Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 25

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795

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Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

James Lewis, son of Capt. James Lewis and his wife, Hannah Judson Lewis, m. December, 1730, Naomi Sherman, daughter of Nathaniel Sherman, son of Samuel the settler, and who, after death of James Lewis, became the widow of Timothy Sherman. She d. January 27, 1797. He was living April 4, 1763. James Lewis (2), d. before Aug. 8, 1764, and Naomi Sherman Lewis m. Timothy Sherman, of Old Mill Green, who d. Jan. 5, 1789. Timothy Sherman and Naomi Sherman Lewis Sherman are buried in the Episcopal cemetery. James Lewis and Na- omi, his wife, were Episcopalians.

Benjamin Lewis (1) was living in 1714, and is thought to have been living in 1718. In 1680 he bought of Nathaniel Foote his house and lot, represented in 1898 by the ground occupied by the Stratford Library building grounds, and it is thought by some that the land extended north to the highway directly south of the present Con- gregational church and west to the swamp.

[ One account says: Benjamin Lewis came to Stratford in 1667-68, and bought of Nathaniel Foote what is now (in 1898) the Sterling prop- erty, but which did not extend south of the Con- gregational cemetery roadway. He was in Wall- ingford in 1669-1675, and was in Stratford in

1677, and in 1710 sold his Stratford house and land to the Congregational Society for Rev. Tim- othy Cutler. ]

Children of Benjamin Lewis, the settler at Stratford, Conn., and Hannah Curtis, his wife (b. February 16, 1654, d. October 21, 1728); John b. September, 1672, in Wallingford, Conn .; Mary, b. November, 1674, in Wallingford, Conn., mar- ried in 1679 Samuel, grandson of Thomas Fair- child, the settler; Capt. James, b. 1677, in Strat- ford; Edmund, b. 1679, d. 1757, aged seventy- eight years; Joseph, b. 1683, m. Phebe Judson, daughter of Capt. James Judson (d. 1757-8); Hannah, b. 1685, m. Joseph Jones, 1705; Mar- tha, b. 1691, m. James Judson, son of Capt. James Judson; and Benjamin, b. 1696, m. Sarah DeForest.

Capt. James Lewis, son of Benjamin, the set- tler, m. November 11, 1702, Hannah, daughter of Capt. James Judson and his wife, Rebecca Welles, daughter of Thomas Welles (2), and wid- ow Hannah Pantry, who was daughter of William Tuttle and wife Elizabeth, (first) settlers at New Haven, Conn., in 1639. Thomas Welles (2) was son of Governor Thomas Welles, of Hart- ford and Wethersfield, Conn. Capt. James Lewis d. January 20, 1766; his wife Hannah (Judson) d. July 2, 1756, and they are buried in the Episcopal cemetery at Stratford. ["In the Congregational cemetery at Stratford is a grave- stone on which is inscribed: 'Here Lyes the Body of Capt. James Judson, Esq.' (the father of Capt. James Lewis' wife")-Mrs. Helen Perry Maxwell, in "Lewisiana."]

The children of Capt. James Lewis and Han- nah Judson, his wife, were: John, b. Dec. 20, 1703, m. Sarah Sherman; Mary, b. May 18, 1706, m. Rev. John Goodsell; James, b. Oct. 12, 1708, m. Naomi Sherman; David, a gradu- ate of Yale College, b. June 5, 1711, m. Phebe Curtis, 1734; Ephraim, b. 1718, m. Sarah Ever- ett (lived in Huntington); Abigail, b. 1722, m. Nehemiah Beardsley.

James Lewis (2) m. Naomi Sherman Decem- ber, 1730. He died before August 8, 1764, but was living April 4. 1763. Naomi d. Jan, 27, 1797. Their children were: Rachel, b. March, 1732-3, m. Nathaniel Wheeler in 1755; George (a shoemaker and a high Whig), b. March, 1734- 5, m., 1758, Mary, daughter of Elnathan Wheel- er; James, b. 1740, m. Sarah Lewis, daughter of Rev. Thomas Lewis and Joanna, daughter of David Booth, of White Plains, Trumbull; Eli (a cabinet maker). b. Jan. 19, 1738, d. Dec. 24, 1818, m. Naomi Walker, daughter of James Walker and Jerusha (Nichols) Dec. 6, 1764; Eliz- abeth, b. Aug., 1746, m. 1770 Benjamin Brooks;

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Abigail, b. Sept., 1754, m. Mr. Peet; James Lewis (3) m. about 1771-72, Sarah Lewis, daugh- ter of Rev. Thomas Lewis and Joanna (Booth); James (3), died Aug. 13, 1779, and is buried in the Episcopal cemetery; his wife Sarah died Dec. 15, 1844, and is buried in Union cemetery.

