John Lewis Jr. is currently protected by the Puritan Great Migration Project for reasons described in the narrative. Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: PGM
This profile is labeled as "Puritan Great Migration Adjunct" so that it can be monitored to avoid recreation or re-attachment to the disputed parents mentioned below.
Many genealogies have a John Lewis listed as a child of Sarah (Meed) Lewis and her husband, John Lewis . There are no reliable sources that indicate that John and Sarah had a child named John. Their oldest known child was Sarah Lewis, who, according to an article in NEHGR, was the only child who accompanied them on the ship Hercules in 1635.[1] (see "Research Notes" below for excerpts from the passenger lists)
One possible misconception comes from Caulkins' book of 1895 in which he believes that the John Lewis who was in Scituate (Kent, England migrant aboard the Hercules) disappeared from the Scituate records after 1637 and then a John Scituate (the person of this profile) who appears in New London, Connecticut in 1648, are one and the same.[2] What Caulkins must not have known is that John Lewis went to Boston, not New London.
Biography
It is unknown where or when this John Lewis was born, or who his parents were. It has been surmised that his father was also named John Lewis, as per Jacobus' TAG article.[3]
In 1670, John Lewis was presented by the grand jury for absenting himself at unseasonable hours of the night, to the great grief of his parents. And with Sarah Chapman, presented for sitting together on the Lord's day under an apple tree in Goodman Chapman's orchard.[4]
He was a young man in 1670 and was over 30 years old in 1685; he was constable in New London in 1681 and was sergeant of the train band after 1700.
He died at New London, May 8th, 1717, being killed by being hit on the head by the limb of a tree that he was having felled for the bark thereof, while he sat on horseback under the tree, and was buried in New London, May 9th, 1717.[5] He married at New London, Conn. May 24th, 1677 to Elizabeth Huntley[6] (daughter of John and Jane (____) Huntley of Lyme, Connecticut. [7]
An inventory of the estate of John Lewis, late of New London, deceased, was taken 11 July 1717 and presented in court the same day, Elizabeth Lewis, widow and relict, making oath.[8] 8 April 1718, Elizabeth Lewis, admx., gave an accounting of debts paid from the estate.[9]
Research Notes
The disputed parents emigrated soon after their first child's birth, daughter Sarah, aboard the ship "Hercules", arriving in Scituate, Massachussets, in 1635. From Hotten's The Original Lists of Persons of Quality...
"Jno. Lewis of Tenterden and Sarah his wife," and under the column "Children" it lists "One".[10]
In NEHGR vol. 75:
"John Lewis of Tenterden & Sarah his wife" as well as the only other member of the family, "Sarah Lewes".[11]
Not John Lewis of the Ship Hercules
It has been proven that the John Lewis this profile represents is neither the same as the John Lewis (bef.1606-aft.1669) who emigrated to America aboard the ship Hercules, nor is he the son of that man. They should neither be merged nor should a father/son relationship added between them.
John Lewis of New London was there before 1650; he was certainly there continuously from then until his death in 1676, since Miss Caulkins cites various records pertaining to him in different years through this period and I have a note of two such records: he sold land, signing by mark, 1 March 1659/60 [New London Deeds, 3:76]; and he requested certain land from the town, 26 Jan. 1662/3 [Town Meetings 1662-1664, p. 2]. Hence he cannot be the John who emigrated on the Hercules 1635, who, as we have shown, was living in Scituate and Boston during this period. I also find that John Lewis [the younger] sold land in 1692 that was his father John’s deceased [Deeds, 5:156]. This proves that he did have the son John ascribed to him. I have seen no records to indicate that he had other surviving sons, and if Miss Caulkins in her combing of New London records had found any proof of the existence of other sons, she would certainly have mentioned them in her account of the Lewis family, as she did in other family accounts.
Hence it is disproved that John Lewis of New London was the emigrant with whom he has so often been identified. No proof that he had a son Joseph has been seen.
Sources
↑ Henry Edwards Scott, ed., "Two Early Passenger Lists," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 75 (1921): (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1921), image of p. 220 at Google Books.
↑ Frances Manwaring Caulkins, History of New London, Connecticut: From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1860 (New London: H. D. Utley, 1895); image of pp. 295-6 at InternetArchive.org.
↑ Donald Lines Jacobus, "John Lewis of New London, Conn.; Joseph Lewis of Simsbury, Conn.,” American Genealogist 37[1961]:123-28
↑ Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. History of New London, Connecticut, from the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1860. New London: H. D. Utley, 1895. Page 250.
↑ Hempstead, Joshua. Diary of Joshua Hempstead of New London, Connecticut. New London, CT: New London County Historical Society, 1901. Page 66.
↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPS5-TZBT : 15 April 2022), John Lewis, 24 May 1677; citing Marriage, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 007833262.
↑ Totten, John R. "Thatcher-Thacher Genealogies," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, New York. 1914. vol 45, page 259. GoogleBooks.
