Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/606

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

Lewis, knighted by James I. in 1603 and died in 1630, being buried at Edington. county Wiltz, Wales. He married Lady Ann, daughter of the Earl of Dorset, and widow of Robert Jacob Beauchamp. Rob- ert Lewis, the youngest of their four sons, was born in 1607, and came to America in 1635, settling in Gloucester county, Vir- ginia. Over Robert Lewis, "the founder," discussion has raged fiercely. The follow- ing is the genealogy of William Travers Lewis, of Berryville, Virginia, a lineal de- scendant of Robert Lewis, as determined in "Lewis and Kindred Families," published in 1906, and edited by John Meriwether Mc- Allister and Lura Boulton Tandy.

General Robert Lewis was the first of the name in America known to history or gene- alogy. He was a native of Brecon, Wales, and with his wife, Elizabeth, sailed from Gravesend, England, in April, 1635, settling in Gloucester county, Virginia. The state- ment is made that he held a commission in the English army, and that he brought with him a grant from the crown of 32.333y2 acres of land located in that portion of York, now Gloucester county.

John Lewis was the second of the two sons of General Robert and Elizabeth Lewis, of Brecon, Wales, and Gloucester county, Virginia. He was born about 1640, married Isabella Warner, and built "Warner Hall," a handsome mansion on the Severn in Glou- cester count}', Virginia. His wife, Isabella, was a daughter of Captain Augustine War- ner, of the English army, and sister of Speaker Augustine Warner.

John (2) Lewis, grandson of General Robert Lewis and son of John (i) Lewis, was born in 1669, died in 1725, and was known as "Councilor" John Lewis. He married his first cousin, Elizabeth Warner, granddaughter of George Reade, of early fame in \'irginia, and great-granddaughter of Nicholas Martian, a justice of York coun- ty, 1632-57. Elizabeth was a daughter of Speaker Augustine and Mildred (Reade) Warner : her father was one of the most eminent of early Virginia public men. The tombstone of Elizabeth (Warner) Lewis states that she was the "loving mother of fourteen children."

John (3) Lewis, of Warner Hall, the eld- est son of "Councilor" John (2) Lewis, was born in 1692. He married Frances Fielding,

and as the eldest son inherited Warner Hall and the historic Bell farm.

Colonel Fielding Lewis, son of John (3) and Frances (Plelding) Lewis, was born in 1725. He was not in field service during the Revolution, being over military age, but was engaged during the struggle in manu- facturing arms for the patriot army. His home was "Kenmore," Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia. Colonel Fielding Lewis married (first) Catherine Washington, daughter of John and Catherine (Whiting) Washing- ton, and first cousin of General George Washington. He married (second) in 1750, Betty, only sister of General George Wash- ington, and second child of Augustine Washington. He had issue by both wives, the line following being that of Lawrence, the ninth child by the second wife.

Lawrence Lewis, son of Colonel Fielding and Betty (Washington) Lewis, was born April 4, 1767. Because he was more inti- mately associated with his uncle. General George Washington, he is said to have been his favorite nephew. He married, Febru- ary 22, 1799, Eleanor Park Custis, grand- daughter of Mrs. Martha Park (Dandridge) Custis, who afterward became Mrs. Martha Washington. In his will General Washing- ton bequeathed his nephew, Lawrence, and his adopted daughter, Eleanor Park (Cus- tis) Lewis, an estate of 2000 acres adjoin- ing Mt. Vernon, and appointed Lawrence one of the executors of his will.

Lorenzo Lewis, only son of Lawrence and Eleanor Park (Custis) Lewis, was born in November, 1803, and died in August, 1847. He married, in 1826, Esther Maria, daughter of John R. Coxe, of Philadelphia, and set- tled on an estate in Clarke county, Virginia. He had six sons.

George \^'ashington Lewis, son of Lo- renzo and Esther Maria (Coxe) Lewis, mar- ried-Emily C. daughter of Reverdy John- son, attorney-general. United States sena- tor, minister to England, lawyer, statesman, one of the foremost expounders of Consti- tutional law, and granddaughter of John Johnson, an eminent lawyer, who filled the "offices of attorney-general, judge of the court of appeals and chancellor of Maryland. Children of George Washington Lewis : Reverdy Johnson, a farmer; Charles Con- rad, a farmer: Robert E. Lee, of New York City; Emily C, married Colonel Edwin A.