John was the older of two sons who came to Virginia in 1653 on the ship with their father John the Emigrant as well as with Major William and Lida Lewis.   He was born in Abergavenny, and baptized Dec 15, 1633 (Register of St Teilo church, Moses p.25)

He obtained his first land grant in 1655, after turning 21.  When Major William Lewis died, he willed the Chemokins estate to John.  John was a Vestryman of St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent County.

St Peter's Parish exterior, 2007

St. Peter's Parish Church from Balcony

He was also a Major in the New Kent County Militia (hence his identifier of Major John).  New Kent is the county and parish where Chemokins is located.

In one court record, Major John Lewis is mentioned as a surveyor. (Sorely, p27)

He married Isabella Miller, daughter of James Miller the Elder of York County, and they had two sons John and Edward.

Major John Lewis – Family notes:

Major John’s wife Isabella had a brother named James (the Younger), who died without heirs.  In his will, he left his entire estate to his sister, with reversion to her sons John and Edward.

Isabella’s gravestone is in the small cemetery where Emigrant John is also buried.  This would indicate she died before Major John, and he had her buried in his family cemetery and ordered a stone for her.  Major John’s tombstone has never been discovered, and the exact date of his death is unknown.  No probate of his will, if he had one, has been found.

Two people have contacted me saying Major John and Isabella had several other children (as many as 15 total in one case).  The records of St Peter’s Parish do not corroborate any more children than the two sons John and Edward.  To date I am unaware of any documentation to support the existence of other children, and there has been no DNA testing I am aware of of any direct male descendents of any of these other male children that would prove or disprove they were descended from the same male line as Emigrant John.  I have contacted one direct male descendent in hopes he will do the DNA testing.

John Lewis, son of Lewis ap Richard (Prichard, Prickett, Ryckett) and Catherine Morgan,  was born near Abergavenny.   He was baptized at St Telio’s Church Feb 22, 1591/2 in Llantilio Pertholy.

John married Johanne Lewis on Feb 3, 1610.  Johanne’s great-grandfather, Lewis ap John (Wallis) was the vicar of both Abergavenny and Llantilio Pertholy.  There is a Lewis Chapel in the church of Abergavenny in his honor.  Other ancestors of Johanne’s were Lords of the manor Triley on the slope of the Deri Mountain.  The Triley Chapel in the church of St Teilio is dedicated to them.  Their coat of arms are on the east window of the church of Llanddewi Rhydderch.  (GM p 13)

Johanne’s father Richard was Curate and Vicar of St Teilo’s Church, where John was baptized and their three children were also baptized.  It is most likely that John and Johanne met and grew up together in St Teilio’s church since it was the home church of both of their families.

John and Johane Lewis had three children baptized at Church of St Teilio.

1)      Gwenllian, Feb 5, 1611 (same name as John’s maternal grandmother)

2)      Lettus (Lettyce) March 1, 1615

3)      Watkin, January 1, 1621 (same name as John’s maternal grandfather)

Johanne is believed to have died sometime after Watkin was born, although there is no record in the church of her burial.

John had at least two sons, John and Edward, after Johanne’s death.  One author says his second wife was Catherine Phillip, but I am not aware of source documents to support that assertion.

John Lewis’s son John was baptized at the Church of St Teilo on December 15, 1633, and the church record does not name his mother.  It appears the Patronymic naming system was abandoned by 1633 because emigrant John is listed in the church register as John Lewis and not John Lewis Prickett.  The baptism of emigrant John’s youngest son Edward is not in the church register, and records are incomplete starting in 1641???

John Lewis held land and homes in the town of Abergavenny.  John was sometimes referred to as a Merchant, sometimes a Mercer; sometimes a Burgess.  He was also referred to as a Gentleman (used to denote “arms bearing”).  The History of Monmouthshire, Vol I, Pt II, p. 153, presents the “Charter of King Charles I to the Town of Abergavenny,” November 9, 1638, and named John Lewis as Senior Burgess.  One obligation of the office of Senior Burgess was to militarily defend the county in times of distress.

