George W. Wells was born 14 May 1821 in Newington, Connecticut. He married 27 Nov 1848 Sarah Underwood, daughter of Asa B.Underwood and Almira Nickerson of Mountville, Iowa. They had one son Franklin George Wells b: 09 Apr 1853; d: 10 Jul 1861.
George W. Wells left home at the age of twenty seven and went to Montville, Iowa where he was associated with his cousin Henry Welles in his store. In 1841 he purchased the store. He founded Wellsburg, Grundy County, Iowa. Eventually George moved to Grundy county, Iowa where he purchased a number of farms. After the railroad was built across his land he built grain elevators and a bank and the town was named Wellsburg after him.
George also invested in farms in Rossuth County, Iowa, built a bank at Germania and owned a ranch in Montana. He also owned the old family farm in Newington, Connecticut "Ten Rod" which he rented out until his death.
The parents of George W. Wells were Ralph Welles b: 02 Sep 1799 (possibly 07 Sep 1799) in Newington, Connecticut and Julia Roberts (b: 1801 daughter of Abner Roberts and his first wife Elizabeth ___). Julia (Roberts) Welles died 22 Oct 1877. Ralph Welles died 19 Oct 1838. Ralph and Julia Wells were married 27 Oct 1819
The children of Ralph Welles and Julia Roberts were:
George W. Wells b: 14 May 1821
Robert Wells b: 26 Feb 1821; d: 24 Dec 1847 on his way home from California.
Mary Wells b: 16 Aug 1824; m: 1) her cousin Roland H. Fairfield of Newington, Connecticut in 1851 (son of Elizabeth (Roberts) Fairfield who was a sister of Mary's mother Julia). Roland Fairfield died after he and Mary had moved to a farm near Faribault, Minnesota. She m: 2) 19 May 1862 John Nelson. John evidentally died prior to 1907 because she was again widowed at the time of the probate of her brother George's estate and was living in Faribault, Minnesota at the time. Mary and John Nelson had one son: George Nelson
Laura Wells b: 1826; d: 24 Apr 1848
Julia Roberts Wells b: 26 Feb 1828; d: 12 Aug 1858. According to one writer she was considered on fo the most beautiful women in Hartford County, Connecticut. Sh em: 18 Jun 1846 in Newington, Connecticut George Rollins Atkins (son of Rollins Atkins and Harriet Bishop). She died in Bristol, Connecticut.
George Rollins Atkins and Julia Roberts Wells had two children:
Julia Ellen Atkins b: Apr 1847; d: Feb 1933 in Roseburg, Oregon. She married William Perkins of Meriden, Connecticut. She was named in the estate of George W. Wells and lived in Medford, Oregon at that time. She died at the home of her son Julian Wells Perkins in Roseburg, Oregon. Julia and William Perkins had two children. William Goodrich Perkins b: 1867; and Julian Welles Perkins b: 1870.
Ralph Wells b: 09 Jul 1830; d: 05 Jan 1909 in an insane asylem in Rochester, Minnesota.
Elizabeth Wells b: 27 May 1832 in New Britain, Connecticut during a period when her father ran a hotel there. She died 04 Mar 1908 in Broadalbin, Fulton County, New York. She was a child when her parents died and she was sent to live with her uncle Absalom Welles in Mountville, Iowa where she remained for eight or ten years. She married 19 May 1852 Thomas Bicknell Briggs in Bristol, Connecticut.....
Sophia Wells b: Cir 1836; m: Timothy B. Robinson lived in Bristol, Connecticut
From the estate probate records of George W. Wells it is determined that the following people were related in one way or another
Hattie McMahon b: Cir 1861; m: John L. McMahon lived in Colorado Springs, CO. Appears to be the only child of a deceased sister and described as niece..
Lilla B. Sampson b: Cir 1871; m: J. Lewis Sampson lived in Chicago, IL., described as "nephew" in the probate. This appears to be a typo error as Lilla is clearly the person who inherited part of the estate.
Earl W. Briggs b: Cir Cir 1878; m: Mayme _____ lived in New York City, NY; described as a nephew.
Frank Atkins b: Cir 1871; lived in Seattle, WA; described as a grand nephew. He was probably in reality the George Franklin Atkins who, with wife Bonnie Louise ______
The following people received part of the estate.
William A. Atkins m: Suemma Vajen ______ grand nephew b: Cir 1880, received part of the estate, lived in Indianapolis, IN.
