Joseph Willis - Stradishall

[windy_miller]

Helo everyone,

Hope y'all had a great Xmas!

I'm now looking at the millers at Stradishall.  There was only one mill here, so you'd think it pretty easy, and it was held from about 1800 to 1884 by one family.  Problem is that that all the millers were called Joseph.  So either one miller had it and died in 1884 aged about 100! or there were several all with the same name.

Any help, with BMDs for these Josephs would be great, along with anything relating them to the mill (pre-1850).

Once again; many thanks in advance!

Windy

[LisaRobinson87]

There seems to be a Joseph Willis born 1782 he was baptised and his father was a Joseph he then has a son Joseph born in 1813

[LisaRobinson87]

Bury and Norwich Post 21 November 1804 the marriage of Joseph born 1782

[keyboard86]

Hi again, just comparing the 1841 and 1881 census, shows that in 1841 a Joseph Willis 58 was a Farmer with wife Sarah and family including a Joseph Willis aged 25 occ Miller residing at New Market Road, Stradishall
Census Ref HO107/1033/ 7/10/ 14

1881 census:-

Joseph Willis 68 occ Retired Miller b Stradishall
Susannah 57 b Newmarket
Residing at Mill Road, Stradishall
Census Ref RG11/1823/114/16
Keyboard86

[keyboard86]

Hi again, the actual date of marriage for Joseph/Sarah was 13th November 1804 Stradishall, St Margaret, Joseph Willis/Sarah Pryke
Keyboard86

EDIT 1851 census:-

Joseph Willis 68 occ Retired Miller & Farmer b Stradishall
Sarah 63 b Bury St Edmunds
Joseph 38 occ Miller
Residing at Willis, Stradishall
Census Ref HO107/1787/414/5

[windy_miller]

Thanks everyone.  It looks like there were 2 or 3 generations of Joseph Willis' involved in the mill!

Windy

[windy_miller]

Incidentally, there was a Mr. JOSEPH DOBEDE working the mill in 1726.  He was a widower who married Mary Wiseman from Bury St. Edmunds.  I'm not sure when he died.

Does anyone know of a connection between the WILLIS and DOBEDE families?  The jump for 1726 to 1804 is about 2-3 generations so it may be too hard to make a link.

Windy

[keyboard86]

Hi again, just a quick check of the 1841 census suggests that the surname Dobede was centred around the Soham/Newmarket area.

Keyboard86

[windy_miller]

It is curious name?