Eli Lewis (1) (above), son of James (2) and Naomi (Sherman) Lewis, had by his wife Naomi (Walker) the following children: Jerusha, b. Oct. 12, 1765, d. Nov. 10, 1796, m. John Booth, Jr. (their daughter, Lucy Booth, m. Ira Curtis, of Bridgeport Point, whose son, Lewis Curtis, resides in Bridgeport). Jeames Walker, b. Oct. 16, 1767, d. May 11, 1772. Hepzibah, b. May 22, 1772, m. Elam Wooster, of Huntington; she d. March 18, 1855. Eli Walker, b. Jan. 21, 1776, sketch of whom follows:

Eli Walker Lewis (above) m. Rebecca Curtis Dec. 24, 1801. She was b. Aug. 7, 1771, a daughter of Silas Curtis and Hannah (Birdseye). A brief record of their children is as follows : Jerusha, b. Nov. 22, 1802. m. Levi Curtis, Jr .; Mary Eliza, b. Dec. 3, 1803, m. Jesup Banks ; Eli, b. Jan. 19, 1806, is spoken of more fully farther on ; and Harriet, b. May 20, 1809, d. Dec. 29, 1853. The mother of these died Jan. 30, 1823, the father on Nov. 20, 1858. He was a farmer and school teacher : was selectman 1824 to 1831 ; representative 1842-1843 ; warden of Episcopal Church for more than forty years. The following copy of resolution speaks for itself :

STRATFORD, April, 1849.

Mr. Eli Walker Lewis : . Sir : At a meeting of the Ward- ens and Vestry of Christ Church, Stratford, held at the house of Samuel C. Nicoll on Monday evening April 16, 1849, the following vote was passed unanimously : Voted, That the thanks of the Wardens and Vestry of this Church be given to Mr. Eli Walker Lewis for his devoted and faith- ful services, as Warden of said Church for more than forty years, and the assurance that in his retirement from said office he carries with him the best wishes of the Society for his temporal and eternal welfare.

(Signed) On behalf of the Wardens and Vestry, CLAUDIUS B. CURTIS, Clerk of the Episcopal Society, Stratford.

Silas Curtis, of Oronoque, Stratford (bapt. June 14, 1743), m. Hannah Birdseye, February 17, 1765 ; she was born Dec. 15, 1746, a daughter of Rev. Nathan and Dorothy (Hawley) Birdseye. Rev. Nathan Birdseye, b. Aug. 8 (Lords Day at noon, and one week after Queen Anne's decease), 1714 (son of Joseph Birdseye and Sarah Thompson). m. April 17, 1739, Doro- thy, daughter of Rev. Thomas Hawley, first min- ister of Ridgefield, Conn. Dorothy Hawley was b. February 27, 1719-20 ; he d. Jan. 28, 1818, aged 103 yrs. 5 mo., 9 days.

Rev. Thomas Hawley (Ridgefield), m. Abigail (Madam Hawley, as she was called), b. 1687,

daughter of Deputy Governor Nathan Gold, of Fairfield, Conn., and Hannah Talcott, daughter of Lieut-Col. John Talcott, of Hartford, Conn. She died April 17, 1749, aged sixty-four years.

Deputy Governor Nathan Gold, of Fairfield, Conn., son of Major Nathan Gold and Martha, widow of Edward Harvey, m. December 8, 1663, Hannah, daughter of Lieut-Col. John Talcott, of Hartford, Conn., and Helena, daughter of John Wakeman, first treasurer of the New Ha- ven Colony.

Lieut .- Col. John Talcott, of Hartford, Conn., son of John and Dorothy (Mott) Talcott, m. Helena Wakeman, daughter of John Wakeman, of New Haven, and Elizabeth Hopkins. John Wakeman, b. 1601, m. in Worcester, England, in 1629, Elizabeth Hopkins.

John Wakeman, first treasurer of New Haven Colony, was son of Francis Wakeman, of Here- ford, England, who m. Anne Goode, in 1589. Francis Wakeman d. September, 1626. Anne, his wife, died January, 1621.

