Lewis

Bobbye Craft Winston

Information in Generation One and Generation Two mostly provided by Leland L. Smith, descendant of James Franklin Lewis, son of Bennett, that moved to Texas from Pickens County, AL. Information was  taken from Mr. Smith’s book, Gone to Texas, Volume I.. He did a beautiful job on this coffee table sized, hard back book and it is well worth the money.  His research is thorough and he includes maps, photos and diagrams. (Dr. Leland L. Smith passed away from cancer in 2007.  He taught chemistry and genetics for many years at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston, TX. )
 

GENERATION ONE 

Nathaniel Lewis died in May 1798 in Nash County , NC . His wife was named Winney. Nathaniel is first found in Bute (later Franklin ) County, NC in 1778 when he obtained land on Linches Creek. Bute County had been created from Granville County , NC in 1764. He was in Johnston County , NC in 1784-1787 by land and census data. He had moved into Nash County , NC by 1790 and may be placed there by land transactions of 1794; his lands were on Turkey and Moccasin Creeks. Nathaniel Lewis died in Nash County , NC in 1798 leaving a large family of eleven children. 

Children of Nathaniel and Winney Lewis were: 

1. Martha Lewis. Married Nathaniel High. 
2. David Lewis. 
3. Elizabeth Lewis. Married a Mr. Beck. 
4. Robert Lewis. Born 1755-1774. 
5. Kesiah Lewis. Married a Mr. Johnson. 
6. Sherwood Lewis. Born 1755-1770. 
7. Mayor Lewis. Born by 1755. 
8. Henry Lewis. Born 1755-1774. Died after 1830 in California . Married Feruba (or Pherby. Henry Lewis was in Franklin County, NC in 1780 and in Nash County , NC 1794-1796 and 1798-1814 as administrator of his father’s estate and by other data. 
9. John Lewis. Born 1765-1780. 
10. Sarah Lewis. Married Francis Johnson 
11. Jinncy Lewis. 

GENERATION TWO

Henry Lewis was born ca. 1755 and died after 1830 in North Carolina . His wife was named Feruba or Pherby. 

Children of Henry Lewis were: 

1. Robert Lewis. Born ca. 1787 in NC. Died February 1853 in Nash County , NC . Married Charity Tucker, born ca. 1788, daughter of James Tucker. Robert Lewis may be placed in Johnson County NC 1805-1810, in Nash County , NC from 1810, in Mecklenburg County , NC in 1830 but back in Nash County , NC 1840-1850. He owned land on Mocassin Creek in Nash County , NC . 
2. Bryant Lewis. Born 1784-1790. Died May 15, 1848 in Johnston County , NC . Name of first wife is unknown. He married his second wife, Sarah Wood, on September 24, 1827 . Bryant can be placed in Nash County , NC by land records of 1805 and 1814-1824 by census records of 1810-1820. He served as private in the 1st Regiment, North Carolina Detached Militia during the War of 1812 for six months Sept. 1814 – March 1815. He became administrator of the yet unsettled estate of Nathaniel Lewis in May 1815. He moved from Nash County to Johnston County , NC by 1830.
3. Sarah (Sally) Lewis. Born ca. 1794. Died ca. 1835-37 intestate in Fayette County , Illinois . She married Thomas Narron/Nairon.
4. Bennett Lewis. Born 1795 in NC. Died 1860-1870 in Pickens County , AL and is buried in an unmarked grave. Name of first wife unknown. His second wife was Mary Ann Graham.

BENNETT LEWIS from Gone to Texas Vol. I  by Leland L. Smith

                                                                       
5. Washington Lewis. Born ca. 1796 in North Carolina . Married January 6, 1826 in Wake County , NC to Catherine Tomlin. Washington Lewis resided in Johnston County NC in 1830 and in Wake County , NC in 1840-1860. 
6. Winnifred (Winney) Lewis. Born ca. 1800 in North Carolina . Married Samuel Ligons. The Samuel Ligons family resided in Johnston County , NC in 1850-54. 

