He was the son of Lt. William Lewis of Locust Hill (1733 November 17, 1779), who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (February 4, 1752 September 8, 1837), daughter of Thomas Meriwether and Elizabeth Thornton. His father became a Revolutionary War officer and died when Meriwether was 5. The account given by the the innkeeper's wife was inconsistent, and with each telling becoming further muddled. Some of the most recognized names in American history are direct descendants of Warner Hall's founder, Augustine Warner - George Washington, the first president of the United States, Robert E. Lee, the most famous Civil War General and Captain Meriwether Lewis, renowned American explorer of the Lewis and Clark expedition. His opportunity for the graceful exit arrived when Jefferson asked Lewis to command an expedition to find an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean, and study the land along that route. Thirty-nine years later, in 1848, an effort was launched to locate Lewis's grave and provide a proper memorial. Yet his contributions to science, the exploration of the Western U.S., and the lore of great world explorers, are considered incalculable.[3]. [9] He was related to George Washington by marriage: his first cousin once removed was Fielding Lewis, Washington's brother-in-law. Lewis was a Freemason, initiated, passed and raised in Door To Virtue Lodge No. Born Meriwether LEWIS American explorer, soldier, and 2nd Governor of Louisiana Territory Born on August 18, 1774 in Ivy, Colony Of Virginia, USA , United States Died on October 11, 1809 in Hohenwald, Tennessee, USA Born on August 18 64 Deceased on October 11 39 Explorer - 19th century 31 Family tree Report an error Lewis John 1669 - 1725 Warner WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. A deer however had been cornered onto the grounds of Locust Hill by the party hounds, and Mrs. Lewis-Marks shot it and turned it into a succulent dinner before the party even returned. Name: Meriwether Lewis Birth Year: 1774 Birth date: August 18, 1774 Birth State: Virginia Birth City: near Ivy Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Meriwether Lewis teamed. Explorer and U.S. Army officer, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) has been saluted as America's foremost explorer. When explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark blazed a trail through the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific . 44 in Albemarle, VA between 1796 and 1797. Lewis was indeed like a man coming back from the moon, Guice notes. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. The intrigue surrounding the famous explorers untimely death has spawned a cottage industry of books and articles, with experts from a variety of fields, including forensics and mental health, weighing in. Retail Stores ; Book Vault ; Merchandise ; Login; $0.00 (0 Items) View Cart. The next morning, she sent for Lewis's servants, who found him weltering in his blood but alive for several hours. Brother of Jane Meriwether Anderson; Lucinda McFarlane; Dr. Ruben Lewis and Lewis His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. 44 in Albemarle, Virginia, between 1796 and 1797. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. He was given a powerful position in the new territory he had helped to explore, but tragedy would soon strike. Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. Many geographic locations are named for Lewis, including counties in six U.S. states have been named in Meriwether Lewis's honor: Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, and Washington. She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. . Because of bureaucratic delays in the U.S. Army, Clark officially only held the rank of Second Lieutenant at the time, but Lewis concealed this from expedition members and shared the leadership of the expedition, always referring to Clark as "Captain". He is best known for his role as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a pioneering expedition that explored the western portion of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. The bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean has spurred interest in the descendant project, which was launched in 1999. While modern historians generally accept his death as a suicide, there is some debate. James Waddell, a blind parson, and Parson Matthew Maury. He was never married, but family legend shares that he courted Theodesia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr. When Clark and Jefferson were informed of Lewis' death, both accepted it as suicide, but his family contended it was murder. At thirteen, he was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark . Lucy Meriwether was well known in Albemarle County throughout her adult life. In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. Around the time that the expedition commenced, they had arrived at the point in the relationship where Lewis either had to marry Theodesia or find a respectable way to exit the relationship. The expedition took almost three years and solidified the United States claims to land across the continent, and acquainted the world with new species, new people, and new territory. It was like coming back from the moon.. Parson Maury was a son of Charles Goodyear Maury who was Thomas Jefferson's teacher for two years. ExplorerBorn in 1774 - Died in 1809. But rather than feeling alienated, he would have been busy enjoying a level of Buzz Aldrin-like celebrity. Several years after his biggest accomplishment, Lewis was dead. [7], At the time, Meriwether Lewis was described as a lean man of six feet in stature. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. Historians would hold such details dear, Starrs says: Nobody even knows how tall Meriwether Lewis was. He died shortly after sunrise. In 1795 he joined the U.S. Army, as a Lieutenant, where he served until 1801, at one point in the detachment of William Clark, who would later become his companion in the Corps of Discovery. Even at his early age he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. The National Park Service is currently reviewing the exhumation request. Includes index of interrelated names at bottom of pedigree chart. Around the time that the expedition commenced, they had arrived at the point in the relationship where Lewis either had to marry Theodesia or find a respectable way to exit the relationship. His brother-in-law was George Washington . On August 11, 1806, near the end of the expedition, Lewis was shot in the left thigh by Pierre Cruzatte, a near-blind man under his command, while both were hunting for elk. At the end of his life he was a horrible drunk, terribly depressed, who could never even finish his [expedition] journals, says Paul Douglas Newman, a professor of history who teaches Lewis and Clark and The Early American Republic at the University of Pittsburgh. Jefferson selected Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the proposed expedition, afterwards known as the Corps of Discovery. The Lewis and Clark expedition is often called America's national epic of exploration. The explorer was buried not far from where he died, honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. as much as you want to claim President George Washington as a "close family member" it is not, and never will, be proven true, no matter how many fake find a grave memorial you create, your Lewis line is not related in the slightest way to this family . In the course of the journey, Lewis observed, collected, and described hundreds of plants and animal species previously unknown to science. Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Paul Allen with a biography of Meriwether Lewis, 1813The explorer was buried near present day Hohenwald, Tennessee, near his place of death. The expedition was tasked with exploring the Missouri River and its tributaries, mapping the western territories, and making contact with Native American tribes. A year after his death, John Grinder, in whose home Lewis died, was brought before a grand jury on a warrant of murder. To resolve these issues, Lewis began a trip to Washington City to plead his case to the administration in person. Lewis requested a glass of whiskey almost as soon as he climbed down from his horse. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. But I dont know if it would change anybodys mind one way or the other.. She even scared away a crowd of rowdy British soldiers during the time that she lived at Locust Hill, her husband's family's home, with a rifle. Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. When Meriwether Lewis was born on 18 August 1774, in Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia, British Colonial America, his father, William Lewis, was 39 and his mother, Lucy Thornton Meriwether, was 22. In 1795 he joined the regular army and for a brief period, he was attached to a sub-legion of General Anthony Wayne commanded by Lieutenant William Clark. In June 1803, Jefferson provided Lewis with basic objectives for the mission, focusing on the exploration of the Missouri river and any related streams which might provide access to the Pacific Ocean. certify direct and collateral descendants of the Lewis and Clark Expedition 1803-1806. President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806. The Web site is SolvetheMystery. Please note: The ancestor reports on this website have been compiled from thousands of different sources, many over 100 years old. For many years, Lewis's legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. She never explained why, at the time, she didn't investigate further concerning Lewis's condition or the source of the gunshots. Captain Meriwether Lewis was President Thomas Jefferson's chosen leader for the Corps of Discovery Expedition into the expansive territory of Louisiana, acquired from France in 1803. Lewis was nominated and recommended to serve as the first Master of the proposed Lodge, which was warranted as Lodge No. When his father died in 1779, he inherited his Locust Hill estate. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. The Meriwether Lewis Chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation will host the event, called Courage UndauntedThe Final Journey., On June 4, 2009, collateral descendants of Lewis launched a Web site aimed at garnering public support for exhumation and scientific study of the explorer's remains to determineonce and for allthe cause of his death. 111 on September 16, 1808. A valuable member of the expedition party, his working dog attributes were essential to daily life along the route. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University). Read more on Genealogy.com! As governor, Meriwether was traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials when he died in 1809. Their mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Country for the United States before European nations. On balance, his characteristics and developed sense of observation coupled with his detailed written accounts of what he observed, would prove to be ideal as a leader of the important Corps of Discovery expedition. The Charlottesville City Council convened on Wednesday to continue discussing plans for relocating the Lewis & Clark and Sacagawea statue.. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). As a young boy Meriwether enjoyed hunting in the woods . The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. Several years after Lewis's death, Thomas Jefferson wrote: Jefferson also stated that Lewis had a "luminous and discriminating intellect.". William Douglas Meriwether became his legal guardian and his Uncle Nicholas Lewis exercised unofficial oversight (Bakeless). Shaun proudly stood in front of his class at Candalaria Elementary School and offered a framed certificate to prove it. When Meriwether Lewis Sr. was born on 11 September 1802, in Buckingham, Virginia, United States, his father, Edward Lewis, was 31 and his mother, Mary Freeland, was 31. Thomas Meriwether, b.24 APR 1763, St James Northam Parish, Goochland Co, VA, son of Nicholas Meriwether + Margaret Douglas; + Ann Minor, b.abt 1771, Louisa Co, VA . The buffalo robe that he lay on was soaked with blood and Lewis was barely hanging on to life. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. Lewis suggested that the expedition would benefit from a co-commander and, with Jefferson's consent, offered the assignment to his friend and former commanding officer, William Clark. Indeed, the 200-year commemoration has led to a broader interest in genealogy among Americans. William Lewis and 3. [10] He also faced financial issues after a personal outlay for a trip that the War Department refused to reimburse. The National Park Service, which controls the land where Lewis is buried, repeatedly has stalled the Lewis family's efforts to exhume the remains for scientific examination and to provide a proper Christian reburial. However the two men were quite different in education and temperament. He later served as governor of Upper Louisiana Territory. On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. Hundreds of people have traced their family ties to members of the Corps of Discovery, two centuries after the historic journey. Marks raised Meriwether and his two siblings along with his own two children with Lucy, John Hastings Marks and Mary Garland (Marks) Moore (1787-1864). Servants found Lewis badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds. After returning from the expedition, Lewis's life had the potential to become that of a politician and stateman, and in 1807 President Jefferson appointed him as Governor of the Louisiana Territory. For many years, Lewis' legacy was overlooked, inaccurately assessed, and even tarnished by his alleged suicide. p. 108. There are many more. The National Park Service has reversed a previous decision allowing Meriwether Lewis' body to be exhumed in an attempt to determining how he died. Born 18 August 1774 - Albemarle Co., VA Deceased 11 October 1809 - Hohenwald, Lewis Co., TN,aged 35 years old Explorer 2 files available Parents William Lewis, Lt. 1733-1779 Lucy Meriwether 1752-1837 Paternal grand-parents, uncles and aunts Robert Lewis, Col. 1701..1702-1765 Jane Meriwether 1705-1755 Surprisingly, he may also have felt like something of a failure. He and Meriwether Lewis set out on the adventure in May of 1804. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University), joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. In 1793, Lewis graduated from Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University), joined the Virginia militia, and in 1794 he was sent as part of a detachment involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion. Lewis resided in the presidential mansion, and frequently conversed with various prominent figures in politics, the arts and other circles. Meriwether Lewis, (born Aug. 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Va. [U.S.]died Oct. 11, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn., U.S.), American explorer, who with William Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the uncharted American interior to the Pacific Northwest in 1804-06. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army. But exactly what transpired at a remote inn 200 years ago this Saturday? Have you taken a DNA test? FORUM ARTICLES SEARCH. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. It has absolutely rekindled interest in family history, said Carol Bronson, executive director of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in Great Falls, Mont. [3] When Jefferson began to formulate and to plan for an expedition across the continent, he chose Lewis to lead the expedition. The deadline for applications is Dec. 31. Ministers . Jane, Meriwether was born on month day 1770, at birth place, to William Lewis and Lucy Lewis. 15th cousin 6 times removed via Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 13th cousin 6 times removed via Katherine Pabenham, 13th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Reynold de Grey, 11th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Henry Percy, 12th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 16th cousin 5 times removed via Margaret of France, 15th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Robert de Holland, 14th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Maurice de Berkeley, 12th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Humphrey Stafford, 12th cousin 5 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 13th cousin 6 times removed via Sir Richard FitzAlan, 10th cousin 7 times removed via Sir Lionel de Welles, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Henry I, King of England, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Muitchertach O'Toole, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Enna MacMurrough, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Sir Robert de Beaumont, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Richard