Major Nathan Gold, came from St. Edmons- bury, England, to Fairfield. Conn., and was an early settler there 1644-49; he m. Martha, widow of Edward Harvey; he died March 4, 1693-4.

Rev. Nathan Birdseye, Oronoque, Stratford, was a son of Joseph Birdseye (who was b. Feb. 22, 1681-2, d. June 25, 1757); he m. Sarah, daughter of Ambrose Thompson and Sarah, daughter of John Welles (1) and Elizabeth Bourne. Joseph Birdseye was son of John Birds- eye, Jr., and Phebe, daughter of William Wil- coxson; he m. June 10, 1708, Sarah, daughter of Ambrose Thompson; she d. May 3, 1726; he d. June 25, 1757. John Birdseye, Jr., m. Dec. 11, 1669, Phebe, daughter of William Wilcoxson, b. about 1650; he d. 1697, aged fifty-five years; she died September 20, 1743, aged ninety-two years. Deacon John Birdseye (1) came to America in 1636, came to Wethersfield, Conn., where he m. Phillipa, daughter of Rev. Henry Smith. He came to Stratford about 1649 and d. April 4, 1690.

Rev. Thomas Hawley, of Ridgefield, who m. Abigail Gold, was son of Lieut. Joseph Hawley, of Northampton, Mass. Rev. Thomas Hawley was first minister of Ridgefield, and town clerk; was son of Lieut. Joseph Hawley, of Northamp- ton, Mass., teacher, preacher and "trader," b. 1654, m. Lydia (b. Feb. 13, 1656), of Windsor, Conn., daughter of Capt. Samuel and Mary (Wilton) Marshall. Lieut. Joseph Hawley was son of Thomas, the settler at Roxbury, Mass., and Mrs. Dorothy (Harbottle) Lamb. Lieut. Joseph Hawley (b. 1654) was son of Thornas Hawley, the settler at Roxbury, Mass., who m.

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(first) Emma, who d. Nov. 29, 1651, and m. (second) Mrs. Dorothy Harbottle, widow of Thomas Lamb; she died 1699; he d. April 21, 1676.

Eli Lewis, b. Jan. 19, 1738, son of James Lewis (2) and Naomi Sherman Lewis, m. Naomi (b. Feb. 13. 1744), daughter of James Walker and Jerusha Nichols, daughter of Richard Nich- ols, December 6, 1764.

James Walker, b. July, 1715, brother of the Hon. Robert Walker, and son of Deacon Robert Walker, m. Jan. 4, 1738-9, Jerusha, daughter of Richard and Comfort (Sherman) Nichols; she was b. March 27, 1717, and d. July 8, 1803; he d. June 9, 1796. James Walker was a justice of the peace many years. [Mr. Orcutt, the his- torian of Stratford, was positive that Comfort Sherman was a daughter of Theophilus Sherman; he said a deed owned by Nichols family proved it. ]

Comfort Sherman was a daughter of Theoph- ilus Sherman, who was a son of Samuel the set- tler and his wife Sarah (Mitchell), who was daughter of Matthew and Susan (Butterfield) Mitchell, the settler at Stratford.

Deacon Robert Walker, b. May, 1668, son of Joseph, m. Aug. 1, 1695, Ruth (b. Aug. 31, 1667, daughter of Deacon Timothy Wilcoxson and Jo- hannah, daughter of John Birdseye, Sr.); he died in 1743, his wife in 1769, aged ninety-five years.

Joseph Walker. b. in Boston, July, 1646 (son of Robert Walker, of Boston, Mass.), came to Stratford when a young man, and in 1667 m. Abigail, daughter of Rev. Peter Prudden, first minister of Milford, Conn .; he d. in November, 1687; she d. in 1717.

Robert Walker, said to be of Scottish descent, born in 1607, was a weaver from Manchester, Lancashire, England. He came to Boston, Mass., where he united as a member of the Church in 1632, and was one of the founders of the "Old South Church" in 1669. He died May 29, 1687; his widow, Sarah, died December 21, 1695.

