John Lewis (1746 - bef. 1783)

Born 14 Sep 1746 in Augusta Co., Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Briscoe (Love) Bryan — married about 1772 in Augusta, Virginia

Descendants

Died before 14 Aug 1783 before age 36 in Knoxville County, Tennessee [uncertain]

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Biography

Captain John Lewis served with Botetourt County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

John Lewis is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A070038.

John Lewis was born about 1746 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of General Andrew Lewis and Elizabeth Givens. He was baptized on September 14, 1746, in Augusta County, Virginia.^[1]

When his grandfather John Lewis (the Pioneer) died in 1762, John was the only grandchild singled out in his will for a specific bequest: "I give to my Dear grandson John son of Andrew the sum of Twentyfive pounds & a horse Called Donald."^[2]

About 1772, John married Martha 'Patsy' Briscoe Love in Augusta County, Virginia.^[3][4] They had four known children - Andrew, Samuel, Charles, and Elizabeth (Eliza) A.^[1]

John had a long military career. Prior to the Revolution he was commissioned in the British army.^[5] He was subsequently an American officer in the Revolutionary War, where he was known as Captain John Lewis of Botetourt. He was a Captain under his father, General Andrew Lewis, in 1774, and was wounded at the battle of Point Pleasant.^[6]

His father Andrew died in September, 1781, and in his will (probated in February 1782) he disposed of more than 30,000 acres of some of the finest lands in Virginia, acquired over a lifetime spent largely in public service. To John, he gave "the tract of land on which he lives, containing 470 acres. also a track of land on both sides of Greenbrier river ...containing 480 acres. Also 1000 acres on Sinking Creek, in the Kentucky county, part of my 5,000 tract, and that he take 1,000 acres in a body, at either end of this tract, as may best please him." (John's three sons also received a smaller but sizeable bequest from their grandfather). ^[6]

According to Botetourt County, Virginia court records, on June 13, 1782 Andrew Lewis (his brother) replaced him as Captain and John Love replaced Andrew as Lieutenant. The reason given was that John Lewis intended to take his family to the Kentucky Country [Tennessee], perhaps to take up residence on the tract received from his father.

But the move was to end in tragedy. According to historians, soon after the move, John Lewis was killed by his own slaves. A relative of John wrote to William T. Lewis, that John had in his will a clause to free the slaves upon his death, and when the slaves learned of this, they allegedly killed him. According to this account, his wife, who was still back in Virginia, dreamed he was killed and thrown into the French Broad river. She rode down into Tennessee and found his body.

On August 14, 1783, the last Will and testament of Captain John Lewis was proved and recorded in Botetourt County, Virginia. Executors were his brothers Thomas and Andrew Lewis. They entered bond with Rev. Adam Smyth and Philip Love. William Bryan was one of the appraisers of the estate, who was later to become the second husband of Patsy Love Lewis. One-third of his land and slaves was left to his wife, and the remainder divided among his four children.^[7]

Research Notes

Will Abstract

Lewis, John. Will probate Aug., 1782. Names wife Marthew [sic, s/b Martha], and children: Andrew, Samuel, Charles, Elizabeth and one unborn. [Source: Early Marriages, Wills and some Revolutionary War Records, Botetourt County, Virginia, Compiled by Anne Lowry Worrell, pb. 58]. Botetourt County, VA Court, August 14th, 1783. Last will & testament of Capt. John Lewis, decd., proved & recorded. On motion of executors, Thomas Lewis and Andrew Lewis, certificate is granted for obtaining probate thereof. Whereupon they entered bond with Revd. Adam Smyth and Philip Love, their securities, accdg. to law. Ord. that Wm. Walton, Wm. Neelly, Wm. Bryants and Jamse Neelly, Junr. appraise slave and personal estate of John Lewis, dec'd, and make report thereof to the court.

Letter to William T. Lewis on Family History

The following letter was written by Dr. John Terrell Lewis, son of David Jackson Lewis. It was sent William T. Lewis who was collecting data for his book.^[8] The letter is now in the Alabama Archives and is very difficult to read. John Terrell Lewis was a descendant of David Lewis [Murray/Lewis branch], however in this letter [page 3] he quotes a relative of this John Lewis, and she tells of the family. While she made a few errors, the gist of her story was correct.

Carrollton Ky, July 18th, 1857

Wm Terrell Lewis, Esq

Dear Cousin --------- There was in this village an excellent Lady Mrs. Ann M Piniston whos maiden name was Lewis and from whom I have gleaned the following facts in relation to her famyly & which I give in her own language.

"Jno Lewis a resident of Richmond Va had four children viz Andrew, Charles, Samuel, and Elizabeth. I have been told that when the youngest child had attained the age of 4 years he purchased a farm about 100 miles from the City of Richmond and [whistt?] there with his servants preparing for the removal of his family. Was murdered by them. He had expressed a determination to free his negroes at his death & it is supposed this was the incentive to his murderers. The oldest son Andrew married & lived in Va. I know nothing of his wife & family and am unable to say how many children he left. His oldest son Jno lived with my father Saml Lewis residing in Frankfort Ky until his education was completed then returned to Va, bought an interest in the Salt Works, married a Miss [ Douelson ? ] become wealthy & finally [ embanaped ? ]. His wife died and his second wife was a Miss Lewis (Mary) a relative and nearly related to the Prestons on his mothers side. Soon after his second marriage he imigrated to Florida & there resided until his death, about four years since. He left several children who were in Va when last heard from them. Uncle Andrews second son Saml is now living in [Anson ? ] Co Va near Point Pleasant (now West Va ? ) is married but has no children & is wealthy. This is all I know of Andrew Lewis' family.

