Beecroft/Becraft Ancestors



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Henry Harrison Mills and Sarah Ellen Willis



Husband Henry Harrison Mills [4536]

           Born: 4 Mar 1840 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 29 Oct 1917 - Browntown, Warren, Virginia, United States 1
 Cause of Death: ?something and heart trouble
         Buried:  - The Cove, Warren, Virginia, United States
FamilySearch ID: 94BX-HCX


         Father: Alexander W "Sandy" Mills [4538] (Cir 1805-Cir 1846)
         Mother: Matilda Garrett [4539] (Cir 1799-Cir 1884)


       Marriage: 1 Dec 1859 - Warren, Virginia, United States

Events

• Event: It is said that Henry once was married to an Indian Princess. One version, "He married the Princess (not legally, but in an Indian Ceremony) either before he married Sarah or after she died and before he married Becky. Anyhow, he wanted to find out the secret remedies that the Indians had, so he married the Princess. They went away on a honeymoon for a couple of days then returned to the tribe. He lived with her in a teepee. The marriage only lasted about 10 days and then he left her. Some say she had a child. Henry's? No one knows." Others say that his first wife Sarah was the Indian Princess. Maybe we will never know, but it is an interesting story.

• Military: Private, 23rd Calvary, Company D. He was captured 23 Sep 1864 at Strasburg, VA. Listed on the roll of Prisoners Paroled at Point Lookout, Maryland and transferred to Aikens Landing, VA on 17 Mar 1865 for exchange. His name is again on a list of prisoners-of-war, paroled between 8 May 1865 and 21 Jun 1865 at various places in VA. On 4 Jun 1865, A.H. Robinson at Winchester, VA paroled him. (Source: National Archives and Service Records).

• He worked as a Farmer.

• He worked as a StoneMason.

• He was described as being 5'5" tall, having a light complexion, light hair and dark eyes.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1850 in Warren, Virginia, United States. David Garret, age 66, Laborer; Mary, age 65; Matilda Mills, age 32; David Mills, age 15, laborer; Marcus W Mills, age 13; Henry Mills, age 11; Angelina Mills, age 2.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1860 in Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States. H.H. Mills, age 21, day laborer; Sarah Mills, age 21; Matilda Triplett, age 40; Betsy Triplett, age 6.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1870 in Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States. Mills, Henry, age 31, farmer, assets 250, born VA; Sarah F, age 31, at home; Martha E, age 10, at home; Melvilla age 8, at home; John H, age 6, at home; Matilda, age 4, at home; Marcus W, age 2, at home.

• He appeared on the Federal census in 1880 in Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States. Mills, Henry H, age 40, widowed, laborer; John H, age 16, laborer; Matilda, age 13, laborer; Marcus, age 11; William, age 7; David, age 5; Mary Willis, age 50, sister-in-law, keeping house.




Wife Sarah Ellen Willis [4537]

           Born: 1836 - Rappahannock, Virginia, United States 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 11 Sep 1877 - Warren, Virginia, United States 2
 Cause of Death: childbirth
         Buried:  - Winsboro burial plot, Warren, Virginia, United States 2
FamilySearch ID: K2T8-QWM


         Father: John Willis [6381] (1795-1843)
         Mother: Mary Elizabeth Duke [6382] (      -      )


Events

• She appeared on the Federal census in 1860 in Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States. H.H. Mills, age 21, day laborer; Sarah Mills, age 21; Matilda Triplett, age 40; Betsy Triplett, age 6.

• She appeared on the Federal census in 1870 in Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States. Mills, Henry, age 31, farmer, assets 250, born VA; Sarah F, age 31, at home; Martha E, age 10, at home; Melvilla age 8, at home; John H, age 6, at home; Matilda, age 4, at home; Marcus W, age 2, at home.


Children
1 F Martha Ellen Mills [4554]

           Born: 1 Aug 1860 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 1905 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 3
         Buried:  - Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 3
FamilySearch ID: LHDN-25J
         Spouse: Richard Calvin "Cab" Fox [6326] (      -      )
           Marr: 14 Mar 1878 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 3


2 F Melvilla Monroe Mills [4555]

           Born: Sep 1861 - Warren, Virginia, United States 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 8 Apr 1916 - Warren, Virginia, United States 4
         Buried: Apr 1916 - Dungadin Heights, Warren, Virginia, United States 4
FamilySearch ID: KJJH-CK2
         Spouse: John Branch Henry [6327] (1852-      )
           Marr: 11 Jan 1881 - Warren, Virginia, United States
         Spouse: Eppa Curry [6328] (      -      )
           Marr: Bef 1881


3 M John Henry Mills [4556]

           Born: 3 Sep 1865 - Warren, Virginia, United States
     Christened: 
           Died: 21 Nov 1937 - Warren, Virginia, United States
         Buried: 
FamilySearch ID: LDSB-JM3
         Spouse: Jane Elliott Moten [6329] (1869-1926)
           Marr: 9 Jan 1890 - Nelson, Virginia, United States