Rev. Peter Prudden, first minister of Milford, Conn., married Joanna Boyce, of Edgeton, Yorkshire, England. They were married just before they left England. He was a Church of England clergyman, and preached in Hereford- shire, England. They came in the ship " Mar- tin," or "Hester," which sailed before April 30, 1637, and arrived in Boston June 26, 1637. He brought with him, to Milford, people from Weth- ersfield, Conn., who were from the County of Essex, England. Rev. Peter Prudden and Gov. Edward Hopkins came together to New Haven, Conn., and later Rev. Peter Prudden settled in

Milford, where he died in July. 1656. His widow, Mrs. Joanna Boyce Prudden, married (second) Capt. Thomas Willett, who was promi- nent in the Plymouth Colony, and after his death she married (third) Rev. John Bishop, another of the pulpit lights of Massachusetts and Con- necticut. Rev. Peter Prudden left a large estate for those times, appraised at nearly one thousand pounds, while there was a landed interest in England valued at thirteen hundred pounds.

Jerusha Nichols, daughter of Richard and Comfort (Sherman) Nichols, married James Walker January 4, 1738-9. Richard Nichols, born November 26, 1678, son of Isaac Nichols (second) and his wife (supposed to have been) Mary (Beach) Nichols, married June 3, 1702, Comfort Sherman, daughter of Theophilus Sher- man. Isaac Nichols (second), born March 12, 1654, married (probably) Mary Beach (born September, 1656, married 1675); Mary Beach was (probably) daughter of John Beach, the settler.

Isaac Nichols (1) b. in England, m. Margery Washborne, and died in 1695. Isaac Nichols (1) was son of Sergeant Francis Nichols, one of the first settlers in Stratford in 1639. He m. his wife in England, and is supposed to have been an older brother of Sr. Richard Nicoll, first Governor of New York.

Silas Curtis, who m. Hannah, daughter of Rev. Nathan Birdseye, was son of Stiles Curtis (b. March 18, 1708) and his wife Rebecca Jud- son (b. 1710), daughter of Capt. Joseph Judson and Hannah (Hawley) (b. October 13, 1689, daughter of Capt. John Hawley and his wife De- borah Pierson, who were married April 23, 1686).

Capt. Stiles Curtis (b. March 18, 1708) was son of Ephraim Curtis, who was b. December 31, 1684, m. June 26, 1707, Elizabeth Stiles (b. February 18, 1687, m. November 7, 1730).

Sarah Lewis, who m. James Lewis (3) (b 1740), was b. 1750, and m. about 1771-2. She was b. in Bethlehem, N. J., daughter of Rev. Thomas Lewis and Joanna (Booth). Rev. Tho- mas Lewis, a Congregational clergyman, b. in Waterbury, Conn. Aug. 6, 1716, graduated from Yale in February, 1741. He preached on Long Island, and in several towns in New Jersey, and died at Menaham, N. J., Aug. 20, 1777.

Rev. Thomas Lewis was son of Joseph Lewis (a cloth merchant of Waterbury, Conn.), who d. Nov. 29, 1749, leaving an estate inventoried at over 5,628 pounds.

Elizabeth Stiles was daughter of Ephraim Stiles (b. Aug., 1645) and Batshebah (Tomlin- son), who was daughter of Henry Tomlinson,

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the settler of Milford and Derby, Conn. Eph- raim Stiles was son of Francis Stiles (who was son of Thomas and Maria Stiles) b. in Milbroke, Bedfordshire, England; bapt. Aug. 1, 1602, Bed- fordshire, Eng. He emigrated to America and settled at Windsor, Conn., 1635. Some time previous to his coming to America he had been a master-carpenter and a citizen of London.

ELI LEWIS, son of Eli Walker and Rebecca (Curtis) Lewis, was born January 19, 1806, at the old home in Stratford, and throughout his life he was engaged in farming there. On De- cember 22, 1842, he married Miss Elizabeth Lewis, daughter of James Booth Lewis. She was born December 8, 1818, and died December 26, 1897; his own death occurred January 1, 1891. As a citizen he was highly esteemed. He and his wife attended the services of the Episco- pal Church. Their three daughters, Harriet Eliza, Lizzie Florence and Mary Louise, now occupy the old homestead, a fine estate, a por- tion of which came into the possession of the Lewis family as early as 1764.

