Blann-Watts Genealogy

Welcome to The Stevens Family Page, which furnishes historical detail beyond the site index, exploring five generations of Stevens in the line of Jonathan Stevens of Dorchester County, Maryland, as well as the Thomas family in the line of Edmund Thomas (Sr.) of Kent, England.
 

6. Elizabeth Stevens --Elizabeth was the mother of Robert Arthur Bland, wife of Thomas Bland and second husband John Rumbold Willis. She married Thomas Bland before 1836. Elizabeth was born between 1810 and 1813 in Caroline Co. MD.--the 1850 MD census indicates she was born in 1810. Elizabeth and Thomas had three children before Thomas' death in the late 1840s: Mary Jane, Lizzie, and Arthur. We know from the testimony of Arthur's son, Nelson Blann, that after Thomas' death, his son Arthur was bound out as a laborer with a series of families, one which made him work and sleep in the barn, eating leftovers (until he ran away). Thomas Bland's family was broken up as result of his father's untimely death and possible outstanding debts, and only Lizzie was able to stay with her mother. The 1850 census shows "Elizabeth Bland" living with John Willis, daughter Lizzie and John's son, Thomas Willis, while her daughter, Mary Jane, is boarding with John Willis' sister, Susan, and her husband, William Turner.  (DNA evidence suggests that both John Willis and Susan Willis Turner might have been cousins of Elizabeth Bland.) John R. Willis and Elizabeth were married on April 4, 1853 (Maryland State archives marriage records, Annapolis, MD). On the 1860 Caroline Co. MD census she is listed as "Elizabeth Willis" (age 47-born 1813) in the household of 39 year old John R. Willis. While the handwriting on the surname in 1860 resembles "Mills" it is almost certainly "Willis" because the household includes 47 year old Elizabeth (Arthur's mother, born in ca. 1813), Elizabeth (age 15) and Thomas (age 16), Mary (Mollie-age 7), and son, Arthur (age 21-farmer). Also in the household is William Flemming (age 33), farm hand. By 1860, Mary Jane Bland had married William McCracken, per the census.

    (Note: There is another Elizabeth Willis (1813-1864; daughter of John and Mary Rowan) of the same age in Caroline Co. in the 1860 census with an older husband named John Fisk Willis,b. a.1809, and a daughter named Molly, b. 1856. Per a photo of her tombstone on Find-a grave, this Elizabeth was born in 1813 and died Sept 10, 1864 in Caroline Co., MD, but she is a different individual from my ancestor, Elizabeth Stevens Bland Willis. Yet another Elizabeth Willis appears in Easton, Talbot Co. MD in the 1860 census. She is born ca. 1822 and is the wife of  Lewis Willis, b. 1826). The 1870 Talbot Co. MD census shows John Willis with wife Elizabeth (age 57, ie. born in 1813) and this appears to be my ancestor, Elizabeth Stevens Willis. In their household is a female (age 5; born 1864/5) named Roxanne (Rosanne) and a 16 year old daughter named Mary T. (also known as"Mollie") who married Joseph Griffin. (Given that I have strong DNA matches to a number of descendants of Roxanne, the DNA evidence  suggests that either Elizabeth gave birth to Roxanne at the age of 51-55, which is unlikely, or the DNA matches to Roxanne are coming from her grandmother Bethany Britannia Gootee Willis, who is the sister of my direct ancestor, Abel Gootee.)

    My grandmother Anna Blann, who kept records of this family, cited four siblings of Arthur Bland: Mary Jane Bland (1836-1880) who married William McCraken, Robert Arthur Bland (1840-1916) who married Annie Robinson, Elizabeth Ann (Lizzie) Bland (ca.1846-April 12, 1912) who married Dave Evans, and Mollie, who married Joseph Griffin (1842-1904). Mary T. "Mollie" Griffin was born in Aug. 1853 (per the 1900 census), had three children and died in 1916. Given Lizzie's birth in 1846 and Elizabeth's appearance in the household of John Willis in the 1850 census, it is likely that Thomas Bland died between 1846 and 1850, since he does not appear on the 1850 census. If this is so, then John, rather than Thomas, is the father of Mollie, who was born in 1853. It appears Elizabeth may have been pregnant when they wed since they married in April and Mollie was born in August of 1853.

