Edmond Lewis, about 1601 to 1651, of England and Watertown & Lynn, Massachusetts

Edmond Lewis was born England about 1601, based on his age when he sailed for New England. His birthplace and parents have not been found; some have said he was from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, others from Suffolk or Wales, but nothing conclusive. His last name is sometimes spelled Lewes and first name Edmund. 

By 1630 (first child born about 1631) he married a woman named Mary whose maiden name is unknown. She was a born about 1602 in England, based on her age in 1634. 

Migration

On 30 April 1634, “Edmond Lewis,” aged 33, “Mary his wife,” aged 32, “John Lewis,” aged 3, and “Thomas Lewis, aged 3 quarters,” were enrolled at Ipswich as passengers for New England, sailing on the Elizabeth. [Hotten 280-81]. They first resided at Watertown in Middlesex County where he was admitted a freeman on 25 May 1636. [Mass Bay Colony Records 1:372] His homestead was on the east side of Lexington Street in Watertown. [George Harlan Lewis]

The Lewis family removed to Lynn in Essex County by 29 December 1648 when Edmond served on an Essex grand jury. [Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County/EQC 1:160]. He was on a petit jury 31 Dec 1650 [EQC 1:204] and named Lynn constable 27 June 1649 [EQC 1:170]. They lived on what is now Lewis Street. [George Harlan Lewis] 

George Harlan Lewis wrote Edmond purchased 40 acres of land on Lynn’s seashore and he also proposes Edmond may have been a sailor given the location of his land and the weapons he owned. His sons Nathaniel and Joseph were mariners. Edmond’s WikiTree profile has a map showing the location of his farm here.

Family

Mary and Edmond had seven children, most or all of them boys. 

i. John Lewis born England about 1631 (age 3 on 30 April 1634); married 1) at Lynn 17 June 1659 Hannah Marshall (his name given incorrectly as Jonathan); married 2) Lynn (int) 2 September 1699 Elizabeth (Walker) King, daughter of Richard Walker and widow of Ralph King; married 3) Lynn 10 February 1706/7 Sarah (Merriam) Jenks daughter of William Merriam and widow of John Jenks.  (Essex Institute Historical Collections 43:74). He was an innkeeper, a deacon and served in King Philip’s War. 

ii. Thomas Lewis born England about July 1633 (“aged 3 quarters [of a year]” on 30 April 1634 [Hotten 281]); married 11 November 1659 Hannah Baker at Lynn. He was a builder.

iii. James Lewis born Watertown 15 January 1635[/6] [Watertown VR 4]; presumably one of the “five youngest” children named in Edmond’s 1650/1 will; no further record.

iv. Nathaniel Lewis born Watertown 25 August 1639 [Watertown VR 6]; married by 1672 Mary ___ (eldest known child b. Swansea 6 June 1672 [Swansea VR 8]).

v. Child Lewis, born 27 October 1642 [calc]; died 6 November 1642, “10 days old” (Watertown VR 10]

vi. Child Lewis, born say 1644; presumably one of the “five youngest” children named in Edmond’s will; no further record.

vii. Joseph Lewis born say 1646; married Swansea 13 June 1671 Mary Jones [SwVR 23], daughter of Robert and Ann (Bibble) Jones [The American Genealogist 31:98-99]. He was reportedly the first white man slain in King Philip’s War at Swansea 24 June 1675. Note: Some researchers believe the evidence is flimsy for Joseph as a son of Edmond and Mary, but there are Swansea land records where he is called a brother of Nathaniel Lewis. 

Only the eldest son John is given by name in his father’s 1651 will. Presumably Thomas, James, Nathaniel,  Joseph and a child whose name is unknown are referred to as Edmond’s five youngest children.  I descend from Thomas whom I wrote about here.

Public service

Edmond was elected a Watertown selectman on 30 December 1637 [Watertown Town Records 1:3]. He was named to a committee to lay out farms on 14 October 1638 [Watertown Town Records 1:4].

It seems Edmond served in the militia as his inventory included “a sword, belt & bandoliers” valued at 12s., “two muskets & two rests” valued at 1 pound 16 shillings, “a fowling piece” valued at 1 pound 6 shillings, and “two small guns’ valued at 16 s [Essex County PR 1:124].

Edmond was literate as he signed his will and his inventory included a Bible. [Essex Probate Records 1:125].

Land transactions

On 25 July 1636 Edmond Lewis was granted 30 acres in the Great Dividend in Watertown, Lot No. 26 in the First Division. [Watertown Lands, Grants, Divisions, Allotments, Possessions and Proprietors’ Book 3/WaBOP]  Granted five acres in the Beaverbrook Lowlands lot no 82 on 28 February 1636/7 [WaBOP 7]. Granted five acres in the Remote Meadows lot no 61, on 26 June 1637 [WaBOP 9]. Granted six acres in the Town Plot on 9 April 1638 [WaBOP 11].

