John Lewis

Born [date unknown] in England

Descendants

Died about 1657 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Lewis [send private message]

Biography

There is nothing known of this man other than some deeds. This profile represents the possible father of John Lewis as found in the research notes below.

Research Notes

Donald Lines Jacobus, “John Lewis of New London, Conn.; Joseph Lewis of Simsbury, Conn.,”, American Genealogist 37[1961]:123-28. Copy/paste follows:

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] {represented by the profile of John Lewis} sold land in 1692 that was his father John’s {represented by this profile} 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

• Donald Lines Jacobus, “John Lewis of New London, Conn.; Joseph Lewis of Simsbury, Conn.,”, American Genealogist 37[1961]:123-28, https://mattocks2.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/john-lewis-of-new-london-conn-joseph-lewis-of-simsbury-conn/
• History of New London: From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1860, Miss Frances M. Caulkins published (1852). (Applewood Books, 2010 ) Page 296