Greene County NcArchives Biographies.....Lewis, William 1761 - 1841 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Guy Potts http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00017.html#0004214 William Lewis 1761-1841 Patriot Greene County, NC William Lewis was born September 6, 1761 in Dobbs (now Greene) County, NC and died in Cumberland County, NC on October 6, 1841. It is not known where he was buried. The courthouse in Greene County burned in 1876 destroying any records indicating who William's family members were. In 1777 and at the age of 16, he entered the Revolutionary War and ended his service on October 1, 1781. He submitted a Pension Application in 1833 in Sampson County, NC detailing his service (posted on this county page). In 1841 he executed a Power of Attorney to Benjamin Lewis in Cumberland County, NC to receive his pension from 1 Mar 1841 to 4 Sep 1841. "When called into service I was living in Dobbs (now Greene) County, NC where I continued to reside till about thirty years ago; I then moved to Wayne County NC and lived four or five years; thence to Duplin County NC I lived about three years; thence into South Carolina & lived four years; thence into Lenoir County NC & lived about four years; thence into Sampson County NC where I have ever since lived and now live". Fayetteville Weekly Observer; 13 Oct 1841, Wed - Died in this county, on Wednesday morning, the 6th inst, William Lewis, in the 81st year of his age, a soldier and pensioner of the Revolutionary War, and a native of Contentnea, Greene County, N. C. Previous to the commencement of hostilities with the mother country, he united himself with the Wesleyan Missionaries to whose religious tenets he adhered to the day of his death. He appeared to depart in the full assurance of a blessed immortality. When asked if he had doubt as to his future state, he replied, "No, I am ready," raising his hand and pointing upwards. It is said William married Sarah Utley and their children were Urban, Ulley, Rebecca, James, Thomas, Stephen, Cadir, Sarah, Mary and Benjamin. There is documentation for Urban, Ulley and another son, Laban, but none has been found for the spouse and other children. It is said Rebecca married John Casey of Wayne County, son of Micajah Casey (d 1800) but the Casey Family history in Wayne County states John's second wife was "--- Lewis". See more information about this family at http://guypotts.net/lewis/williamlewis.html ----- Other Lewis in Dobbs County from the mid 1700's: Anthony, Benjamin, Cadir, Jacob, James, John, Reuben, Stephen and William. It's possible some of these men were related to William born in 1761. Some of them migrated to Robeson County in the 1790s. Some of their Greene County land grants are posted on this county site. ----- William not in 1790 Dobbs County Census Greene County, NC 1800 Census William Lewis 1 M under 10 1 M 10-15 1 M 16-25 1 M 26-44 (born before 1775) 3 F under 10 1 F 10-15 1 F 26-44 A number of neighbors had land grants at Rainbow Creek and Wheat Swamp Not in 1810-1820 Census Sampson County, NC 1830 Census William Lewis, 70 and under 80 1 F 15 and under 20 1 F 50 and under 60 Neighbor Benjamin Lewis Robeson County, NC 1840 Census William Lewis, Veteran 1 M 79 ----- When William Lewis filed for a pension he was asked to note the names of persons to whom he was known in his present neighborhood and who could testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. He stated that in his former neighborhood (Greene) he would name Willis Dickson, Henry Best, Drew Aldridge, Rev. Seth Speight, Rev. John Gibbons and Josiah Whitley. Three of these men had land grants at Tison's Marsh in the Contentnea area. It is proposed the following was William Lewis born in 1761. 1792 - William Lewis signed a petition for dividing the county of Dobbs. 1800 - At an Election begun and held at Snow Hill on the second Thursday and Friday in August in 1800. To elect one person qualified to represent the County of Greene in the Senate of the General Assembly the present year. The vote of the free holders of the said County were taken as Follows - to wit - William Lewis, others. 