↑ "Probate records, 1675-1916". Catalog: Probate records, 1675-1916 Probate records v. B(p.185-end)-C 1716-1734. Film number: 007629910 > image 49 of 616. FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L92Y-LZ82 (accessed 30 March 2023).
↑ "Probate records, 1675-1916". Catalog: Probate records, 1675-1916 Probate records v. B(p.185-end)-C 1716-1734. Film number: 007629910 > image 64 of 616. FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L92Y-LZZ2 (accessed 30 March 2023).
↑ John Camden Hotten, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality... (London: Chatto and Windus, 1874), image of p. xx at InternetArchive.org.
↑ Henry Edwards Scott, ed., "Two Early Passenger Lists," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 75 (1921): (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1921), image of p. 220 at Google Books.
Greene, Richard H., et al; Title: New York Genealogical and Biographical Record; Publication: Name: New York Genealogical & Biographical Society; NOTE1914 Edition A Google E-book Greene NY Genealogical Record
John Huntley, Immigrant of Boston & Roxbury, Massachusetts and Lyme, Connecticut 1647-1977 and some of his Descendants. Author: Virgil W. Huntley. Books I, II, III. 1978, 1993, 1996. Material from the books used with written permission of the author.
History of New London county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, by Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton). Publication date 1882. Via Archive.org. Page 155 SHOWS:
John Lewis died Dec. 8, 1676. The name John Lewis is found several times repeated among the early emigrants to New England. One came over in the "Hercules" from Sandwich in 1635, with wife, Sarah, and one child, and was enrolled as from Tenterden, in Kent. This is probably the same that appears on the list of freemen in Scituate, Mass., 1637." He afterwards disappears from the records of that town, and we suppose him to be the John Lewis who came to New London, 1648.
Another John Lewis, who was probably an original emigrant, settled in Saybrook or Lyme ; his inventory was presented at the County Court in 1670.
Still another John Lewis was living at " Sqummacutt" (Westerly) in 1673.
John Lewis, of New London, had a son John, who was a young man in 1670, constable in 1681, and after 1700 sergeant of the train-bands. He married Elizabeth Huntley, of Lyme, where his oldest son, John (3), settled. Sergt. John Lewis was himself instantly killed, as he sat on horseback, by the sudden fall of the limb of a tree which men were cutting. May 9, 1717.
Nathaniel and Joseph Lewis are names that appear on the rate-list of 1667 as partners in estate. They were transient residents, and probably sons of George Lewis, of Scituate,* brother of John, the freeman of 1637. If the latter, as we have supposed, was identical with John Lewis, of New London, these young men were his nephews.
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I think given that John was conflated with an unsupported John Jr, son of John-of-Massachusetts Lewis-2526 and Sarah Meed-4, Sarah Unknown-40752 should be merged with Sarah Meed-4 since that seems to have been the original intent for Sarah Unknown.
Lewis-1672 still needs to have his mother Sarah Unknown severed. I think given that John was conflated with John-of-Massachusetts who's mother was Sarah Mead, Sarah Unknown should be merged with Sarah Meed-4 since that seems to have been the original intent for Sarah Unknown.
There is some confusion about whether the father on Lewis-1672, slated to be merged with this profile is correct. According to History of New London, his father does appear to be correct, but that contrasts with what this profile says.
I have not only thoughts, I have comments upon those thoughts ;)
HoNL opines that the John who came on the Hercules in 1635 was the man of Scituate in 1637 and was also the man who came to New London by 1648. Caulkins asserts that because he (Lewis) "disappears from records of that town (Scituate)". So he conflates THIS profile (John of New London, currently the merge target John-1672) with John-2526 who WAS the Hercules immigrant, lived in Scituate and then moved to Boston where his first wife Sarah died and then he remarried Alice Mattock. That seems to be where Caulkins tripped up, he did not recognize that John of Scituate moved to Boston and finished out his life there.
Re: the father "John" of the man/men of New London, Jacobus found that land deed where in 1692 John "the younger" (i.e. John-8863/1672) sold land that he got from his father John, so it seems that John-1672 has a valid father John Lewis attached. Jacobus could not have been referring to the son of John 8863/1672 as "the younger" because that John (John the "3rd) was born in 1685 so was only 7 years old in 1692 when the land was sold.
Jacobus' article indicates that the profile of this man (and the one to be merged - Lewis-1672) had a father named John who was also in Connecticut. That other profile has the potential father John in question already attached (Lewis-1673). I have updated this profile with a sentence that indicates that potential relationship. I'm trying to track down Jacobus' source indicating the said relationship. The two men can be merged, and if the attached father doesn't seem to have enough proof supporting it, we can always detach him.
Lewis-8863 and Lewis-1672 appear to represent the same person because: Asking if these are the same. Research will need to be done, but they appear to potentially match.
