Descendants of Lewis ap David of Cardiganshire, Wales

Generation #5

John (⁴William, ³James, ²James, ¹James) Lewis (Oral History)

There were at least three John Lewises of Spotsylvania Co VA. And, all were married to a Mary Lewis.

    1. John Augustine Lewis, son of Fielding Lewis, owned land on the Massaponax. He married five times, including Mary Ann Fontaine Lewis, whose death was reported on 4/9/1799 in the Virginia Herald. This John Lewis migrated to Lincoln Co KY.

    2. John Lewis, son of Zachary Lewis II married Ann Lewis. She is a descendant of the Lewises of Warner Hall. This John died 9/12/1780.

    3. Our John Lewis married a woman named Mary, not Mary Ann, and his brothers married into the Herndon and Richards families. Differentiation is made by a) accepting records which include John Lewis, Mary Lewis, and the Herndon and Richards families b) rejecting records which include John Lewis, Mary Ann Lewis, and Zachary Lewis and c) analyzing records for John and Mary dated from 1787 to 1793.

John Lewis of Fredericksburg VA was born 1749 in Spotsylvania Co VA and is first mentioned in his father's will dated 1763. In about 1770, John married Mary Sparks b. c. 1750 Spotsylvania Co VA. John and Mary are believed to be the parents of Walden and Taverner Lewis who migrated through Georgia to Mississippi.

Proof of the family's origin in Virginia comes from records for son, Walden Lewis.

Walden Lewis of Virginia was born about 1774, probably in Fredericksburg VA. Evidence of Walden's place of birth as Virginia is found with daughter Mary Parker in the 1880 Jasper Co MS Census and in the biography of great-grandson Milton Alexander Lewis (s/o Alexander Lewis s/o Willis Lewis s/o Walden Lewis). Milton Alexander Lewis served in the Mississippi Legislature in 1908, representing Jasper County. The Mississippi Legislative biographical record states, "His paternal ancestors came from Virginia to Georgia in the early part of the last century; his great-grandfather, Walden Lewis, fought in the Indian Wars." Proof is found in an 1809 Georgia State Record which shows Walden Lewis, Gentleman, was appointed as Lieutenant in the Georgia Militia and an 1814 record for a Lieutenant Lewis of the Company of Spies.

In the previous passage, sticking out like a sore thumb, we read the plural "ancestors." This would indicate that at least two generations made the arduous trek to Georgia. As Walden's first son Willis was born in Georgia, this means that Walden and his father were the trekkers.

Back in Virginia, John's father, William, held lots in the city of Fredericksburg and operated an Ordinary. In 8/17/87 John divested himself of several lots including those from William. In 12/1787 John sold land near Fredericksburg to brother William.

In 4/1795 John sold lands south of the Rapidan to 

In about 1802, the family migrated to Georgia and is documented in the 1802 Cherokee Passport Lists for sons Walden and Taverner. Traveling from Ft Southwest Point TN by 1802, Walden and Taverner would have migrated by way of the Unicoi Trail through the Cherokee Nation and over the Appalachians, down to Georgia. Did Walden and Taverner write back to Virginia and coax their father, John, to migrate down to Georgia? John could have migrated by way of the much easier Great Wagon Road, climbing up to the Carolina Piedmont and eventually descending to the Savannah River at Ft Augusta GA. 

John is documented in the 1805 Land Lottery for Greene Co GA along with those two sons. Possibly, John also migrated to Mississippi. But, John is last found documented in 1814 in Putnam Co GA.

