The following is a brief history of the Lewis Clan as reported by Shelton K. Lewis after a family reunion in 1981. The history is presented as originally written.
STATEMENT of OPINION on the LEWIS FAMILY ORIGIN
The origin of the Lewises is established. I realize the Lord created all of us, but the Lewis race or specie, if you prefer, came from or started in the country of France.
Three Lewis brothers left France after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes [Louis XIV, 1685]. Their names were William, Samuel, and John. William went to Ireland and married a lady by the name of Miss McClelland. Samuel remained in Wales. John came on to the new country of America.
General Robert and John Lewis were the sons of Samuel Lewis. They both came to America about the year 1700. (Remember! So you won't be confused, this isn't the brother John, of William and Samuel, but the nephew of them.)
William, the Lewis who emigrated to Ireland, had a son Andrew. He married a local lass by the name of Mary Calhoun and their son, John Lewis, was later called Pioneer John.
In a affray in Dublin, with an oppressive landlord and his retainers, John seeing his brother, an officer in the King's army slain before his eyes, slew one or more of his assailants. John escaped and took refuge in Portugal. He later came on to what is now the state of Virginia. His family consisted of a wife, the former Margret Lynn, daughter of the Laird of Loch Lynn of Scotland, four sons, Thomas, William, Andrew, and Charles, and one daughter. I don't know why they didn't name the daughter. There also was maybe a son born in this country by the name of Samuel. (This isn't clear.)
Pioneer John was born in 1678. He settled in Augusta County, Virginia near where the town of Stounton now stands and died in 1762.
His son Andrew became a Brigadier-General. His grandson, Charles, the son of Andrew, became a colonel. They fought the battle of Point Pleasant where Charles was killed.
Andrew was born in 1720 in Donegal County, Ireland, and married Elizabeth Givens in 1749. He took sick on the way back from a battle and died in Bedford County, Virginia in 1781 with a commendation from George Washington as being the best military man in the country at this time.
For information on the Robert Lewis line, see the Richmond Standard dated Feb. 5, 1881. His grandson, Col. Fielding Lewis married Catherine Washington. His second wife was Bettie Washington. Among the descendants to be mentioned are Major Lawerence Lewis, son of Col. Fielding Lewis, private secretary to George Washington, (First President of America.)
Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition (La. Purchase Adventure), was the son of William Lewis of Albemarle County, Va.
James Lewis, grandfather of James H. Lewis, was also 'own' cousin to Meriwether Lewis. This James Lewis married Daniel Boone's sister. He left N.C. with Boone heading for Kentucky. He was later killed in Kentucky. He had a sixth son by the name of Gideon. This Gideon is a cousin to the Meriwether Lewis line.
Now! These are facts in the preceding paragraphs. We aren't sure about the link connecting the present Lewises here. Either we have a wrong name with Isaac as the tree trunk, or we can't seem to pin point the link. We have reason to believe that this same son of James Lewis is the same Gideon that came into Wilkes County, N.C.
We thank Dan Lewis for the information and help in supplying the above facts. Any fiction or conjecture is on my part.
Yours truly, Shelton K. Lewis, President - Lewis Reunion 1981
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The following is historical information concerning Colonel Gideon Lewis taken from the personal notes of Birtha Lewis Mahala.
INFORMATION on COLONEL GIDEON LEWIS
The reason he was known as Colonel Gideon was because he was captain of an army in the war of 1812. He was probably born around the year 1765. He trained an army of soldiers in the river bottom near Cleve Johnsons, and started to New Orleans to fight the British when he heard the war had closed, and he returned.
Col. Gideon Lewis was married twice. He was the father of sixteen children, twelve boys and four girls. The boys names were: Gideon, William (Billy), James, Jackson, Wilburn, Soloman, Isaac, John, Jess, Nathan, Lawson & George.
Col. Gideon Lewis died where Ham Lewis now lives and is buried in the over grown cemetery on the Johnson farm. He died June 16, 1842.
Col. Gideon's bother, Isaac, had a son Gideon. This Gideon was the father of Rock Creek Jake, Frank, Robert, Leander and Henderson Lewis.
No Fingered Jake Lewis was a brother to Rock Creek Gideon. His sons were Enoch, David, Marion, Elbert, Preston, John, Isaac and Frank. His daughters were Mary, Dicie, and Laura.