It has been theorized that John Lewis, along with Major William Lewis (likely the son of John’s older brother William, or possibly the nephew of John’s first wife Johanne) and Ensign Lewis (possibly son of Major Lewis), led the defense of Chepstow Castle in English Civil War when Cromwell and the Puritans took on King Charles and the Church of England.  The castle is less than 25 miles from Abergavenny, and on the border with England.  Cromwell’s forces of seized Chepstow Castle and overtook it on May 25, 1648.  A John Lewis, Major William Lewis and Ensign Lewis were taken prisoner and later exiled to Barbados for two years.

Recent evidence indicates it was not John Lewis, but another Lewis who led the defense at Chepstow Castle.

Land sale records in Wales dated May 6, 1652, show John was selling property just prior to coming to Virginia.  It was customary to list a wife in the sale if a man was married, and John is listed alone, so it appears he was widowed at that time.

If John was indeed exiled to Barabdos, upon returning to England he sold his lands, and sailed to Virginia in 1653 with his nephew Major William Lewis, sons John and Edward, and a Lida Lewis.  They most likely sailed from Bristol, England, but that cannot be confirmed because embarkation records only started being kept at Bristol in 1654, the year after they left for Virginia.

If John was not exiled to Barbados, then some other impetus led him to sell his land and journey to Virginia at an advanced age.

July 1, 1653 his Grant of Land shows he is a resident of Virginia.  John was granted 250 acres on Poropotank (Lewis) Creek.

He died 3 years later and was buried there.  His son John’s wife, Isabella Miller Lewis, is buried there also.  The graves were “discovered” by Dr Malcom Harris in 1948.  The coat of arms on the stones was the key to unlocking our family history.

Stone on John Lewis' Grave

John’s tombstone reads “Here lieth interred the body of John Lewis (borne in Munmoth shire) died the 21^st of August 1657 aged 63 years.  The anagram of his name I shew no ill”.

The Tidewater area of Virginia has sandy soil, and no local stone suitable for tombstones.  They had to be ordered from England, a process which took about two years and was very expensive.  Gravestones were uncommon in tidewater Virginia in that era, only the wealthiest had them.  The coat and tombstone indicate the survivors of Emigrant John Lewis wanted to make a permanent record of his Welsh family bloodline.

One interesting note is that, as of June 2007, Emigrant John’s tombstone is the oldest known tombstone in King and Queen County, Virginia.  We know Major William Lewis was very wealthy based on the land he purchased, and it is possible  that he is the one who ordered the tombstone for emigrant John.  Emigrant John’s son William was still a minor

First (top left) Quarter – LEWIS ARMS (coat of Rhys Goch)

Second (top right) Quarter – HOWELL Family, Prince of Caerlleon “Gules, three towers triple-towered Argent“  The son of Rhys Goch, Gemilling (Genillin, Kynyllin, Cynhyllyn) married Jenet, daughter of Sir Howel of Caerlleon.  A Grant of Arms was given to him in the eleventh century to use this arms.

Third Quartering – “Argent three Chevronels Gules“.  Coat of the de Turberville family of Crickhowell in Brecon.

Fourth Quartering – “Azure three plates“.  Fourth position is for the wife, so this was the shield of Johanna Lewis of the family Lewis of Llanddewi Rhydderch.  They were acquired by intermarriage with an heiress of the de Trevely family of that parish.  These Arms were borne by Sir Walter de Trevely who came into Wales with the Norman Conqueror, Bernard de Newmarsh.

The top quarter, the Lewis Quarter, was the “Rhys Goch” line of Brecon, Wales

The three other quarterings indicate three heiresses had married into the Rhys Goch Line – heiresses of such prominence that their Coat-of-Arms warranted being included on the shield of that family.

Lewis Motto – “Omne Solum Forti Patria Est” – “Every Land is Home to a Brave Man”.  This motto does not appear rooted in family records in Wales, and may have been originated in Virginia.