 

     Caroline County marriage records show that John Willis married Celia Sparklin on Dec.26,1843. Celia, who appears to have died prior to 1849, was the mother of John Willis' first child, Thomas Foster Willis (1844-1900). Caroline County marriage records next show John Willis marrying Mary Todd on Sept. 11, 1849 (Maryland, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1667-1899). The 1859 will of John Willis' father, Joseph Willis (1790-1860) provides the middle name of his granddaughter, Mollie T. Willis, as Todd (apparently named for Mary Todd.) However the evidence suggests that Mary Todd was not Molly's mother but rather Elizabeth, as John Willis and Elizabeth Stevens Bland were married on April 4, 1853 and Mollie was born in Aug.10, 1853. Given the four months time span between these events, Elizabeth must have been about 5 months pregnant when they wed. Elizabeth would have been residing in the household as domestic help or a dependent relative from the time she became a widow (ca.1849) until 1853-- DNA suggests that John and Elizabeth might have been closely related, possibly first cousins. (Note: There is a Mary E. Todd who died unmarried  in 1851 at age 20 in Frederick Co. MD but this is not John Willis' wife, Mary Todd.) The 1850 census shows 29 year old John R. Willis with 40 year old Elizabeth in his household with two children: John's son, Thomas (age 5), and Elizabeth's daughter, Elizabeth A. (age 6)--Lizzie. Also in the line above John Willis on the 1850 census is an 11 year old named Arthur (Bland?), living with the family of William Neighbors. Robert Arthur Bland is reunited with his mother and sister Lizzie per the 1860 Caroline County census, living in John Willis' household. The 1870 Caroline Co. census lists the household of John Willis (age 49) with Elizabeth Willis (age 57) and two females, Mary "Mollie" (age 16) and Roxanne (age 5). Roxanne (or Rosanna) was born in 1864. The number of DNA matches to Roxanne suggests that Elizabeth may have been her mother, giving birth at around age 51-54. While a birth at such an advanced age is unusual, another Easton researcher assured me it could happen, as she had an ancestor in the area who gave birth at age 57. The 1880 Caroline Co. MD census shows John Willis with presumably his third wife, Ellen, 15 year old Roxanne, and 10 year old Ida Moore (Ellen's child?) indicating that Elizabeth was likely deceased by 1880. Elizabeth's date of death is given as March 25, 1878 on the Geneanet website. While I haven't found any original record which confirms this, it tallies with the absence of Elizabeth from the 1880 census.

 

    Although Elizabeth's parents have not definitely been proven, current atDNA matches on Ancestry.com point to several possible Stevens parents. One possibility is that her parents are John Stevens and Elizabeth Willis of Caroline Co.MD. I have 17 DNA matches to Elizabeth Willis, 15 to John Stevens' parents, Jonathan and Frances Stevens (3 matches are over 20 cM), and 28 matches to Elizabeth Willis' parents, Richard and Bethany Willis. One of Elizabeth Willis Stevens' sisters was Dorcas Willis, who married her cousin, Joseph Willis (both are grandchildren of Richard Willis Sr. and Rebecca Granger). If Elizabeth Willis Stevens was Elizabeth Stevens Bland's mother then the daughter ,Elizabeth Stevens Bland, would be a cousin of John Rumbold Willis.

