Willibrod (or Willibrord). See "Wilbrord, St.
"Willis, Henry, one of the early Methodist preach- ers in America, was a native of Virginia. He entered the ministry in 1779, and was one of the most domi- nant spirits of the times, energizing, by his'irrepressible ardor, the work of the Church throughout two thirds of its territory. He labored mightily for the West, as if conscious of its prospective importance in the State and the Church. He lilled the following stations: Roanoke, 1779; Mecklenburg, 1780; Talbot, 1781; Dorchester, 1782 ; New Hope, 1783 ; Holston, 1784. In 1785 he was in charge as presiding elder of a district, comprehending most of North Carolina; 1786, Charleston, S. C; 1787, New York city; 1788, presiding elder of New York Dis- trict; 1789, of a district which extended from Philadel- phia to Redstone and Pittsburgh; 1790, located ; 1791- 95, supernumerary in Philadelphia; 1796, he reappears in Baltimore with John Haggerty, Nelson Reed, and other worthies. Here he seems to have remained till 1800, when he became a supernumerary, doing what ser- vice he could — mostly on the Frederick Circuit, near his home — till his death, in 1808, near Strawbridge's old church on Pipe Creek. Mr. Willis was naturally of a strong mind, and this he had diligently improved. Quin, who knew him in the Redstone country, describes him as about "six feet in stature, slender, a good English scholar, well read, an eloquent man, mighty in the Script- ures, and a most profound and powerful reasoner. He became feeble in the prime of life, retired from the itin- erant field, married, and settled on a farm near Freder- ick County, Md. The Baltimore Conference sat in his parlor in April, 1801." He was the most endeared to Asbury of all the itinerants of that day. See Minutes of Conferences, 1808, p. 157; Stevens, Hist, of the j\f. E. Church, ii. 51-53, 134, 298, 347 ; iii, 17, 287 ; iv, 240 ; Bangs, Hist, of the M. E. Church, i, 225 ; ii, 254. (J. L. S.)
Willis, Michael, D.D., LL.D., a minister of the .Scotch Presbyterian Free Church, was born in Scotland in 1798. He was ordained and installed pastor of Ren- tield Presbyterian Free Church, Glasgow, and labored with great success and usefulness for twenty-five j'ears. In 1847 he received a call from Canada West to the j)residency and professorship of theology in Knox Col- lege, Toronto. He was well known lo English Presby- terians, and took a great interest in everything pertain- ing to the welfare of the Church. In some respects he was peculiar, was regarded as very eccentric, and was noted for his pungent remarks on the preachers to
' whom he chanced to listen. Though pointed, his criti- cisms were not bitter or intended to wound. Fifty-seven years of his life were spent in preaching and teaching. He died at Aberlour, Scotland, in September, 1879. Dr. Willis published a Funeral Sermon, on his father: — A Discourse on Popery (1829): — A Defence of Church Es- tablishments (1833) : — A Biography of Two Brothers: — besides several Pamphlets. See Morgan, Celebrated Ca- nadians (Quebec, 1862, 8vo), p. 465. "(W. P. S.)
Willis, Richard, D.D., an English bishop, was born in 1663. He became |)rebendary of Westminster in 1695; prebendary and dean of Lincoln in 1701 ; bish- op of (iloucester Jan. 16, 1714; bishop of Salisbury in 1721; bishop of Winchester in 1723; and died in 1734. He was the author of. The Occasional Paper, in Eight Paits (1697): — Spieech in the Hovse of Lords on the Bill against Francis {late), Bishop of Rochester (1723) : — : and a number of single Sermons.
Willis, Robert, F.R.S., F.G.S., an English clergy- man and scientist, was born in London in 1800. He graduated at Caius College, Cambridge, in 1826, and gained a fellowship, which he subsequent!)' vacated ; took orders in the Church of England; was early dis- tinguished for his researches in physical science, partic- ularly acoustics and the physics of oral language, the philosophy of mechanism and machinery, and the math- ematical and mechanical philosophy of ancient archi- tecture; became a fellow of the Royal Society April 22, 1830; was appointed Jacksonian professor of natural and experimental philosophy at Cambridge in 1837; made a tour of France, Germany, and Italy for the study of architecture in 1832-33 ; and became a profound ar- chitectural historian. He was a member of many sci- I entific associations, before which he delivered many ' addresses; invented several philosophical instruments; and died at Cambridge, Feb. 28, 187.5. As a lecturer in his own department he was unrivalled. He was the author of numerous works on scientific subjects, among which may be mentioned, Remai-Jcs on the Architecture of the Middle Ages, Especially of Italy (1835) : — Report of a Suivey of the Dilupidated Portions of Hereford Cathedral in the Year 1841: — Principles of Mechanism for Students (1841): — Architectural History of Canter- bury Cathedral (1845) : — Architectural History of Win- chester Cathedrcd (eod.) : — A rchitectural History of York Cathedral (1846) -.—Architectural History of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem (1849) : — and -4 irhi- tectural History of Glastonbury Abbey (1866).
Willis, Thomas, D.D., an English clergyman of the 17th century. He was educated at St. John's Col- lege, Cambridge; became minister of Kingston-upon- Thames, in Surrey, about 1667; and died in 1692. He published. The Key to Knoicledge : — and several single Sermons (1659-76).