Judah Levi - From Prisoner to Patriot

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Orlando, Orange, Florida, United States
Surnames/tags: Levy Levi

Citation :
Stockton, Betty Jo. “Judah Levi- From Prisoner to Patriot.” Front Cover Image for Buried Treasures : A Quarterly Publication of the Central Florida Genealogical and Historical Society Buried Treasures : A Quarterly Publication of the Central Florida Genealogical and Historical Society , vol. 30, no. 3, July 1998, pp. 60–63.

Judah Levi - From Prisoner to Patriot By Betty Jo Stockton, 4th g-grandfather was Judah Levi

Many of the early settlers of Virginia came seeing freedom, riches or adventure. But not all those involved in the colonial movement were willing participants. Thousands were transported to America as criminals (or real or trumped-up charges) to clear out the poor and unwanted of England and provide cheap labor for the plantations. One of these was my 4th great grandfather, Judah Levi [called in various documents: Judah, Juda, Judas, Judith, Judy, etc. Spellings of the surname included Levi, Levy, Leevy, Leavy, etc. He signed documents with an X, so the proper spelling is not known]

Judah Levi was probably born in London in October, 1759, as we have records of a circumcision of Judah, son of Elias Levi, 4 Nov 1759. He would have been barely 12 years old at the time of his trial and conviction as a thief in London in December 1771.

From the trial records we find that Judah and Elias Levi (brothers or cousins?) were arrested and brought to Old Bailey for trial in December 1771 for "stealing a handkerchief of the value of 10 pence, the property of Joseph Crompton, 25 Oct 1771."

The accuser, Joseph Crompton, stated that "he saw the 2 prisoners come into the hall (Guildhall). The great boy was pushing to little one on; they were both at this gentleman's pocket.. When they had got the handkerchief out, they made off. I tapped the gentleman on the shoulder and we went after them. The little boy had the handkerchief in his pocket .. he said the great boy put his hand through his coat and picked the gentleman's pocket and put the handkerchief in his pocket."

Elias Levi's defense: " I went on an errand for my master .. A man took this boy and he said 'Here is another Jew, we will take him with us' I am a butcher, 14 years old."

Judah Levi stated, "I was on an errand for my mother and, going through the Guildhall, I trod on something. I though it was a piece of borwn paper, I took it up, it was this handkerchieff .. no one owned it, so I put it in my pocket. This man come up and laid hold of me and, seeing the other boy, he took him along with him."

Judah Levi called his uncle, Henry Levi, who gave him a good character. Both boys were found guilty and sentenced to 7 years transportation. A few days later, Henry Levy was also accused of stealing a handkerchief, found guilty and sentenced to 7 years transportation. It is interesting that Peter Coldham in his book Emigrants in Chains says that the most prevalent crime for which transportation was imposed was the theft of a handkerchief. More serious crimes were punishable by hanging, rather than transportation to the colonies and those who were hung were not much use a cheap labor.

All 3 were transported on the ship Justitia, to "some of his majesty's colonies or plantations in America." The ship manifest signed by Neil Gillis, master of the Justitia, on 12 Dec 1771 lists 15 convicts on board, including Judah Levy, Alias Levy and Henry Levy. The destination of the Justitia was the Rappahannock River in Virginia.

Where Judah spent the next few years is not known, but he was probably sold as an indentured servant somewhere in central Virginia and served at least part of his 7 year sentence. No other information has been found on either Elias or Henry Levi.

By 1777 in Fauquier VA and enlisted in VA tropps for 5 years. Private in Col Abraham Buford's Regiment of Virginia Troops. During the Battle of Waxhaws, SC on 29 May 1780 (also known as Buford's Defeat), Judah was "desperately wounded in the head, left eye and thigh."

One fatality of Battle of Waxhaws was James McGraw, whose daughter Mary married Judah Levi after the war. Judah was captured and imprisoned in the British hospital for 13 months. He was discharged on parole, which he broke and then re-enlisted with the Virginia troops until the end of the ware. In his application for a pension he state he had also been with LaFayette at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777.

- Medical report in 1789 state that "Judah Levi, aged 28 years, late a private in Buford's detachment and whose pay was at the rate of 24 oe per annum disabled in the service of the US by several wounds to his head and face and a wound by a bayonet through the left thigh. He is confirmed on the pension list with the annual allowance of 15 oe.

