John (Jonathan?) Mills, Sr.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: In 1734 John described himself as a farmer from Prince George Co., MD
• Religion: Quaker
• Residence: 1718-1726, Prince George Co., MD

Notes:

Information about John Mills, Sr., as published on his memorial on Find-A-Grave website:

John MILLS Sr. was probably born in England. He came as a young man to Philadelphia where he engaged in the lumber business with Richard Harrold before settling in Maryland. John Mills Sr. is also identified by many Mills' family history accounts as the first Mills Emigrant to America of his line. The most notable manuscript was written by Jeremiah Mills, born 1784, son of Amos Mills, born 1752, grandson of Hur Mills born 1714.

In 1730 he was described as John Mills of "Manoquisy near ye River Potomac" on the marriage certificate of his son Thomas Mills who married Elizabeth Harrold, a daughter of Richard Harrold. In 1731 he witnessed a marriage at the home of Josiah Ballinger at "Monoguisie Province of Maryland."

He received a land grant/patent of 1315 acres, 12 Nov 1735, located in Virginia. Today this land is located between Inwood and Gerrardstown, Berkeley Co., WV. This land was described as being "on a branch of Opeckon, near but not adjoining the Lewis DeMoss land." In 1743 he deeded land to sons Thomas Mills, Hur Mills, Henry Mills and John Mills Jr. recorded in Frederick Co., VA.

On 1752, 6, 1. Hopewell granted John Mills a certificate to remove to Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in Orange Co., NC. (we do not if it was Sr. or Jr.) John Mills Sr's Daughter Mary Mills Beeson and her husband William Beesonarrived at Cane Creek first, 1752, 3, 7. John Mills?. was followed on 1753, 5, 7. by Thomas Mills, John Mills?, Hur Mills and Henry Mills; to Cane Creek, they were received on 1753, 9, 1. The land the Mills families settled on was in Orange County, which became Rowan Co. in 1753 and then became Guilford Co. in 1770.

In 1757, John Mills Sr. was visited by William Reckitt during the French and Indian War. John Mills Sr. was then living within two or three miles of a place where not many weeks before Indians, had killed and taken away people. He made his last will and testament 28 Sep 1759 which was probated Jul 1761 Rowan Co., NC. The will left one shilling bequests to each of his five oldest children by his 1st wife Rebecca Mills: Thomas Mills, John Mills Jr., Hur Mills, Henry Mills and Mary Mills Beeson. The rest of his estate was left to his 2nd and current wife Rebekah Mills (spelled as in the will) for the support of her children who were not specifically named. John Mills Sr. died 24 11th month 1760 and his death is noted in the records of New Garden Monthly Meeting, Guilford Co., NC.

In 1730 John Mills Sr. witnessed the marriage of his eldest son Thomas Mills, followed by the signature of a Rebecca Mills who was most likely his first wife and the mother of Thomas Mills. There were five children from his first marriage, born between 1709 and 1724. There were seven children from his second marriage to a woman also named Rebecca Mills that are recorded in the minutes of New Garden MM, NC. These children were born between 1742 and 1757. It would appear that John Mills' first wife died after 1730 and he remarried circa 1740 to the second Rebecca Mills. The second marriage no doubt occurred while John Mills Sr. and his children were members of Hopewell MM, VA. Unfortunately, the early records of this monthly meeting burned so there is no record of this marriage. The surnames of both wives remain unknown.

"When mistakes are published, they are impossible to correct"

Please note: contrary to some published references, there is no documented evidence to support that our John was the son of a John Mills who died 1704/5 at Philadelphia MM. Further, his mother was not Sarah Harrold and he was never married to a Rachel Bates!

Recommended WEB site for ==John Mills Sr.

Questions/Suggestions? - Email Me 

Contributing Research providers;
Cheska Wheatley descendant of Thomas and Elizabeth Harrold MILLS 
Gwen Boyer Bjorkman descendant of Thomas and Elizabeth Harrold MILLS
Diana Whittenburg descendant of John Jr. and Sarah Beals MILLS
David Mills descendant of John Jr. and Sarah Beals MILLS
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From Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934. Pub 1936. Mills. Page 12. In the state land office at Richmond VA are to be found recorded in book 16 the patents issued to settlers who came to the Shenandoah Valley under the authority of the orders in Council made to Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan. All bear the date of November 12, 1735 and recite that the grantee is one of the seventy families brought in by them and excepting location and acreage are alike in wording and conditions., and are signed by William Gooch, Lt. Governor of the Colony at that time.