Emigrant John Lewis – Family notes:

MAJOR WILLIAM LEWIS (died between 1658 and 1667)

Major William Lewis was the son of Johanna Lewis’ brother William, so he was the nephew of Emigrant John Lewis.  He was a wealthy man when he came to Virginia, and purchased over 10,000 acres of land within five years of his arrival.  He purchased a 2,600 acre farm Chimahocans, which he referred to as “Port Holy” from Colonel John West in 1658.  Upon Major William’s death, the estate passed to Major John Lewis, the elder of the two sons of Emigrant John Lewis that came with him to Virginia.  Major William Lewis was from the Parish of Llantilio Pertholey in Wales, hence his use of the name Port Holy for his residence in Virginia.

EDWARD LEWIS

Possibly born about 1641 in Wales and attained majority in 1662.  Church of St. Teilio records are incomplete after 1640, and Edward’s baptism was not found in the church register.  There is no conclusive evidence of his marriage or any children he may have had, but there are records of an Edward Lewis who might or might not be this Edward.

LIDA (LYDIA) LEWIS

Lida was possibly a wife or daughter of John the Emigrant or Major William Lewis.  No definite identification has been made based on surviving records.  She was not listed in the land sales made by John Lewis before departing Wales, or on the land purchase made by Major William Lewis.  No record of her death has been found.

Lewis ap Richard, son of Richard Lewis, married Catherine Morgan who grew up near Llantilio Pertholy.

Lewis ap Richard died young.  Lewis Prichard (Lewis ap Richard), was buried May 4, 1616.  His wife, Catherine Richard (Richard is her Patronic name, her maiden name was Catherine Morgan), was buried Sept 29, 1615.  They were both buried in the churchyard of St Telio’s of the Bright Bush Church in Llantilio Pertholy.

Lewis ap Richard – Family notes:

After Lewis ap Richard’s early death, his son John Lewis Prichard (our emigrant ancestor, later called John Lewis after the end of the Patronymic naming system) was raised by his Uncle Edward.

For around 1,000 years, our ancestors lived in Breconshire in the area of Crickhowell and Llanelly.  Lewis ap Richard left Breconshire and moved a short distance down the Usk River valley to Abergavenny / Llantilio Pertholy in Monmouthshore where he married Catherine.  His son John was born and lived there before immigrating to Virginia.

Lewis ap Richard’s wife Catherine was the daughter of Watkin Morgan, gentleman of Triley and Gwenllian Powell (ap Howell).  It is possible that emigrant John inherited some of his wealth from his grandfather Watkin or Grandmother Gwenllian.

Triley, home of the Morgans, was an ancient estate on the slope of Deri Mountain just North of Abergavenny and Llantilio Portholey.  Llantilio Pertholy is a small community two kilometers Northeast of Abergavenny, on the road to Hereford, England.  The Morgan home on the estate was named Ty-Hir (long house), an old stone house that is still lived in but no longer owned by descendents of the Morgan family.  The Morgan hunting lodge, named <name>, has been converted to a group home and is actively used to this day.

Whose family was from Triley – Catherine Morgan, mother of emigrant John, or Catherine Lewis, wife of Emigrant John???????

Watkin Morgan was buried at St Teilos March 18, 1592/93.  Gwenllian Morgan was buried there July 24, 1596. (GM p31 The Church of St.Teilo, historically known as St. Teilo in the Bright Bush, is the heart of the Parish of Llantillo Pertholey.  It was founded in the sixth century.  The original church is gone, but it was rebuilt in the 13^th century.  After a fire in 1974, it was restored.  Fortunately for us, many church records are preserved and we can learn information about our early family from them.

Whose?? Children: Thomas, Maudelen,

Richard Lewis born before 1537 in the area of Llangattock Crickhowell.  He  was a gentleman who lived his life in that same area.  His will was written March 15, 1627 and proved April 18, 1628, so he died between those dates.

Richard Lewis – Family Notes:

His parents were Lewis ap Thomas who married Maud, daughter of Thomas Lewis John ap Gwilym, Lord of Turbeville and Cotys??? Ref.  Maude’s family owned the Castle of Crickhowell in the market town of Crickhowell.  This castle was in ruin during Maude’s life, so although her family owned it they were not living there

The third quartering in the coat-of-arms of emigrant John Lewis was “Argent Three Chevronels Gules”.  This was the coat of the de Turberville family of Crickhowell, and came to our emigrant John Lewis through his great-grandmother Maude de Turbeville.