• Born 1749 Spotsylvania Co VA

• Married c. 1770 in Spotsylvania Co VA to Mary Sparks b. c. 1750 Spotsylvania Co VA

• 7/1774 Dunmore's War, Muster Roll of Capt. Campbell's Company: John Lewis

• 1775 Spotsylvania Co VA Land Record

• 9/18/1777 Spotsylvania Co VA Militia: 2LT John C. Lewis

• 1787 Spotsylvania Co VA Tax List: John Lewis

• 8/3/1787 Spotsylvania Co VA Land Transaction

• 12/4/1787 Spotsylvania Co VA Court Proceeding

• 12/4/1787 Spotsylvania Co VA Land Transaction

• 3/17/1788 Spotsylvania Co VA Record

• 1794 Spotsylvania Co VA Probate

• 4/7/1795 Spotsylvania Co VA Land Transaction

• 1797 City of Fredericksburg VA Tax List

• Migrated c. 1802 to Georgia

• 1805 Greene Co GA Land Lottery

• 1813 Putnam Co GA Tax List: John Lewis, Sr.

• 11/7/1814 Putnam Co GA Probate (Maybe)

• Died in Georgia

The firstborn son is named after the paternal grandfather. The second-born son is named after the mother's family. In Generation 7, John Anderson Lewis' paternal grandfather should have been and was John Lewis, and Willis Lewis's maternal grandmother should have been and was a Willis. (But, their birth order is reversed.)

If Walden was the second born in Generation 6, Walden should be a name in his mother's family. In about 1770, Aunt Sarah Sparks married Alexander Walden. Was Walden named for his uncle, Alexander? Beginning with Walden Lewis b. c. 1774, the first name Walden is continued in our Lewis family until this day.

Taverner was a title, not necessarily a name of the time, and is quite rare. Oral history states that the Lewis Line descends from William Lewis and Sarah Branham. Evidence comes in part from Sarah Branham's uncle, Taverner Branham b. 1739 Richmond Co VA and Tavenor Walden, son of Alexander Walden, Sr. Reasonable conjecture leads to the belief that Taverner Lewis was named for his paternal great-uncle. And, the descendants of Taverner Lewis of Copiah Co MS are a perfect yDNA match to the family of Walden Lewis.

Lewis Records in Georgia

Lewis, Pierce    4
Lewis, George   26
Lewis, William  30
Lewis, Waldin   32
Lewis, Tabner   32

Lewis, Garnes   18
Lewis, George   28
Lewis, Pierce    2
Lewis, William  24

Lewis, George   32
Lewis, Pearce    6
Lewis, Walden   24
Lewis, William  36

Lewis, George   32
Lewis, William  32

    Children

    1. William Lewis

• Born c. 1771 Spotsylvania Co VA

• 1797 City of Fredericksburg VA Tax List: William Lewis

• 1801 Petition for the creation of Roane County [TN]: Wm Lewis

• 1802 Roane County, TN Tax List: William L. Lewis

• 1805 Georgia Land Lottery

• 1809-1812 Morgan Co GA Tax List: William Lewis

• Died in Georgia

    2. Willis Lewis

• Born c. 1773 Spotsylvania Co VA

• Migrated by 1787 to Bullock Co GA

• Married 2/9/1795 in Spotsylvania Co VA to Susannah Penn b. c. 1777 in Virginia

• Died 1822 Bullock Co GA

    3. Walden Lewis b. c. 1774 Spotsylvania Co VA

    4. Taverner Lewis b. c. 1775 Spotsylvania Co VA

    5. Stephen Lewis

• Born 1783 Spotsylvania Co VA

• Married 1807 in Jackson Co GA to Milley Watkins b. c. 1787

• Migrated by 1810 to Wayne Co MS

• 1810 Wayne Co MS Census: Stephen Lewis

• 1814 Greene Co MS Tax List: Stephen Lewis

• 1816 Clarke Co (now AL) Miss Territory Census: Stephen Lewis

• 1817 Alabama Territory split from Mississippi

• Died after 1830 Clarke Co AL

    6. Thomas Lewis

• Born c. 1786 Spotsylvania Co VA

• Migrated before 1811 to Putnam Co GA

• Married 1811 in Putnam Co GA to Julia Foster b. c. 1791

• 1813 Putnam Co GA Tax List: Thomas Lewis

• 1820 Morgan Co GA Census

• 1823 Morgan Co GA Tax List: Thomas Lewis

• Died in Morgan Co Georgia

Generation #6