Mrs. Elizabeth Lewis was a native of Strat- ford, and was a great-granddaughter of James Lewis, who married Naomi Sherman, from whom our subject also traced his descent. James Lewis (2), the grandfather of Mrs. Eliza- beth Lewis, married Sarah Lewis, daughter of Rev. Thomas Lewis, a Congregational minister in New Jersey, and granddaughter of Joseph Lewis, a wealthy resident of Waterbury, Conn. They had several children, of whom James Booth Lewis was the only one to live to matur- ity. He was born in Stratford in 1780, and died September 22, 1822; m. June 1, 1799, Mary Beardsley, born February 18, 1780, also a native of Stratford, and died March 25, 1857. They had a large family of children, of whom the eldest, Curtis, born July 11, 1800, died in Atlanta, Ga., June 19, 1882. His daughter Elizabeth married J. B. Sargent, of New Haven. His wife, Jane (Collier), of Georgia, died in 1861. (2) Sarah, born March 29, 1802, was married in 1826 to Isaac Brooks, and died Octo- ber 17, 1881. Her husband died November 3, 1888. (3) George, born November 23, 1803, married Delia Smith, of Milford, Conn., and died at Woodstock. N. Y., September 15, 1874; their son George is in Flushing, L. I. (4) James, born November 10, 1805, married Nancy M. Matthews, of New Haven, and died in Strat- ford October 3, 1871; one of their sons, James, lives at Jamaica, L. I. (5) Isaac, born August 26, 1807, died February 2, 1892, in New York City. He married Mary Wallace, of that city,

who died November 17, 1891. Their children: Mary Jane married Joseph W. Sanford, of Plain- field, N. J .; Sarah E. married Frederick Martin, of Crawford, N. J .; and Amelia married Albert Drake, of Westfield, N. J. (6) Mary Ann, born May 24, 1809, died July 17, 1887. She was mar- ried April 14, 1828, to Job Peck, who died Janu- ary 24, 1842. (7) Rebecca, born September 11, 1810, died August 14, 1890; she was married April 8, 1834, to Freeman Stagg, who died May 6. 1890. (8) Edward, born May 3, 1812, died December 12, 1889; he married Lucy M. French, of Huntington, who was born December 27, 1814. and is still living. (9) Elbert, born April 16, 1815, died in New York City, April 28, 1835, from smallpox. (10) Maria, born January 10, 1817, was married in the spring of 1843 to Simon Tomlinson, who was born April 11, 1820, and died February 11, 1891. (11) Elizabeth (Mrs. Eli Lewis) was the next in order of birth. (12) Henry, born April 17, 1820, died June 22, 1885; he married Caroline Coles, of Flushing, L. I., who died January 28, 1891. (13) Cath- erine, born April 17, 1822, married Nathan Cur- tis, and died July 22, 1889, at Kingston, N. Y .; for his second wife Nathan married, January 19, 1891, Maria Peck, daughter of Mary Ann Lewis (6), who m. Job Peck. Charles H. Peck, a suc- cessful lawyer and Judge of Probate for Strat- ford, is a grandson of Mrs. Mary Ann Lewis (6) Peck and her husband, Job Peck.

In the early part of the eighteenth century Mr. George Muirson, the Episcopal clergyman at Rye, in the Province of New York, escorted by his friend, Col. Caleb Heathcote, of the Manor of Scarsdale (who went fully armed, and had their saddlebags well filled with books which they scatered among friends of the Church of England in Connecticut), made several journeys to that State and preached in Stratford. This was the beginning of the Episcopal Church in this town which, from a few members who had belonged to the Church in England, in time in- creased to goodly numbers. Among those who early joined the Episcopal Church about 1741 was Capt. James Lewis, followed in succession by his descendants in the male line to the last Eli Lewis, who have all, according to their means, supported the Church. To be a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church (the Church of Eng- land in those times) meant hardship and per- secution from the Congregational Church (the Established Church of New England), of which the present generation have little idea. Magis- trates sometimes stood in the streets, and, in the name of the law, forbade the people to attend the

