This is a theoretical approach to Robert Wallis, who came to York County, Virginia around 1642. It strongly revolves around the name Valentine Wallis. It follows the clue that Valentine Wallis, a unique name, is one of three sons of Robert Wallis. Parish records in Kent, England suggest further linkages.
There are very few Valentine Wallis’ born in England in the 100 years between 1540 and 1640.
A Valentine Wallis is buried in Roxwell, Essex in 1590 and a Valentine Wallis is baptized by Robert Wallis in 1623 (and buried in 1624) by Robert and Anne (Hill) Wallis in Sturry, Kent. Finally a Valentine Wallis is listed as an apprentice in 1658 in London.
Another Valentine Wallis is in Jamestown, Virginia in 1610 according to a land record. This may be an earlier uncle or event the grandfather of Robert Wallis, whose first appearance is in York County, Virginia in 1642.
That MAY be enough to construct a theory – or may not be, but here is an attempt to weave them together.
I am supposing that Valentine Wallis, who dies in 1590 is the father of Valentine Wallis in Jamestown, Virginia in 1610. No record bears this out in one way or the other. If this is true, he could have a brother Robert or something else, say John (John of Scotland is assigned by many as the father of Robert Wallis…I have not been able to find evidence for this) and thus be a great uncle or uncle of Robert Wallis in York County. I think a brother William is the more likely path as there is a William buried in Sturry/Fordwich in 1616 and a Robert Wallis in Sturry (Fordwich and Dover) who marries Ann Hill in 1618 and has children John and Valentine Wallis. Ann dies in 1624 and Robert Wallis appears to remarry to Tomesin Tallis. There is no further record of Tomesin. (Note these are the only Wallis records in Sturry/Fordwich)
If this Robert Wallis is the same Robert Wallis who appears in York County, it is possible that between 1624 and 1641, Tomesin passes away. Robert may return to England and marry a Rebecca. Interestingly there is a Rebecca Johnson in Fordwich, born 1625, for whom I do not find a corresponding marriage record. She could be the Rebecca who is named as an imported wife in 1642. She would be much younger than Robert Wallis, of course.
But it is also interesting that a Ralph Watson marries a Rebecca Johnson in Bromely (a suburb of London and near to all these places mentioned) in 1642. This Rebecca appears to have been born in Bromely in 1612. This may or may not be related to the Rev. Ralph Watson of York for whom Robert Wallis is listed as a debtor in probate.
Furthermore, several William Irelands (who is found with Robert Wallis in Virginia in 1642) can be found in the Canterbury area (of which Sturry and Fordwich are part) in the right time period to have been the associate of Robert Wallis in York County.
The 1658 London apprenticeship of a Valentine Wallis is also interesting because it suggests that one son of Robert Wallis could have returned to the area for the time (or that there is a missing baptism in the parish records I can access).
There is no smoking gun here but I think this might construct a path for three generations of the Robert Wallis family
GENERATION 1
Valentine Wallis b c1540, d1590 Roxwell, Essex
GENERATION 2
Valentine Wallis b c1570 d after 1610, Jamestown, Virginia
William ??? Wallis b c1571 father of Robert. bur Fordwich 1616
GENERATION 3
Robert Wallis b c 1598 m 1618 Anne Hill m 1625 Tomesin Tallis m c1640 Rebecca Johnson father of John (1619), Valentine (1620) and William, Valentine and Robert all born after 1640.
Here are the relevant records:
1610 Jamestown
Providence: seen at the end of Route 633. The property was first owned by VALENTINE WALLIS who came to Jamestown in 1610 as a member of the London Company. It is believed the present house was built around 1760.
1642 York County
William Ireland & ROBERT WALLIS – 700- Examined.
To all to &c. Whereas &c. Now Know yee that I the said Sir William Berkeley Knight &c. doe with the consent of the Councell of State accordingly give and graunt unto William Ireland and ROBERT WALLIS their heires and assignes for ever Seaven hundred acres of land in the Countie of Yorke and lying at the head of St. Andrews Creeke bounded from a poplar North East one hundred seaventie five chaines upon the land of Joseph Croshaw and Richard Maior and thence East by South one hundred and sixtie chaines to a tree where it begann The said Seaven hundred acres being due unto them by and for the transportacon of fowerteene persons into this Colony whose names are in the records menconed under this pattent To have and to hold &c. To bee held &c. Yeilding and paying unto our said Soveraigne Lord the King his heires and Successors for ever yearely at the feast of St. Michaell the Archangell the fee rent of one shilling for every fiftie acres of Land herein by these presents given and graunted which payment is to bee made seaven yeares after the date of these presents and not before according &c. Given &c. dated the thirteenth of July 1642. REBECCA wife of ROBERT WALLIS,, Emanuell a Negroe, Thomas Acone, James Newsam, John Hopkins, ffrancis Stee, Robert James, Nicho: Offley, Thomas Kithley, Richard Robinson, Thomas Dyos, Barbara Miles, Robert Miles Junr. Transcribed from image: Virginia Land Patents Book 1, page 812.
1645 Inventory
[Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume III, York County, 1633-1646, [by Beverley Fleet, Virginia Colonial Abstracts, (The Original 34 Volumes Reprinted in 3 Volume I Genealogical Publishing Co., In. Baltimore 1988), Volume III, York County, No. 2, p. 87] List of Debts due the estate of Rev. Ralph Watson, mentions John utye, Thomas Gibson, John Spencer, Richard Wells, ROBERT WALLIS, John Perrin, Robt Bouth to name a few.
1658 London
In 1658 Valentine Wallis is listed as a London Apprentice (not sure for what).
1678 Middlesex, Virginia
1678-1680 Middlesex Co Va Order Book; Antient Press: (Page 183a) Court 26th May 1679 – KNOW ALL MEN by these presents that I John Man of ye County of Middx. and Dorothy my Wife doe assigne & sett over all our Right Title & Interest of ye within men cond. Patent unto Mr. Thomas Roby his heires & Assignes for ever as Witness or: hands this fifth day of April 1679 Witness Patrick Miller. John Man VALENTINE WALLIS Dorothy Man
1722 Pasquotank, North Carolina
Peet, Willlilm
February 8, 1722-1723. March 12, 1722. Late of Long Islan in the province of New York. Sole legatee: James Bullin of Chester, in Penselvany. Executor: James Newbi. Witnesses: Valentine Wallis, Ann Wallis. Proven before Wm. Reed
There seems to be a committed group of researchers who have Robert Wallis with Scottish origins, although some have him from London, and even suggest the maiden name of his wife is a Menough by birth. But the records may point to some Kentish origin.
BROMLEY, KENT
Robert Wallis
C 1573 Robert Wallis (parents not given)
C1575 John Wallis
C 1576 William Wallis
C 1604 Ralph Watson s of Ralph m Rebecca Johnson 1642 (C 1612, bur 1681)
* C 1642 Elizabeth
* C 1644 Ralph
* C 1649 John
FORDWICH and STURRY KENT (Dover)
BUR 1616 William Wallys
Robert Wallis m Anne Hill (bur 1624) m 1618
C 1621 John Wallis
C 1623 Valentine Wallis (bur 1623 in Fordwich)
Robert Wallis m Tomesin Tallis in 1625 (Dover)
Also, Rebecca Johnson, b 1625, Fordwich to William. Also Sprecklin 1615,
A William Ireland is from Chislet and Canterbury about 12 miles away from Sturry