Crickhowell is a market town, where farmers from the surrounding countryside would come to sell their produce and goods on market day.  It is on the River Usk, between the towns of Brecon thirteen miles to the North and Abergavenny six miles to the South.  It is in the present-day Brecon Beacons National Park.

Richard’s oldest son William was educated at Oxford and became a lawyer in London.   He is named as attorney in several family land transactions.  William died before Richard’s will was testated, and his wife <name> and children <names> are among those named in Richard’s will.

Another son was given the name Lewis (our emigrant ancestor’s father), so he was called Lewis ap Richard under the Patronymic naming system used in Wales at that time. Lewis ap Richard had also died by the time Richard’s will was testated, and Lewis’s son John Lewis, our emigrant ancestor, was named in the will.

Two younger sons of Richard were Edward and Thomas who both died in 1635.

Paste map here

Since out ancestors lived in Wales for so long, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the culture and history of Wales over the years they lived there.  This may give you new appreciation for some of the highlights that influenced our ancestors’ lives over the centuries.

Wales is a mountainous country that proved hard for invaders to conquer.  It is about 160 mi long and 80 miles wide – roughly the size of Massachusetts.

When the Celts of the Silure tribe arrived in Wales sometime between 2,000 BC and 400BC, they entered land that was occupied by an earlier generation of native peoples.

The next wave of new peoples to come to Wales were the Romans.  In May of 43 AD, 40 years after Christ’s crucifixion, 40,000 Romans sailed to Britain.  Around 75 AD the Roman Second Legion was garrisoned at a fortress in Caerlon , home of our Howell ancestors, whose coat-of-arms is one of the four on the coat of our emigrant ancestor John Lewis’s grave.

There were thirteen Roman campaigns to subdue Wales between 48 and 79 AD.  Grain, which was needed by the Romans to feed their forces, was scarce in Wales, so it was difficult for them to eat and fight the Welsh..  The Welsh fought with guerilla tactics.  The Romans built many hill forts scattered throughout Wales to protect themselves, and over 100 of them survive to this day.

By 300 AD Christianity had more followers than the Celtic religion in Britain.  In 400AD all religions but Christianity were banned in the Roman Empire.

Around 410 AD the Romans recalled their forces home, ending the Roman Empire and their domination of England.  After the Roman departure, Angles and Saxons, both Germanic tribes, invaded and conquered much of Britain.  These Germanic peoples planted small kingdoms in South East Britain.  The 200 years after Roman withdrawal were formative years for Briton and Wales, but the written records are scarce and not at all clear.  There were many myths and fantasies, especially in the years 400 – 600.  One of the greatest is Arthur, hero of the Britons in their battle against Anglo-Saxon invaders.

There are at least two historical records of Arthur, and a handful of allusions to him from that time.  A monk named Gildas wrote in his book De Excidio that in year of his birth (believed 496 AD) there was a battle victory at Mons Badonicus, attributed to Arthur.  From 490 – 555 the Saxon communities spread, and Arthur was a leader in fighting them.

Hundreds of years later Arthur was elevated to a great hero, tied to noble chivalry in his kingdom of Camelot and the knights of the round table.   It is reasonable to believe a man named Arthur did exist, he was a leader of Brythonic (tribal Celts, early Britain) people, won a battle in 496, and died or disappeared in 515 after the battle of Camlan.  The fame of Arthur is a mystery in the history of Wales, as is the location of Mons Badonicus.  Nennius, writing History of the Britons a thousand years ago, states Mons Badonicus was one of many victories.  This suggests Arthur led mobile cavalrymen across Britain, which would be consistent with the many Arthurian traditions across Britain.

Another person of this era was Caradawg Freichfras, (Caradawg Strong Arm or Caradawg Brawny Arm).  According to Arthurian legend, Caradawg Freichfras was one of the main knights of Arthur, and his horse was named Luagor (Host -Splitter).  He is said to have died in the battle of Cattreath  in 546 AD where 360 of Arthur’s knights fought and only three survived.  In A History of Wales, Davies says Caradawg Freichfras was ………  We’ll see in the next chapter how Caradawg Freichfras fits in our family tree.