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Possible parents of Elizabeth Stevens Bland:  Using DNA evidence in the absence of any clear documentary proof, I have identified three possible sets of parents for Elizabeth, who are all closely related members of the Stevens families of Caroline Co. MD and are are discussed in detail below.
      1.  There is some DNA evidence to suggest that the father of Elizabeth may be John Stevens, who was born ca.1785-88 in Caroline Co.MD., and was one of four children of Jonathan Stevens and Frances Hignutt.  I have a number of DNA matches to this Stevens line, including three of John's sisters and many further matches to his wife's side. John Stevens married Elizabeth Willis of Caroline Co. MD (ca. 1790-after 1850) on March 1, 1805, according to Caroline Co. marriage records (Caroline County, Maryland Marriages, 1774-1815, p.20). The following children are documented as children of a couple named "John and Elizabeth Stevens": William Whitely Stevens (1826 or 1829-1901), Sarah A. (1828-1910),  John Wesley (1829-1916), Willis C. (1839-1896), Elijah W. (1840-1915), and Celia (1842-1921). However, these are likely the children of  "John and Elizabeth Stevens" of nearby Delaware: John Stephens (1794-after 1850) and Elizabeth Williamson (b. ca.1800) who married in 1826. This John Stephens (Stevens) appears on the 1850 Queen Anne's Co. MD census with several different Stephens children in his household (the younger children now grown and no longer in the household).
     John Stevens and Elizabeth Willis do not appear on Maryland census after 1820. (There are several John Stevens listed on the census in 1820-1830 but none fit our couple's ages and profile.) There is an 1830 Talbot Co. MD census record for a widow named Elizabeth Stevens, age 50-59, with a female, age 15-17, who might be Elizabeth Willis Stevens and her daughter Elizabeth (who was about 17-20 in 1830 and not yet married) however, Elizabeth Willis was born in 1790 and would only be 40 in 1830, so either the census taker recorded her age wrong (a common occurrence) or this is not Elizabeth Willis Stevens. Given that our John Stevens otherwise disappears from the Maryland census after 1820, I tend to think this might be our John's widow and daughter in the 1830 census. Also Elizabeth may have been named after her mother. We know that Elizabeth Willis Stevens outlived John Stevens and after his passing she applied for a veteran's pension for her husband's military service in Capt. Andrew Porter's MD unit in the War of 1812 (but since the request is not dated we don't know for sure when he died).

     While there is no will extant for either John or Elizabeth Stevens, the census provides indirect evidence that Elizabeth might be their daughter. The 1810 census shows a John Stevens and wife, both age 16-25, with 3 females under 10, whose identity is unknown. (This is the only John Stevens and wife in Caroline and surrounding counties of the right age to be them in 1810). The 1850 census indicates that Elizabeth Stevens was born about 1810, so it is possible that she appears in the census as a newborn in 1810. The 1820 Caroline Co. MD census shows John Stevens and his wife (the only John Stevens and wife in Caroline and surrounding counties of the right age to be them in 1820) with a female child age 1-10 years old when Elizabeth was about 7-10 years old. This might be Elizabeth, however the household is filled with other older males, a few slaves, and no other young females who would correspond to the 3 females under 10 in the 1810 census listing of John Stevens.

     Unfortunately, the 1810-1830 censuses of Caroline and surrounding counties offer only meager support for the residence of this couple with a daughter born ca. 1810. Furthermore, I have found no birth records for any children of John and Elizabeth Stevens following their 1805 marriage in Caroline Co., MD so DNA matches to this branch of the Stevens family remains the primary evidence suggesting this connection and further documentary evidence is needed.
     Elizabeth Willis Stevens' parents were Richard Willis (born Aug.8, 1759 in Dorchester Co. MD and died Feb.14,1823 in Caroline Co. MD.) and Bethany Britannia Gootee (born in 1763 in Dorchester Co. MD and died Jan.3, 1826 in New Castle, Delaware). Bethany's parents were John Gootee and Elizabeth Pritchett (who are also ancestors in my Turner-Gootee line). Also, one of Bethany's grandchildren, Susan Willis (daughter of Bethany's daughter, Dorcas Willis), married William Turner. They are the family that took in Elizabeth Bland's daughter, Mary Jane, after Thomas Bland's death and are probably her relatives. Nevertheless, the Turner marriage adds endogamy that could account for most or all of my DNA matches on the Willis side, but it isn't a factor for the DNA matches stemming from John Stevens who has no known Turner or Gootee DNA.

 