1800 - Petition of James Holmes and Sherwood Barrow of Greene County to become good citizens - signed William Lewis, others. ----- New Bern District Court Records DSCR 206.326.3-5 This first case involved a man named Drury Aldridge and the name Drew Aldridge was mentioned in William's pension application as being one of his former neighbors in Greene County. Folder: 1794 - Information: Indictment of Jesse Aldridge and Drury Aldridge for theft of a duck, cart, & [can't read-sbg] from William Lewis. [Back: A true bill as Aldridge; not a true bill as to Drury Aldridge]. Date: 6 Sept 1793 - Date of: Event - County: Glasgow. Folder: 1797 - Summons for Martha Jones Sheppard, Henry Best, Blaney Harper Senr. & William Lewis to appear and testify against John Sheppard & others. Date: 19 Mar 1797 - Date of Bond - County: Glasgow Folder: 1797 (second folder) - Witnesses Sum'd in this Prosecution see file Martha Jones Sheppard, Henry Best, Blaney Harper, William Lewis [note: this is all that is on this slip of paper-sbg]. Date: Not given - Date of: - County: Not given Folder: 1797 (second folder) - List of witnesses in the case of the state vs. John Sheppard and others indicted for riot: Saml. Holliday (pros. witness), John Holliday, Graves Bright, Fred. Dixon, Willm. Reddick, Wm. Lewis, Silas Lassiter, Zach. Hart. Date of 1795: County: Not given Folder: 1800 - Information: Inquisition into the death of John Sheppard. Jurors: Seth Speight Senr., foreman; Adam Heath, Mark Heath, Michael Hill, Abraham Hill, John B. Brand, William Lewis, Michael Edwards, Jonas Williams, Etheldred Smith, Kinchen Garland, Sharp Wood. Date: 15 Feb 1800. Date of: Inquisition - County: Greene Folder: 1802 - Appearance bond for Jesse Langston, Jesse Aldridge, Frances Caswell, William Lewis, & Richard Allen to appear and testify against Etheldred Smith, James Holmes, Benj Smith, Thomas Smith, Richard Smith, & John Edmundson for committing riot at the house and on the body of Jesse Langston. Date: 11 Feb 1801 - Date of: Bond - County: Greene ----- Entered: 15 May 1805 - Issued: 20 Apr 1807 State of North Carolina No 40 - Know ye that we have granted unto Urbane Lewis 12 1/2 acres of land in Greene County on the south side of Great Contentnea Creek and on the north side of the Rain Bow adjacent to maple in a branch in William Lewis' plantation, Hills and said Lewis corner and runs with Lewis line to a maple his corner. NCLandGrants.com; Greene County; Bk 122, pg 317; Grant No: 40. (William bought land in neighboring Wayne County in 1806 and may have moved prior to this land grant being issued.) Entered: 15 May 1805 - Issued: 20 Apr 1807 State of North Carolina No 39 - Know ye that we have granted unto William Lewis 12 1/4 acres of land in Greene County on the south side of Great Contentnea Creek and on the north side of the Rain Bow adjacent to his own and Suggs corner, Hills line. 20th April 1807. Nat: Alexander. NCLandGrants.com; Greene County; Bk 122, pg 317; Grant No: 39. ----- William appeared November 21, 1806 in Wayne County, NC in a deed in which he bought 161 acres from Simon Herring on both sides of the south prong of Sleepy Creek. This was likely the land he deeded to his son Laban. William appeared in Wayne County on November 21, 1807 in a Deed of Gift to his son Urban land containing 220 acres on Sleepy Creek. William appeared in Wayne County on November 8, 1808 in a Deed of Gift to his son Ulley land containing 100 acres. Ulley and Urban were neighbors in the Wayne County 1810 census. Ulley lated moved to Sampson County. William appeared in Wayne County May 1, 1809 in a Deed to Laban Lewis land containing 161 acres on both sides of Sleepy Creek. Laban's estate mentions "at his death his real estate consisted of two tracts in Wayne on which said Laban Lewis lived containing between 250-300 acres being on Sleepy Creek and was conveyed to said Laban by his father William Lewis by deed and the other tract contains about 400 acres lying on Sleepy Creek conveyed to said Laban by Joseph Everitt and adjoins the first tract". More Lewis deeds are posted on the Wayne County GenWeb Archives site. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/greene/bios/lewis58nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 8.9 Kb