A Fayette County resident, Geoffrey Mavis, has a direct ancestor, Nathaniel Willis (1757-1831), who attended the Boston Tea Party and settled in the Ross/Fayette County area.

Willis owned land that stretched into both Fayette and Ross, and Geoffrey Mavis farms a portion of that original land in Fayette yet today. Nathaniel Willis was instrumental in starting several newspapers in the area, including the Scioto Gazette.

Nathaniel Willis is buried in the Bainbridge Cemetery in Ross County, Ohio. Bainbridge is a small town 19 miles northeast of Chillicothe, Ohio.

The Boston Tea Party Ships Museum of Boston Massachusetts will be joining the Nathaniel Massie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) of Chillicothe, Ohio, and the Ohio State DAR officers and officials to mark the grave of Nathaniel Willis in the Bainbridge Cemetery on Sunday, May 7. There will be events beginning at 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. and all Bainbridge historical sites will be open to the public.

This is a wonderful opportunity to honor a Revolutionary patriot who took part in a great event in the history of the birth of our nation and who has ancestral ties to our community.

The lineage of Nathaniel Willis to Geoffrey Mavis

Nathaniel Willis (1757-1831) married Mary Chartwell (1831-?) their son was:

James Madison Willis (1808-1888) married Emily Southard (1815-1883) their son was

William P. Willis (1839-1890) married Virginia McDonald (1844-1917) their son was

James Madison Willis (1889-1952) married Dolly Keller (1888-?) their daughter was

Gretchen Willis (1897-1995) married Robert Jefferson (1899-?) their daughter was

Doris Jefferson (1924-2018) married Steven Mavis (1904-1985) their son is

Geoffrey Mavis