    2. The second possible father of Elizabeth Stevens Bland is John Stevens' father, Jonathan Stevens, who was born March 21, 1768 in Talbot, Maryland and died in ca. 1829 in Caroline Co., MD. The date of Jonathan's birth and the names of his parents are given in the U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935.) He married Frances Hignutt (ca. 1770-1829) on Sept.12, 1789 in Caroline Co., MD. Their known children were: Noah (1790–1850),  John (ca.1785-after 1850) who married Elizabeth Willis,  Mary Ann (1807–1873), and Sarah "Sally" (1808–1866). Quaker meeting records show that both Jonathan and his parents were Quakers. Jonathan's 1768 birth records from Easton, MD, show the names of his parents as William and Mary Stevens (Maryland Birth & Christenings, 1650-1995). We know that his mother was Mary Poole because the 1743 will of Mary's father, George Poole, mentions his daughter, "Mary, the wife of William Stevens."
     If Jonathan and Frances Stevens were Elizabeth's parents, Elizabeth would be their youngest child, born 2-5 years after Sarah (b.1808) when Frances was around age 40. If Elizabeth was born in 1813 then she does does not match the 1810-20 census profiles for Jonathan Stevens of Caroline Co. MD. However, if Elizabeth was born in 1810 and appears as a newborn in the census taken on Aug.6, 1810, then she does match their profile. In the 1810 census, Jonathan's household shows 3 females under 10, and Jonathan has only two known daughters under 10 (Mary Ann and Sarah), so Elizabeth could be the third female of that age. However, in the 1820 census, there are only 2 young females, age 10-15, which leaves open the question of what happened to the third female (possibilities: the 3rd female died, she was still alive but wasn't counted in the census, or was  staying with a relative). Jonathan does not appear in the 1830 Maryland census, although the household of his daughter, Mary Ann, who married Joseph Richardson (b.1802) shows an older male, age 60-69, who could be the widower Jonathan staying with them. Otherwise the evidence would suggest that both Jonathan and Frances Stevens died before 1830. (A final possible parent for Elizabeth in this Stevens family group would be Jonathan's son, Noah, but the 1810-20 censuses do not show a daughter of Elizabeth's age so he must be ruled out as her potential parent.)

     The parents of Jonathan's wife, Frances Hignutt, are thought to be Daniel R. Hignutt (born ca.1745 in Caroline Co., Maryland and died there in 1808) and Sarah Dawson (ca.1750-1809). Daniel Hignutt left an 1808 will which names his wife Sarah and names two daughters: Nancy Morris and Sarah Peters, but does not name Francis. However, I have 5 DNA matches to Daniel Hignutt (three matches through his son, Emanuel Hignutt and another through Mary Ann Richardson). Daniel's father was James Hignutt (1707-1768) of Caroline Co. MD, whose 1768 will names Daniel as one of his three sons, but doesn't mention his wife (which implies that she might already be deceased). James' wife (Daniel's mother) is listed on most Ancestry.com trees as Mary Elizabeth Morgan (1707-1771), but as there is no marriage record or other clear evidence to support this, Daniel's mother's identity remains uncertain. Also the trees show her birth in Caroline Co. MD but her death in Massachusetts, which could indicate conflation with another Mary Hignutt of Massachusetts. And yet, the court records show that a Mary Hignutt filed a protest to the will (outcome unknown), which leaves open the possibility that Mary was his wife, but perhaps estranged from her husband and thus omitted from his will. James Hignutt's parents are unknown.

    3. A third possible father of Elizabeth from the Caroline Co. Stevens family is William Stevens (Feb.13,1777-July 12, 1824), one of six children of Azel Stevens Sr. (1747-1824). (Azel is possibly an uncle of Jonathan Stevens.) William is the strongest candidate for Elizabeth's father in terms of DNA matching. I have 30 DNA matches to William's line, 3 which are over 20 cMs. William married Letta (Violetta) Gootee (1780-after 1824) on Jan.7, 1803 in Caroline Co. MD. (Caroline County, Maryland Marriages, 1774-1815). Letta's parents were John Gootee and Elizabeth Pritchett, who are also parents of my ancestor, Abel Gootee and his sister Britannia Gootee, wife of Richard Willis. (The Gootee marriage introduces some endogamy into the line for William's DNA, but not for the DNA of his parents or siblings.) William and Letta Stevens had 8 known children: Rebecca (1804-1853), William A. (1806-1850), Gootee (1808-1891), Sarah (1812-1874), Violetta (1814-1824), Elhanan (1816-1902), Sena B. (1819-1860), and James A. Baynard Stevens (1821-1880). The 1810 Caroline Co. census includes 1 female under 10 (Rebecca, b.1804) in William's household.
    The 1820 Caroline Co. census shows William's household with 1 male & female over age 45 (probably William's parents, Azel Sr. & Rebecca, who lived until 1824 but who do not show up elsewhere in the 1820 census), 1 male & female 26-44 (William & Letta), 2 males under 10 (Elhanan & Sena), 3 males 10-15 (William Jr., Gootee & unknown), 2 males 16-25 ( boarders or relatives?), 2 females under 10 (Sarah & Violetta), 2 females age 10-15, and 3 other females between age 15-44, 2 of whom are too old to be children of the 1803 marriage. As Rebecca was born ca. 1804, she might be listed as a female age 10-15 or age 15-26. The 1810 census was enumerated on Aug 6, 1810. If Elizabeth was born after Aug. 7, 1810, it would explain why she doesn't show up as 0-10 in 1810 but appears in the 1820 census as a daughter between age 10-15, who is unidentified. If Elizabeth is their daughter, this would account for the 30 DNA matches to Elizabeth through William's line. Also there is a 4 year gap between the 1808 birth of Gootee and the 1812 birth of Sarah, so an 1810 birth of Elizabeth would fit well in this gap. Since William and Letta died (intestate) before 1830 their female children cannot easily be tracked further in the 1830 census, as they are probably staying with relatives.
  Quaker records list the Talbot Co. MD birth of William Stevens on Feb.13,1777 to Azel and Rebecca Stevens (U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935). Azel Stevens Sr's wife was Rebecca Townsend (1755-1824). Azel's parents were Jonathan Stevens (b. Feb.17, 1705 in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester, VA; d. 1767 in Dorchester Co., MD.) and Anoday Adria Benthall (b.1701 in Northampton, VA; d.1767 in Bridgetown, Northampton, VA). This couple married in 1730 and had at least three children: William (ca.1733-1790), John (ca. 1733-1793) and Azel Sr. (1747-1824).