John Mills, Sr no 35 1315 acres of land in Berkeley Co WV. The land is on Mill Creek between Inwood and Gerradstown with highway 51 along the North part and highway 24 running through the land. This information is from the book Pioneers of old Frederick County, Virginia by Cecil O'Dell.
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“Probably came to America about 1708 with Richard Harrold and worked in Philadelphia in the construction business for several years before moving to Maryland.

“In 1730 he was described as John Mills of “Manoquisy near ye River Potomack” on son Thomas Mills’ marriage certificate recorded at New Garden Monthly Meeting, PA.

“In 1731 John, along with Thomas and Reuben Mills witnessed a marriage at Monoguisie, Province of Maryland, recorded at Nottingham MM, PA.

“John owned 1315 acres, in what is now Berkeley Co., WV; described in the patent as being “On a Branch of Opeckon, near but not adjoining Lewis MeMoss’ land.” In 1743 John Mills made several deeds recorded in Frederick Co., VA conveying portions of this tract to each of his sons, Thomas, Henry, Hurr and John Jr. In each deed he is described as “John Mills, Sr., of Prince George Co., MD, farmer.” His sons are all of Frederick County. No wife joined John Mills Sr. in these deeds.

“John was visited by Friend William Reckitt in 1757 during the French and Indian War. “The Indians had killed and taken away people within two or three miles of this place not many weeks before; but the Lord preserved US in our journey.”

“John’s will was made 28 Sept 1759, probated July 1761 in Rowan Co., NC. None of the children by his second marriage were named. “

Hopewell Meeting House...
“was the first Quaker meeting established in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It was originally known as Opeckan and was set off from the Concord Quarterly Meeting of Pennsylvania in 1734. The actual date of first settlement is thought to be around 1730. The meeting house is located about six miles north of Winchester, Frederick Co., Virginia.

“A land grant of 100,000 acres was purchased on the Opeckan River. Many of the earliest settlers moved into the area from the Valley of the Monocacy in Maryland.”

http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mygermanfamilies/MillsJohnRebecca.html
John Mills was received at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina on 8/1/1752 on a certificate from Hopewell Monthly Meeting, Opeckan, Virginia dated 6/1/1752. Cane Creek Meeting at that time embraced a large area but John probably settled in Rowan County as he was a charter member of New Garden Monthly Meeting, Rowan County, when it was established in 1754. Sons Thomas, John, Hur & Henry followed on 9/1/1753 by certificate from Hopewell dated 5/7/1753.

John Mills and son John, Jr., are called "Fathers of the Colony" by Hinshaw in writing of Hopewell Monthly Meeting in Virginia. Unfortunately the early Hopewell records have been lost and we only know of the Mills family move to North Carolina from the minutes of the receiving meeting. Fortunately, as was often the case, children were recorded at New Garden Monthly Meeting even though born in Virginia and it is here that we learn that Rebeckah was second wife of John and find birth dates for the second set of children. It is also born out by John's will, abstracted below.

Abstract of John Mills Sr’s WillRowan County (A:122) John (X) Mills. Sept. 28, 1759. prb. July 1761. Wife Rebecah. 4 sons are each to have 1 shilling and what they have already received. Sons of a former wife, they are: Thomas, John, Hur, Henry. Dau., Mary Beeson, by former wife. Exr: wife, Rebeckah. Wit: William Buis, William Baldwin, John Baker.

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In 2011 we learned that the Quaker Mills site online on geocities was no longer available but a source online of archives in Ancestry.com found the following pertinent information. It had been posted in 2001 by Cheska Wheatley who has since passed away. We will post a limited amount of this information here.

Cheska Wheatley mentions that the Quaker John Mills family is not her line but she helped a friend with research who was descended from this line so had quite a bit of information on them.

She gives information from son Thomas Mills' marriage certificate recorded at New Garden Monthly Meeting, Pa. In the right hand column customarily reserved for parents and close family members is a signature of John Mills followed by that of Rebecca Mills who is held to be his first wife. John Mills is described in 1730 as living on "Manoquisy near ye River Potomack."

