Richard Wells b: Cir 1708; d: 1767 (will proved 20 May 1767); m: 1) 12 Aug 1735 Mary Holliday (d: 1745-1748) at St. Luke's parish in Queen Anne Co., Maryland. In a land transfer from his father in 1743 Richard Wells, Jr. was called "Planter". By 1748, after the death of his wife, he listed himself as a "practitioner of physic" having become a medical doctor following in his great-grandfather's footsteps (Dr. Humphrey Davenport). 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:
Sarah Wells b: 07 Jun 1736; d: 16 Sep 1738 Humphrey Wells b: Cir 1737 A Dr. Humphrey Wells appears on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia in 1759 and 1760. He disappears by 1767. {Whether Dr. Humphrey Wells had any children will be discussed shortly.} Rebecca Wells b: Cir 1739; m: Charles Coxe George Wells b: 3 Mar 1743/4 Maryland Richard Wells (birth date unknown) 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. George led a colorful political life in Georgia finally being appointed Governor on 05 Feb 1780. A short lived career as he was killed in a duel with Major James Jackson [Note: some accounts incorrectly show a General Abram Jackson] on 15 Feb 1780 in Augusta, Georgia.
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:
Thomas Wells b: Cir 1754 (over 14 in 1769); may be the Thomas Wellswho m: Margaret Swan (Thomas Wells was named in estate records of Thomas Alford and his wife). Possibly John Wells b: after 1756: d: Cir 1790; m: Sarah _____ (she m: 2) William Wood. John Wells was NOT mentioned in the estate records of the parents of Lydia Alford as was her son Thomas Wells 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.:
John Wells Buckmaster b: Cir 1760
Mary Wells Buckmaster
Sarah Wells Buckmaster
James Wells Buckmaster
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..
Who was the father of Richard Wells b: 11 Feb 1760 Philadelphia, Pa?
What happened to Dr. Humphrey Wells after 1760?
Who was the wife of Dr. Humphrey Wells?
Can anyone provide the answers to the above questions and the proof
in the form of records to substantiate the answers?
