M. (1) 25 Nov 1699 in Westfield, Massachusetts2
Wife: Abigail Ashley
M. (2) 4 Jul 1726 in Northampton, Massachusetts3
Wife: Thankful Pomeroy
D. 24 Feb 1752 in Farmington, Connecticut4
Throughout his life, Nathaniel Lewis was associated with a house his father had built in Farmington, Connecticut which still stands today. He was born there to William Lewis and Mary Cheever on October 1, 1676.1 Nathaniel had five full-siblings, three of whom died young, and ten half-siblings from his father’s previous marriage. His father was prominent in Farmington and had been one of its earliest settlers.5 Nathaniel’s mother was the daughter of Ezekiel Cheever, famous as headmaster of the Latin School in Boston.
Nathaniel was 14-years-old when his father died.6 William Lewis didn’t leave a will, and the children from his first marriage seem to have gotten a substantial amount of the estate. It should be noted that the younger set of siblings had been singled out in their grandfather’s will only a few years earlier, so perhaps this was an effort to balance things out. As a result, the homestead in Farmington fell into the possession of the older half-brothers.6
On November 25, 1699, Nathaniel got married.2 His wife was Abigail Ashley, who was from Westfield, Massachusetts, where the wedding took place. The newlyweds settled in Farmington and had a family of ten children, with the youngest born in 1722.7 Within a few years, Abigail passed away,8 and Nathaniel remarried to a widow named Thankful Lyman (her maiden name was Pomeroy).3 Nathaniel and Thankful had no children together; she brought several children into his household, and one of her sons married his oldest daughter in about 1727.9 Nathaniel didn’t seem to take on any important civic duties in his community, but he did have the title of “ensign,” so he likely served in the town militia.4
Perhaps Nathaniel’s biggest legacy is his connection to the house his father built. The house was said to be modest in size, described as “one-room deep and two stories in height.”10 Even though his older half siblings owned the house after their father’s death, the distribution of the estate was later contested, and by 1699, Nathaniel and his brother Ezekiel became the owners. Ezekiel then gave his half of the house to Nathaniel, and this was his home for the rest of his life.11 He died at Farmington on February 24, 1752.4 His second wife Thankful outlived him by many years, passing away in 1773.12
Following Nathaniel’s death, the home was divided among his children. His youngest son Phineas bought out the others for complete ownership, a process that took until 1771.11 After Phineas died in 1800, his son Seth took over the property and expanded the structure into a hotel that eventually became known as the Elm Tree Inn.13 For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was a landmark in Farmington, said to have been visited by Presidents Chester A. Arthur, William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt.14
The Elm Tree Inn as it looked during the 1930s.
One of the rooms inside the Elm Tree Inn that was part of Nathaniel's house.
Nathaniel had some very famous descendants, J.P. Morgan and Franklin Roosevelt, who were both 4G grandsons.15 As for the homestead where he was born and lived in for much of his life, today it's been converted into condominiums.14 The original house is embedded in the center of the larger building.10
Children (all by Abigail Ashley):
1. Abigail Lewis — B. 15 Nov 1701, Farmington, Connecticut;16 D. 1 Nov 1776, Northampton, Massachusetts;17 M. Joseph Lyman (1699-1763), about 1727, (probably) Northampton, Massachusetts9
2. Nathaniel Lewis — B. 1 Jan 1704, Farmington, Connecticut;18 D. 24 Dec 1755, Hartford, Connecticut;19 M. Rachel Kelsey (1714-1742), 17 Feb 1733, Connecticut19
