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Lewis Family of Warner Hall
 
   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 4.
   (Apr., 1901), pp. 259 - 265.
 
                             LEWIS FAMILY OF WARNER HALL*
 
                               (Continued from page 91.)
 
   It has been seen that there is nothing from the records to show the existence of any
"General Robert Lewis" as the propositus of the "Lewis family of Warner Hall".  The Robert
Lewis who lived in York County and owned land on Poropotank Creek had only two daughters,
Mary and Alice.  He was, doubtless, a kinsman of the Lewises of Warner Hall.  Major William
Lewis, who lived about the same time had a plantation in New Kent called "Chemokins", or
"Chemohocans", which afterwards was in possession of Col. John Lewis, of Warner Hall.  He
Was also a kinsman beyond reasonable question.
 
 
   Now there was a John Lewis who has better claims than either Robert or Major William
Lewis to be considered the propositus of the family of Warner Hall.  This was John Lewis,
Who patented 100 acres in Warwick County at the head of Deep Creek, and in 1653 patented
250 acres on a branch of Poropotank Creek, in Gloucester County, which branch was then
Called Lewis' Creek,
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   *This installment, as far as 24 Warner Lewis, is based entirely upon original evidence,
viz.: Land grants, Abingdon Parish Register, tombstones at Warner Hall, MSS. chancery suits,
and Hening's Statutes.  From 24 Warner Lewis the chief authority is The Marshall Family, by
William Paxton.  Where the matter varies, the new version is due to the superior authority
of the parish records and other documents.
 
Page 260.
 
But formerly Totopotomoy's Creek.  At the foot of the latter patent are given the names
of those on account of whose importation he was entitled to the land (i.e., 50 acres for
each), viz., John Lewis, probably himself; Lydia Lewis, probably his wife; William Lewis,
Edward Lewis and John Lewis, Jr. (probably his sons).  William Lewis may have been Major
William Lewis (eldest son) already mentioned, Edward Lewis, patented lands on the Rappa-
hannock and King and Queen, and "John Lewis, Jr.", had a grant in 1655 for 250 acres at the
main swamp of Poropotank Creek.  As "Mr. John Lewis", he patented April 22, 1668, 100
acres in New Kent, northeast side of Cainhow's Swamp, and in 1667, 2600 acres in New Kent
and Gloucester on both sides of the Poropotank Creek, "next below the plantation of said
John Lewis", 600 acres of which was granted to said John Lewis by patent dated November 23,
1663.  His residence in 1676 being near Major Thomas Pate's, where Bacon encamped, he
suffered severely from the depredations of his troops.  In 1680, he was captain of horse in
the militia of New Kent, and one of its justices.  New Kent then took in King and Queen
County as far down as Poropotank Creek.  In 1675 he was termed major (in the foot service)
and patented in New Kent 10,000 acres with Lieut. Col. John Smith, Capt. Philip Lightfoot,
Mr. Thomas Royston and Mr. John Buckner (General Court Records).
 
   According to the tombstone of his son Col. John Lewis (QUARTERLY, II. p. 227), he 
married Isabella -----, and had issue, John Lewis, of Warner Hall*.
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   *It is not known how many sons John Lewis and Isabella his wife had.  Another son may
have been Zachary Lewis, who patented land in King and Queen in 1694, and in King William
in 1703, and was ancestor of the Lewis family of Spotsylvania.  (Hayden's Virginia
Genealogies, p. 379.)  Edward Lewis, named above, may have left descendants.  In the Middle-
sex Parish Register are also these entries:  John Lewis, of New Kent county, and Eliza O.
Brissell, of this parish, were married 24 October, 1681.  Thomas, born July 26, 1691,
Eusebius, Mary, Elizabeth and Susan were children of this marriage.  In St. Peter's
Parish, New Kent county, "John Lewis, son of John Lewis, was baptized February 27, 1686-7;"
David, baptized 1695; Abraham, baptized 1698, and William, baptized 1701 - all sons of
John Lewis.  There was in New Kent a Nicholas Lewis, who had Mary, baptized Jan. 16, 
1708-9; Angelica, William, John, James, Forrester.  Then in New Kent, Elizabeth, wife of
Owen Lewis, died March 27, 1719; Elizabeth, daughter of Owen Lewis, born December 10, 1719,
died April 4, 1720.
 
