Surname Saturday: LEWIS

The LEWIS family is my paternal grandfather's mother's line, and it is a name that is perpetuated into the present. It was my paternal grandfather's middle name, and is also my youngest nephew's middle name (he was born on my grandfather's birthday).

LEWIS can be a surname from multiple places in Europe; however, mine appears to be British. Like many of my New England lines, I am descended twice from the LEWIS family and am related to myself once again, an event that takes place when two LEWIS ancestors, first cousins, marry.

Stories and History:

The LEWIS Family History on my website.

Ahnentafel #2304 and 2308 - John LEWIS the Immigrant (1631 - 1690) - John was probably born in Greenwich, England, and was first located in 1661 Westerly, Kings Co., Rhode Island records, one of the first settlers. Here his family lived for many generations. He and his wife (unknown) had one daughter and seven sons, two of whom I descend from.

Ahnentafel #1152 - Israel LEWIS (1669 - 1719) - little is known about this ancestor as well, other than he was the brother of Daniel and son of John the Immigrant

Ahnentafel #1154 - Daniel LEWIS (1668 - 1717) - son of John the Immigrant, and brother of Israel

Ahnentafel #576 - Nathaniel LEWIS (1706 - 1763) - son of Israel, grandson of John the Immigrant; married his first cousin, Mary LEWIS

Ahnentafel #577 - Mary LEWIS (1711 - 1791) - daughter of Daniel, granddaughter of John; married her first cousin, Nathaniel LEWIS; after her husband's death, she removed to Hopkinton, Washington Co., Rhode Island to be with her grown children

Ahnentafel #288 - Captain Israel LEWIS (1745 - 1806) - son of Nathaniel and Mary; served in the Revolutionary War; removed to Hopkinton, Washington Co., Rhode Island

Ahnentafel #144 - Nathaniel LEWIS (1778 - 1857) - removed to Morris, Otsego Co., New York

Ahnentafel #72 - George Washington LEWIS (1800 - 1879) - removed to West Amboy, Oswego Co., New York

Ahnentafel #36 - John Wallace LEWIS, Sr. (1839 - 1908) - I uncovered lots of unknown (to the present generations) facts about this man in my research: he was married before he married my ancestor and had two children; his first wife apparently died and he left his children with his parents when he came to Washtenaw Co., Michigan; his son from his first marriage eventually settled in Western Michigan when he did. John and his second wife, my ancestor Elenor "Nellie" L. VREELAND, had two more children than our family records show. They appear on the 1880 Federal Census and then disappear, probably dying young, and missing all the death and burial records at that time. The third unknown fact that I uncovered was that he was a Civil War veteran, but I can't find further details to confirm it, other than the 1890 Veterans Census.

Ahnentafel #18 - George Emmett LEWIS (1868 - 1964) - read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #9 - Marie LEWIS (1902 - 1986) - my great-grandmother; read her AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #4 - Robert Lewis ROBBINS (1920 - 2003) - my paternal grandfather; read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

More about the LEWIS family:

1. Online database: LEWIS ancestors and relatives (I update this at least once a month; no info on living persons available)

2. Some LEWIS obituaries

3. Posts about LEWIS ancestors and relatives on this blog

4. Some scanned LEWIS documents

5. Some scanned LEWIS photos

6. My LEWIS Virtual Cemetery on Find A Grave


My LEWIS immigration trail:

Greenwich, England > Kings Co., RI > Washington Co., RI > Otsego Co., NY > Oswego Co., NY > Washtenaw Co., MI > Clinton Co., MI > Muskegon Co., MI > Manistee Co., MI > Muskegon Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA