History of the Lewises of Rockcastle and Clay Counties, Kentucky
Thomas Lewis was born January 5, 1629/30 in East Greenwich, Kent County, England. He immigrated to America with his parents and older brother John. He married Mary Davis b. 1631 in Horsemonden, Kent County, England. He died April 26, 1709 in Bristol, Bristol County, Rhode Island and is buried in Falmouth, Massachusetts. His wife died November 18, 1687 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Their son Thomas is the next in our line of Lewises he was born July 15, 1656 in Barnstable, Massachusetts and died March 19, 1717/18 in Middletown, CT. He married Sarah Bassett born about 1662 in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony. She also died in Middletown, CT. The next in our line is Thomas Lewis born August 1698 in Colchester, New London County, CT and died before November 16, 1743 in Middletown, CT. He married Mary Rowley born about 1700 in East Hadden or Colchester, CT and she died after 1743. The next in our line is another Thomas Lewis born October 14, 1726 in Colchester, New London County, CT and died May 11, 1803 in Christian, Montgomery County, Virginia. He married Mary Tompson and had one son Thomas Lewis born 1759. Mary died and he married Elizabeth.
The following is from the book Pioneer Lewis Families by Michael L. Cook page 1746, and 1747.
“Group 331-Thomas Lewis of Montgomery County, Virginia
331L100-Thomas Lewis
b. prior to 1734, possibly in Connecticut, d. May 3 (or May 11), 1803, Montgomery County, Virginia. Will probated there, Book 1. p. 177. His first wife was Mary, his second wife was Elizabeth, who d. after 1807. Family moved from Connecticut apparently to Dutchess County, New York where they appear on 1790 Census. By 1794 were in Montgomery County, Virginia where Thomas died. Deed Book D, p. 293, Indenture, 1804, Elizabeth Lewis, relick of Thomas Lewis, dec’d, and John Clifton and Polly, formerly Polly Lewis, James Boucher and Abigail Boucher, formerly Abigail Lewis, David Lewis and Matilda his wife, Jesse Edwards and Sally Edwards, formerly Sally Lewis, all of Montgomery County, Virginia, and Messenger Lewis and Freelove, his wife, Edward Lewis, and Polly his wife, James Johnson and Elizabeth Johnson formerly Elizabeth Lewis, James Lewis and Levinia his wife, all of the State of Kentucky, all heirs and devisees of Thomas Lewis, dec’d, of the one part, and James Kirby of Montgomery County, Virginia, of the other=Thomas Lewis (husband and father, deceased) had sold 150 acres for $500 to James Kirby, land in Montgomery County, Virginia, on the waters of Watson Creek, waters of North Fork of the Roanoke..and (then all of the heirs listed again) all signed except for Edward, wife Polly, the Johnsons, and Messenger’s wife, Freelove.
A Thomas Lewis received two land grants, #4190 and #4191 for service as three years as lieutenant in the Virginia State Line. Also a land grant of 395 acres to Thomas Lewis located near Brush Creek, Green County, Kentucky. The military grants are dated July 28, 1786 and issued to Thomas Lewis, Dinwiddie, Petersburg, Chesterfield, Virginia. This may not pertain to this Thomas Lewis. The one in Green County is dated February 8, 1789. I this grant Edward Lewis is named as heir at law.
The following is from the book “History of Rockcastle County Rockcastle Recollections”by John Lair
“After an intensive search through available files the conclusion appears obvious that the Lewis Family were settled in what is now Rockcastle County at the earliest definitely known date of any on record. According to Volume 3 of Kentucky History by Connelly and Coulter, David Lewis in 1787, settled with his family about two miles west of present Mt. Vernon, Kentucky where he spent the remainder of his days.
He was born in Petersburg, Virginia, of Welsh descent, and his wife, the former Matilda Napp, was a native of Wales. His son David N. Lewis, was born in Rockcastle County in 1819. He inherited part of the old homeplace where he was born and added to it, from time to time, until he had a considerable estate at the time of his death in 1896. His wife was Martha Ann Stewart, born in Madison County in 1828 and surviving him until 1906. They were the parents of the following: Elizabeth who married W. B. Whitehead; Charles who died at age of four; Sarah, who died at the age of three; Martha who married attorney L. B. Carter, Alice J. who married William McLaughlin and went to Albany, Oregon; Lucy Ann, who married J. J. McCall; Benjamin F. who became a prosperous farmer in Defiance, Iowa; Allen B. who stayed on the homeplace and operated it for many years; Roy S. owner of two extensive ranches at Glade Park, Colorado; William H. a railroad foreman at Rose Hill in Kenton County; Samuel D. who spent much of his early manhood on various jobs in the West and was present at Ft. Keough, Montana, when Sitting Bull was killed there resisting arrest, came back to Rockcastle County, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1898. In the meantime, he had served the term as Circuit Court Clerk. In 1902 he was elected County Judge and was elected to the first of three terms as County Attorney. He was always prominent in county affairs and during the Spanish-American War served as First Lieutenant of Company G. 4th Regiment of Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, a company largely made up of residents of Rockcastle County. He was one of the organizers and principle stockholders in Peoples Bank of Mt. Vernon. In 1909 he was married to Miss Mary Webber. Their only son, David W. died in infancy
James William Lewis, born 1775 and probably a brother to David Lewis, also came to Rockcastle County at an unknown date.”
