Mystery of the Month - June 1997 |
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Richard moved to Dover, Kent Co., Delaware after his wife's death where he bought property on 13 Aug 1747 and married 2) 28 Jul 1748 in Dover Lydia Alford (d: 1785, dau of Thomas and Mary Alford). While he apparently lived in Dover he spent considerable time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Daughter Rebecca married and settled there and sonsGeorge and Humphreyalso both lived there.
Richard's will left his entire estate to a Catherine Buckmaster and her four children who all had the surname Buckmaster but the middle name of Wells. The relationship, if any, between Dr. Richard Wells and Catherine Buckmaster is unknown.
No provision was made for any of Richard's legitimate children nor his wife Lydia.
Richard Wells and Mary Holliday had:
George Wells is a very curious study. About the time his father died Dr. George Wells appeared in the records of Chowan County, North Carolina where he married Marion Boyd (daughter of William Boyd). George Wells wrote a will on 03 May 1767 naming his wife, his brother Richard Wells and his younger brother "by my father's side, Thomas Wells". If one stopped here they could conclude that George died about 1767.
However, the will of his father-in-law written 18 Feb 1775 states "in case my daughter Marion should die before her husband George Wells..." and "...during the absence of her husband Geo Wells...". In a further codicil dated 04 Feb 1780 William Boyd mentions his daughter "wife of George Wells" several times and states of the property left to her "...shall not be subject to the interference, intermedling order or control of the said George Wells, her husband, in any manner..." Professional analysis of the handwriting in the will of George Wells of Chowan County in 1767 and records of Dr. George Wells of Augusta, Georgia have shown them to be the same man!
George Wells became a physician studying under his father. Dr. George Wells appeared in Augusta, Georgia by 1771 where he was granted 50 acres in St. George's Parish. By 1774 he had acquired over 1,000 acres. Why he left his wife behind in Chowan County is unknown.� Some records indicate that Dr. George Wells married a miss _____ Jones in Georgia and land records indicate that the Jones family managed to get it's hands on most if not all of George's property after he died. George and _____ Jones are credited with supposedly having had one son who died young. More on George Wells later.
Dr. Richard Wells and Lydia Alford may have had two children:
Richard Wells and Catherine (Katherine) Buckmaster may have had 4 Children if they were indeed by Richard. There is speculation that Catherine may have been his sister or other relative, but no records have been found on any of these individuals other than Richard's estate records.:
Sometime after 1770 when Dr. George Wells arrived in Georgia, he took his nephew Richard Wells to live with him. Family legend has it that Uncle George actually kidnapped Richard from Philadelphia and that Richard's mother tried to follow him but gave up before she got to Georgia.
Richard Wells b: 11 Feb 1760, Philadelphia, PA (from his pension application); d: 28 Mar 1838 at Floyd Co, KY (now Johnson Co, KY); m:Susannah Hutchinson 28 Sep 1797 at Russell Co, Virginia.
A statement made by the son of Richard Wells, George E. Wells, in 1887 says "My father was Richard Wells who was born on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania".
Evidence has been found to indicate that a Humphrey Wells b: Cir 1755 was the brother of Richard Wells. He married Molly Uptegroves 14 Dec 1790 in Albemarle County, Virginia. A son of Humphrey Wells, Jesse R. Wells, in a statement made in 1896 said that his father was born on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and that his father had a brother named Richard who had gone to live in Kentucky. He further stated that his grandfather had died under mysterious circumstances and his uncle (Richard) had been sold to an Uncle in Georgia and that his father, fearing a similar fate, fled to Virginia.
The only Wells that has been found in the tax records for Philadelphia during the period of interest is Dr. Humphrey Wells who shows up on Chestnut street in the 1759 and 1760 tax records. He then disappears from the tax records and has only been found as a witness on a land transaction in 1765 in Kent County, Delaware where his father Dr. Richard Wells conveyed land to his sister's husband Charles Cox
The Mystery of the Month is: Can anyone provide the answers to the above questions and the proof in the form of records to substantiate the answers? Please e-mail any responses to :
[email protected]