William Lewis III (1620 - 1690)

Born 19 Aug 1620 in Llandough, Glamorgan, Wales

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Hopkins) Lewis — married 1644 in Hartford, Connecticut Colony

Husband of Mary (Cheever) Bull — married 22 Nov 1671 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 18 Aug 1690 at age 69 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

William Lewis III immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Origins

William Lewis was born August 19, 1620 in Cardiff Wales.^{[citation needed]} He was a son of William Lewis and Felix Collins/Collyns.^[1]

Note: See profile of the father for discussion of mother's maiden name.

Immigrated with Parents in 1632

Moved to England in 1623; emigated to New England in 1632. (See his father's biography.)

Immigration: Sep 16, 1632 Arrived Boston, MA, on the ship "Lyon/Lion" The father lived in: Aug 1633 Cambridge, MA, Hartford, CT, Hadley, MA, Farmington, CT.^[2]

Family

William married twice.

He married 1): Mary Hopkins. She was the daughter of William & Mary (Andrews) Hopkins.^[3]

Children of William and Mary Hopkins:^[3]

1. Mary b May 6, 1645; mar Benjamin Judd
2. Philip bpt Dec 13, 1646
3. Samuel b Aug 18, 1648
4. Sarah b 1642; mar Samuel Boltwood
5. Hannah mar 1) Samuel Crowe of Hadley, 2) Daniel Marsh
6. William Lewis bpt March 15, 1657
7. Felix bpt Dec 12, 1658; mar Thomas Selden
8. Ebenezer
9. John b May 15, 1665 1784
10. James b July 12, 1667

He married December 22, 1671, 2): Mary Cheever. She was the daughter of Ezekial Cheever. Her second husband was Thomas Bull. Jr.^[3]

Children of William and Mary Cheever:^[3]

1. Elizabeth
2. Ezekiel
3. Nathaniel b Oct 1, 1676; mar 1) Abigail Ashley of Westfield, Mass. 2) Thankful Pomeroy Lyman
4. Abigail b Sept 19, 1678; mar William Wadsworth
5. Joseph
6. Daniel

In the history of the Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company of Massachusetts it is stated that William Lewis and his second wife visited for a time at Boston, Massachusetts, where his son Ezekial, later a school master and merchant of Boston, was born Nov 7, 1674.

Farmington, Connecticut

Was one of first settlers of Farmington and became very prominent resident.^[3] Was the first town clerk after the town was incorporated in 1645, and its name was changed from Tunxis.^[3] Deputy to Conn. General Court in 1689 and 1690.^[3]

He and Samuel Steele bought from the Indians a hill (now part of Plymouth and Litchfield, CT) and all land within eight miles of that hill where they dug black lead (graphite) in 1657. During that year, the Indians were very troublesome and burned his house and those of others for which they agreed to make an annual payment of 80 fathoms of wampum for seven years. (Each shell bead of white wampum was accepted as worth a farthing.)^[3]

He was one of the first slave owners on record in Farmington. He left his two Indian slaves to his wife upon his death. His other slave, Sampson, was given his freedom along with his wife and children.^[3]

In 1660 William Lewis (born Aug 19, 1620) built a frame house which became the centre portion of the Elm Tree Inn which was kept by the Lewis since 1736. In "Early Connecticut Homes" (date unknown) we read:

Few visitors to the Elm Tree Inn at Farmington are aware that a house of about 1660 is concealed at the mass of buildings which form the present hotelry. As you stand in the passage in front of the stairs you are in the entrance of the original house. If you face toward the door with your back to the stairs you will see above you, flush with the rest of the ceiling, the ancient overhang which shows even the edge of the bottom board of the second story front.

Military Service

Captain - Was first lieutenant in 1651; captain of its military company in 1674; sergeant and captain in the Narragansett campaign in King Philips War in 1675.^[3]

Ten of William Lewis's descendants are listed (1922) as members of the Society of Colonial Wars, through his military services.^{[citation needed]}

Death and legacy

He died August 18, 1690 in Farmington, Hartford Connecticut.^[4]

Burial

Buried in Old Colonial Burying Ground at Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut.^[3] NOTE: Burial: Memento, Mori Cemetery, also known as: Ancient Burying Ground and Old Farmington Cemetery ; Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. ^[5] Several members of the family are buried here. Both wives, daughter Mary Lewis Judd and his father William Lewis, to name a few. "Memento Mori is Farmington's oldest cemetery and one of the oldest in Connecticut. It was originally a small piece of Land donated by Thomas Barnes in 1660. The name Memento Mori translated from latin means "Remember that you Die" The oldest gravestone in the cemetery is of a man named Steven Hart who died in 1689. The son of Thomas Hooker Connecticut's Founder Samuel Hooker (1633-1697) is buried here. "

Sources

1. ↑ Doherty, Frank J., The Settlers of the Beekman Patent (F.J. Doherty, Pleasant Valley, NY, 1990-2003) Vol 8 (2005), Page 108. AmericanAncestors.org (by subscription)
2. ↑ Robert C. Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633,] Volumes I-III. Pages 1184-86 AmericanAncestors.org (by subscription)
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10} Timlow, Heman R., Ecclesiastical and Other Sketches of Southington, Connecticut page clvi (766), Hartford: Press of the Case, Lockwood and Brainard co. 1875, Web accessed July 3, 2014
4. ↑ FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP75-7PGD : 21 September 2019), William Lewis, 18 Aug 1690; citing Death, Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut, British Colonial America, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 007833262.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 06 July 2020), memorial page for Capt William Lewis, Jr (19 Aug 1620–18 Aug 1690), Find A Grave: Memorial #13574168, citing Memento Mori Cemetery, Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by The Prince Orono (contributor 48817425) . No Gravestone picture

See also:

• Gray, Julius Farmington two hundred years ago: an historical address delivered at the annual meeting of the Village Library Company of Farmington, Connecticut ... Hartford Press, 1904, Web accessed July 4, 2014
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, compiled & edited (1930-2). History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield For the Eunice Dennie Burr Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (Fairfield, Connecticut), Genealogical Publishing Company, Vol. 1, page 379
• Judd, Sylvester & Sheldon, George, introductions, & co., History of Hadley: including the early history of Hatfield, South Hadley, Amherst and Granby, Massachusetts Springfield, Mass: H.R. Huntting & Company, 1905, Web accessed July 3, 2014
• Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. Robert Charles Anderson.
• Orcutt, Samuel. History of the Town of Wolcott (American Printing Co., Waterbury, Conn, 1874) Page 513