Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/657

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

1005

a constant customer at Gilbert's store, which was not far from Harrisonburg.

The mother of Robert Lewis Harrison, Eliza Lewis Carter (Tucker) Harrison, be- longed to the Lewis family, through her mother, who was Betty Lewis, wife of Gen- eral Fielding Lewis, and sister of George Washington. The Lewis family of Virginia is one of the most distinguished families in the state. It is connected by marriage with many of the best known names, such as Washington, Marshall. Fielding, Merri- wether. Dangerfield, Taliaferro, and others. The members of the family from the time when they first set foot in the colony about the middle of the seventeenth century have been men of action and distinction ; they have won for themselves the most remark- able record as soldiers. It is recorded on the tombstone of "Pioneer John" that he furnished five sons for the revolution. There were five colonels, Nicholas, Fielding, William, Charles, and Joel, and quite a num- ber of majors and captains. The Lewises also won a gallant record in the war of 1812, the Mexican war, and in the Confed- erate States army.

The Lewis family is said to have been originally French, by name Louis, who left France following on the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685. Three brothers, namely, William, Samuel and John, crossed over to Britain. Sometime after William removed to Ireland, where he married a Miss McClelland. Samuel fixed his resi- dence in Wales, while John continued in England. Descendants of each of these brothers are said to have emigrated and set- tled in Virginia.

About the middle of the seventeenth cen- tury four brothers of the name of Lewis left W'ales. Robert Lewis, later General Robert, came with his wife and two sons to Mrginia in 1645, in the good ship Blessing. The names of his sons were John and W"il- liam, the latter of Chemokins, St. Peter's parish. New Kent county. Virginia. John married Isabella, daughter of Augustine Warner, of W'arner Hall. Gloucester county, Virginia, and speaker of the first house of burgesses. Thty had issue: Major John, mentioned below ; Warner, who married Eleanor, widow of W'illiam Gooch, son of Sir William Gooch, governor of Virginia, and daughter of John Bowles, of Maryland ; a daughter who married Colonel Willis ; a

daughter who married Francis Merriwether ; John: Isabella; Anna.

Major John Lewis, son of John and Isa- bella (Warner) Lewis, was born November 30, 1669, died in 1754. He resided in Glou- cester county, Virginia, and was a member of the Virginia council. He married Fran- ces Fielding, who died in 1731. The chil- dren were : Colonel Robert, of Belvoir, Albemarle county, Virginia; Colonel Charles, of the Byrd ; and Colonel Fielding, mentioned below.

Colonel Fielding Lewis, son of Major John and Frances (Fielding) Lewis, mar- ried (first) Catherine Washington, a cousin of General Washington : and (second) Betty Washington, sister of General Washington. He w'as a member of the house of burgesses, a merchant and vestryman. There is in the possession of the descendants of Colonel Fielding Lewis and his wife Betty an old family Bible which was given by Mary Ball Washington to her only daughter, Mrs. Fielding Lewis. During the revolution Col- onel Fielding Lewis showed himself an ar- dent and a high souled patriot and did spe- cial service superintending the manufacture of arms for the use of the army. The chil- dren were: John, Francis. Warner Field- ing. Augustine, Warner (2), George Wash- ington, Mary, Charles, .Samuel, Betty, Law- rence, and Robert.

Robert Lewis Harrison was educated at the private school of Professor Edward B. Smith at Richmond. Virginia, and later at the University of Virginia, from which he graduated with the degree of M. A. in 1870. He began the active work of life as a teacher in preparatory schools and profes- sor of the Greek and German languages. He was professor of Greek and German at Davidson College during 1875 'i''"J 1876, and also taught in high and preparatory schools in Virginia. He was admitted to the bar in 1875, ^"d came to New York City as clerk in a law office in 1876. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1878, was appointed to the New York City School I'loard by Mayor Seth Low, afterwards by Mayor McClellan, and again by Mayor Gaynor, and is now serving his third term. He is recognized as one of the chief expert educators of New York City. Mr. Harrison is a vestryman of Zion and St. Timothy Episcopal Church, and is a Democrat in j.olitics.