The New Garden Monthly Meeting records, Guilford Co., NC contain the birth records of John's children by a woman named Rebecca who is clearly identified as his second wife. Their first child was born in 1742 some twelve years after John's eldest son by his first wife was married.

In 1742 and 1743 John Mills of Prince George, Md made several deeds of land to his sons Thomas, Henry, Hur and John J. who were then residents of Opeckan, Frederick Co, Va and no doubt members of Hopewell MM, Va. The records no doubt contain information on the death of the first wife and marriage to the second wife but the records are unavailable due to destruction in a fire.

Between 1752 and 1753 John Sr. and his four sons transferred their memberships from Hopewell Monthly Meeting, Va to Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, NC according to the men's minutes of that meeting. In 1754 New Garden MM, NC was set off from Cane Creek MM and the four Mills brothers are recorded as original members of that meeting.

In 1759, John made his will which made bequests of 1 shilling each to his children Thomas, Henry, Hur, John and Mary "by my former wife." The rest of his estate was left to his wife Rebeckah and her children who were unnamed in the will. John died in 1760 and this will was probated 1761 in Rowan Co.l, NC that year.

Nothing is known about the widow Rebeccah other than one written account in 1840 which states she went to Montgomery Co, NC. Her oldest son William was disowned by New Garden MM, NC in 1763 for attending his sister Rebecca's marriage to a non-Quaker. There is no mention of the remaining children in the Quaker records.

Died:
New Garden Friends Meeting
http://drwilliams.org/iDoc/index.htm?url=http://drwilliams.org/iDoc/Web-201.htm

Buried:
New Garden Friends Cemetery

Family/Spouse: Rachel. Rachel was born about 1690; died about 1731 in VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. John Thomas Mills was born about 1709 in PA; died on 10 Sep 1793 in Guilford Co., NC.

John married Rebecca Wright about 1708 in Chester Co., PA. Rebecca was born on 14 Jul 1690 in Chester Co., PA; died about 1740 in Prince George Co., MD; was buried in Frederick Co., VA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Probably

1. John Mills, Jr was born on 27 Oct 1712 in Chester Co., PA; died on 18 Apr 1794 in NC.
2. Hur (Hurculus) Mills was born in Jul 1716/17 in Prince George Co., MD; died on 26 Nov 1761 in Guilford Co., NC.
3. Henry Mills was born on 23 Sep 1720 in PA; died on 10 Oct 1810 in NC.
4. Mary Mills was born on 17 Jan 1724 in PA.

John married Rebeckah Harrold (?) in 1740 in Hopewell, Frederick Co., VA. Rebeckah was born before 1721 in Hopewell, Frederick Co., VA; died on 24 Jan 1761 in NC. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Probably Hopewell MM

1. William Mills was born on 27 Aug 1742 in Hopewell Twp., Frederick Co., VA; died about 1774 in SC.
2. Rebecca Mills was born on 15 Dec 1744 in Hopewell Twp., Frederick Co., VA.
3. George Mills was born on 8 Oct 1747 in Hopewell Twp., Frederick Co., VA.
4. Benjamin Mills was born on 8 Oct 1747 in Hopewell Twp., Frederick Co., VA.
5. Alice Mills was born on 22 Jun 1750 in Hopewell Twp., Frederick Co., VA.
6. Tabitha Mills was born on 27 Feb 1752 in Salisbury, Rowan Co., NC; died on 18 Oct 1826 in Estill, Madison Co., KY; was buried in Madison Co., KY.
7. Jonathan Mills was born on 14 May 1757 in Guilford Co., NC.

Notes:

Buried:
Eccles, St. Mary

John + Sarah Harrold. Sarah (daughter of James Harrold and Susan Keith) was born in 1662 in Province Of PA; died on 17 Oct 1759 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John + Mary Kenion. Mary (daughter of John Kenion and Jane Collinge) was born on 20 Nov 1642 in Middleton, Oldham, Lancashire, England; died in 1716 in Oldham, Lancashire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James + Susan Keith. Susan was born in 1652 in Philadelphia, PA; died in 1724 in Philadelphia, Delaware Co., PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John + Jane Collinge. Jane was born in 1614 in Yorkshire, England; died about 1642 in Yorkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Donald + Ruth Brockett. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]