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Thomas Lewis (abt. 1590 - abt. 1639)

Thomas Lewis
Born about in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Englandmap
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 29 Aug 1618 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 49 in Saco, York, Province of Mainemap
Profile last modified | Created 13 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 2,836 times.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Thomas Lewis migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 2, p. 1181)
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Contents

Biography

Thomas Lewis was born about 1590 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, son of Andrew Lewis and Mary Herring.[1]

He married at St Chad's, Shrewsbury, 29 August 1618 Elizabeth Marshall, daughter of Roger Marshall and Katherine Mytton.[2] She died by 8 Oct 1640.[3]

ELIZABETH MARSHALL, married at St. Chad's, Shrewsbury, Shropshire 29 August 1618 THOMAS LEWIS, Gent., of St. Chad's Shrewsbury, Shropshire, son of Andrew Lewis of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, by Mary, daughter of William Herring, of Shrewsbury, vintner and draper. They had two sons, Andrew (1st) and Andrew (2nd), and five daughters, Mary (wife of [Rev.] Richard Gibson), Susanna, Margaret, Elizabeth (wife of Robert Heywood), and Judith (wife of James Gibbins). [4]

In 1629 he and [Capt.] Richard Bonython were granted a tract of thirty-two square miles on the eastern bank of the Saco River in the Province of Maine by the Plymouth Company. He immigrated to Maine by 28 June 1631. He was joined by his wife and three daughters in 1637. THOMAS LEWIS died before 1640. His wife, Elizabeth died before 8 October 1640.[5] Note: Some sources have the family arriving in 1631.

He emigrated in 1628, arriving first in Saco. He returned to England. and then returned to Saco in 1631. [6] [7] According to Filby his family emigrated in 1631. Passenger record:Thomas Lewis; arr 1628 New England; family members, Wife Elizabeth Marshall; Daughter Susanna; Daughter Elizabeth; Daughter Judith; Son Andrew; Daughter Margaret; Daughter Mary.Arrival date: 1631 Arrival place: Maine.

Thomas Lewis, the patentee of Saco in the Province of Maine, ...his father was a wealthy merchant and his grandfather a prosperous yeoman possibly named Lewis Ap Jevan, whose sons, abandoning the Welsh system of nomenclature, adopted their father's Christian name for the English surname. [8] A Welsh heritage is uncertain, and is found in older sources. It is possible the family originated in Wales, but had been in Shrewsbury for several generations.

As Thomas Lewis, son of Andrew Lewis, draper, he was apprenticed to a member of the Drapers Company in 1607, but his principal business, after his apprenticeship ended, was that of vintner, or wine merchant. His grandfather Herring, who was a vintner, left no sons, but two of his grandsons, Thomas Lewis and Thomas Woley, who was also a vintner, probably inherited his business. In 1618/9 he was the owner or lessee of the Sextry, a tavern and in the Sextry Shut, managed by his partner George Cleeve... The Sextry, now known as the Golden Cross, is still one of the taverns of Shrewsbury. Thomas Lewis and Elizabeth Marshall were married in 1618. By this marriage he must have added to the not inconsiderable means which had come to him as his father's only son when Andrew Lewis died in 1617.[9]

June 28, 1631, found Mr. Lewis arrived from England and entering into possession of his property, livery of scisin being given to Mr. Edward Hilton of New Hampshire... [10] Thomas Lewis, With Bonython, Vines and Oldham...was one of the original patentees of the present cities of Saco and Biddeford, whither he had emigrated prior to 1630. He had acted as attorney of the Council of Plymouth for giving possession in 1629 of the Hilton Patent at Piscataqua. [Belknap, New Hampshire, i. 20]. He was taxed 3 pounds in 1636 for support of the church minister at Saco, and was probably an official in the provincial government of Maine previous to the government of William Gorges, 1636. At the first court of the latter, a complaint was entered against Lewis, and he was ordered to "show cause whjy he will not deliver up the combination" to the new government, meaning the instrument of mutual agreement for self-government. This was to be led by Ferdinand Gorges with no connection to Plymouth. There was some difference of opinion between him and Lewis. At the same court he served as councillor, but was sued for trespass by John Richmond, and in another cause was ordered to pay to Thomas Wise "one fathom of this cuntry(s) beads.” [11]