The following is info of Bobbye C. Winston:


Generation Three

Bennett Lewis was born ca. 1795 in North Carolina . The name of his first wife is unknown. After the death of his first wife in Nash County , he moved to Pickens County , AL bringing his younger children with him but there were older children left behind in Nash County . After settling down in Pickens County he married Mary Ann Graham, born 1818 in SC and died 1887 in Pickens County , AL . She is buried in Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery No. 1 in Echola , AL . 
Bennett Lewis can be placed in Nash County , NC in 1820-1832 but he has not been located in 1840, perhaps the family was in transit to Alabama . He appeared to have left North Carolina after 1839, arriving in Pickens County in 1842. He is listed in Pickens County census in 1850 – 1860. Bennett Lewis died sometime during the 1860’s and is buried in Pickens County , AL in an unmarked grave. 
Bennett Lewis lost contact with his older children left behind in North Carolina . 
His daughter, Nancy Wren Lewis, told stories to her children and grandchildren about losing her mother at age 11 and then moving to Pickens Co. in a covered wagon. They set up camp at times in mountainous areas on their journey. Nancy longed to know what happened to her older sisters that were left behind in North Carolina . 
Nancy Lewis also spoke of her father being a very aggressive man that loved to drink and would cause trouble with neighbors at times. He may have as many as twenty children (nine by his first wife, eleven by Mary Graham Lewis) and maybe one illegitimate child. (Reference Nash County, NC Court records 1815-1821 dated May 12, 1817). The mother of this child was Jean or Jasmin Horn. 
Bennett bought land in the Benevola or Bethany area from a Mr. Franklin of Pontotoc County , MS on June 16, 1853 for $1000.00. Description: W1/2 of NW1/4, the W1/2 of the NE1/4, and also the SE1/4 of the NW1/4 all of Section 6 of Township 24 of Range One E, containing two hundred acres more or less. 

The following are twelve of his children (he is believed to be the father of twenty children):
1. Nancy Wren Lewis, born April 2, 1831 in Nash Co. NC. She died Oct. 9, 1916 from burns received several days earlier after catching fire from the fireplace and is buried in Bethesda Cemetery in Pickens Co., AL. She married John M. Craft in Pickens Co. John Craft died in Civil War and she never remarried. 

Nancy Wren Lewis Craft

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The following letter was written by Mary Ann Graham Lewis to her son, John C. Lewis, who had recently moved to Texas. The family was very unhappy with John C. Lewis moving away to Texas and they did everything to entice him to come home, but he never returned home.  The letter is dated March 25, 1870 and written from Sipsey Mill, Alabama. 

Dear Son:  It is with pleasure that I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines.  Oliver and Tom Lock is farming together this year. They are getting along the best you ever saw.

     I am sending Andrew to school and Jo has sent _____ and Jane to go with him.  Billy is living with Joe this year. 

     We have clear up another new ground that will head west then east (?) and we have rented some right good land from Miss _____ to put in corn and expect to get one of her mules to plow.  I want you to be a good boy and take care of what you make.  Shun all bad company and spend nothing on drink.  John the thought of you turning your back on me nearly broke my heart.  I hope this will be a schooling to you.  You know you was going off in debt and I am not about to pay you out, it is my desire to help you pay out bil.  It is out of the question to pay much for I was in debt myself.

     I have had so much feed to buy.  Cotton is a dollar and a half per bushel and it is so hy I could not buy it.  I bote flour at a dollar for bussel.  Mister Mack (?) came to see me after you left.  John I never felt so sorry for ____ in my life for I think he is a good man.  I had not got over my trouble of losing you _____  that I was so troubled.  He said that I need not mind that he had come to ____ me, for he never wood dunn me for a thing in his life.  He came to no if I was knowing  of you going off and I told him that I did not no you were going til you were gone.  He said you told him that you were going off but he thought that you were going off out to where Bill Chamblee was but still I think he has got confidence in you that you will come back and pay him.  I hope that you will be spared to make money and come back and pay him not for _____to say that you went off to keep from paying your debts. John you no that I have tried to raise you all in  ___  ___  ___.  Mr. Mack(?) did not talk to me like he was angry at you at all.  He said he new that you was young and could see for he had him a boy himself.  John, he is a good friend to and I reckon as I have in the world.  I want you to rite him a kind leter to give him satisfaction.  He placed so much confidence in you, he sed that he could not help believing that you was persuaded of a _____ to go to see him before long.  If ____ when you write to Mark(?) put a kind word or to in their for me.