This is a brief history of Gideon Lewis as taken from the personal notes of Bertha Lewis Mahala.
Sometime about the beginning of the eighteenth century, a Lewis man came across the Blue Ridge Mountains into Ashe County. It is known that he brought four sons to settle this country. They were the first white men to settle in this part of the country. They settled most all the upper part of Ashe County. It is said there couldn't be an old land grant found, but what had Colonel Lewis' name on it. He helped survey the state line between NC and TN.
The names of these four Lewis brothers were Col. Gideon, Isaac, Nathan, and Hiram. Nathan died June 8, 1830.
Colonel Gideon learned to understand the Indians and made contracts with them about their furs.
He owned all the Sutherland land, and from where Dr. Robinson lived to above Ham Lewis' place.
He was a great man both in principal and in strength. He was also a great hunter.
Hiram Lewis (a brother to Col. Gideon) lived where E. L. Stuart now (1966) lives. Nathan Lewis, (one of Col. Gideon's sons) lived where Roby Tilley now lives. His wife was Hannah Reece. He was the father of eight children, five boys and three girls. The boys names were Calvin, Bill, Jacob, Jackson, and Wiley. Two girls died in the time of war. Elizabeth lived at the old Nathan home place.
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The following provides historical information about the origin of the Lewis family reunions
HISTORICAL STATEMENT on the LEWIS REUNION
The late Ethel Lewis, wife of Frank Lewis, deceased, is due the credit for the original suggestion for an annual "Lewis Reunion" to be held at Ashland, NC. In collaboration with Bertha Lewis Mahala and her brothers Everett and Eugene plans were sketched in August 1941 for such a reunion. However, due to the illness of Harvey Lewis, father of Bertha, Everett and Eugene, plans were postponed, and not until after the death of the latters' father in September 1941 were the plans completed.
The first reunion was held in October of that year in historic Three Forks Baptist Church, Ashland, NC, with the Rev. Roy Jones preaching. Subsequent reunions were held annually until the out-break of World War II when they were suspended.
The organization has been under the leadership of a number of presidents, namely: Verner Lewis, Squire Graybeal, Millard Lewis, Clarence Lewis and Dan Lewis, serving for varying periods of time. The current president is Carson Lewis, son of Ethel and Frank Lewis, elected 1965.
In addition to the Rev. Roy Jones who gave the first message (1941) the following have been the stated speakers on the annual occasion: Squire Graybeal, Emory Lewis, Verner Lewis, Paul Lewis, Harold Eastridge, Dan Lewis, Warner Lewis, and Lester Brown.
Under the presidency of Verner Lewis in 1957 a granite monument was erected and paid for to the memory of Col. Gideon Lewis, pioneer and early white settler of Ashe County. (As a matter of record he is credited with having signed all the original land grants of the territory that now comprises Watauga, Wilkes and Ashe counties. His activity and part in the war crises of that period won for him the rank of Colonel.)
The project of securing and erecting the monument was financed by donations from friends and relative: and under the leadership of a committee consisting of Dan Mullis, Millard Lewis, Ed Mahala, Everett Lewis, Clyde Lewis, Carroll Nelson, and Carol Hartsoe the shaft was erected that year at the grave of the early settler, long deceased, on a hillside overlooking the valley where he had trained army recruits for the American Revolution. The message at the unveiling was delivered by Warner Lewis on the subject: "The Debt We Owe Our Forefathers." The text was Psalm 137:5, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem." Taps were blown by Carl Eastridge, thus concluding the reunion of that year.
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A key element of the Lewis family reunions was the development of a "Family Tree". The "Family Tree" was drafted and developed before the advent of computer technology. A composite drawing of the tree is provided below.
LEWIS FAMILY TREE DRAWING
One of the striking features of the annual gathering is the portrayal of a "Family Tree" drawn by Bertha Lewis Mahala and prominently displayed at each reunion. This has called for many hours of work and much research. The Family Tree is a high-light of each meeting. In addition to this valuable contribution Bertha has also served as secretary of the organization for years.
The above is reprinted from the 1966 Lewis Reunion program
Left-click the thumbnail below for a close-up view of the Family Tree. This is a large file so be patient. Feel free to scroll around the image using your browser's slide bars. You may also reposition the image by holding down the right mouse button in the clear area above the image and then dragging the image. Close the image by clicking the "X" in the upper right corner of the image, in the clear bar.
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