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services of the new denomination. Documen- tary History of the Protestant Epicopal Church of the United States of America states, that at various times " Episcopal families could obtain no employment, and consequently vacated the town." The Venerable Society in England for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, generously assisted the Church here in response to many and repeated petitions from Churchmen in great need of the Church and its services, who had for long periods felt the great depriva- tion of its benefits. Previous to the war of the Revolution the Church in Stratford had so many times received such substantial aid from the Mother country through the Society for the Pro- pagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts that the Church of England adherents, as a rule, felt deeply grateful for its fostering care and protec- tion, and when the British Colonies in America rebelled, Churchmen generally sympathized with the King. deeply appreciating the innumerable benefits received. Eli Lewis, born in 1738, with his brother James, was among those who having been brought up to attend the services of the Church were among those who remained faithful adherents to their King. They were peaceful citizens, not riotous, disapproving of war, but they lived up to their convictions, and their sympathies continued with the King, for whom on each Sabbath their prayers had as- cended to the thone of the King of Kings. James Lewis died during the Revolutionary war; during his last sickness he desired his brother Eli Lewis to watch nights with him, but when Eli, anxious for his recovery, attempted to visit and care for him, those in authority would not permit him to do so for fear of conspiracy against the Patriot cause. Stirring times were those! Neighbor arrayed against neighbor, brother against brother. A party of men were one night sent to arrest Eli, but his wife, Naomi (Walker ) Lewis, daughter of James Walker and niece of Hon. Robert Walker, put her head out of an upper window and so eloquently ex- pressed herself to her neighbors and former friends that they, with crestfallen mien, precipi- tately beat a retreat, never to return. Tradition says that in the latter part of the war Eli Lewis paid a substitute to fight in his stead for the Pa- triot cause. Eli Lewis (born 1806) was about one year old when, in 1807. the famous snow- storm arrived, which Peter Parley describes as "famous because there had never been such an one before, and there has never been such an one since." His father taught school in Oronoque that winter. going back and forth each day on horseback, but this night, and until the snow-

storm was over, was unable to reach home. His mother, with three little children and the daugh- ter of Mr. John Lewis, her neighbor, were snow- bound. When the storm abated a path was tunneled across the street for the young lady to return home. Such a storm was not remembered by the oldest inhabitant in this part of the world, until on March 12, 1888, the " Big Blizzard " ar- rived. Eli Lewis lived to see it, and hoped never to see another.

His early days were remote from our times: the hugh fireplace with immense sticks of wood, the wool and linen raised and spun on the farm, the horseback rides in his mother's arms on the pillion back of his father's saddle, and later, when eight years old, sent on horseback with a grist of rye or corn to the mill a mile and a half away. In course of time his father purchased a red lumber-box wagon and also a "one-hoss chaise." Lumber-box wagons were very scarce in those days, and were in great demand to bor- row for a funeral, which were lent in those prim- itive times as a neighborly kindness. The re- mains, at time of funerals, had previously been borne on men's shoulders. Mr. Lewis, when a young man, furnished his own horse in front of this wagon several times, and drove the remains of various neighbors to the burying place (this wagon on these occasions preceding the hearse of more modern times). This assistance given one's neighbors was voluntarily bestowed in the same spirit as one in these times might send flowers as an act of sympathy and helpfulness. About 1827 to 1830 the price of a day's labor for . a man and yoke of oxen for ploughing were sev- enty-five cents for the man, and the same price for the use of the oxen-the board of man and team not included. A Yankee shilling (sixteen and two-thirds cents) was the price for weaving a yard of linen. In those days of long ago Mr. Lewis, when young and strong, thought nothing of furnishing the timber from his own land and putting in small bridges on the highways, the cross-roads, when it was for the convenience of himself and the general public, without expect- ing or receiving compensation; he also in the same manner many times on the traveled high- ways, did labor much exceeding the amount of his tax. About 1848-49 he, with the gentlemen of the immediate neighborhood-the Wilcoxsons, Judsons, Lewises and Curtises-gave a day in a public-spirited manner, dug the elm tress, chiefly donated from Capt. Stiles Judson's land, planted them on Paridise Green for the enjoyment of their posterity and the world of fifty years later. On the site of his grandfather's house on the hill overlooking Long Island Sound, on June 11.

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1842, Mr. Lewis' own dwelling house was raised. an old-fashioned raising when the neighbors from quite a distance were invited to assist in raising the timbers cut on the farm; it was a very cold, chilly day; the men wore their overcoats and needed them, for it snowed that afternoon. The company, after the house-raising, went to his father's house for refreshments-cake, home- made cheese and cider-where they warmed and rubbed their chilled hands over the fire on the hearth. It was nothing uncommon to see a dozen Indians around this locality, peddling their baskets, afterward becoming happy from too copious use of fire-water, and, later, quarrel- some. The Pann tribe of Indians lived in the vicinity. Mr. Lewis was educated in the public and private schools of the town; in politics was a Whig, later a Republican; for a time he was a member of the vestry of Christ Church.

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut, Part 25

Author: H. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1795

Author: H. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1899
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1795