Caradawg Freichfras was the great-great grandson of Brychan, his mother being a granddaughter of Brychan.  Caradawg Freichfras became ruler of Brychenoig (early Brecon) through the right of his mother.  Breconshire is the ancient name for a section of Wales similar to a county, today part of Powys??.  It is famous for mountains called the Beacons, and contains the Brecon Beacons National Park.  These are all named after Brychan.

By 550 there were secluded monasteries in Wales.  They later dominant parts of Wales, both spiritually and materially (they controlled up to 25% of the land in Wales at their height), and were (taken over by King Edward?? in 15xx).

Llans (enclosures) were built as consecrated enclosures to bury the dead.  Later churches were built within the enclosures, and they were called llan, followed by the name of the saint or patron the church was dedicated to.  By 1200, there were over 60 churches dedicated to St David (llandewi), Teilo was #2 with 25 churches (Llantilio).  Towns and villages often took their name from the local church, which is why there are so many towns in Wales whose names starts with Llan.  Some locations of interest to our family are Llanelli, home of our ancestors for centuries,  Llandewi Rhydderch, the home parish of Emigrant John’s first wife Johanne, and Llantilio Pertholey, the church where emigrant John and his children were baptized.

There was a great plague in 549, much like the more famous Black Plague in 1349/50.  It is estimated that each plague killed about a quarter of the population of Wales.  The high percentage of people who lived outside towns probably accounts for the relatively fewer deaths in Wales compared to other parts of Europe that were more urbanized.

Approximately 600 AD the Welsh language began being written down.

Wales was divided into many small kingdoms, with much fighting between them over the centuries.  The kingdoms of Wales began being united by marriage starting around 800.

In 789, Northmen (Vikings) ravaged the coast of England.  The pagan Northmen had no respect for religion and plundered monasteries close to the coast.  By 911 the Northmen (Normans) possessed a large part of Northern France.

Around 950, Wales was wholly rural, without any cities.  People had summer (highland) pasture called hafod where they lived in huts called hafety. In the winter, the lived in lowland houses called hendre.  Their agricultural economy centered around pasturing cattle.  In later years sheep were introduced by the monks.  Grains were grown in the lowlands by this time, but raising grain did not represent the majority of the agriculture.

There were no coins in 1050 – you paid your bills in cattle.

A man’s right to own land depended on his status.  The Welsh law had a basic division between free and unfree people.  Free people included two groups – King and his relations, and a gentleman of ancestry.   Some unfree people had rights protected by law.  Others, the slaves, had no rights.  By 1300, over 50% of males were free, which was a fairly recent phenomenon.

One interesting insight into Welsh culture was galanus (blood money).  It was a fine that had to be paid to kindred if a man was killed (or paid to the owner if the person killed was a slave).  Murder was considered an offense against the family of the deceased, not a crime to punished by the state.  The amount of the galanus depended on the status of the deceased, and his status was largely determined by his ancestry.   This was spelled out in the Welsh Law, with the useful purpose of soothing anger and preventing retaliation.  Galanus was set for a male, and calculated for females.  A daughter had half the galanus of her brother.  A wife had one third the galanus of her husband.  At this time, a woman could neither own land nor transfer land to her children.

Welsh law treated marriage as a contract, unlike the Catholic Church which treated it as a sacrament.  The Welsh Law had provisions for how to distribute property in the event of divorce.  Catholics regarded Welsh Law as the “Law of the Devil” because of the way it addressed divorce.

The Norman Invasion of England occurred in 1099.  On Oct 14, 1066, William of Normandy had victory at Hastings, defeating the English King.  The Normans then spread out, conquering more land across Britain.  By 1110 the Normans built many shore castles like the one they built at Chepstow in 1086.  We will see later the Chepstow Castle played an important role in our ancestor’s decision to emigrate to Virginia.

The book History of Kings of Britain was written in 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth, 2^nd Bishop of St Asaph.  About a third of the book is about “King” Arthur.  When historians checked the book against other documentation, it appears most of the book was developed from Geoffrey’s imagination.  His descriptions of King Arthur were vivid, and seem to be the basis for many of the legends about Arthur.

