Samuel Lewis (1716 - 1755)

Born 1716 in , Donegal, Ireland

Ancestors

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Biography

According to one historical source, Samuel Lewis was born in Donegal County, Ireland, and was the son (and oldest child) of John Lewis and Margaret Lynn.^[1]

However, the current consensus among historians and genealogists is that Samuel did not in fact exist. This view is best summarized by Frazier et al (1985) in their book The Family of John Lewis, Pioneer, which is recognized as “the latest, most comprehensive work and definite starting point for researchers and descendants of this family.”

"While there are occasional reports that John and Margaret Lynn Lewis had an eldest son named Samuel, and John Lewis's tombstone (placed at the grave long after his death) does refer to five sons, there is a shortage of reliable sources implying his existence. The statement that he was killed at Braddock's defeat conflicts with his presumed burial at Bellefonte, for if he was killed there he could not have very well beeen shipped home under the circumstances. Most writers who mention Samuel in connection with the French and Indian War go on to mention his subsequent role in the border warfare, where it is clear that he is being confused with Andrew's son Samuel.

Samuel is included in this listing [in the Frazier et al book] under the assumption [not proven] that he died in childhood, for, unlike his younger brothers, he does not appear in Augusta County records prior to the French and Indian War or afterwards. Had he lived to maturity, he would certainly, as John Lewis's eldest son, have done something that would have made him show up in the records as do his younger brothers."^[2]

Notes

• There are some reports that Samuel participated in the Battle of Point Pleasant, and even that he was injured or killed there. While there was in fact a private named Samuel Lewis who fought and was wounded at this battle, it almost certainly was not this Samuel.
• This possibility seems especially unlikely given the well-researched history of this battle, and the prominent role of two other sons of John Lewis in this event -- his son Col. Andrew Lewis was the commander of the colonial forces at Point Pleasant, a role that contributed to his later ascendancy to become one of Washington's generals, and his son Col. Charles Lewis, who commanded the Augusta County Regiment at Point Pleasant, and was mortally wounded during the battle. It seems unlikely that another son of John Lewis could have participated (and been wounded or killed) without some historical record of such an event.
• There are claims that Samuel was buried alongside his parents at Bellefonte, the family estate near Staunton, Virginia, but there is no evidence that this occurred.
• J. Lewis Peyton's authoritative History of Augusta County does not provide any support for the existence or historical contribution of Samuel during the period his parents and siblings were influential in the rapidly developing county, mentioning only that it was "believed" he was buried with his parents.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Lewis, William Terrell (1893). Genealogy of the Lewis Family in America, from the Middle of the Seventeenth Century Down to the Present Time. Louisville, KY: Courier-Journal Job Printing Co. 1893. Page 6. Link
2. ↑ Frazier, Irvin; Cowell, Mark W. Jr.; and Fisher, Lewis F. (1985). The Family of John Lewis, Pioneer. San Antonio, TX: Fisher Publications, Inc. 1985. Page 79.
3. ↑ Peyton, J. Lewis. (1882). History of Augusta County, Virginia. Samuel M. Yost & Son, Staunton, Virginia. 1882.

• WikiTree profile Lewis-3481 created through the import of WILLIAMS 2011.GED on Jun 22, 2011 by Ted Williams.