The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware  19735

Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:         Lewis family. 

Title:               Papers

Dates:             1793-1896

Call No.:         Col. 491         

Acc. No.:        76x46.3-.27, .29

Quantity:        26 items

Location:       

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

The Lewis family resided in the area of Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut, during the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century.  Some members of the family also owned land in Bridgeport, Conn.  The progenitors of this branch of the Lewis family were Elizabeth Freeman (1738-1802) and her husband Benjamin Lewis (1729-1800).  Their children included Benjamin (1755-1822; married Frances Westbrook), Freeman, Huldah (1765-1858, married Agur Curtiss), Agur (1767-1853, married Charity Birdseye), Mary (born 1772, married a Mr. Curtiss), Daniel (born 1776), Elizabeth (or Betsey, born 1778, married Abijah Ufford), and Adonijah (born 1779).

 

Freeman Lewis (1764-1830, name also spelled Freemund) married Cherree (or Cherry) French (1767-1831), and they had a son named Alanson F. Lewis (1795-1859). 

 

Daniel (born 1776) had a son Daniel, Jr. (born 1805, still alive in 1880).  Junior married a woman named Miranda, and they had a daughter named Lorintha (1839-1919; married Charles Beach).  The fees for settling the estate of Daniel Lewis in 1896 were probably for Daniel, Jr., but that has not been confirmed.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Collection primarily contains land deeds and receipts collected by the Lewis family between 1793-1896.  The receipts are for a cemetery lot, a gravestone, textiles, shingles, schooling and books for Daniel's daughter Lorintha, and breeding a cow.  Several receipts are associated with the execution of wills and the appraisal and settling of estates.  The deeds are for land in Stratford or Bridgeport, Connecticut.  They name adjacent landowners, some of whom were other members of the Lewis family. 

 

           

ORGANIZATION

 

The items are divided into smaller pieces (receipts, bills, etc.) and larger pieces (deeds and one quitclaim), and then they are in chronological order within each group.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

 

Purchased from Whitlock Farm Booksellers, Bethany, Conn.

           

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

            People:

                        Lewis family.

 

Topics:

Deeds – Connecticut.

Education – Finance – 19th century.

Estate settlement costs - 19th century

Land titles - Connecticut.

Stratford (Conn.) – Schools.

Deeds.

                        Receipts.

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 34 J 3

 

 

All accession numbers begin with 76x46.

 

 

Receipts and checks:

 

.29       slip of paper with various dates, 1795-1831, one of which is preceded by the word born, so probably the remnants of some genealogy notes

 

.24       receipt: Freeman Lewis paid Benjamin Lewis, Stratford, Oct. 13, 1810, for Benjamin’s share of their father’s estate

[father Benjamin Lewis died in 1800; some of his children were minors when he died]

 

.23       quitclaim: Pixlee[?] Judson signed this quitclaim to Freeman Lewis for part of a salt meadow at De[illegible] Point, July 27, 1813;

 

.25       receipted bill: the executors of estate of Freeman Lewis paid Pembroke Burial Ground Association, Jno Brooks, treasurer: for lot no. 62 and other charges; Alanson Lewis paid the bill for the estate, April 22, 1831;

                        The bill has been backed with cloth, used to mend a tear; this is an old mend;

 

.16       receipt: Alanson Lewis paid Abijah Tomlinson for a pair of gravestones for his mother; Stratford, Dec. 22, 1831;

 

.18       receipted bill: Daniel Lewis, Jr., paid David Wheeler for yards of fabrics and other goods (perhaps something to do with spinning or weaving?  Handwriting difficult to read); Trumbull, June 27, 1833;

                        On back: some accounts of Benjamin Lewis (carting a load of wood) and Willys[?] Stillman (bushel of eels?), 1839;

 

.17       receipt: Josiah Gorham, treasurer for the Pembroke or Old Mill School district, paid Benjamin Lewis $41, Stratford, Oct. 15, 1847

 

.27       receipted bill: Mr. Lewis paid Frederick Sedgwick for tuition and other school expenses of Lorintha, Stratford, Sept. 30, 1853

                        [Lorintha was the daughter of Daniel Lewis, Jr.]

 

.19       receipted bill: Daniel Lewis paid Edmund Thompson for services of bull for one cow, Bridgeport, Jan. 4, 1854;

 

.26       receipted bill: Mr. Lewis paid Frederick Sedgwick for tuition and other school expenses, including drawing materials, of Lorintha, Stratford, June 30, 1855

                        Printed form; with notice about school on back, listing tuition charges for various subjects;

 

.22       bill for appraising the estate of Daniel Lewis, June 10, 1896; the appraisers were George W. Spall and Lewis H. Burritt; this bill was submitted to the probate judge Charles H. Peek and was approved by him;

 

.21       receipt for payment to Probate Court of fees and charges relating to estate of Daniel Lewis, Stratford, Nov. 14, 1896; signed by judge Charles H. Peek

 

.20       receipted bill: Daniel Lewis, [Jr. was crossed out] paid L. H. Russell, for sawed, cedar, and pine shingles, and nails, Aug., no year;

                        Calculations on back

 

 

 

Deeds and quitclaim: [mostly printed forms]

 

.3c       “Freeman Lewis’s deed from John Peck [or Peek], received to record April 22, 1793….” 

