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“Genealogy of the Lewis Family in America, from the Middle of the Seventeenth Century Down to the Present Time” is a comprehensive historical account compiled by William Terrell Lewis, published in 1893 in Louisville, Kentucky. Spanning 454 pages, this genealogical tome traces the lineage of the Lewis family in America, starting from its roots in the mid-17th century. The narrative begins with a captivating tradition that the Lewis name originated in France, spelled as “Louis,” symbolizing strength or bravery. It then follows the family’s migration to Wales, where the name was Anglicized to “Lewis,” marking the beginning of a widespread familial diaspora.
The book meticulously details the odyssey of four Lewis brothers who departed Wales around the middle of the seventeenth century, setting stages in Portugal, Ireland, and ultimately, America. This journey underscores the diverse paths taken by each sibling, notably John Lewis, who, after a dramatic turn of events in Ireland, sought refuge in America, becoming a renowned backwoodsman and the progenitor of the Lewis lineage in Virginia.
The contents of the book are organized into specific family branches and related families, providing a detailed exploration of the Lewis family’s expansion across America. From the obituary of William Terrell Lewis to the genealogical records of notable descendants like General Robert Lewis of Virginia, the book covers a broad spectrum of the family’s history. It includes the Lewis family’s connections to other significant American families, such as the Mackey, Hickman, and Rowland families, reflecting the interconnected nature of early American colonial society.
Genealogy of the Lewis Family
There is a tradition in the Lewis family in America that the name originated in France, and that it was originally spelled “Louis,” meaning strong or brave. After the family settled in Wales, the name being Anglicized, it was changed to “Lewis.” All the Welsh Lewises are related, as they sprang from the same original stock.
About the middle of the seventeenth century four brothers of the Lewis family left Wales, viz. :
Samuel, went to Portugal; nothing more is known of him.
William, died in Ireland. He married a Miss McClelland and left one son, viz. :
Andrew, who married Mary Calhoun, and left issue, viz.:
John, born in 1678; married Margaret Lynn. John was born in Ireland, and is styled as Pioneer John Lewis by Campbell in his history of Virginia. In 1720 he killed an Irish landlord and fled to America, and finally settled near where the town of Staunton, in Augusta county, Va., now stands. He was tall and of great muscular strength, and was one among the best backwoodsmen of his day.
Samuel, born 1680; left no issue.
General Robert, died in Gloucester county, Virginia.
John, died in Hanover county, Virginia.
Table of Contents
- Obituary of William Terrell Lewis, 2
- Genealogy of the Lewis Family, 5
- General Robert Lewis, of Abington, Virginia, 14
- John Lewis, of Hanover County, Virginia, 56
- David Lewis, Sr., of Albermarle County, Virginia, 57
- William Terrell Lewis, Sr., of Nashville, Tennessee, 62
- Mackey Family, Rutherford County, North Carolina, 118
- Hickman Family, of Clark County, Kentucky, 131
- Mrs. Sarah Musick, St. Louis County, Missouri, 187
- David Lewis, Jr., of Spartansburg, South Carolina, 198
- John Lewis, of Albermarle County, Virginia, 213
- Rowland Family, 239
- Charles C. Lewis, of Rutherford County, North Carolina, 257
- Jesse Pitman Lewis, of Albermarle County, Virginia, 293
- Colonel Richard Lewis, of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 305
- Henry G. Lewis, of Buncombe County, North Carolina, 314
- Frances R. (Lewis) Twitty of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 320
- Julius Clarkson Lewis, 325
- Major David Jackson Lewis, of Breckenridge County, Kentucky, 327
- Joel Lewis, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, 338
- Mrs. Anna Willis – Joel Terell, of Rutherford County, North Carolina, 344
- Mrs. Elizabeth (Lewis) Martin, of Clark County, Kentucky, 359
- Colonel James Lewis, of Franklin County, Tennessee, 379
- Mrs. Miriam (Lewis) Madison, of Jessamine, Kentucky, 392
- Jean Lewis, of England, 403
- John Lewis, of Shenandoah County, Virginia, 412
- Corrections, 413
- Index, 414
Notes
- No Table of Contents in book, see above
Some Surnames Found in the Lewis Family in America
Adams, Alexander, Alldread, Allen, Ambrose, Anderson, Armstrong, Baker, Ballenger, Banford, Bankhead, Banks, Barksdale, Bay, Baylor, Beckner, Belcher, Benge, Bennett, Benning, Bibb, Blair, Bledsdoe, Bowcock, Bowen, Brittain, Brooks, Brown, Browning, Buckner, Buford, Burnley, Butler, Byrd, Cantrell, Carson, Carter, Chambers, Chamblee, Cherry, Chewning, Claiborne, Clark, Coffee, Coffey, Collins, Cook, Cooper, Coppage, Craven, Crittenden, Crow, Crutcher, Cummins, Dade, Daniel, Davidson, Davis, Deavenport, Dement, Derrick, Dickey, Dickson, Dougherty, Douthat, Dowdy, Dudley, Duerson, Duke, Duncan, Dunn, Earle, Earns, Eason, Eastham, Edney, Elliott, Embry, Engleman, Epperson, Erwin, Evans, Fielder, Flourney, Foote, Foster, Fry, Gage, Gamewell, Garrett, Garrison, Gates, Gibson, Gilbert, Gill, Gillmore, Golden, Gooch, Goode, Goodwin, Graham, Graves, Gray, Griffin, Haley, Hanson, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hawkins, Headley, Heath, Heiskell, Henry, Hickman, Hicks, Hill, Hilliard, Hines, Hiter, Hodge, Holladay, Hollingsworth, Holman, Hopkins, Howell, Hudson, Hunt, Hunter, Hutchison, Hyder, Jackson, James, Johnson, Jones, Kelly, Kennedy, Kincaid, King, Knox, Lanham, Lea, Lee, Leftwich, Lehmann, Lewis, Lightfoot, Logan, Lowdermilk, Lyles, Lynch, Mackey, Madison, Marberry, Marshall, Martin, Matlock, Maury, McBride, McCall, McConnell, McDowell, McGavock, McGuire, McMurtrie, Meriwether, Miller, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Morris, Morrison, Morton, Moss, Munday, Musick, Nix, Oliver, Owen, Owens, Palmer, Parkinson, Parrish, Patterson, Pattison, Pendleton, Perkins, Pollard, Powell, Price, Pritchett, Rakestraw, Reed, Reese, Robbins, Robertson, Robinson, Roddy, Rodman, Rogers, Rollins, Root, Rowland, Rowzie, Russell, Sadler, Sandridge, Scaife, Scott, Selden, Shackleford, Shockley, Simmons, Simpson, Smith, Spencer, Spiers, Stamper, Starling, Strother, Sullins, Taliaferro, Taylor, Tebbs, Terrell, Thomas, Thompson, Thoms, Thorn, Thornton, Tinsley, Toole, Torney, Travis, Twitty, Underwood, Van Shanklin, Walker, Wallace, Waller, Walton, Wash, Washington, Weaver, Weems, Weeney, Weld, Wells, White, Whiteside, Whitfield, Whiting, Wilcox, Wilkins, Williams, Williamson, Willis, Willoughby, Wilson, Wingo, Wood, Woodford, and Young.