[8][9][10] During his time working in Somerset, Willis became friendly with his colleague, the curate of Holy Trinity Church, Bath; following a murder that took place in 1828, where a maidservant had discovered the thefts committed by a male servant of the same household and was killed by him, Willis gave nine sermons denouncing, in 'forthright and vigorous' terms, such dishonesty and sinful conduct on the part of domestics; he was subsequently mobbed in the streets by servants who took exception to his words.
On a reprinting of this volume in 1865, The Ecclesiastic magazine considered in its review that Willis had 'done good service to the Church in seizing this opportunity for a renewed protest against one of the greatest evils that is eating out her vitality'.
[13] From 1831, Willis was founder and Honorary Secretary of the Bath Friendly Society, an organisation aiming to 'encourage thrift and care in the way members ran their lives', maintaining strong links with Holy Trinity church.
He was a correspondent of John Henry Newman (prior to his conversion to Roman Catholicism) on subjects including the increase of control of church property by the Evangelicals through purchase of advowsons.
One daughter- the youngest- died young, the three elder daughters remaining unmarried and living together at Molesdene, Rusthall Common, Tunbridge Wells, along with Julia Budd (1800-1877), "for 50 years the faithful and devoted nurse and friend in the family".