3. Elisha Lewis — B. 3 Dec 1705, Farmington, Connecticut;20 D. 28 Apr 1708, Farmington, Connecticut21
4. Noadiah Lewis — B. 27 Apr 1708, Farmington, Connecticut;22 D. 4 Nov 1736, Farmington, Connecticut;23 M. Elizabeth Smith (1712-1789), 4 Dec 173524
5. Elisha Lewis — B. 23 Jul 1710, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut;25 D. 13 May 1769, Farmington, Connecticut;26 M. Ruth Wadsworth (1711-1776), 18 Apr 1739, Farmington, Connecticut27
6. Sarah Lewis — B. 8 May 1712, Farmington, Connecticut;28 D. 25 Dec 1797, Farmington, Connecticut;29 M. Joseph Hooker (1705-1764), 23 Jan 1735, Farmington, Connecticut30
7. Mary Lewis — B. 18 Dec 1714, Farmington, Connecticut;31 D. 24 Apr 1749, Farmington, Connecticut;32 M. James Thompson, 30 Oct 174133
8. Mercy Lewis — B. 16 Apr 1717, Farmington, Connecticut;34 D. 2 Aug 1718, Farmington, Connecticut35
9. Ezekiel Lewis — B. 19 Nov 1718, Farmington, Connecticut;36 D. 4 Jul 1760, Farmington, Connecticut37
10. Phineas Lewis — B. 11 Apr 1722, Farmington, Connecticut;7 D. 31 Oct 1800, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut;38 M. Sarah Norton (1726-?), 27 Nov 1746, Farmington, Connecticut39
Sources:
1 Birth record of Nathaniel Lewis, Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of Nathaniel Lewis and Abigail Ashley, Connecticut Vital Records Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
3 Marriage record of Nathaniel Lewis and Thankful Lyman, C.V.R.P. to 1850
4 Find-a-Grave listing for Ens. Nathaniel Lewis Sr.
5 Book VXIII of the Genealogy of the Lewis family, William Richard Cutter, 1891
6 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
7 Birth record of Phineas Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
8 Find-a-Grave listing for Abigail (Ashley) Lewis
9 Marriage date based on record of birth of first child, Eunice Lyman, Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
10 Early Connecticut Houses: An Historical and Architectural Study, Norman Morrison Isham and Albert Frederic Brown, 1900
11 Historic Resources Inventory Building and Structures, Elm Tree Inn, 1986, State of Connecticut
12 WikiTree listing for Thankful (Pomeroy) Lewis
13 Historic Buildings of Connecticut (website)
14 USS Celtic (AF-2), 1891-1923 (website)
15 Famous Kin listing for Nathaniel Lewis
16 Birth record of Abigail Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
17 Find-a-Grave listing for Abigail (Lewis) Lyman
18 Birth record of Nathaniel Lewis (younger), C.B. & C., 1649-1906
19 Find-a-Grave listing for Nathaniel Lewis (younger)
20 Birth record of Elisha Lewis (older), C.B. & C., 1649-1906
21 Death record of Elisha Lewis (older), C.V.R.P. to 1850
22 Birth record of Noadiah Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
23 Death record of Noadiah Lewis, C.V.R.P. to 1850
24 FamilySearch listing for Noadiah Lewis
25 Birth record of Elisha Lewis (younger), C.B. & C., 1649-1906
26 Find-a-Grave listing for Elisha Lewis (younger)
27 Marriage record of Elisha Lewis and Ruth Wadsworth, C.V.R.P. to 1850
28 Birth record of Sarah Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
29 Find-a-Grave listing for Sarah (Lewis) Hooker
30 Marriage record of Joseph Hooker and Sarah Lewis, C.V.R.P. to 1850
31 Birth record of Mary Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
32 Find-a-Grave listing for Mary (Lewis) Thomson
33 Marriage record of James Thomson and Mary Lewis, C.V.R.P. to 1850
34 Birth record of Mercy Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
35 Death record of Mercy Lewis, C.V.R.P. to 1850
36 Birth record of Ezekiel Lewis, C.B. & C., 1649-1906
37 Find-a-Grave listing for Ezekiel Lewis
38 Find-a-Grave listing for Phineas Lewis
39 Marriage record of Phineas Lewis and Sarah Norton, C.V.R.P. to 1850