The various kingdoms in Wales were engaged on nearly ongoing hostility over the centuries.  There had been many Kings in Wales, but by around 1200 there were only two Princes, others were “Lords”

The monasteries proliferated from 1140 – 1202 under Norman patronage.  They were large estates, containing thousands of acres.  Monks introduced sheep, and the Welsh woolen industry was pioneered at Stone Abbey?? around year???  Monks copied and preserved Welsh literature, and wrote its history.  DUPLICATE

The Welsh people were looked down upon by the English as a crude, rough people.  In 1159, the Archbishop of Canterbury said these things about the Welsh – “Welsh are Christians in name only”, “They are barbarians”, “They are a wild people who cannot be tamed”.

John signs the Magna Carta in 1215

The years following 1225 were considered a high point in Welsh history.  They were the age of Llywelyn, where the importance and power of the prince and state increased.  The autonomy of the community and kinship group declined.  Murder was now an offense against the state, not against kindred.  Money was in circulation by this point.

In 1282/3 the Principality of Wales was defeated by the army of Edward I, King of England.  In 1283 Llywelyn was killed, and the Welsh were subjugated.  Edward built many castles to help control Wales, the most famous of which is at Caernarfron. These new castles formed an “Iron Ring” around Wales that Edward used to control the land.

The Welsh revolted in 1294, and Edward led a 35,000 man army to Wales.  The revolt came to end March 5, 1295, and  five days later 500 Welshmen were slaughtered in their sleep.

By 1300, about 10% of the population lived in towns.  Before 1300 there is little evidence of trading.  By 1250 slaves were long gone as a class.  There was a smaller group of taeogion (not slaves, but not freemen either).  Most of the population were free men, bonheldwyr.

167 – Burgess??  Measure of self-government – legal and economic

172 – Welshmen in Edward II’s army were dressed in Green and White – perhaps the first national uniform.  Welsh were reputed to be troublesome soldiers -tended to get drunk, pillage and vandalize, killed prisoners rather than offer them for ransom.

180 – In the generation after the conquest, the Bardic order fell into decay

Black Plague of 1347 – 1350.  Probably about a quarter of the inhabitants of Wales died 1349 – 1350.

Welsh Law had land shared among descendents.  In 1350 the English Law system was adopted, and the oldest son got the inheritance.  Wales went from a community of fairly poor small landowners to a community of a few wealthy estate owners and a large landless proletariat

Dragon Banner was Britain’s symbol of victory in 1401

1530 – 1770 the Welsh were members of Episcopalian Church.  Wales was incorporated into England in 1536

1530 – 1770 was an era of gentry – a privileged few

Articles of Faith 1536.  Monasteries across Wales and the rest of Britain were vandalized for their wealth.  By 1539, the King had seized all property of monasteries.  NAME of King

Feb 1539 – Act of Union, listed new counties in Wales.  Established the boundaries of Wales that exist to today.  Welsh penal code was abandoned, Law of England was only law that was recognized.  In the eyes of the law, the Welsh were English.

English was to be the only language in the courts of Wales.  Those using the Welsh language were not to receive public office.  Implicit was the need to create a Welsh ruling class fluent in English.  Welsh was allowed to be spoken in church services.

2543, Second Act of Union

The New Testament was printed in Welsh in 1567.  By 1588 the entire Bible was translated to Welsh, with an updated translation in 1620 that was used for centuries.

Puritanism crystallized in 1570.  It was stronger in England, almost wholly absent in Wales.  John Perry, the first Welsh dissenter, was hanged in 1593.

Allegiance of most Welsh to the Church of England was superficial.  In 1577 it was reported that some clergy were saying mass in secret, and conducting baptisms and funerals by the Catholic rite.  People made the sign of the cross, cherished holy wells.

Morgan, Herbert, Turbeville were “members of some of the most distinguished lineages in Wales”.  They were prepared to offer protection to the Catholic loyalists who dwelt on their estates.

By the late 1500s the bards (poets) were in decline as a measure of social status.  The wealthy had more desire for family seclusion, and used books for enlightenment vs. poets reciting in large halls with guests.  The ways of expressing gentility were through coat-of-arms, grandiose tombs and extravagant expenditures.