     Son, I want you to be a good boy and don't you forget your savior for if you have Him He will have you to love your Dear Mother an all things will be right.  Son I never expect to come to you but I hope you will come to me.  When you come you need not expect to go back for I never could part with you.  I will close.  I remain your Dear Mother til death.  Goodby.  Mother (Mary Ann Graham Lewis)

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This next letter to John C. Lewis is from his Pickens Co. girlfriend, Mary Chamblee and dated March 25, 1870.

I will rite you a few lines to tell you Annie is well as I truly hope that I may find you well.  I have no news to write to you only I want to see you worse than I ever did in my life and I could not tel you how I felt when you left me at the river.  I don't expect that you cared for me like I did for you.  John, I wish for you a ____ this minute for somebody told some lies on me.  I will tell you when you come if you ever do.  I want you to come for my sake if nobody else.  John I am staying with your mother this week but I am going home tomorrow but I shall be with her all thru the years. I was here when she got your letter.  Me and her was like two fools we set an crid over your piece of hair.  I will close. I remain your true friend.

                                                                                                                    Mary Chamblee

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The following letter was written by Oliver Lewis, brother of John C. Lewis.  Dated  March 25, 1870.

Good evening, John.  I wood be glad to see you come over an go with me to see my girl.  I will tel you what her name is - Miss Hatty Coulson.  She is so pretty she could charm a little kitten out of the ____

     I love her from the top of her head to the end of her big toe, the girl that you used to tease me about, she is gone and was glad when she left.  She is gone to Tar Creek.  If you don't like the girl I am going to see, pick me out one and I will come an get her if you don't make haste. I wil have you to dance in the pig trough if you don't dance you can _____me______.  We have planted some corn.  We planted some 9 of March.  I must tell you something about Buck (?).  He work last year for two suits of clothes an bridle an saddle. An this year he is going to work for a horse an then next year he is going to work for a girl.  Andrew is going to see John Hood an Oliver sees that Andrew love his brothers ____ letters, but he says he loves his brother.  He loves him like a dog love hickory.  Andrew says that he good boy.  Hasty is most redy to go in a geography dictionary, he has grod so you hardly no him.  He said you must come home John.  I will close this myself. You must come here in April.

Mother an brothers ever. Good by for all.

                                                                                                                         Oliver Lewis

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2. James Franklin Lewis, born August 17, 1832 in NC. Died Nov. 6, 1896 near Crossroads in Henderson Co. TX.. Buried at Union Chapel Cemetery near Cross Roads, Tx. Married Malinda Strickland. James Franklin Lewis was a farmer in Pickens Co., AL in 1850-60 with a post office address of Bridgeville , AL in 1860. He was living near his father, Bennett Lewis. He is the earliest known Lewis family member to go to Texas . The Lewis family migrated to Texas during 1863-1868, perhaps settling initially outside of Freestone County, TX but settling in the northern part of the county by late 1870 near Stewards Mill, TX and Young, TX.
3. Joseph Lewis. born ca. 1833 in NC. Married Mrs. Martha Chamblee, widow of Lewis Chamblee. In 1860 Joseph was a farmer living near Mantua in Greene County (at that time it was in Pickens Co.) and in 1870 he was living at Pleasant Ridge in Greene County but had moved by 1880 to Oktibbeha County , MS . 
4. Arnita Lewis. born ca. 1835 in NC.
5. Margaret Lewis. born ca. 1837 in NC. Joined Mt. Zion Baptist Church . (She was ex-communicated from the church as a teen-ager because of her unchristianlike conduct - they didn't like the way she walked. No one knows what happened to poor Margaret. 
6.Lucy Lewis. Born 1839 in NC. 

(The following children are by second wife)
7. Ivy Lewis. Born ca. 1842 in AL .
8. Dempsey Daniel (Dan) Lewis. Born Feb. 4, 1845 in Pickens County , AL Buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Wells, TX. Died March 21, 1924 in Cherokee Co., TX.Buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Wells (Cherokee County) TX.  He married Mary Ann Crist in Anderson Co., TX on April 20, 1848 . Dempsey Daniel came to Texas with the Lewis family group and was in Freestone Co., TX in 1870 living in the John M. Phillips household. He appeared to have lived in neighboring Anderson Co., TX in 1880 but was back in Henderson Co in 1892-1899 where he was postmaster at Bute , TX . He was living alone in the early 20th century in east Texas . 

Dempsey Daniel Lewis

9. Martha Lewis. born ca. 1845 in Pickens County , AL .
10. Oliver Bennett Lewis. born 1846. Married Malinda Mustin. Joined Mt. Zion Church during a 16 day long protracted meeting in Oct. 1870.