Deed

On the 12th of February,1629, he received the following grant, a copy of which was preserved in the archives of Massachusetts. To all Christian People, to whom this present writing indented shall come: The Council for the Affairs in New England ... in consideration that THOMAS LEWIS, Gentleman, hath already been at the charge to transport himself and others to take a view of New England ... for the bettering of his experience in the advancing of a Plantation, and doth now wholly intend by God's assistance, to plant there, both for the good of his Majesty's realms and for the propagation of the Christian Religion among those infidels; and in consideration that the said Thomas Lewis, together with Captain Richard Bonython, and their associates have undertaken, at their own proper costs and charges, to transport Fifty Persons thither, within seven years ... have given all that part of the Maine Land, commonly called and known by the name of SAGADAHOCK ... containing in breadth, from northeast to southwest, along by the Sea, Four Miles in a straight line, accounting seventeen hundred and three score yards, according to the standard of England, to every mile, and Eight English Miles upon the Maine Land, upon the north side of the River Sagadahock... He and they yielding and paying unto our Sovereign Lord, the King, one fifth part of gold and silver, one other fifth part to the Council aforesaid. This deed was signed by Edward Gorges; and the Rev. William Blaxton, of Boston, was named attorney for the Council. This grant included 32 square miles, and comprised the whole of the town of Saco. Signed by Gorges.[12] also recorded by Thomas Savage.

Charles Henry Pope writes, “...Thomas, having been at the charges to transport himself and others to take a view of New England," etc. he, in partnership with Richard Bonython, received a patent 12 Feb. 1629, of "that part of the main land called Swackadock," between Cape Elizabeth and Cape Porpus; William Blackstone, clerk, William Jeffries and Edward Hilton, gents. gave possession for the Council June 28, 1631, in presence of Thomas Wiggin, Henry Watts and [George Vahun]. [Mass. Archives 3, 149. Bax. MSS.] Lewis and Bonython undertook to transport 50 persons to the plantation within 7 years, etc. He was one of the commissioners who held court at Saco 25 March, 1636, where he was then residing.[13]

It is possible that Lewis was still alive at the marriage of his daughter Mary in late 1638, since Gibson tells us plainly that the marriage was to settle differences, presumably political differences held between Gibson and Lewis and not between Gibson and the widow Lewis. The effort was in vain, however, for Lewis died and Gibson set sail for England after very few years. [14] [15]

Death and Estate

Thomas Lewis died between 7 May 1637 and 28 Apr 1640.[16] The new administration of Thomas Gorges assumed control of affairs, his estate was directed to pay Francis Robinson, executor of his will, certain expenses incurred on account of two of the heirs. [17]

Livery of seizin was performed on 28 June 1631. At Saco court 25 June 1640, Francis Robinson, executor of the estate of Thomas Lewis...was allowed "such reasonable charge as hath been by him expended upon two of the children of the said testator, since his death" [MPCR 1:54]. On 8 October 1640 Francis Robinson and Capt. Bonython, joint executors of Mrs. Lewis's estate, agreed to a partition of her holdings between the daughters Elizabeth and Judith [MHGR 5:124, citing court copy of original partition].

The deeds of the heirs to the Lewis estates, Judith (Lewis) Gibbons of Saco and Robert Haywood, husband of Elizabeth (Lewis) Haywood of Barbados, show the considerable extent of holdings in the joint patent held by Richard Bonython and Thomas Lewis [YLR 3:87, 94-95, 5:45].

Children

  1. Mary, bp St. Chad's 28 Jun 1619; came to Saco with her mother 1638. married late 1638 Rev. Richard Gibson.
  2. Susanna, bp St. Chad's 2 Nov 1620; no further record
  3. Margaret, bp St. Chad's 22 Apr 1622; no further record
  4. Elizabeth, bp St. Chad's 7 Apr 1623; m by 29 Mar 1662 Robert Haywood of Barbados.[18] Moved to Barbados after marriage.
  5. Andrew, bp St. Chad's 22 Feb 1624/5; bur St. Chad's 15 Nov 1625
  6. Judith, bp St. Chad's 23 Oct 1626; married by1648 to James Gibbons. [19]Remained in Maine, eventually gaining much of the estate. Her brother in law acquired power of attorney until his death.[20]
  7. Andrew, bp St. Chad's 25 Mar 1628; no further record.[21]
  8. Hester Lewis Kingsland. bp St. Chad’s, 1628. Assumed to have emigrated to Saco with her family.(see notes).