By 1610 wool was increasing in importance, as many as 100,000 people were employed converting fleece to cloth

Gentry lusted for land – it provided substantial and stable returns

For 200 years after 1097 there were fights between King and Normans, Lords and Welsh.  Marsher Lords were loyal to the King, had border holdings (both sides of current border), and provided a buffer between the King and Welsh

Wales is a land of castles.  Unlike continental Europe where castles were homes of Kings and Lords, the castles in Wales were primarily military in nature.  The Romans constructed large garrison forts as well as smaller hill forts.  The Normans built many forts in their conquest of Wales.  King Edward I built a ring of castles around Wales to dominate the country.

1070 – 1135 there were 20 towns established in Wales, 60 by 1300

The Patronymic naming system was used in Wales though the early 1600s, making it difficult to conduct genealogical research.  A son whose first name was Mark and whose father was Harry would have the name Mark ap Harry or simply Mark Harry.  Instead of a surname that identified a family over generations like we have now, their last name changed every generation.  A daughter Ann, son of Glenn, who marked Mark Harry would be named Ann verch Glenn before marriage and Ann Harry after marriage.  Rather a confusing system by today’s standards, don’t you think?  But to the Welsh of that time, it made perfect sense.

One constant in identifying lineage of gentlemen in Wales was the Coat-of-Arms.  It was passed from father to son to grandson.  Arms were only borne by gentlemen, and you could only be a gentleman by birth.  Only individuals bearing arms could own land.  The use of the arms was taken very seriously – it was a crime punishable by imprisonment to use a Coat-of-Arms that was not yours.  Arms passed from father to sons, although upon marrying an heiress (oldest daughter whose father had no sons who produced heirs) a husband could add his wife’s coat to his shield. Wales was a land of economic inequality – most wealth was owned by a small percentage of population – and our ancestors were in that small percentage of wealthy landowners.

“The structure of Welsh society from very early times was essentially aristocratic, and it remained so until the destruction by Henry VIII of the legal concept that buttressed it.  The Welsh theory was that no one could be a freeman, inherit property, enjoy privileges, or be received into the community, unless he could prove an agnatic ancestry for a certain number of generations.”  {Heraldry and the Herald (1982), Rodney Dennis, p. 66.}  From these excerpts it is possible to understand that “bloodlines” were of the utmost importance to Welshmen of this period.

The flag of Wales is a red dragon on a background of white and green.  The dragon has been associated with Wales and our family since the Dark Ages.

Like many settlers, my ancestors moved South and then West, coming to Illinois in the 1840s where we lived until my family moved away in 1965.

My father is buried in the small Joyner Cemetery outside Stonefort, Illinois, near his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and many relatives.

I am working on a book of family history, and am publishing the work in progress on this site.