Michael, regarding the mother Sarah Unknown shown on this profile (but NOT shown as wife of John Lewis-1673) seems incorrect per the Jacobus article linked here. His analysis was that Sarah (Meed) was the wife of the John Lewis-2526 of Scituate who emigrated on the Hercules in 1635 if I understood the article correctly. Is that your understanding too? I'm wondering about the source for name of this profile's mother.
Although it looks like the "why" is because the profiles were gedcom-imported that way, probably conflated with the 1635 immigrant. I see that her spouse relationship to the father of this profile was severed a while back but the mother relationship to this profile was left intact.
My original commet suggested merging Sarah Unknown with Sarah Meed-4 as that was her original intent (apparently i.e. as the mother of a not-known-to-exist John Jr of Massachusetts) but I didn't make it clear that first she needed to be severed as mother of this profile.
Lewis-46838 and Lewis-1672 appear to represent the same person because: Parents on -46838 are incorrect; it is a conflation of two different John Lewis. The one born in Connecticut is the one who married Huntley.
Same spouse, same death date and place, son John with same birthdate on both profiles. Please remove the unsourced parents from -46838 and merge to -1672.
To the best of my knowledge, John is my 7th-great-grandfather (my mother is a Lewis). My first cousin (a Lewis) has taken a Big Y-700 test that proves absolutely that our Lewis line has no non-parental events (adoptions, etc.) since the 1500s.
A matching Y-DNA test proves that two men, in this case Lewis descendants, share a common ancestor. The test doesn't prove, however, that we've identified the correct Lewis ancestor along every step of the way.
My family has been researching our Lewis line for more than 100 years. Our conclusion based on this extensive research is that we descend from this John Lewis - but that doesn't mean we're right.
If you're a male Lewis who believes you descend from this John Lewis, please consider taking a Y-DNA test from FamilyTreeDNA (the more expensive you can justify, the better). Or, if you already have, please contact me.
My family's Lewis Big Y-700 kit# at FTDNA is 890293. I'd love to hear from those who match to us. If you don't, and you believe you descend on this line, that important to know too.
Kevin, What does all of this mean? On another page I saw where John Lewis is my earliest ancestor. Is this so?What about all the other people on the cousin list, are they my cousins? I am afraid I do not understand all of this information.Please help!
Marriage to Mary in 1675 is listed as Connecticut, USA while marriage to Elizabeth 2 years later in 1677 in listed as taking place in Connecticut Colony, should marriage to Mary be listed as taking place in Connecticut Colony?
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Any comments/thoughts?
HoNL opines that the John who came on the Hercules in 1635 was the man of Scituate in 1637 and was also the man who came to New London by 1648. Caulkins asserts that because he (Lewis) "disappears from records of that town (Scituate)". So he conflates THIS profile (John of New London, currently the merge target John-1672) with John-2526 who WAS the Hercules immigrant, lived in Scituate and then moved to Boston where his first wife Sarah died and then he remarried Alice Mattock. That seems to be where Caulkins tripped up, he did not recognize that John of Scituate moved to Boston and finished out his life there.
Re: the father "John" of the man/men of New London, Jacobus found that land deed where in 1692 John "the younger" (i.e. John-8863/1672) sold land that he got from his father John, so it seems that John-1672 has a valid father John Lewis attached. Jacobus could not have been referring to the son of John 8863/1672 as "the younger" because that John (John the "3rd) was born in 1685 so was only 7 years old in 1692 when the land was sold.
Further the deponent sayeth not.
edited by Brad Stauf
edited by Scott Carles
Although it looks like the "why" is because the profiles were gedcom-imported that way, probably conflated with the 1635 immigrant. I see that her spouse relationship to the father of this profile was severed a while back but the mother relationship to this profile was left intact.
My original commet suggested merging Sarah Unknown with Sarah Meed-4 as that was her original intent (apparently i.e. as the mother of a not-known-to-exist John Jr of Massachusetts) but I didn't make it clear that first she needed to be severed as mother of this profile.
edited by Brad Stauf
Same spouse, same death date and place, son John with same birthdate on both profiles. Please remove the unsourced parents from -46838 and merge to -1672.
Quality sources are required.
A matching Y-DNA test proves that two men, in this case Lewis descendants, share a common ancestor. The test doesn't prove, however, that we've identified the correct Lewis ancestor along every step of the way.
My family has been researching our Lewis line for more than 100 years. Our conclusion based on this extensive research is that we descend from this John Lewis - but that doesn't mean we're right.
If you're a male Lewis who believes you descend from this John Lewis, please consider taking a Y-DNA test from FamilyTreeDNA (the more expensive you can justify, the better). Or, if you already have, please contact me.
My family's Lewis Big Y-700 kit# at FTDNA is 890293. I'd love to hear from those who match to us. If you don't, and you believe you descend on this line, that important to know too.
Thank you! - Kevin Ireland
edited by Kevin Ireland