The mystery surrounding the life of Richard Wells "III" has baffled family historians for over a century. The confusion has been compounded by fantastic tales invented by his descendants that told of kidnappings, abandonment and indentured servitude. When the Wells Family of Kentucky's Big Sandy Valley was published in 2013, several theories about the life of Richard "III" were still in play. However, none of them explained his ultimate fate. This is the update.

History of the Wells Family.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Thomas Wells is thought to have come to New England from Essex County, England in about 1630-1635.

The history and genealogy of the Wells Family.

The history and genealogy of the Wells Family.

Samuel Levi Wells was the first of the Wells family to settle in Louisiana. It appears that he settled in what was then called West Florida well before 1780. He married Dorcas Huie and they were the parents of ten children. One of his children, Samuel Levi Wells II (1764-1816) was a prominent planter and surveyor who accumulated a large fortune for the family. His many descendants live in Louisiana and other parts of the United States.

Set in medieval, Tudor and Stuart England, we discover how the family became involved with the secretive Knights Templar and then spread around the country. There were great landowners associated with Kings and Queens. Some were persecuted, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and suffered horrific executions. One followed the Mayflower to New England only to fall victim to native Indians. We find wonderful cases of jury fixing, insurrection, Lollardry, murder and false imprisonment. There were clandestine meetings, hidden treasures, forfeiture of lands, and piracy against the Spanish. There was a murderous monk who became personal servant to the King; a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, who was also the King's mistress; a designer of Warships and co-founder of the Royal Society. We have Lords of the Manor, Elizabethan Actors who knew Shakespeare and even a martyred Saint. These extraordinary tales of our ancestors' lives make this book compelling reading.