Thomas (Lewes) Lewis (1633 - 1709)

Born 27 May 1633 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England

Husband of Hanna (Baker) Lewis — married 11 Sep 1659 in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 26 Apr 1709 at age 75 in Bristol, Bristol, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Thomas (Lewes) Lewis migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

1633 Birth and Parents

Thomas Lewis was baptized May 27, 1633, at St. Mary at the Elms, Ipswich Suffolk, England. May 27, 1633 - Lewes, Tho - Edm. and Mary^[1]

1634 Emigration

Thomas, an infant "'aged three quarters [of a year]'", traveled to America with his parents aboard the ship Elizabeth.^[2]

1659 Marriage to Hannah Baker

Thomas Lewis married Hannah Baker on 11 November 1659 in Lynn Massachusetts^[3], daughter of Edward and Joan Baker.^[4] Note that many sources list or index the marriage as occurring on 11 Sep 1659, which is a misunderstanding of the record that they were married in the 9th month which was November under the Julian calendar in use at the time.

Children

Edward b. July 28, 1660 at Lynn; ^[4][5]d. July 15, 1662, Northampton^[6][7]

Hannah Lewes - Undocumented ^[4]

Mary Lewes - b. July 28, 1663^{[8] [4]}

Hester Lewis, b. 9 Sep 1665 Northamption, Hampshire, Massachusetts, ^[7]

Thomas Lewis - b. December 25, 1666; Thomas son of Thomas and Hannah Lewis was born ^[9]d. January 11, 1666 Thomas son of Thomas & Hannah Lewis Dyed Jan' 11 1666 ^[10]

Elizabeth ^[4]

Persithe ^[4]

Samuel ^[4]

Hepsebah ^[4]

Joseph ^[4]

Deborah ^[4]

1661 Move to Northampton

Thomas Lewis removed from Lynn to Northampton in 1661-1662, where he had a home lot of four acres, which he sold to Matthew Clesson in 1667. He was chosen to assist in building a mill, 27, 6 mo., 1666. He removed from there to Swansea, where, at a town meeting held Dec. 1, 1669.^[4]

"Thomas Lewis was admitted inhabitant and member of this township, and to have a twelve acre lot where any two of the Com'te for admission of inhabitants shall approve of his settlement." ^[4]

At a town meeting held Feb. 9, 1670, it was ordered that all lots and divisions of land thereafter be granted according to the three-fold rank, by the selectmen. First rank, three acres ; second rank, two acres ; and third rank, one. Thomas Lewis was in the second rank. He was elected a selectman, May 21, 1672. He is mentioned at Bristol, R. I., as early as 1681, and was taxed at Mendon, Mass., in 1691, 1692 and 1693. He was elected a selectman, May 1, 1693, for the year, but declined to serve. The following is taken from the Annals of Mendon, p. 129, where it is used as a model for the peaceful settlement of a land dispute. ^[4]

"Know all men bv these Presents that I Thomas Lewis *s of Bristol, Doe Constitute and Appoint my well beloved Capt. Josiah Chapin of Mendon, In my Roome and Stead for to Joyne with sergent Abraham Staples of Mendon aforesaid to Devid A percell of medow that belonged to John Parris's Lot in Mendon, Now Eaqually belonging to me the said Lewis and ye Above sd Staples, and doe by these presents bind myself my heyers, Executors, administrators and Assigns, to stand to their Agreement about ye devision of sd medow, and after the decision is made to cause the same to be recorded, as Witness my hand this 9 th of January, 1695-6. Thomas Lewis [Seal]." ^[4]

In 1696, he was called of Mendon, with wife Hannah. ^[4]

1692 Land Sale

In 1692, Thomas Lewis of Bristol, R. I., sold land to Capt. John Andrews. He also sold land there in 1701. In the Book of Possessions of Swansea his lands are recorded on page 9, and in the various proceedings of the town his name appears in regard to lands. On Dec. 23, 1704, he, with his wife Hannah, executed a deed of gift for good will and affection, of the " north part of my dwelling house in Bristol," to his daughter, Hepzebah Lewis. ^[11]

Will

The will of Thomas Lewes of Bristol, recorded in ^[12]

"In the name of God, Amen, I Thomas Lewis of Bristol in ye County of Bristol in New England, being aged and very Infirm, and not knowing when or how soon I may be Removed out of a Chaingable world, to prevent Jarrs & Contentions after my Decease do make constitute and ordaine this to be my last Will & Testament in manner and form following ; that is to say, I commend my Soul into ye hands of God and body to ye earth to be decently buried at the Discrefion of my friends, and as to my temporal estate which it hath pleased God of his mercy to lend me, I give bequeath and bestow in the following manner, Viz :

• After my ffuneral Charges and Just Debts are payed and sattisfyed by my Executrix hereafter mentioned, give and bequeath unto my aged and beloved wife all my whole estate both Reall and personal after my decease During her natural Life with full power and Authority by Virtue of these presents to make sale of ye whole my Two acre lott in Bristol with the Dwelling house thereon except what I have before given by deed of Gift to my Daughter Hepzebath or any part or parsell of my said lott to such person or persons who shall appear to purchass the same hereby Impowering of my said wife Hannah Lewis to make, sign, seal and fully to Execute a good and sufficient Deed and Legall Convayance of the said two acre lott or any part or parcell thereof so sold as aforesaid for her necessary & Comfortable livelyhood

• During her natural life and after her Decease what shall be Remaining of my estate to be Derided to and among my Children in as Just and equal proportion as may be according to the direction of the law in such case made and provided, having a regard allwayes to what any of my Sons or Daughters have had formerly of my estate before my decease.

