From book "Descendants of James Stanclift of Middletown, Connecticut and Allied Families", By Robert C. and Sherry [Smith] Stancliff
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THOMAS LEWIS FAMILY
(6) JAMES STANCLIFT JR married MARY LEWIS
THOMAS4 LEWIS (Thomas3, Thomas2, George1)
Son of Thomas and Sarah [Bassett] Lewis, born Middletown, Hartford County, CT Aug. 1698(1), died Middletown, CT sometime before Dec. 17, 1743, married Feb. 25 1720(2), at Colchester, Ct. MARY ROWLEY daughter of Shubael and Catherine [Crippin] Rowley(3) born about 1700(4).
Thomas Lewis was said to be "one of original proprietors" of Colchester. If a Thomas Lewis was an original Proprietor of Colchester, it would have to be Thomas Lewis3 father of this man, and the rights of that Proprietor status would have been passed down to his heirs. I argue only with the "Original" as Thomas Lewis4 was 2 years old when Colchester was formed and the "Original" Proprietors organized. That this man was a proprietor, or at least a landowner of Colchester is substantiated by two land purchases within Colchester, but not until 1724.
Thomas Lewis received land in Colchester on June 3, 1724 from his brother in law, Jabez Rowley(5), by Warranty Deed. He purchased land from the "Town of Colchester" on Aug. 14, 1724, land not yet laid out, and to be surveyed(6).
Probate records were generally placed in the area where the deceased owned property. While Thomas may have owned land in Colchester as well as Middletown at the time of his death, the piece of property ordered by the Court to be sold to satisfy his debts was located within the bounds of Middletown. Thomas had as one of his assets a piece of land described as, being in the Three Mile Division of land on the East side of the Connecticut River in sd Middletown being the 38th lottment of sd division containing 35 and � acres and 30 rods of land. The Three Mile Division in East Middletown was land located at the site of the present community of New Hampton.
Thomas and his family seemed to have been cared for in Middletown during an illness before his death in that place. His probate records list him as being "of Middletown". Elnathan Rowley of Colchester, brother of Mary [Rowley] Lewis, was granted a letter of Administration on his Estate on Dec. 17, 1743. His probate records indicate he owed money to a large number of Middletown residents as well as people from Colchester and East Haddam.
He owed money to among others, his brother Zebulon Lewis, who lived at Haddam, and to a man who was probably his cousin, John Percivall, who lived East Haddam. He had borrowed a great deal of money by note from a great many people. He seemed to have suffered a lengthy illness and to have sustained major Doctors bills as well as a substantial debt to the Town of Middletown for taking care of him and his family during his illness. John Bevin Jr charged the Estate for making Three coffins. If there was one for Thomas and one for Shubael, who was the third coffin for? There was no mention of charges for a Tombstone, and the graves were dug by John Swa??, unfortunately it is too difficult to read his name and therefore identify the man and the area in which he might have dug those graves.
The fact that both Shubael Lewis and his father, Thomas Lewis, are together in the probate records probably means that one was the Administrator on the other ones estate at the time he died. When Elnathan Rowley, was appointed Administrator on the Estate it was for both men.
Births of all but last two children listed in Colchester Records(7). The last three children were all baptized together in the second Congregational Church of Colchester, CT in area encompassed by the Westchester Ecclesiastical Society. They were baptized at the same time and only a few months before the death of Thomas.
Westchester was organized as separate Society in 1728. Judah Lewis, son of Benjamin and the first cousin of Thomas was the pastor of this church from it's inception until his death in 1739. Family also said to have lived "Machemoodus" which was name given in earliest conveyances of land in what is now East Haddam, but I have not found any records for this family in East Haddam.
CHILDREN:Thomas and Mary [Rowley] Lewis
1. SHUBAEL LEWIS born Dec. 6, 1721, died 1743, Probate linked with that of his father(8).
2. SARAH LEWIS born Oct. 10, 1723
3. ABIGAIL LEWIS born Nov. 30, 1724
4. THOMAS LEWIS born Oct. 14, 1726
5. MARY LEWIS born Oct. 1728, married at Simsbury, CT as his second wife on Jan. 24, 1751 JAMES STANCLIFT both were listed as being "of Middletown"(9). James Stanclift was the son of William and Olive [Stanbrough] Wright Stanclift born Middletown, CT Sept. 20, 1712. After the marriage they returned to Middletown to live until about 1756, when they moved to Simsbury.
6. ESTHER LEWIS born Dec. 31, 1730, married Dec. 18, 1751 EARL4 WRIGHT (Thomas3, Thomas2, Thomas1) son of Thomas and Elizabeth [___] Wright of Middletown, CT. His sister, Hepsibah, married Middletown May 25, 1748 Ezra Bevin son of John(10) and Sussanah [Wright(11)] Bevin. He appears in Connecticut Colonial Records Vol. II p. 476 in which an Earl Wright of New Hartford brought suit against the proprietors of Simsbury.
7. BASSET LEWIS born Oct. 27, 1732
8. MATHEW LEWIS born July 3, 1734
9. DANIEL LEWIS born Aug. 31, 1736
10. SYBELL LEWIS born Aug. 31, 1738 baptized June 21, 1743 Westchester Society.
11. ELIZABETH LEWIS baptized June 21, 1743 Westchester Society married Simsbury, CT Mar. 27, 1760 Jacob Davis Jr of Simsbury(12). She was termed as being "of New Hartford" this date. He was probably son of Jacob and Ann [___] Davis who had originally come from Barnstable, MA. She may have been living with sister Esther and Earl Wright in New Hartford. She is the mother of Sibbel [Davis] Stancliff.
12. LYDIA LEWIS baptized June 21, 1743 Westchester Society married Westchester Society Apr. 19, 1778 JAMES M. SMITH.
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Footnotes:
1. 1.Middletown Land Records LR 2, page 7
2. 2.Colchester Records Vol. L-1 page 446
3. 3.HENRY ROWLEY AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS by Homer W. Brainerd in the NYGBR Vol.37 page 57-66
4. 4.ANCESTRY OF ELIZABETH BARRETT GILLESPIE by Paul W. Prindle, 1976 page 400
5. 5.Index Only, Colchester Land and Property Vol.II, part II, page 530 or 538
6. 6.Index Only, Colchester Land and Property Vol.II, part II, page 516
7. 7.Colchester Records Volume 1 page 127 as listed in the Barbour Records.
8. 8.Probate Records copied at the Connecticut State Library 1978.
9. 1.Simsbury Records TM 4, page 180
10. 2.John was a brother of Abigail and Thomas Bevins, both of whom married children of James and Mary [Tinker] Stanclift
11. 3.Sussanah [Wright] Bevins was sister of Jonas Wright, first husband of Olive Stanclift, who married William Stanclift son of James and
Mary [Tinker] Stanclift. Their son James Stanclift married Mary Lewis.
12. 4.Simsbury Records TM 4, page 153
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