Page 261.
 
   Accordingly 3 JOHN3 LEWIS, of Warner Hall, son of 2 Major John2 Lewis and Isabella his
wife, who was probably son of 1 John1 Lewis and Lydia his wife, who first settled on Poropo-
tank Creek in 1653, was born November 30, 1669, and departed this life November 14, 1725.
He married Elizabeth Warner, daughter of Col. Augustine Warner and Mildred Read his wife
(daughter of Col. George Read and Elizabeth Martin).  She was born at "Chesake" * November
24, 1672, and died at Warner Hall February 5, 1719-'20.  In 1715 Col. Lewis became a member
of the council.  His residence was at Warner Hall, which probably came to him from his wife.
(See Note I.)  They had fourteen children, of whom the following eight names are preserved
(Hening's Stats. and Abingdon Parish Register):  4 Catherine, baptized November, 1702; 5
Elizabeth, baptized November 26, 1702; 6 John4, born March 22, 1702; 7 Charles4, 8 Robert4,
baptized May 4, 1704; 9 Elizabeth, baptized May 7, 1706; 10 Isabella, baptized Dec. 18, 1707,
married Dr. Thomas Clayton on July 14, 1720, and had one child, Juliana, who died in infancy;
11 Anne, baptized February 14, 1712.
 
   6 JOHN4 LEWIS, son of Col. John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner, married Frances, daughter of
Henry Fielding, of King and Queen County (Note 2).  He was major in 1731, colonel in 1734,
And member of the council in 1751 and during other years, and had issue, 12 Warner5, born
October 10, 1720; 13 -----, son, baptized September 15, 1723; 14 Fielding, born July 7, 1725;
15 Mildred, born December 12, 1726, died July 5, 1729; 16 John, born November 20, 1728;
17 Charles, born February 25, 1729-'30; 18 Frances.  "Mrs. Frances, the wife of Major John
Lewis died October 27, 1731."  Colonel John Lewis married, second, Priscilla Churchill,
widow of Robert Carter, of Nominy, and daughter of Col. William Churchill.  He died January
17, 1754.
 
   12 COL. WARNER5 LEWIS, son of 6 Col. John4 Lewis, lived at
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   *After the Chiskiack Indians were driven from the ancient site on the York River above
Yorktown, the remnants of the tribe settled on the Pianketank, in Gloucestery County.  
Augustine Warner received a patent here for land.  Hence the name "Chesake" for Chescake,
Chiskiack, etc.
 
Page 262.
 
Warner Hall and married Eleanor Bowles, daughter of James Bowles, Esq., of Maryland (Note 3),
and widow of Col. William Gooch, son of Governor William Gooch.  Issue:  19 Warner6, born
1747, died December 30, 1791; 20 Francis, born May 16, 1749; 21 Rebecca, born August 2, 1750,
died infant; 23 Fielding; 23 John, born November 28, 1754; 24 Addiso6 ("Hattison" in Abingdon
Parish Register), born February 5, 1756; 25 Thomas6, born November 12, 1760, married Ann
Harwood, daughter of Major Samuel Harwood, of Weyanoke; 26 James, who married Miss Thornton
and had (1) Eleanor Lewis, (2) Sarah, married Dr. Samuel Stewart Griffin.
 
   19 WARNER6 LEWIS, Esq., son of 12 Col. Warner Lewis, married, first, Mary Chiswell (died
November 1, 1726), daughter of John Chiswell, of Williamsburg (Note 4), and Elizabeth Ran-
dolph, of Turkey Island, and had issue, 27 Warner7, 28 John, married Anne Chiswell Griffin,
only daughter and heir of William Griffin, brother of Judge Cyrus Griffin (Chancery Papers,
in Williamsburg); 29 Elizabeth, 30 Eleanor, married, first, Fox; second, Oliver.  He married,
second, Mary Fleming, daughter of John Fleming and had issue, 31 Caroline, born June 28,
1783, died April 6, 1811, married Charles Barrett, Esq.; 32 Julia.
 