                        John Peck [or Peek] of Stratford, Fairfield County, Conn., sold to Freeman Lewis three acres of land in Stratford, James Common and James Beach forming two of the boundaries; dated April 22, 1793; witnessed by Joseph Curtiss, Jun. and Abijah Brooks; signed by Robert Walker, justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form

 

.6         “Freeman Lewis deed from Enoch Foot, received to record October 6, 1802…”

                        Enoch Foot of Stratford, Conn., sold to Freeman Lewis three acres of land in Stratford; dated Oct. 15, 1802; witnessed by Ezra Wheeler and Joseph Backus; signed by Joseph Backus, justice of the peace;

                        Printed form

.7         “Freeman Lewis deed from Asa Benjamin, received to record Aug. 13, 1804….”

                        Asa Benjamin of Stratford, Conn., sold to Freeman Lewis 2.5 acres of meadow land at Wood End in Stratford; dated Aug. 10, 1804; witnessed by Robert Walker and Wm. Cairns; and signed by Robert Walker, justice of the peace;

 

.4         “Freeman Lewis Deed from Agur Lewis, received to record July 19, 1805, …”

                        Agur Lewis of Stratford, Conn., sold to Freeman [written as Freemund] Lewis four acres of land in Stratford, and gave permission for Freeman to cross his woodland when there is no crop on the land; mentions Agur’s sisters Huldah and Mary Curtiss, and also Daniel Lewis, as abutting land owners; witnessed by Lewis Burton, May 28, 1805; signed by Abijah McEwen, justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form

                                   

 

.5         “Elizabeth Lewis Deed from Agur Lewis, received to record April 11, 1809, …”

                        Agur Lewis of Stratford, Conn., sold to Elizabeth Lewis two acres of land at Wolf Swamp in Stratford; witnessed by Lewis Burton and Abijah McEwen, May 28, 1805; signed by Abijah McEwen, justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form

 

.8         “Freeman Lewis’s deed from James Daskum[?], received to record May 29, 1810…”

                        James Daskum, of Trumbull, Fairfield County, Connecticut, sold to Freeman Lewis of Stratford, 1.75 acres of land in Stratford, abutting Lewis’ land, May 15, 1810; witnessed by Joseph Strong and David Sterling; signed by Joseph Strong, justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form

 

.9         “Alanson F. Lewis from F. Lewis, received for record, May 20, 1823….”

                        Freeman Lewis of Stratford, Conn., gave to Alanson F. Lewis out of “the love and affection I have for my son,” three acres of land in old Mill Hill, Stratford, also half of a salt meadow, April 24, 1823; witnessed by George W. Ufford and Elijah Ufford; signed by Elijah Ufford, justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form;

 

.10       “Alanson F. Lewis’s deed from Freemund & Charree Lewis, received to record Jan. 25, 1827….”

                        Freemund Lewis and his wife Charree Lewis, both of Stratford, for the consideration of love and goodwill gave their son Alanson F. Lewis ten acres of land at Ox Hill in Bridgeport and another nine acres at Fresh Pond, also in Bridgeport, dated January 4, 1827; witnessed by Isaac Sherman and Hanson W. Canfield; signed by Isaac Sherman, Justice of the peace

                        Printed form;

 

.12c     “Daniel Lewis, Jr., Deed from Daniel Lewis, rec’d for record Nov. 27, 1827….”

                        Daniel Lewis of Stratford sold to Daniel Lewis, Jr., fourteen acres at Old Mill, in Stratford; dated November 27, 1827; witnessed by Corn. Brooks and David Brooks, who also signed as justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form;

 

.15       “Alanson F. Lewis deed from Ebenezar French, received to record October 25, 1828….”

                        Ebenezer French of Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Conn., sold to Alanson F. Lewis of Bridgeport a half acre of land near the Berkshire Bridge in Bridgeport, Oct. 23, 1828; witnessed by Louisa [initial unclear] Plumb and Noah Plumb, who also signed as justice of the peace;

                                    Printed form;

 

.11b     “Alanson F. Lewis deed from Freeman & Charre Lewis, received to record Jany. 23, 1830…”

                        Freemund Lewis and Charree Lewis, husband and wife, of Stratford, out of love and good will gave their son Alanson F. Lewis of Bridgeport fifteen acres of land at Chops Hill near Seely’s sawmill, in Bridgeport; January 23, 1830; witnessed by Isaac Judson and Josiah Gorham, who also signed as justice of the peace

                        Printed form;

 

.14       “Daniel Lewis, Jr. deed from Daniel Lewis, received for record Sept. 2, 1834….”

                        Daniel Lewis of Stratford, sold his son Daniel Lewis, Jr., also of Stratford, fifteen acres at Old Mill in Stratford; the abutting land was owned by other sons; September 2, 1834; witnessed by Benjamin Lewis and David Brooks, who also signed as justice of the peace;

                        Printed form;

 

.13b     quitclaim: Elijah Curtiss, Stiles Judson, and Lewis Wells, selectmen of Stratford, in consideration of money received from Daniel Lewis, Jr., quit claim to him a strip of land in Old Mill, Stratford, containing about six acres; October 17, 1835, witnessed by Abraham Hubbell[?] and David Brooks, who also signed as justice of the peace;

                        Printed form; some paper loss