The following people are buried in the Lewis Cemetery on the old homeplace on old highway 461 west of Mt. Vernon, Kentucky:
J.L.H. 4 Aug 1833-30 Aug 1907
Mary E. Henderson
12 Feb 1832-8 Aug 1851
Lucinda Henderson
27 Jan 1828-20 Aug 1851
W.L. Henderson (Mason)
12 Dec. 1830/34-1 Mar 1909
Susan G. (Brown) Henderson
12 Apr 1834-16 Mar 1909
Martha A. (Stewart) Lewis
1 Jan 1828-13 Apr 1907
David N. Lewis
24 Feb 1819-16 Oct 1895
Mattie L. Carter
13 Feb 1855-24 June 1898
Jack Carter
23 Mar 1881-9 Jul 1882
In the older part of the Cemetery about 300 feet west and up the hill are buried D. L. who is David Lewis b. 02 Aug 1779 d. 17 May 1879 and Mattie Knapp Lewis b. 22 Oct 1784 d 20 Jan 1860 and Sarah Ellen Lewis b 23 Jan 1853 d 22 Oct 1859
There are records of Allen B. Lewis taking out a homestead in Colorado recorded at the Land Office in Montrose Colorado signed by President Woodrow Wilson April 13, 1914. Roy S. Lewis recorded his homestead November 30, 1920 for 160 acres at the Montrose, Colorado Land Office.
Benjamin Franklin “Frank” Lewis had a biography written about him in the book “Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa pages 1482-84 written in 1915
“Frank Lewis, one of the good farmers of this county, and a man who has good soil, was born August 10, 1863, in Kentucky. His parents, David and Martha (Stewart) Lewis, were both natives of the same state. David Lewis worked upon his father’s farm after leaving school until he was 18 years of age, and then found work on the flatboats running from Cincinnati to New Orleans. He remained with the flat-boating business for three years and then returned to his father’s farm in Kentucky and remained with him until his marriage, after which he rented land for two or three years, when he purchased the old home place of 365 acres and remained on this tract until his death, which occurred in 1895, his widow passing away in 1903. David Lewis and wife were the parents of nine children:Betty, Mattie, Alice, Lucy, Frank, Samuel, Allen, Roy and William. All of these children are still living except Mattie.
Frank Lewis received his education in the schools of Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, and after leaving the school assisted his father on the home farm until he was 21 years of age, when he went to Illinois, where he worked for a year upon the farms of that state, and I n 1886, at the age of 23, came to Iowa and settled in Shelby County, near Harlan, on a farm. He worked by the month for the first three years after he came to this county, and then bought a team and rented 240 acres of land and began farming for himself. He was not married and for the next six years lived by himself upon a farm, but after his marriage he rented another farm southeast of Harlan for two years. During all this time, he was saving his money with the intention of purchasing the present farm of 160 acres on which he lives. Since buying this farm, he has built large and commodious barns, hay sheds and other outbuildings, and made the farm one of the best improved in the township. He raises a large amount of hogs and cattle each year and finds ready sale for his stock and good price.
Mr. Lewis married to Settie Wyland, the daughter of Solomon and Catherine Wyland, and to this union seven children were born: Blanch, Ralph, Ray, Gladys, Dale, Morris and Gerald. All of these children are unmarried and living with their parents. Mrs. Lewis’ parents were natives of Indiana and Ohio, respectively, and came to Iowa early in the history of the state and located in this county and have lived here since 1885. They are still in good health. They reared five children: Anna, Oscar, Ray, Ada and Settie Wyland.
Mr. Lewis is a Republican and has always been interested in local politics. He has been a member of the school board of his township for many years and in that capacity has favored all measures which he felt would benefit the schools in any way. He is a member of the Ancient Free and accepted Masons at Defiance. Mr. Lewis is a man who has worked for all he has and deserved a great deal of credit for the success which has attended his efforts. He has a large circle of friends in this county who admire him for his neighborly qualities.”