• And of this my Last Will & Testament I constitute and ordain my Beloved wife Hannah Lewis my sole Executrix Hereby making null & voydd all other and former Wills Legacies or Executors by me in any wise before this time named willed or bequeathed and in Testimony hereof I Thomas Lewis have hereunto sett my hand and fixed my seal the Eleventh day of August, A. D. 1708. Thomas Lewis [Seal]"

Proved July 6, 1709. Presented and sworn to by Hannah Lewis. ^[4]

1710 Widow Sells Land

The widow Hannah Lewis sold, April 22, 1710, to Nath'l Byfield, *' one half of the two acre lot of land where ye dwelling house now stands being the eastern most half of those two acre lot with ye barn and house thereon '" bounded East on High St, South on Queen St. West by land of said Thomas Lewis, being the other half, and northerly by land of Nath'l Byfield. ^[13]

Research Notes

Disputed Parents & Origin: Various Internet Sources confuse the origins and relationships of Edmond Lewes (Lewis). The children of Edmond Lewes (Lewis) and his wife Mary Lewes have recently been updated with the most current sources, so this profile Thomas Lewes has been protected by the Puritan Great Migration project. In the future, if additional information comes to light, please discuss in the comment section on this page. Thank you.

Disputed Children:

• There is no primary documentation of the birth or death of Hannah Lewis, presumed daughter of Thomas and Hannah Lewes and 1683 wife of George Morey. George Harlan Lewis's 1908 genealogy lists Hannah as a daughter of Thomas and Hannah, but it does not include either a birth or death date or location;^[4] Find A Grave and unsourced genealogies are not considered primary documents. The circumstantial evidence of her identity is based on a) the match of the Lewis surname to that of George Morey's bride; b) the matching location of their marriage to the known location of the family of Thomas & Hannah Lewis in 1683, at Bristol; and c) the match of her given name to that of her (presumed) mother.

• While there is also no primary documentation of the birth of Esther Lewis under that spelling of her given name, the spellings "Esther" and "Hester" have long been essentially interchangeable^[14]. For a discussion of why the Hester Lewis recorded in Northampton records^[15] as daughter of Thomas and Hannah is thought to be the same person as the Esther Lewis who married Jeremiah Finney at Bristol in 1684, as early proposed by G. H. Lewis, see the profile of Hester/Esther Lewis.

Sources

1. ↑ St. Mary at the Elms Parish Records
2. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, I-L. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume IV, I-L, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005; p. 280; https://www.americanancestors.org/DB394/i/12108/280/23896743 (by subscription)
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-3Z4Z : 18 October 2022), Thomas Lewis and Hanna Baker, 11 Nov 1659; citing Marriage, , Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007011200.
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16} George Harlan Lewis. Edmund Lewis and some of his descendants, Essex Institute: Salem Massachusetts, 1908.
5. ↑ Birth: "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, citing FHL microfilm: 877468; Record number: 2792, FamilySearch Record: FHLY-LB8(accessed 20 June 2023),
6. ↑ Death: "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", database with images, citing Death, Northampton, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 004325917, FamilySearch Record: Q29L-2YWZ (accessed 20 June 2023) FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DRM3-4D Image number 00017,
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654, by James Russell Trumbell, Vol. 1, Northampton: 1898
8. ↑ New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4F-H348-W?cc=2106099
9. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHFT-7MN : 14 January 2020), Thomas Lewis, 1666.
10. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRM3-4D?cc=2061550&wc=Q4DL-L29%3A353350301%2C353372901%2C353372902 : 13 July 2016), Hampshire > Hatfield > Births, marriages, deaths 1655-1843 > image 13 of 94; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
11. ↑ Bristol Co. Deeds, Vol. 4, p. 319
12. ↑ Bristol Co. Probate Records, Vol. 2, f . 257:
13. ↑ Bristol Co. Deeds, Vol. 6, f. 174.
14. ↑ "The modified form Hester has seemingly co-existed with the original Esther throughout the name's usage in the English-speaking world" -- Wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_(given_name)
15. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch ([1] : 10 February 2018), Hester Lewis, 09 Sep 1665; citing Birth, , Northampton, Massachusetts, United States, , town clerk offices, Massachusetts

• Information about Thomas Lewes's surname, origin and descendants is from the genealogical research of Michael A. Lewis, 11th generation lineal male descendant of Edmond Lewes of Lynn, Massachusetts, detailed in Descendants of Edmond Lewes of Lynn, Massachusetts, Arana Gulch Press, 2011.

See Also:

• WikiTree profile Lewis-7137 created through the import of Litchfield Family(11-01-2012).ged on Nov 2, 2012 by David Litchfield. See the Changes page for the details of edits by David and others.

• Saunders, Dorothy. Bristol, Rhode Island's Early Settlers (Heritage Books, Westminster, MA, 2010) p.109, #56.

• Munro, Wilfred. The History of Bristol, R.I. (J.A. & R.A. Reid, Providence, 1881) p.79.