     The father of Jonathan Stevens (the second possible father we discussed) is documented as William Stevens, who was born on June 30, 1725 in Talbot Co., Maryland (per Maryland Birth & Christenings, 1650-1995) and died in 1790 in Caroline Co., Maryland. The St. Peter's Talbot co. MD parish records of William's birth lists his parents as William Stevens (Sr.) and Julianah. The Sept. 23, 1724 Talbot Co. MD marriage records for William Stevens Sr. and Juliana show that her name was Juliana Thomas. (see below for further details on the Thomas lineage.) However, as there were a number of individuals in the area named William Stevens, we cannot be certain that the William, son of William and Juliana Stevens, who is listed in the 1725 St. Peter's Talbot co. MD parish records is Jonathan's grandfather. Some Ancestry.com trees (without adequate supporting evidence) offer a different set of parents for William Stevens Jr, listing his parents as Jonathan Stevens and  Anoday Adria Benthall . This couple married in 1730 and had at least three children: William (ca,1733-1790), John (ca. 1733-1793) and Azel Sr. (1747-1824). If this descendancy is correct it would mean that Azel and Jonathan were brothers.

     Mary Poole (1733-1795) was the wife of William Stevens (Jr.). One online report states that they were married in Spotsylvania, VA in 1763 and while I haven't been able to locate this marriage record, the location makes sense because Mary was born and raised in Spotsylvania where her parents lived. Mary's parents,  George Poole (1704-Feb.29, 1743) and Elizabeth Rogers (1711-1799), married in Spotsylvania, VA in 1728. George Poole left a will, probated in 1744, in which he identifies his wife as Elizabeth, names two sons, Micajah and Thomas, several grandchildren and six daughters: Ann, Milley, Joanna, Sarah, Elizabeth and "Mary, wife of William Stevens." Elizabeth Rogers Poole wrote her will in Spotsylvania in Dec.1798 and it was probated the following year. William (Jr,) and Mary Stevens' seven known children, as recorded in Easton, MD handwritten birth records (Maryland Birth & Christenings; 1650-1995), were: Ann (b.1765), Jonathan (1768-1790), James (b.1770), Sarah (1773-1850), Mary (1775-1811), Rachel (1778-1853), and Rhoda (1784-1863). I have DNA matches to three of these sisters of Jonathan, including a 21 cM match to Rhoda Stevens.
  The parents of William Stevens Sr. are thought to be John Stevens (1684-1742) and Elizabeth Allcock (b.1687). Quaker meeting notes from July 1709 record the couple's intention to marry which was made before the congregation at the Tuccaho Meeting House in Talbot Co. MD. I have not found a will or other records which name William as their son, so he must be considered the end of the known Stevens line.
  Below is a chart showing the tentative relations within the Stevens family and how Elizabeth may fit in.

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