Roy Stewart Lewis left home at the age of 13 and rode the trains to see the nation until he decided to settle down and homestead land in Colorado. He evidently also took up his brother Allen’s homestead and had two at one time. He married Mary Margaret Miracle Thompson a widow who had three children. Her husband Willie Thompson had died in the great flu epidemic in 1919 and she came out West with her parents and other brothers and sisters. Together her and Roy Stewart had four more children. Her children with Willie Thompson were: Locy, William Jeff, and Wesley. Their children together were: Martha Elizabeth, David Roy Stewart, Nettie Alice, and Frank Johnston Lewis.
Messenger Lewis son of Thomas Lewis and Elizabeth settled in Clay County, Kentucky. This biography was written about him in the book Clay County, Kentucky History and Families published by the Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky
Pages 274, 275.
“Messenger Lewis was a Revolutionary War soldier, b. August, 1762 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was the son of Thomas Lewis and Elizabeth?, she was probably a Messenger, second wife. Thomas was married to Mary and they had one son names Thomas Lewis and he as also a Revolutionary War soldier. Messenger joined the war stationed in and around NY, especially Fish Kill, NY. Messenger m. Freelove Shaw, she was named and heir to his estate in Fish Kill, NY.
By this time, Thomas Lewis had moved his family to NY. Thomas Sr. had previously served in the French and Indian War from Connecticut. By 1797, deeds show Thomas Lewis was in Montgomery Co., VA. Along was Messenger purchasing land near his father, Thomas. By 1803-1804, Messenger was in Lincoln Co., KY then to Clay Co. Thomas d. May 11, 1803 in VA. The will was probated in 1804, showing Messenger and three other heirs living in KY at that time.
Elizabeth gave her son, Edward his father’s Bible in 1807. Edward copied all names of his children and Messengers. In time, some of Edward’s descendants gave the Bible to the Library in No Man’s Land, Oklahoma. The Bible was stolen, but not before copies of the information was made.
Messenger was in Lincoln Co., KY before arriving in Clay Co., KY in 1833. By profession he was a surveyor. He surveyed many tracts of land in Clay Co., settling for a while on Red Bird near the mouth of Hector’s Creek.
He served as a Justice of the Peace in Clay Co. from about 1815 to November 1831. By studying the court records one can get a vision of what a tremendous job it was to put in order a county government, their duties were varied and many. Messenger was the justice who divided the schools into districts, declaring his interest in education. He left many descendants in Clay Co., to walk in his footsteps as judges, lawyers, teachers and other professions.
He was a great advocate of Women’s liberation, he had his wife, Freelove, to sign many of his business transactions. 1833-34, Messenger began selling off his land holdings. 1834, his son-in-law came from Sangamon Co., IL in a wagon to move Freelove and their orphaned foster children to IL. Messenger left for IL, March 1835, K. July 28, 1936. Freelove died Aug. 1, 1836. both are buried there. All of Messenger’s 10 children married in Clay Co., KY
Their youngest daughter Mary Ann, m. William Britton from Harlan, KY. Their youngest, Van m. Evaline Bowling d/o James and Martha Benge Bowling. Van’s oldest son Sidney Britton m. Polly Roberts. Sidney’s oldest daughter, Laura Britton, m. Ernest Brumley, Laura was born July 25, 1913. Laura was the Organizing Regent for the Lewis and Benge Chapter NSDAR, April 1988. Laura Brumley is the great great granddaughter of Messenger. Submitted by Lewis and Benge Chapter, NSDAR. Laura Brumley, Secretary.”
From a history by Laura Brumley a descendant:” Starting in 1831 there are six transactions, which make it clear that Messenger was trying to sell off his Clay County holdings.
Messenger wrote to his son-in-law, Abraham Martin to bring a wagon down and get him, Freelove and the three foster children: Freelove, Margaret, and Malovice. The children belonged to Sarah/Sally Lewis and her husband Joshua Foster, both were dead. Messenger’s account book shows he paid Abraham Martin to come to KY in Dec of 1834, and arrived back in Illinois in Jan of 1835. It says, To moving family from Kentucky, consisting of wife and 3 children-time spent for 8th of December to 25 January. When he lay dying, he lamented to Abraham and his daughter Malinda, “My property is in your hands and I wish you to dispose of it as you think proper.” Messenger purchased 40 acres in Cooper Twp. Sangamon Co., Illinois. He paid fifty dollars for the land. He and Freelove were buried in the Old Martin Cemetery just southwest of where his land was located.”