4 F Matilda Mae "Tilda" Mills [4558]

           Born: 16 May 1867 - Warren, Virginia, United States 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Dec 1954 - Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
         Buried: 
FamilySearch ID: LDSB-JM7
         Spouse: David Clatterbuck [6330] (      -      )
           Marr: 29 Sep 1887 - Warren, Virginia, United States
         Spouse: John Jackson Tharpe 6 [6331] (1865-1935)
           Marr: 10 Jun 1894 - Warren, Virginia, United States


5 M Marcus William Mills [4557]

           Born: 13 Feb 1869 - Warren, Virginia, United States 7
     Christened: 
           Died: 19 Mar 1950 - Warren, Virginia, United States
         Buried:  - Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States
FamilySearch ID: KNBB-P9Y
         Spouse: Eliza Butler [6332] (1872-1913)
           Marr: 18 Sep 1891 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States
         Spouse: Nannie Mae Sealock [6333] (1890-1950)
           Marr: 28 Oct 1920 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States


6 F Elizabeth "Betty" Mills [4559]

           Born: 25 Dec 1870 - Warren, Virginia, United States
     Christened: 
           Died: 1 Jul 1933
         Buried: 1933 - Ramey Cemetery, Dungadin Heights, Warren, Virginia, United States 8
FamilySearch ID: LTLR-ZM8
         Spouse: Benjamin Mortimore Tharpe 9 [6334] (1861-1940)
           Marr: 9 Jan 1890 - Warren, Virginia, United States


7 M William Bushrod "Will" Mills [4560]

           Born: 24 Dec 1873 - Warren, Virginia, United States
     Christened: 
           Died: 30 Sep 1923 - Martinsburg, Berkeley, West Virginia, United States 10
         Buried: 2 Oct 1923 - Ramey Cemetery, Dungadin Heights, Warren, Virginia, United States 10
FamilySearch ID: 9V23-Q56
         Spouse: Ella Tharpe [6335] (      -      )
           Marr: 31 Dec 1895 - Warren, Virginia, United States
         Spouse: Mattie Jewel Williams [6336] (      -      )


8 M David Alexander "Dave" Mills [4561]

           Born: 9 Jun 1875 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 11
     Christened: 
           Died: Mar 1926 - Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States
         Buried: 1 Apr 1926 - Prospect Hill Cemetery, Front Royal, Warren, Virginia, United States 11
FamilySearch ID: LDSB-JMC
         Spouse: Pancoast Lockhart Henry 12 [6337] (1877-1947)
           Marr: 5 Jan 1899


9 M Charles Mills [4562]

           Born: 1878 - Warren, Virginia, United States 13
     Christened: 
           Died: 1878 - Warren, Virginia, United States 13
         Buried: 
FamilySearch ID: LDSB-JMD
         Spouse: Did Not Marry



Burial Notes: Husband - Henry Harrison Mills

Henry Harrison and his daughter Amanada (by second wife, Becky) and a grandchild are buried on his old farm place on the Manor Rd. between Front Royal and Browntown. The burial place is now on the Park area of Skyline Drive, on a tree-vine grown ridge that once was open ground with tall cedar beside it.


General Notes: Husband - Henry Harrison Mills

Henry Harrison Mills was a Confederate soldier and supposedly bragged a lot about his war experiences. Cousin Virginia told me he sometimes overindulged in homemade blackberry wine. On a trip to Front Royal, I asked a couple of neighbors of his old house if that was true, and they told me "That old man drank rubbing alcohol."

The house has since been torn down. As a child and young man, Henry Harrison Mills lived in Harmony Hollow on the east side of the Blue Ridge. Later he moved to The Cove area, on the west side of the Blue Ridge. Both properties were on the farm of Marcus Buck. Buck filed for bankruptcy and moved away, and HH Mills eventually bought the land on which his Cove home was situated.

Joan Hacket

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Sources


1 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Henry Harrison Mills, person ID 94BX-HCX.

2 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 Nov 2025), entry for Sarah Ellen Willis, person ID K2T8-QWM.

3 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Martha Ellen Mills, person ID LHDN-25J.

4 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Melvilla Monroe Mills, person ID KJJH-CK2.

5 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Matilda Mae "Tilda" Mills, person ID LDSB-JM7.

6 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for John Tharpe, person ID K42H-RX8.

7 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Marcus William Mills, person ID KNBB-P9Y.

8 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Elizabeth "Betty" Mills, person ID LTLR-ZM8.

9 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Ben Tharpe, person ID LHBY-2V8.

10 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for William Bushrod "Will" Mills, person ID 9V23-Q56.

11 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for David Alexander "Dave" Mills, person ID LDSB-JMC.

12 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Pancoast Henry, person ID LDSB-J9H.

13 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "FamilySearch Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 10 Nov 2025), entry for Charles Mills, person ID LDSB-JMD.


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