• My father was Harry Vernon Lewis, born Dec 28, 1925 in Stonefort, IL and died April 9, 1961 in Greenup, Cumberland County, IL, buried at Joyner Cemetery outside Stonefort.
• Harry’s father was Oliver Lewis, born 11 Mar 1873 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL, died 22 Mar 1966 in Stonefort, Pope Co, IL, second marraige 6 Sep 1915 in Golconda, Pope Co, IL to Katie Crank, born 21 Oct 1893 in Golconda, Pope Co, IL. Their deceased children include Ray Maxwell, Charles Edward, Lester, Harry Vernon (my father).
• Oliver Lewis’ father was Robert Lewis, born May 12, 1832 in Jackson County, TN, died 6 Dec 1919 in Bolton, Saline Co, IL, second marraige 7 Apr 1866 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL to Minerva Oshel, born 10 June 1842 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL, died 11 Feb 1908 in Stonefort, Saline Co, IL. He fought in the civil was as a 1st Lt in the 31st Illinois Infantry, Company B.
• Robert Lewis’ father was Samuel Howell Lewis, born 12 Mar 1796 in Mecklenburg Co, VA, died Johnson Co, IL 28 Nov 1867, who married Henrietta Mabrey July 4, 1818 in Warren Co, NC.  We believe they had sons named James, Hardin, Samuel and Ansell with Henrietta, but have lost all trace of them.  (Based on DNA testing, it appears we may have located a descendent of son Samuel.)   He later married Jane Darnell, born c 1800 in TN, died ca 1844 in Calloway Co, KY. With Jane he had sons Benjamin, Robert and William, as well as possibly a daughter Ann.
• Samuel Howell Lewis’ father was Robert Lewis of Mecklenberg, VA born 1764 at Albermarle Co, VA, died Mecklenberg Co, VA 19 Oct 1806, married 10 Nov 1788 in Mecklenburg Co, VA to Ann Bugg who died after 15 April 1816. Their children include Elizabeth Bugg Lewis, Samuel Howell Lewis, James Meriweather Lewis, Anna Bugg Lewis and Robert Lewis.
• Robert Lewis of Mecklenberg’s father was Robert Lewis of Granville, born 1738/9 at Hanover Co, VA, died 7 Nov 1780 at Granville Co, NC, married on 3 Sep 1760 in Goochland Co, VA to (Mary) Frances Lewis , 1st cousin, born 1 August 1744 in Goochland Co, VA, died ca 1791 at Granville Co. Her parents are Charles Lewis and Mary Howell. Robert Lewis of Granville served as Delegate from Granville to the Constitutional Convention which met in Halifax, NC on Nov 12, 1776. He was later comissioned as “Colonel of the Granville Militia”. Through him my Aunt Laura and other relatives have been accepted into the DAR.
• Robert Lewis of Granville’s father was Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir (b. 1704 d. 1765 ) who married Jane Merriwether (b. 1705 d. 1753). Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir was the third son of Councilor John Lewis of Warner Hall. His oldest brother John inherited Warner Hall, and Robert and his older brother Charles split their father’s original estate, Chemokins, on the Pomonkey River at the top of New Kent County, VA. They later sold that farm and settled the land around Charlottesville, VA. Charles had a farm on the Byrd River, and was called Charles of the Byrd. Robert nmed his farm Belvoir, thus his name Robert of Belvoir.
• Col Robert Lewis of Belvoir is the third son of Councilor John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner, and the first Lewis child born at Warner Hall. Councilor John was living at his farm, Chemokins, when he married Elizabeth Warner. Her brothers died without heirs, and she inherited Warner Hall upon the death of her father, Augustine Warner, Jr..  John, Elizabeth and their two sons left Chemokins and moved to Warner Hall when Augustine died, and Warner Hall was held by the Lewis family for many generations.
• Councilor John Lewis’ father was Major John Lewis who married Isabella Miller. He was a Major in the Virginia Colonial Militia, thus his name to distinguish him from the other John’s in the family. He inherited the Chemokins farm at the death of his father’s brother-in-law, William Lewis. Isabella is buried at the family cemetery near Poropotank Creek outside Adner, VA. Major John’s gravestone, if he had one, had not been discovered.
• Major John’s father was Emigrant John Lewis (1592 – 1657), who is buried at the family cemetery near Major John’s wife Isabelle. His gravestone is the oldest known in King and Queen County, VA, as of June 2007.

All source documents point to Emigrant John Lewis being the same John Lewis, Senior Burgess of Abergavenny, Wales. Recent evidence (research based on his tobstone sponsored by Grace McLean Moses as documented in her book “The Welsh Lineage of John Lewis (1592-1657) Emigrant to Gloucester, VA” thoroughly lays out the case based on Welsh coat-of-arms, church records and court records.

The family history is also documented in “Pioneer Lewis Families” by Michael L. Cook, Cook Publications, Evansville, IN 47712.

Every family has history controversy, and mine is no exception. Earlier (apparently unresearched) publications list a “Gen Robert Lewis” as patriarch of my line. Interestingly, there does not appear to be source document evidence that such a General Robert Lewis ever existed in either England or Colonial Virginia.  Some relatives seem to become quite defensive when this story is questioned – I guess it is hard to consider the possibility that this family story is not based on researched fact, but is rather asserted and repeated.  It seems to be a poplar and widely held story – after all, who wouldn’t like to be a descendant of a general?