Fitzgilbert, 10th cousin 2 times removed via Sir Reynold Grey, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Simon I de St. Liz, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Robert FitzHamon, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Ranulf de Briquessart, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Ralph de Gael, 17th cousin 1 time removed via Alan of Galloway, 20th cousin 1 time removed via Walter of Salisbury, 20th cousin 1 time removed via William Talvas III. In 1795, he joined the regular U.S. Army, as a Lieutenant, where he served until 1801, at one point in the detachment of William Clark, who would later become his companion in the Corps of Discovery. They dropped the inquiry for lack of evidence or motive. A year and a half after the shooting, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, a friend of Lewiss, interviewed Mrs. Grinder, becoming one of the first among many people who have investigated the case. Conflicting information from sources indicate he was either rather ill (speculation runs from alcoholism to syphilis or possible psychological issues) or had trouble with hypochondria, and visited his mother in hopes of some care. Meriwether Lewis, in addition to being a great explorer and trailblazer, was the Governor of Louisiana. Username and password are case sensitive. Lewis never married he killed himself in 1809, three years after the expedition ended so he has no known direct descendants. 915 Words4 Pages. Meriwether Lewis became an American hero upon his return from his expedition across what is now the Northwestern half of the United States. After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in the area of present-day Oregon (which lay beyond the nation's new boundaries) in November 1805. He died on October 11, 1809, at the age of 35, under mysterious circumstances that have been the subject of much speculation and debate. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. These two Captains shared a common progenitor and were second cousins once removed. Lewis had reportedly attempted to take his own life several times a few weeks earlier and was known to suffer from what Jefferson called sensible depressions of mind. Clark had also observed his companions melancholy states. Even at his early age he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. He was the son of Lt. William Lewis of Locust Hill (1733 November 17, 1779), who was of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether (February 4, 1752 September 8, 1837), daughter of Thomas Meriwether and Elizabeth Thornton who were both of English ancestry. Browse Retail Locations . Lewis, who had not been publicly mourned when he died, was honored on that occasion with his first public memorial service. On August 2, 1808, Lewis and several of his acquaintances submitted a petition to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in which they requested a dispensation to establish a lodge in St. Louis. That rifle came in handy as well when a hunting party from Locust Hill failed to kill a deer. It is known that he visited at least twice. He moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia in May of 1780. Both Reuben and John (II) grew up to become doctors, taking after their mother's medicinal abilities. 1. In 1792, after the death of his step-father the year before, he traveled to the Broad River community to accompany his mother and his two half-siblings, John and Mary, back to Locust Hill. Lewis became intimately involved in planning the expedition and was sent by Jefferson to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for additional instruction in cartography and other skills for making scientific observations. He had at least 1 son with Ikpasarewin Sara Windwalker. Geographic names that honor him include Lewis County, Tennessee; Lewisburg, Tennessee; Lewiston, Idaho; Lewis County, Washington; the U.S. Army fort Fort Lewis, Washington, the home of the US Army 1st Corps (I Corps), and especially Lewis and Clark County, Montana, the home of the capital city, Helena. John Lewis was grandfather to Richard Ashcraft and G-grandfather to Meriwether Lewis. The Lewis family of Virginia is one of the most distinguished families in the State. He was the son of William Lewis, of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether, of English ancestry. (2006). ISBN 978-0275990114. They came inside and found Lewis on his pallet He had been [shot] in the side and once in the head. After the expedition, Lewis served as governor of the Louisiana Territory and as a commander of Fort Pickering in Tennessee. He also showed an interest in plant knowledge, and his mother, an herbalist, encouraged that interest. After his father died of pneumonia in November 1779, he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia. discoveries. The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. He had an older sister, Jane, and later a little brother, Reuben, would be born into the family. Meriwether Lewis's death has been a source of speculation for many years, often with the mistaken notion that "great men" do not take their own lives, and that suicide blights the memory of a great life. It was there that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. Lewis served as the co-leader of the expedition with William Clark and is credited with mapping much of the western United States and helping to open up the West for American settlement. 44 in Albemarle, VA, between 1796 and 1797. Originally, he was to provide information on the politics of the United States Army, which had seen an influx of Federalist officers as a result of John Adams's "midnight appointments".