Lillian A. Taggart m: Alexander L. Taggart grand niece b: Cir 1878, received part of the estate, lived in Indianapolis, IN
Florence A. Gavin m: James L. Gavin (who was also trustee of the estate) grand niece b :Cir 1870, lived in Indianapolis, IN and received part of the estate.
In the estate three of George's wife's relatives are identified:
Martha Comstock (sister of Sarah)
Kate M. Wheelock m: George H. Wheelock (daughter of a deceased sister of Sarah)
George W. Murray (son of a deceased sister of Sarah)
The parents of Ralph Wells were Absalom Wells b: 14 Mar 1766 and Lorraine Patterson (d: 14 Apr 1825). Absalom Welles m: 2) Mrs. Mary Deming.
Absalom Welles and Lorraine Patterson had:
Ralph Welles (see above)
Absalom Welles b: 10 May 1786; d: 11 Dec 1842 Montville, OH; m: Marilla Barnes.
Laura Welles b: 23 Jul 1789; d: 03 Jul 1877; m: John Churchill
Rhoda Welles b: 10 May 1807; m: Merritt Baldwin
The parents of Absalom Wells were Robert Welles b: 17 Feb 1739/0 d: 03 Jul 1812 and Abigail Hurlbut b: 1741; d: 27 Jun 1814
Robert Welles and Abigail Hurlbut had:
Robert Welles b: 27 Sep 1761; d: 07 Jan 1815; m: Lucretia Russell.
Abigail Welles b: 05 Jan 1764
Absalom Welles (see above)
Hannah Welles b: 31 May 1769; m: Levi Welles
The parents of Robert Wells were Capt. Robert Welles III b: 07 Sep 1710 Wethersfield, Connecticut; d: 03 Feb 1786 and Hannah (or Lucy) Burnham, dau of Rev. William Burnham and Hannah Wolcott whom he married 17 Nov 1735 in Wethersfield, Connecticut (they were first cousins).
Robert Welles and Hannah (or Lucy) Burnham had:
Abigail Welles b: 16 Jun 1736
Sarah Welles b: 22 Jan 1737/8
Robert Welles (see above)
Hannah Welles b: 22 Apr 1742; d: 02 Apr 1810; m: Lemuel Whittlesey
Asa Welles b: 27 Nov 1744; m: Martha Goodrich
Chloe Welles b: 31 May 1746; m: Levi Andrus
Abigail Welles b: 06 Apr 1749; m: Ashbel Seymour
Appleton Welles b: 16 Jun 1753; d: 26 Jun 1785
Rhoda Welles b: 29 Jul 1756; d: 08 Jan 1827; m: Daniel Willard
The parents of Robert Welles were Capt. Robert Welles II b: Cir 1684 Wethersfield, Connecticut; d: Cir 1738 Wethersfield (estate probate 30 Oct 1738) and He was in mililtary service, appointed Lieutenant in 1714 and Captain in 1726 of the Hartford County Dragoons. Robert left a tankard described as "large, of parcel gilt, gold lined and bearing the family coat of arms". Nothing is currently known of this tankard. He married 12 Dec 1706 Sarah Wolcott (b: 11 Aug 1686 in Windsor, Connecticut, daughter of Samuel Wolcott and Judith Appleton) in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
Robert Welles and Sarah Wolcott had eleven children:
Sarah Welles b: 01 Feb 1708/9 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 05 May 1776 in Wethersfield; m: Jonathan Robbins.
Robert Welles (see above)
Appleton Welles b: 04 Feb 1711/2 in Wethersfield, CT.
Abigail Welles b: 09 Oct 1715 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 02 Sep 1776 in Preston, CT; m: Rev. Asher Rosseter.
Elizabeth Welles b: 18 Mar 1716/7 in Wethersfield, CT;
Mary Welles b: 23 Jun 1719 in Wethersfield, CT; m: Joshua Robbins.
Josiah Welles b: 09 Mar 1720/1 in Wethersfield, CT; d: Cir 1755 in Wethersfield; m: Anna Stillman.
Christopher Welles b: 29 Mar 1724
Hezekiah Welles b: 09 Dec 1725 in Wethersfield, CT: d: 01 Jan 1804 in Wethersfield; m: Mary Boardman.
Martha Welles b: 29 Aug 1729 in Wethersfield, CT; d: Dec 1811; m: Moses Deming.
Judith Welles b: 04 Mar 1730/1 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 01 May 1771; m: Joshiah Robbins.
