Biography of 	LEWIS Family, Joshua and Hampton, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, 
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 256-259.  Edited 
by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical 
Association.

The Lewis Family.--There were many first settlers of the Lewis family in 
America, but it is said that they all originally came from the same Welsh 
stock, showing their descent from Howell, Lord of Nannan, Wales, who in 
turn descended from Cynfyn, who died in 972, and was prince of Powys and 
king of Wales, whose ancestor was Howell Dha, king of all Wales, who 
married Isabel, daughter of Picot de Say, a Norman Baron.  The southern 
Lewis family- -the family from which sprang the Lewises of Virginia, is 
one of the largest American branches, and their genealogies begin with the 
first settlement in Virginia of the five distinct heads of the Lewis 
family: first, Robert Lewis, a native of Wales, who sailed from England in 
1635, and settled in Gloucester county, Va.; second, John Lewis, of 
Henrico county, whose name first appears on the records of that county in 
1660; third, John Lewis, who settled in Hanover county, Va., in 1675; 
fourth, Zachary Lewis, who came to Virginia in 1692 and obtained a grant 
of land in King and Queen county in 1694; fifth, John Lewis, born in 
Donegal county, Ireland, in 1678, a grandson of William Lewis, of Wales, 
married Margaret, the daughter of the Laird of Lynne, of Scotland, and 
with seven children born in Ireland, were the first white settlers in 
Augusta County, Va., in 1732.  They had eight children who were as follows: 
Samuel,  Thomas,  Andrew,  Alice,  William,  Margaret,  Anne, and  
Charles--all save Charles were born in Ireland.  Samuel was a captain in 
the French and Indian war, and his brothers, Andrew, William, and Charles 
fought under him.  Andrew served as a major in Washington's Virginia 
regiment prior to the Revolution, and was with him at Braddock's defeat in 
1755.  He was taken a prisoner at Fort Duquesne, and carried to Montreal.  
Later he was exchanged.  He was with the future head of the American nation 
at the surrender of Fort Necessity, and Commanded the Sandy Creek 
expedition in 1756.  He was a member of the House of Burgesses for years, 
and a delegate to the Virginia convention in 1775, his statue occupying 
one of the pedestals surrounding the equestrian statue of Washington, in 
Richmond, Va.  Charles Lewis was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant, 
W. Va., 1774.  Joshua Lewis, grandson of pioneer John Lewis, known as the 
first settler of Augusta county, Va., was born in the Valley of Virginia 
in 1772, and married America Lawson in 1797, a daughter of Gen. Robert 
Lawson.  Her mother was a daughter of Sir John Pierce.  Gen. Lawson was 
with Gen. Greene in his memorable southern campaign, and commanded the 
Virginia contingent with Gen. Stephens.  Later he was under the immediate 
command of Lafayette.  His military service terminated at Yorktown.  Pres. 
Thomas Jefferson, because of his personal acquaintance with the different 
branches of the Lewis family, sent Meriwether Lewis, born in 1774, to the 
Northwest, and Joshua Lewis to New Orleans.  This gentleman, a lawyer by 
profession, and a graduate of Washington college, had first located at 
Richmond, Va., whence he had removed to Lexington, Ky., practicing his 
profession.  He was elected to the state legislature of Kentucky.  Six 
children were born to them in Lexington, Ky., as follows: Sidonia Pierce, 
who married Peter Knight Wagner, a celebrated journalist, personal friend 
and political advisor of Andrew Jackson; John Lawson, sheriff of Orleans 
parish, La., mayor of the city of New Orleans, and major general of the 
state militia at the opening of the Civil war, colonel and brigadier 
general in the Confederate army; Theodore, major in the Mexican war of 
1847, and served in the Confederate army; Eliza Cornelia; Louisa Maria, 
and Alfred Jefferson.  When Louisiana was purchased in 1803, Joshua Lewis 
was sent to New Orleans by President Jefferson, together with Edward 
Livingston, and James Brown to receive the purchased territory from the 
French.  In 1806 he was appointed judge of the superior court of the 
Territory of Orleans, and when the state was admitted into the Union, was 
made judge of the first judicial district, which position he retained, 
filling it with distinguished ability, until his death in 1833.  He served 
under Andrew Jackson in the second war with Great Britain, and participated 
in the night attack on the British, Dec. 23, 1814, as the captain of an 
organized military company composed of Americans.  His brother-in-law 
Columbus Lawson, at the head of a troup of mounted men, was mortally 
wounded at the battle of New Orleans.  So prominent a citizen was Judge 
Lewis that at the second election after the admission of Louisiana to the 
Union, he was placed in the gubernatorial field against Jacques Villere, 
who owing to the intense rivalry between the Creole and American elements 
defeated him, by a small majority.  Upon his death in 1833, the members of 
the bar desired to erect a monument to his memory, but his children 
declined the honor, because their father had requested that he should rest 
in the same spot with his wife, who had preceded him to the grave some 3 
years, and he was entombed with her in the cemetery just above 
Madisonville, on the west bank of the Tchefuncta river.  The lake front of 
his country seat in St. Tammany was then sold in town lots, and named 
Lewisburg, in his honor.  John Hampden Lewis B. A., B. S., M. D., A. M., 
4th son and 7th child of the union of Judge Joshua Lewis and America 
Lawson, was born in New Orleans, Sept. 14, 1810.  His twin brother was 
Algernon Sidney, father of the eminent physician and specialist, Earnest 
Sidney Lewis.  John Hampden Lewis as a boy was a student, and received an 
education befitting the rank and intelligence of his ancestors, and 
matriculated in Yale college, where he distinguished himself by his strong 
mental power, and force of character.  He was a leader in the famous Conic 
section revolt, which prevented him from  receiving a degree.  On the death 
of his mother, in 1830, he left Yale college, and in obedience to the 
wishes of his father, decided to study medicine.  Following a winter course 
at Cincinnati, he returned to New Orleans to prosecute his studies in the 
Charity hospital, and was appointed assistant surgeon.  In 1832 he went to 
Paris to complete his studies.  After spending 18 months abroad, he 
returned to this city, and graduated in the first class from the Louisiana 
Medical college.  In the meantime he was in charge of a private infirmary.  
