General Notes

From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
Samuel  Bills (1770-1840)
                    The  First   Michigan  Emigrant Samuel was the  first Bills  to emigrant to  the Mich igan Territory.  Land  was for sale , and he  bought fort y  acres  in  Wayne  County  in  1835.1   Weakened by hi s  move  and  old age,  he lived only  a short  time  on hi s  new land, but  his  children who  buried him  would se e  his  land  patent become part  of  a state in  1840, a nd  later  an  integral  part  of the Detroit Metropolita n  Area.2 A  journey  to new  and strange surroundings  was  no t  new  for Samuel. He  was  probably  born  in Vermont i n 1777,  and could  be the same "Samuel Bills" who lived i n Berkshire, Franklin  County,   Vermont in 1810 with his w ife, two boys, and four daughters.3  Sometime  between 181 3 and 1819,  he crossed  the Adironacks  to  New  York Stat e,  and settled  (again  probably)  in Jefferson County.4 Before  he  traveled  the  length  of  the  Erie Cana l  and  Lake Erie  to Michigan,  Samuel  had  raised part o f  his family,  and  had started  on  another. Marvin  an d  Syman  Bills  who were  mentioned in  his will,  probab ly  his  older  sons  who  were born  in Vermont and  ha d  established  their  own  households  by 1835.5  Ira (180 9-1896),  Alvah (1812-1900),  William (1819-1900),  and Hir am ((1824-1872)  who  were mentioned came  with  their  fat her  from New York to  Nankin Township.  They  helped  hi m  to  raise  the first roof over  the  Michigan Bills  an d stayed  in  Michigan,  near the original  homestead,  th e  rest  of  their  lives which  saw  the twilight of th e  1900. Samuel  had  other  children  about  whom  we do not k now  too much.  He  had  sons  named  Albert  and  Samuel ,  and daughters named Sally  and  Eunice,  all  of  who m were  born  between 1825  and  1836. 6  At  the  time  o f his  will  in  1854,  Albert  and Samuel  lived in Milwa ukee,  with  their  brother  Syman;  Sally  lived in Branc h City  (Coldwater)  Michigan,  and  Eunice  with  her  hus band Edwin Haywood  in  Nankin.7 At his death ,  Samuel  was  married  to  a Permelia L andden who later  remarried  a Issac  Scudder,  ofFarmingto n, Michigan in  1845.8  Permelia  was most likely  the  mo ther  of Albert, Samuel,  and  Eunice all born  after  1 825, questionably,  the mother of Hiram,  William,  and  S ally  who  were born  between  1819 and 1825. Although  w e do  not  know  Sally's  age ,  we think  that there wa s  a seven year "gap" between  Alvah and William (1812-1819 ) which might  be a  period  when Samuel  was widowed  be fore  marrying Miss Ladden  in New  York  State.9 A  Eunice  Woodruff  is listed  on Alvah's death cer tificate  as his  mother,  and  because of  this record,  a nd Ira's confirmed birthdate in  1809  when Permelia  wa s only  16,  we think that this Eunice  was their  mothe r  as  well  as Syman's  and Marvin's. In any  even t ,  Samuel  had  at least  two wives,  and  at least  te n children.  He  brought  only  part  of  this large  famil y to  Michigan  with  him. Samuel  died  on  May  3,  1840 in  Nankin Township ,  Wayne County,  Michigan.  He  was  the  first "Bills "  to be buried  in Union  Chapel  Cemetery.  Unlike  the ir parents,  many oif his grandchildren  would  be pulle d by  the pioneer  spirit  from Michigan  to  parts  of t he  United  States  and Canada.  Like  their parents, man y  of  his  grandchildren  would stay in  Michigan  to bec ome  the "Michigan  Bills".

                              -Written  March  5,  1971-
References:         1.  First  Land  Owner s of  Wayne  County  of Michigan,  Burton  Collection,  Det roit,  Michigan,  1964, p.26: "Samuel is listed  as resid ing  in  Wayne  County, and  buying  40 acres  of land  i n Nankin  Township,  in Section  13,  date  of patent,  Oc tober 24, 1835. 2.  Samuel  died  May  3,  1840  at  Nankin Townshi p,  Wayne County,  and is buried  in  Union  Chapel Cemeter y, Inkster , Michigan. His  tombstone,  still very  legible,  supports  his birth and death dates. 3.  His  son  Ira  Bills'  death  certificate list s  his  birth place  as  Vermont,  and  son  Alvah's the  s ame. Various  other records,  such  as  the censuses, conf uses  the  issue. The  Federal Census, 1810,  State  of  V ermont lists  a  Samuel  Bills, household including:
          Males:  1 under 10  years old
                        1   10-16 years old
                        1   26-45  years old
                             Females:  2 under  10 years old
                        2   10-16 years old
                        1   26-45  years old 4.  Family  tradition,  and a birth  record  foun d  early  in research  support  this  conclusion about Jef ferson  County,  New  York. 5.  Samuel  Bills'  Will ,  Record 2190,  Wayne C ourt  Probate  Records,  Volume  3   (Burton  Collection, D etroit,  Michigan)  lists: Marvin  Bills  of  Grand Rapids ,  Kent County,  Michigan  and  Syman Bills  of Milwaukee ,  Wisconsin. 6. Samuel Bills  Will,  and  Federal  Census , 1 840,  for Nankin Township,  Wayne County,  Michigan, Will iam  Bills, head  of household. 7.  The  Federal Census,  1850,  for  Nanki n  Township, Wayne  County, Michigan,  Vol. 11,  p. 341 , Line 9. 8.  Wayne  County  Marriage Records,  Vol.  9, p . 49: "Permelia  Landden  Bills,  aged 52  married Issac S Cudder,  aged 59, Farmington  on  September  14,  1845 a t Nankin  by  O.P.  Dresser, J.P.,  Wayne  County. 9.  It  is  also  the period  during  which  he m oved  from Vermont  to  New  York.
                         THE  END.