Charles the 3d son imigrated to Alabama when young was a lawyer by profession, married in that state - visited Fathers family in 1822 - I know nothing more of him or his family.

Elizabeth Lewis their only daughter married Mr Lake[Luke?] of Va after the birth of a daughter he died - She then married a Mr Ball and had one son [ Saml ? ] Spencer Ball. Mr Ball died & she moved to Frankfort Ky and married a Mr Marshall. The date of her death is unknown to me & I do not know of the death of her children.

My Father Saml Lewis was ten years old when his father died and was raised by his uncle Wm Lewis and imigrated to Ky in the fall of 1804. In 1805 he married a daughter of Col Wm Whitley. By their marriage he had seven children. In 1815 my mother died & in 1817 my father was again married. His 2d wife was a Mrs Pearl, daughter of Maj Geo Blackburn of Woodford Co Ky Ky. He had one daughter by this marriage --------in 1828 his second wife died. Prue B Leis his youngest & only child by the 2d marriage was married at her uncles Dr Blackburns in Woodford Co Ky in 1844 to Wm [U?] Ringo of Helena Arkansas where she afterwards [lived?] until his death in Octr 1852. Since which time she has made her home in Covington Ky. She has one child a son aged 10 years.

My father died in 1833 five years after the loss of his second wife and was much depressed in spirits from afflictions & [ pecunniary ? ] losses. So much so that he drowned himself in the ohio river. He had only three children who survived him. Louisa the eldest married Wm Brown on the [24?] March 1831 and moved to Indiana. She died in 1848 leaveing [ sic ] six children - five daughters and one son who are all now living [ sic ] in Ga.

[ Ann ? ] Madison Lewis the 2d daughter (now a resident of Carrollton Ky) was married in 1829 to richd M Piniston is the mother of seven children. The oldest a daughter married to Jno [ Margies? ] of Covington Ky. The 2d Thomas is in Iowa near Lyons. The other children are still with her."

This ends Mrs Piniston's history of her family. It is imperfect in regard to names, dates, &c but is the best I could obtain after many efforts.

Yr Relative & Friend, Jno Terrell Lewis

Daughters of the American Revolution Records

• LEWIS, JOHN ^[9]
• Ancestor #: A070038
• Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): CAPTAIN
• Birth: BAPTISED 7-14-1746 AUGUSTA CO VIRGINIA
• Death: ANTE 8- -1783 BOTETOURT CO VIRGINIA
• Service Description: 1) BGEN ANDREW LEWIS, BATTLE OF PT PLEASANT
• COMMENTS: 1) THERE IS ALSO A JOHN LEWIS, SON OF THOMAS WHO SERVED IN AN AUGUSTA UNIT UNDER COL ANDREW LEWIS.
• RESIDENCE: 1) County: BOTETOURT CO - State: VIRGINIA
• SPOUSE: 1) MARTHA PATSY BRISCOE LOVE

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Frazier, Irvin; Cowell, Mark W. Jr.; and Fisher, Lewis F. (1985). The Family of John Lewis, Pioneer. Fisher Publications, Inc., San Antonio, TX (1985). Pages 34-58, 152.
2. ↑ Family Search. Augusta Virginia Will books, 1745-1871; index to wills, 1745-1903. Will books, v. 3-4 1761-1772. Film # 007643867. Images 142 & 143. Link
3. ↑ Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Ancestry Record 7836 #757694
4. ↑ Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Ancestry Record 7836 #757695
5. ↑ Andrew Lewis, John's father, was at the battle "Grant's Defeat" in 1758. Several books claim that his son John was an officer under his father at this battle , but at the age of 12, he he would have been to young for this to be true.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Peyton, J. Lewis. (1882). History of Augusta County, Virginia. Samuel M. Yost & Son, Staunton, Virginia. 1882. Pages: 289, 335-40.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021. Link
8. ↑ 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. Pages 5-13. Link
9. ↑ https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A070038

• DAR Lineage - Mary Kenna Elkins. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR Vol 075 Link
• DAR Lineage - Annie Wood. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book : NSDAR : Volume 117 : 1915 Link
• DAR Lineage - Julia Pitzer Hooge. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book : NSDAR : Volume 046 : 1903 Link
• DAR Lineage - Sally Wood Nixon. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the DAR Vol 002 Link
• DAR Lineage - Mary Pitzer Bragg. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book : NSDAR : Volume 019 : 1897 Link
• DAR Lineage - Alice Luke Pepper. Ancestry.com. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000 [database on-line]. Title: Lineage Book : NSDAR : Volume 057 : 1906 Link
• [1]F. B. Kegley, "Kegley's VA Frontier", (Southwestern VA Hist. Soc. 1938), Baptism of John Lewis son of Andrew.
• [3] Reuben G. Thwaites & Louise P. Kellogg, "Documentary History of Dunmore's War 1774" , (From Draper Manuscript/WI Hist. Soc.), Rev. War data John Lewis, Andrew Lewis, William Inglis.
• [4] Lewis P. Summers,"Annals of Southwest VA ", Botetourt Co.,VA Court records of Capt. John Lewis resigning from army, 1782 and his Will administered 1783.
• [5] Anne Lowry Worrell, "Over The Mountain Men Their Early Court Records in SW VA", (1976), Will of John Lewis-pro Aug 1783, Botetourt Co.,VA-wife Marthew-ch Andrew, Samuel, Charles, Elizabeth and one unborn.
• [6] William Terrell Lewis, "Genealogy of the Lewis Family in America" (1893)
• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Lewis_%28283%29
• https://www.geni.com/people/Maj-John-Lewis/6000000009208826664
• This person was created through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged on 13 September 2010. Thank you to Edward Burgess for creating Lewis-9894 on 5 Sep 13.