11. John Calhoun Lewis. Born Sept. 17, 1850 . He left suddenly in 1870 for Texas without saying goodbye to his mother, owing money, and leaving behind his sweetheart, Mary Ann Chamblee. Despite the pleas of his family to return to Alabama he remained in Texas . He married Sarah Nancy Jackson on Sept. 17, 1874 .  She was the daughter of John Jackson and Elizabeth Wafer.  The family was hard shell Baptist and sang "Old Harp". He was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Pickens Co., AL. joining on Sept. 9, 1866 and was granted letter of dismission on first Sabbath of June 1874. He was a farmer living near Rome Church and Willow Springs School northeast of Cross Roads, TX and was appointed postmaster of the post office at Bute , TX in 1893. He was a Justice of the Peace in 1896. He was also a store clerk, teacher and preacher. He became ill with typhoid fever that affected his mind and he was admitted to a State Hospital in Terrell , TX where he died in January 28, 1918 .He is buried at Willow Springs Cemetery in Anderson Co., TX.

12. Andrew Jackson Lewis, born August 30, 1857 in Pickens County, AL. Died March 1,1940 and is buried in Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Echola, AL  Married Martha Lou Ellen White. They lived in Moore ’s Bridge in Tuscaloosa County.  His mother lived with him 1884-86. Andrew Jackson Lewis and wife ................................................................................................... For more information on Andrew Jackson Lewis family click here The following letter was written by Andrew Jackson Lewis  to his brother John C. Lewis on May 26, 1884 from Moore's Bridge in Tuscaloosa, AL. Dear Brother:      It is with pleasure I again seat myself to write you a few lines to let you hear from me.  This leaves us all well, hoping this may come safe to hand and find you and your family enjoying the same blessing.  John, I have nothing of importance to write.  I am busily engaged in my crop at this time.  I am about half done chopping cotton.   I suppose you will call it late to chopping and is but people are severely behind.  We have had so much rain in the spring we could not get to plant until late.  My corn looks very well but is needing rain now it has bin about four weeks since we had rain but looks promising for rain now.  Well, I recon you think I had almost forgot to write but I thought I would wait until I could tell you all of it though that will not be much.  In the first place, I bought me a good large tract of land 300 and 60 acres and then married the 5th day of Dec. last, so I believe I am settled for awhile, perhaps forever.      I married Miss Martha White so come over next Sunday and take dinner with us.  We will have what you told the fellow once asked about the big dinner.  You told they had six kinds of meat when he asked you what kind, you told him sheep, mutton & lamb, foul, chicken and hen.  So I don't know about mutton and lamb, but if you will come, we will kill fowl and a chicken.      John, I would give my old Barlow to see you once more and talk with you.   I got a letter from W.H.B. a few days ago.  He said he would come to see me the 4th of July.  I wish you would try to come to.  I do believe if you could about that time, we would have a perfect jubilee.      John, I will send you a chicken protector, if the hawks is bad use it.      Well, I believe I have said all I know what to say.  Mother is living with me.  She sends her love to you and family and says for you to hurry and come and bring her that dress you promised to bring her a long time ago and says for you to come this summer to see her.  O. B. and family are all well and getting along very well.  Olivers eyes has got well.      So I believe I will close and go to church.                                                                                                     Your Brother as ever,                                                                                                       A. J. Lewis Written with a pencil. If rubed out let me know.  A .J. Lewis ..................................................................................................... The following letter was written by Andrew Jackson Lewis on March 7, 1907, to the Gordo Messenger. Editor, Messenger:   You will please allow me a few lines in your paper.  We would say that those concerned that we regret every much not     meeting the class at Zion on last 3rd Sunday one of our neighbors died, and for this reason were not there.  Hope we will meet the class some future day.  Myself and brother, John C. Lewis, of Athens, TX, whom I have not met in 37 years until recently will visit our old home in Pickens County 9 miles east of Vienna and look at the hills that we roamed in our boyhood days, and visit the ground of our father.  We will remain with our old friends about 4 or 5 days.  We will return thence to our home in Tuscaloosa County.  Brother will start for the west March 14.  I will close. Andrew Jackson Lewis and wife, Martha White Lewis                                              Success to The Messenger and its readers.                                                                                                                 A. J. Lewis                                                                  Back to Index Page