Research Notes

Richardson and Anderson do not mention daughter Hester, who married Nathaniel Barnesland Kingsland. She married Kingsland in Christ Church, Barbados in 1648. In 1679 he owned 350 acres, 5 servants and 170 slaves. Davis has a question mark on her name while listing her as a daughter of Thomas Lewis. Elizabeth Lewis Heywood and her husband also emigrated to Barbados but were not in the, Christ Church area.[22]

Sources

  1. Anderson, p 1182, citing Nicholas Davis Ancestry, pp 117-118
  2. Anderson, p 1182, citing NEHGR 100:91
  3. Anderson, p 1182, citing MHGR 5:124
  4. Berrington Registers No. 5. 57 Marriages, 1813 to 1837.
  5. Richardson, Douglas. ROYAL ANCESTRY,Vol. IV, page 91
  6. Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1995) Vol. 2, Pages 1181-84. AmericanAncestors.org (by subscription)
  7. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Arrival date: 1631 Arrival place: Maine. Filby, P. William, ed.Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA.
  8. NEHGR 101, pg 3-23
  9. NEHGR 101, pg 3-23
  10. NEHGR, 1885, Vol. 39 pg 345:
  11. York Court Records, Maine records 1:5
  12. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/charter_004.asp
  13. Pope, Charles Henry. Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623 to 1660; a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns, churches,...Boston, 1908
  14. Davis, Walter Goodwin, Maine and Massachusetts Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis
  15. NEHGR 101, pg 81-91: iii.
  16. Anderson, p 1182, citing MPCR 1:7 and 1:68-69
  17. Ridlon, GT, Saco Valley Settlements and Families. Portland. 1895: Page 84.:
  18. Anderson, p 1182, citing YLR 2:5
  19. Anderson, p 1182, citing Nicholas Davis Anc. 97-101
  20. Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Charity Haley, 1775-1800, wife of Major Nicholas Davis of Limington, Maine. 1916. Page 55.
  21. The Great Migration Begins Vol. I-III by Robert C. Anderson, NEHGS ONLINE (at http://www.americanancestors.org )
  22. Walter Goodwin Davis, The Ancestry of Charity Haley, 1775-1800 : wife of Major Nicholas Davis of Limington, Maine. 1916. Page 55. Citing Hotten’s Lists pg. 480.
  • Nathaniel Lane Taylor, "The Mackworths of Shropshire: Royal Ancestry and Colonial Descendants," in The Genealogist, Vol. 35, No. 1, 100–126; No. 2, 157–191.
  • 'Richardson, Douglas. ROYAL ANCESTRY, Vol. IV, page 91
  • Shropshire, England, Extracted Parish Records. 29 Aug 1618
  • Berrington Registers No. 5. 57 Marriages, 1813 to 1837.
  • Shropshire: Shrewsbury - St. Chad Parish Registers, Lichfield Diocese
  • U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Filby, P. William, ed.. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA.Arrival date: 1631 Arrival place: Maine. Filby, P. William, ed.
  • Pope, Charles Henry. Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623 to 1660; a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns, churches,...Boston, 1908
  • Ancestors of John Burton Kaherlhttp://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/k/a/h/John-B-Kaherl/BOOK-0001/0004-0156.html#IND190REF22
  • Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Charity Haley, 1775-1800 : wife of Major Nicholas Davis of Limington, Maine. 1916. Page 55
  • Torrey's New England Marriages. New England Marriages Prior To 1700. Clarence Almon Torrey.
  • Lewis, Alonzo and Newley, Hist. of Lynn, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Shorely, Publisher, Boston, 1865: Page 180.
  • Davis, Walter Goodwin. Maine and Massachusetts Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis.
  • General Dictionary of ME & NH by Sybil Noyes, Charles Libby and Walter Davis, GPC, 1979. Very limited access.