Notes for SAMUEL BILLS:


Buried Union Chapel Cemetery, Inkster MI.
Last Will and Testament, Probate Court, Wayne  County MI
Record 2190
Value of Estate $1,400,
Beneficiaries:
Parmelia Landden (Scudder) wid.
Nancy and Harry Bills, chn of Marvin Bills of Grand Rapids, MI
Sally Bills of Branch City, Branch  County MI
Ira Bills (son) of Nankin Township, Wayne County MI
Hiram and Alva Bills of Nankin
Albert Bills, Eunice Bills, and Samuel Bills of Milwaukee, WI
Lyman Bills of Milwaukee, WI
Samuel died intestate of Wayne  County Will filed June 19, 1854.
Petitoner and Apptd Extr, William Bills.

Pictured in Lathers as having an original land grant in 1835 between
Ford Road, Cherry Hill on south, Harrison, Marquette,and Middle Belt.
Date of patent 10/24/1835.

Came to Michigan by ox cart and Erie Canal. Julia Klingensmith 3/29/1971.

Source: Delores N. Bailey, Samuel was a farmer. Early maps show his land north of Inkster i n Section 13. Methodist Epistopal. Perrinville, MI
where family did their trading and probably attended church.

Took father's Royalton home on 9/7/1800 after his death, and disappeared
after he sold it in 1801.

History of Royalton  Vermont. "Under control of New York State until 1769, at
the Westminister Convention of January 15, 1777, Vermont inhabitants
voted for a new state. In October 28, 1777, the people of Royalton
had to pay $2/acre to keep their land, and joined in to petition the state.
Settlers had acquired their land under a charter to  New York State. This may
account for some of the confusion, about birthplace,  New York or Vermont, for Samuel's children.

1800 Royalton, Windsor County, Vermont
Males Females
1 16-26 1 16-26


1810 Batavia Township, Genessee  County  New York
Males Females
1 Under 10 1 Under 10
1 10-16 1 10-16
1 26-45 1 16-25
1 Over 45 1 Over 45

Next to Benjamin Bill

1810 Brownsville, Jefferson  County  New York:
Males Females
1 Under 10 , Ira, 1809 1 Under 10, Sally
1 16-25, brother Elias 1 10-16 sister
1 26-45, Samuel, 1777 4 26-45, Eunice Woodworth, 1785

1820 Federal Census, Middlebury, Genesee  County  New York
Males Females
4 Under 10, 1 26-44
1 10-15
1 26-44

Near Chester and Chauncey Bills in Bergen Township, Genessee  County  New York

1830 Bennington, Genesee  County  New York
Males Females
1 Under 5 1 Under 5
1 5-10 1 30-40
2 10-15
1 15-20
1 20-30
1 50-60 Warren Bills in same county in 1830.

Royalton Deeds Book B, P550, Samuel Bills of Royalton for $400
dollars to his hand paid...by Daniel Ashcraft of Royalton sold the
following tract of land viz the whole of Lot 23 Dutch except what
is contained in a deed given Samuel Bill late of sd Royalton ...
to Alexander Woodworth, November 4, 1801.

1810 Unadilla, Otsego  County  New York
Males Females
2 Under 10 1 Under 10
1 16-26 1 10-16
1 26-45 1 26-45
1 Over 45

1810 Hadley, Sarasota  County  New York
Males Females
3 Under 10 1 26-45

1830 Federal Census, Middlebury, Franklin  County  New York
Males Females
1 15-20 1 30-40
1 20-30
[Brøderbund Family Archive #255, Ed. 1, Land Records: AL, AR, FL, LA, MI, MN, OH, WI 1790-190 7, Date of Import: Oct 29, 1999, Internal Ref.
#1.255.1.5086.19]

Patentee Name: Bill, Samuel
Accession Number: MI0310__.262
State: Michigan
Volume: 310
Page: 262
Document Number: 15257
Land Office: Detroit
Aliquot Part Reference: NESW
Section Number: 13
Township: 2 South
Range: 9 East
Meridian/Survey Area: Michigan Principal Meridian
Act/Treaty Authorizing Sale: Sale-Cash Entries
Date Signed: Apr 10, 1837
Acreage: 40.00

Signed: the document on file at the BLM contains a signature.