   27 WARNER LEWIS7, son of Warner6 Lewis and Mary Chiswell, married Courtenay Norton, daughter
of John Hatley Norton and Sally Nicholson, and had issue 33 Mary Chiswell Lewis, who married
John Peyton, son of Sir John Peyton, and had Rebecca C. Peyton, who married Edward C. 
Marshall.  34 Elizabeth, who married Matthew Brooke, and had (1) Elizabeth, who married H. M.
Marshall, (2) Courtenay W. Brooke, who married Robert Colgate Selden (Selden Pedigree,
QUARTERLY, V., 266), (3) Mary L. Brooke, who married Dr. S. P. Byrd, (4) John L. Brooke, who
married M. L. Ashby.
 
   23 FIELDING6 LEWIS, son of Col. Warner5 Lewis, and Eleanor Bowles, married Agnes Harwood,
sister of Anne Harwood above, and daughter of Major Samuel Harwood, of Weyanoke, and Margaret
Woddrop, daughter of John Woddrop, merchant of Nansemond County.  Issue, 35 Nancy, 36 Fannie
F., who married Archibald Taylor, 37 Margaret Lewis, married Thomas Marshall, 38 Eleanor
Lewis, married Robert Douthat, and had (1) Robert, married Mary A. Marshall, (2) Jane
Douthat, married dr. Sel-
 
Page 263.
 
den, (3) Agnes, married Robert L. McGuire, (4) Fielding L. Douthat, married Mary Willis
Marshall.
 
   24 ADDISON6 LEWIS, son of Col. Warner5 Lewis, married Susan Fleming, sister of Mary
Fleming above; was captain of the First Continental Dragoons in the war of the Revolution.
He had issue, 39 Susan Lewis, married William Byrd, son of Col. William Byrd, who had (1)
Addison, married Sue Coke, (2) Mary W. Byrd, married Richard C. Coke (who had Rebecca F.
Coke, married F. L. Marshall), (3) Jane O. Byrd, married G. W. McCandlish, (4) Samuel P. 
Byrd, married Catherine C. Corbin, (5) John Lewis, (6) Rebecca, married Dr. Robert Lewis;
no issue.  (7) Thomas Lewis.
 
   PLATE - I have seen pieces of Lewis plate in the possession of Mrs. Courtenay Selden and 
Judge Fielding Lewis Taylor, son of Archibald Taylor, and 34 Fannie Lewis.  The tinctures are
represented, but not, perhaps, always correctly.  Thus the plate represents, 1 Lewis: Ar. a
dragon's head and neck, erased vert., holding in the mouth a bloody hand.  2 Howell: Gu three
towers, triple towered ar.  3, Ar three chevonels.  4, Ar three torteaus.  5, Fielding: Ar in
chief az three lozenges or.  6, Warner: Or a cross engrailed vert, but it should be vert, a
cross engrailed or.  7, Bowles: In the centre is placed, by way of pretense, Az. three
standing bowls ar, out of each a boar's head or.  The crest on the silver is Ar a dragon's
head and neck, erased vert, holding in the mouth a bloody hand for Lewis.
 
   The motto is Omne solum forti patria est - Every land is a brave man's country.
 
   Mr. Brock, in the Richmond Standard (1881) describes a copy of an emblazoning or parchment
 
received from Warner Lewis Baylor, Esq., of Petersburg, which had been at Warner Hall.  His
description gives about the same charges.
 
   Mr. Conway, in his Barons of the Potomac, gives a Lewis emblazoning of thirteen shields, 
but I have not been able to ascertain its authenticity.  He explains the fourth charge as
standing for Courtenay Ar three torteaus, but it should be Or three torteaus.  Moreover, the
Courtenay marriage did not enter into the Lewis pedigree through the Nortons till the present
century.