- After the war, Judah returned to Fauquier County and in 1783 married Mary McGraw, daughter of James and Jemima McGraw. James McGraw had not survived the Battle of Waxhaws; Jemima, his wife, had been allotted public support as the wife of a soldier in the Continental Army. The marriage was performed by John Monroe, the Baptist minister, on 22 October, 1783.

No records of land ownership have been located, but in 1792 Judy Levi leased land from Lord Fairfax, being: 72 acres - for the lifetime of Judah Levi, Mary his wife and Elias his son. A lot of land.." On this land he was required by the lease to "build a dwellinghouse 20 feet long and 16 feet wide with a brick chimney and keep the same in good and tenantable repair. And further .. raise and plant an orchard of 100 apple trees and plant the same at least 30 feet asunder and keep the same well trimmed and fenced .. and not to waste, unnecessarily destroy, or dispose of any timber growing upon the land, but only to make necessary use of the same."

In about 1800, many families from Fauquier County removed to Mason County, Kentucky. Judah and Mary Levi, along with their 8 or 9 children and Mary's brothers Cowither and Isaiah McGraw and their families were among this group. Mary's oldest brother, John, had been with the first party who went with Simon Kenton to settle Mason County in 1783.

Many former soldiers received free land as reward for their service in the Revolution, but the papers required for Judah Levi were apparently lost in the bureaucracy. In 1823, Col. Buford certified his service, stating that he had "many years before, put in the hands of William Marshall of Virginia, a certificate for the purpose of obtaining said Judas's military land warrant. William Marshall shortly after died, since which the certificate has not been found." As late as 1840, Judah's sons, Elias and Willis were still trying to get his bounty grant.

Judah was appointed Marketmaster in Maysville, KY and was on hand to great General LaFayette when he visited in May of 1825. He owned land both in the city of Maysville and on Bracken Creek, bordering Bracken County. In the Mason court records of 1829, his name was proposed as inspector of tobacco. Some of the commissioners objected, stating that "he can neither read, write or calculate. He is intemperate and often intoxicated" he was appointed anyway. After his death on 24 June 1829, his obituary in the Maysville Eagle read "died Wednesday evening, Judas Levi, a soldier in the Revolution in his 67th year. His remains were interred with military honors." His burial place remains unknown.

Mary (McGraw) Levi lived until at least 1850 and probably died in Brown Co., OH at the home of her daughter Elizabeth (Levi) Parker. The 10 children of Judah Levi became farmers, livery stable owners, fire department and steamboat captains. One daughter married a lawyer; another married that uncle of Ulysses S Grant. The convict from London had founded an American family.

The known children of Judah and Mary (McGraw) Levi were:

Elias Levi b. Abt 1784, m1 Elizabeth Parker, 1806, m2 Eliza Bisfield, 1839; d. bef 1859
John Levi b. 1777-1794; m. Hannah Scott, 1811; d. bef 1830
Rebecca Levi b. 1800-1803; m. William Marshall; d. 1876
James Levi b. 1792 - 1800; m1 Mary Overvield, 1810, m2 Leticia Parker; d 1813-15
Elizabeth Levi b. 1792; m. William Parker, 1811; d. 1859
Willis Levi b. 1792-1800; m. Louisa Clifton, 1817, m2 Julia ??, before 1832, m3 Phebi Ann ??, 1851-60; d abt 1864
Frances Levi b. abt 1790-1810; m. Aaron Parker, 1815; d. ?
Jemima Levi b. bef 1800; m. John Scott, 1815; d. bef 1850
Mordecai Levi b. 1809; m. Mary Ann Bridges, 1828; d. 1846
Mary Polly Levi b. May 1808; m. Roswell Grannt, 1824; d. 1849

Sources

• Coldham, Peter. Emigrants in Chains 1607-1776. Genealogical Publishing Co 1992
• Corporation of London Records Office, Treasury Bond Papers, T1/483 X00181
• Lease of Judah Levi from The Rev. Denny Martin Fairfax. 24 Sep 1792. Deed Book 10, Fauquier Co, VA
• Marriage Records of Mason Co, KY
• Old Bailey Session Papers, Dec 1771. Session Minute Book SM138, Session File SF1019, p. 28, 49. London Records Office
• Pension Application #3037 of Judah Levi, National Archives, Washington DC
• Virginia Military Pension File 243, Richmond VA