In the Watertown Inventory of Grants “Edmond Lewis” held six parcels [WaBOP 29]:

“An home stall of six acres”

“One acre of meadow in Rock Meadow”

“Thirty acres of upland being a Great Dividend in the 1 Division & the 25 lot”

“Five acres of Plowland in the Further Plain & the 91 lot”

“Five acres of meadow in the Remote Meadows & the 61 lot”

“A farm of one hundred acres of upland” 

On 16 Oct 1644 “John Sanders of Hampton” sold to “Henry Dow & Edmund Lewis of Watertowne…all the ground that I bought of William Wakefeild of Newbury which is to say one houselot containing ten acres…with ten acres added to the same adjoining to the north end thereof and twelve acres of planting ground granted in the east field and ten acres of meadow ground granted in the east field and ten acres of meadow ground adjoining to the springs and seventeen acres of salt marsh near adjoining to it together with the commonage & appurtenances to the same belonging” [Ipswich Land Records 1:18] On 22 October 1649 “whereas we Edmond Lewis & Henry Dow as joint purchasers in a bargain of land which he bought of John Sanders of Hampton, the land lying in the bounds of Hampton,” now “Edmond Lewis of Linn” sells to Henry Dow his entire right in the said lands [Old Norfolk County Deeds 1:10].

On 23 Oct 1645 “Edward Lewis of Watertowne” sold to “Daniel Smith of Watertowne one acre of meadow in Rocky Meadow” [Suffolk Deeds 1:64]. On 28 December 1647 Watertown selectmen “ordered that John Sherman shall measure the acre of meadow that was given Edmund Lewes” [Watertown Town Records 1:11]. It seems Edmond was contemplating a move to Hampton (now in New Hampshire) as Dow moved there almost immediately but it seems Edmond did not move there.

Death & Probate

Edmond died between 13 January 1650/51 (when he wrote his will) and 12 Feb 1650/51 (will proved), at Lynn. He was about 50 years old. Mary, widow of Edmund Lewis, late deceased, brought in his will 12:12:1650 [12th month was then February], and it was proved by Edward Burcham and John Deacon. Ordered that the children receive their portions at the age of 21. Inventory of the estate of Edmund Lewis of Lynn, deceased, taken 12 February 1650 by John Deakin, James Axey, witnessed by Edward Burcham and William Tilton (his mark). The inventory, which contained no real estate, totaled  £122 7 shillings 6 pence. [Essex Antiquarian 7:27]

Edmond’s will dated 11th month [January] of 1650/51: ”Line [sic: Lynne] the 13th of the 11th mo 1650 Memorandum that I Edmund Lewis beinge Sick & Weake, but of perfect remembrance, doe make & confirme this my last Will and testymente as followeth first my will Is that my land att watertowen shall be sould & thatt my eldeste sone John Lewis shall have A double portyon & yt the reste of my Children namly the five youngeste to haue every one of them A licke portyon of my estate secondly my deare & Lovinge wife to have the thirds of All my whole estate 3 I desier that my wife may have A cow over & above towards the bringine upe of my youngeste Children 4 my desires Is my wife to be my whole Executor to dispose of my body & goods ackordinge to my will 5 my requeste to my sone John Is to give his mother a Cow to hellpe her towards the bringine upe of my youngeste Children 6 my requeste to my sone Thomas Lewis Is to give his mother halfe of his sheepe to helpe her as Aforesaide 7 my desire & meninge is that the Cow I aske of John & the sheepe I aske of Thomas Is of them that they now have In theare possesion Aliso my requeste is to Thomas Austines [Anderson writes this is a transcription error: should be Deacon Thomas Hastings] to be my supervisor to assiste my Lovinge wife.” 

Signed by Edmund Lewes

Witness John Deakin 

Edward Burchum [Essex Antiquarian 4:63] 

The will is signed "Edmund Lewes.” The reference to Thomas Austines is a transcription error: Edmund was referring to Deacon Thomas Hastings, a fellow passenger on the Elizabeth who settled and stayed in Watertown. [Essex Probate Records 1:123-24]

Find A Grave memorial ID 128784480 has Edmond Lewis buried Old East Burying Ground, Row J, Lot 5, but without a source or photographs. 

Mary Lewis, widow of Edmond, died 7 September 1658 at Lynn. [Lynn Vital Records p 525] She was about 56 years old.

Sources:

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1995

Essex Antiquarian, “Salem Quarterly Court Records and Files,” 7:27 (1903)

George Harlan Lewis. Edmund Lewis and Some of his Descendants, 1908

John Camden Hotten, editor, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700,  1874