The parents of Robert Welles were Capt. Robert Welles b: Cir 1651 in Stratford, Connecticut; d: 22 Jun 1714 in Wethersfield, Connecticut and m: 1) 09 Jun 1675 Elizabeth Goodrich (b: Cir 1757 Wethersfield, Connecticut, dau of Ensign William Goodrich and Sarah Marvin; d: 17 Feb 1696/7 Wethersfield) in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Robert married 2) 13 Oct 1698 Boston, Massachusetts Mary Stoddard (b: 25 Mar 1668 Boston, Massachusetts, dau of Anthony Stoddard and Christian Eyre; d: Cir 1740)
Robert Welles and Elizabeth Goodrich had 6 children:
Thomas Welles b: May 1676 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 28 Sep 1741; m: 1) Hannah Warner & 2) Sarah Bidwell.
John Welles b: 16 Sep 1678 in Wethersfield, CT; d: before 1714.
Joseph Welles b: Sep 1680 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 1744; m: Hannah Robbins.
Prudence Welles b: Cir 1682 in Wethersfield, CT; d: May 1714 at Woodbury, CT; m: Rev. Anthony Stoddard.
Robert Welles (see above)
Gideon Welles b: Cir 1686 in Wethersfield, CT; d: 28 Mar 1740 in Wethersfield; m: Hannah Chester.
The parents of Robert Welles were John Welles b: cir 1622 in Burmington, Warwickshire, England; d: 07 Aug 1659 Stratford, Connecticut and Elizabeth Bourne (d: after 1668).
John Welles and Elizabeth Bourne had 6 known children:
John Welles b: Cir 1648 Stratford, CT; d: 23 Mar 1713/4; m: Mary Hollister.
Thomas Welles b: Cir 1651 Stratford; d: 07 Jan 1719/0; m: Elizabeth Titherton.
Robert Welles (see above)
Temperance Welles b:Cir 1654; d: after 1731; m: Jonathan Pitman
Samuel Welles b: Cir 1656 Stratford; d: 1729 in Stratford; m: 1) Abigail Wheeler, 2) Elizabeth Wheeler, & 3) Abigail Jones.
The parents of John Welles were Thomas Welles b: Cir 1590 in Stourton, Whichford, Warwickshire, England; d: 14 Jan 1659/0 Wethersfield, Connecticut and Alice Tomes (b: Cir 1593 in Long Marston, Gloucestershire; d: 1646 Hartford, Connecticut; dau of John Tomes and Alice (Gunne) Phelps) m: 1615 in Long Marston, Gloucestershire. Thomas was the 4th colonial governor of Connecticut.
Thomas Welles and Alice Tomes had the following children:
Mary Welles b: Cir 1618 probably Burmington, Warwickshire
Anne Welles b: Cir 1620 Burmington, Warwickshire; d: 1680 Farmington, CT; m: 1) Thomas Thompson & 2) Anthony Hawkins.
John Welles (see above)
Robert Welles b: Cir 1624 in Burmington; d: before 1635 in England
Thomas Wellesb: Cir 1625 in Burmington; d: 1668 in Hartford in a fall from a cherry tree. He is reputed to have been nearly 7 feet tall. Married Hannah Tuttle.
Samuel Welles b: Cir 1628 in Burmington; d: 15 Jul 1675 in Wethersfield, CT while crossing the Connecticut River; resided in Glastonbury, CT. Married 1) Elizabeth Holister and 2) Hannah Lamberton.
Sarah Welles b: Cir 1631 in Burmington; d: 12 Dec 1698 in Wethersfield, CT. She m: Capt. John Chester.
Joseph Welles b: Cir 1637 Hartford, CT; d: before 1660.
The parents of Thomas Welles were Robert Welles bpt. at Whichford, Warwickshire 06 Nov 1540; buried there 24 Sep 1617; m: Alice _____ who was living on 05 Jul 1615.
Robert Welles and Alice _____ had three known children:
Robert Welles buried 21 Jun 1627 at Tidmington, Worcestershire m: Joan (Tymms?)
Thomas Welles (See above)
A daughter who married _____ Hunt (possibly a son of Nicholas Hunt)
The parents of Robert Welles were Thomas Welles who was buried at Stourton in Whichford, Warwickshire 30 Aug 1558 and Elizabeth _____ who was buried at Whichford 11 Jan 15523. Robert married 2) Elizabeth Bryan 28 Oct 1553 at Whichford.
Thomas Welles and Elizabeth _____ had 2 known children:
Ann
Robert