Francis Lewis

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Francis Lewis (March 21, 1713 – December 31, 1802) was a merchant and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York.

Early life

Lewis was born in Llandaff, Wales, on March 21, 1713. He was Morgan Lewis and Anne Lewis' only child (née Pettingale) of Newport. Lewis was educated at Westminster School in London.

Personal life

Lewis married Elizabeth Annesley (died 1779), the sister of his business partner, in 1745. They were the parents of seven children, three of whom lived to adulthood: they worked together.

Lewis bought and relocated his family in 1775 to a Whitestone estate, which is now the Queens of the United Kingdom. The home was later destroyed in the American Revolutionary War by British troops, who also arrested Elizabeth Johnson and denied her a change of clothing or adequate food for weeks while captivity. After being released in a prisoner swap, her hardships in captivity destroyed her health and resulted in her death in 1778.

Ann, his eldest living son, and Marianne Robertson (1779-1829), married John Bird Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury and brother of Charles Sumner, Bishop of Winchester, and was a grandfather to Marianne Robertson (1779-1829). He was a grandfather of Margret Lewis (1780–1860), who married New York lawyer and politician Maturin Livingston and became parents to twelve children through his son Morgan. Gabriel Ludlow Lewis' grandfather, Francis Jr., was identified as a grandfather of Gabriel Ludlow Lewis'.

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Career

Lewis Lewis lived in London until he was 21 years old and inherited some properties left by his father. Lewis, who sold the properties and used the funds to buy stuff, set sail for New York City, arriving there in 1734 or 1735. Edward Annesley, his company partner, sold some of the items in New York and transported the remainder to Philadelphia, leaving some of the items in New York. He returned to New York after two years in Philadelphia.

Lewis was on several trans-Atlantic trips, including visits to Saint Petersburg, northern Scotland, and Africa. He was arrested whilst working as a British mercantile agent in 1756 and sent to France for detention. He became involved in politics after his release and return home.

Lewis was a member of the Committee of Sixty, a member of the New York Provincial Congress, and a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1779. He signed the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the United States Articles of Confederation in 1778. He served as the chairman of the Continental Board of Admiralty in 1779.

Francis Lewis Jr., Jr., was aided by him in opening Francis Lewis and Son, a dry goods company. Morgan's uncle served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and later held various offices in New York State, including governor.

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