He returned to Paris with the view of prosecuting the study of medicine as 
far as the science of the day would permit.  He could not enter the Paris 
School of Medicine, however, without a diploma as bachelor of arts and 
sciences, so he entered the Sarbonne, received his degrees, and then 
matriculated in the medical school, from which he graduated in 1839.  He 
then entered into active practice in New Orleans, which was uninterrupted 
except by the Civil war, until he retired in 1889.  As a physician he was 
honored, as a scholar he was admired, as a man he was esteemed and loved, 
not alone for his accomplishments and learning, but for his nobility of 
character and his thorough manliness.  During the Civil war, Dr. Lewis was 
surgeon of Col. Skymanski's regiment, which was detailed at the quarantine 
station near Fort St. Philip and Fort Jackson, on the Mississippi river, 
and when Admiral Farragut captured these forts, he was made a prisoner, 
but was shortly afterwards paroled.  There are 4 children living from the
marriage of Dr. John Hampden Lewis and his wife, Annie E. L. nee Von 
DeBritton;  Yettendahl   native of the island of St. Thomas, viz.:  Sidney 
Francis Lewis,  Wranie P. Lewis, who married Gabriel Villere, deceased, the 
grandson of Gov. Jacques Villere;  America Lawson, who married Benjamin 
Joseph Simms, and  Ernestine, who married Edgar White.  Sidney Francis 
Lewis, son of Dr. John Hampden Lewis, and grandson of Judge Joshua Lewis, 
is descended on his father's side from the Southern branch of the Lewis 
family, the early settlers in Virginia, all of whom originally came from 
the same Welsh stock.  His mother was of Danish and English parentage.  He 
was born in New Orleans, Jan. 28, 1854.  He first attended school, at the 
opening of the Civil war, at Mrs. Vatinel's, a French school still in 
existence on South Esplanade avenue, near Chartres street.  At the age of 
10 he entered the higher class of the public grammar school, on St. Philip 
street, and was graduated, at the age of 15, at the boy's high school in 
1869, with distinction.  At times, he had private instructors Edward 
Rapier, Dr. John I. Meylor, and Ulric Bettison, all prominent educators.  
In the fall of 1870 he matriculated at the University of Virginia, one of 
the youngest students who ever entered the portals of this famous 
institution.  He was taken desperately ill in June, 1874, after his final 
examination in astronomy, in the Natural Science course.  He was given up
by 4 eminent physicians of the university, and Charlottesville.  On the 
second day of his illness his father was telegraphed that his son could 
not possibly live, whereupon his father immediately left for 
Charlottesville, and after 3 months of ceaseless nursing and care, his 
father saved his life, but he was a living skeleton on crutches for many 
months afterward.  The faculty of the university voted him the permission 
to return and take the last of his examinations when his health would 
permit.  He returned in May, 1875, and passed the final examination on 
applied chemistry, under Dr. J. W. Mallet, and received his titled degree, 
dated in his honor June, 1874, having received diplomas in all the branches 
of the prescribed course of Science and Engineering, as well as 
certificates of distinction in Latin, Greek, German, and French.  
Returning to New Orleans during the final troubles of the Reconstruction 
period, he practiced his chosen profession under difficulties.  In 1877, 
when the Democratic party overthrew the "Carpet-Bag" government, and Gen. 
Francis T. Nichols became governor of the state, he was employed as 
draftsman and assistant engineer in the state engineering department.  He 
was appointed assistant state engineer in 1880, by Gov. L. A. Wiltz.  From 
1880 to 1908 he was a member of the board of state engineers, and in the 
fall of 1908, he was elected chief engineer of the Orleans levee board, 
which position he now holds.  In 1877 he joined the state militia as a 
private in Battery C, La. field artillery, and rose to the captaincy of 
Battery A, of the same regiment, and was then transferred to the staff of 
Gov. S. D. McEnery, and served as colonel of engineers to 1888.  He became 
a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1881.  The first 
president of the Louisiana Engineering society, in 1898.  President of the 
Alumni society of the Boys' high school, for the years 1900 and 1901.  
Member of the Knights of Honor since 1881.  New Orleans Lodge, No. 30, 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks since 1910; member of Camp 
Beauregard Sons of Confederate Veterans; member of St. Vincent DePaul 
Society of St. Louis Cathedral; President of the Holy Name society of the 
St. Louis Cathedral; member of the Young Men's Gymnastic club; member of 
carnival orgarizations.  In 1880 he married Clara Davis, who died in 1889, 
leaving 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls, as follows:  Sidney Francis Lewis, 
Jr., who married Alice Villere, who have 5 children;  Lillian, professor at 
Sophie Newcomb high school; John Hampden, U. S. assistant engineer; Clara 
Rose, married Alfred P. Landry. In 1892 he married Evelina Nicaud, by whom 
he has 5 children living, viz.:  Evelyn Marie,  Edna Lee,  Mildred 
Frances,  Enid Frances, and  Thelma Frances.  He has traveled extensively 
throughout the United States, visiting the principal cities on the Atlantic 
ocean, the interior, and those on the Pacific ocean; through the south of 
Canada from ocean to ocean, visiting the principal cities in Canada, and 
the Republic of Mexico.