More suggested sources:

  • Royal .Desc.500 Immig., Roberts, pg264, 465
  • Faris, Plantagenet Ancestry pg 189
  • Captain.Richard Bonython, 1885, NEHGR 39:345




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* Ancestry of Thomas Lewis and his wife, Elizabeth Marshall, of Saco, Maine

by Davis, Walter Goodwin, 1885-1966 (https://archive.org/details/ancestryofthomas00davi/page/16/mode/2up)

See page 21. Elizabeth Lewis Heywood (1623-1628)

b. 1623 Saco, York, British Colonial America (BCA)
bap. 7 Apr 1623 @ Saco, York, BCA
m. Robert Heywood (-before 1680) of St Thomas, Barbados, BCA
b. Elizabeth Heywood Hayes (m. before 1680)
b. Martha Heywood Charles (m. before 1680)
b. Richard Heywood (m. before 1680)
b. before 1680 Richard Heywood Jr
b. John Heywood (1699 -Chief Marshal of His Majesty's Court of Common Pleas for St James & St Thomas, 1704 Chief Justice of Court of Common Pleas)
m. 12 Aug 1677 Mrs. Mary Whitehead
children baptized 1681-1688 in Barbados
b. Hester Heywood Orpen (probably grand daughter of Thomas Lewis)
m. John Orpen (-1696) before 1680 against mother's wishes)
m. 21 Nov 1701 Richard Turner
b. Robert Heywood
m. Mary @ Barbados
b. 1681 Susanna Heywood @ Barbados
bap. 21 Jan 1681
d. 1694
bur. 23 Oct 1694 @ Barbados
b. Thomas Heywood
m. 23 Nov 1680 Mary Harding
bap. children (1687-1699) (with more detail in the notes)
b. Nathaniel Heywood
m. 11 Nov 1683 Mrs Alice Homeyard
b. 1686-1691/2
d. 1704
bur. 6 Sep 1704
will made 10 Jan 1680
will proved 23 Oct 1682
posted by Richard Schamp
edited by Richard Schamp
Thanks again everyone. I’m finished for now.
posted by Ellen Gustafson
Jillaine, it looks just like I left it. Thank you! There’s still things i need to do of course. And if you or anyone has any suggestions please let me know. There are a couple of citations that are included that I am not familiar with.

And of course, my original reason for starting this, there is very little proof of Hester Lewis being a daughter, although I did find something,

posted by Ellen Gustafson
Ellen, how does that look now?
posted by Jillaine Smith
I'm going to go ahead and restore thje profile to prior to Kelly's edit.
posted by Jillaine Smith
Thanks Anne B and Jillaine. I don’t know exactly what was done. It’s not restored to before I began. Text is changed, some citations are gone. for example, i had found a good source for the deed, which I had given a separate section. Editing is skewed in parts. I ask that Kelly restore it back to before she made changes, some time between 4 and 6 pm ET yesterday. We all make mistakes.
posted by Ellen Gustafson
I believe the problem may be that the entire thing was restored to before Ellen's edits.
posted by Anne B
OH dear, I'm sending you a message, Ellen
posted by Anne B
Kelley R (and others), please hold off on edits until Ellen G is done. I think that's what the "Editing" comment at the top had been for. (Ellen, feel free to include a more detailed comment until you're done.) I'm still seeing a lot of what appears to be cut and paste (from Anderson?). Ellen, I reviewed the Changes log and don't see removal of inline citations but I might have missed something. You can use the restore function to return the profile to pre-Kelly edits IF her recent edits significantly changed or affected your efforts. In general, we encourage editors to review the change log to see if anyone else is currently working on a profile (and refrain from editing if someone else is doing so). Thanks! -- Jillaine, co-leader, PGM
posted by Jillaine Smith
What happened to the inline citations etc?
posted by Ellen Gustafson
There is no record of daughter Hester who married Nathaniel Barnewall Kingsland in Barbados.
posted by Ellen Gustafson

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