LEWIS Charles

Notes:

Robert Lewis was born on May 4, 1702, in Gloucester County, Virginia, the child of John and Elizabeth. He married Jane Meriwether and they had one son together in 1735. He then married Elizabeth Thornton in 1757 in Louisa County, Virginia. He died on January 10, 1765, in Albemarle County, Virginia, at the age of 62, and was buried in Rivanna, Virginia.

Children
John LEWIS b: 31 AUG 1726 in "Chemokins", St. Peters Parish, New Kent County, Virginia
Jane LEWIS b: 1 Jan 1727/8 in Hanover County, Virginia
Elizabeth LEWIS b: 1729 in Hanover County, Virginia
Anne LEWIS b: ABT 1731 in Virginia
Mary LEWIS b: ABT 1732 in Virginia
Nicholas LEWIS b: 19 Jan 1733/4 in "Belvoir", Hanover County, Virginia
Charles LEWIS b: Between 27 Apr 1734 and 1 Sep 1736 in Virginia
William LEWIS b: ABT 1735 in Virginia
Mildred LEWIS b: 1 SEP 1737 in Albemarle County, Virginia
Robert LEWIS b: ABT 1739 in Virginia
Sarah LEWIS b: ABT 1745 in "Belvoir", Albemarle County, Virginia
Isabella LEWIS

There is Lake Meriweather there, possible named for her family

Colonel Robert Lewis married Jane Meriwether, the daughter of Nicholas Meriwether II and Elizabeth Crawford, and established a new estate at Belvoir. This was the first of 11 intermarriages between the Meriwether and Lewis families. Robert Lewis amassed a large amount of land in Goochland and Albemarle Counties throughout his life, which he later divided among his children. He acquired the land in Ivy Depot, VA in 1740. Locust Hill, the childhood home of Meriwether Lewis, was built on this land, and Meriwether's father was the first Lewis to inhabit it. (Meriwether, 1964)

Col Robert Lewis
Birth: May 4, 1702 Gloucester Co., VA
Death: Jan. 10, 1765 VA

Robert Lewis was the third son of Col. John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner. He was born at Warner Hall in Gloucester County, the family home of his mother. He married Jane Meriwether (1705-1757), the daughter of Nicholas Meriwether and Elizabeth Crafford. They had eleven children. Robert Lewis had land in Gloucester but he deeded that to his eldest son, John Lewis of "Halifax" and opted, along with his father-in-law, Nicholas Meriwether, to push out to unoccupied lands in the Piedmont area of Virginia. "Both took out grants for themselves of thousands of acres, being good judges of fertile, well watered selections." (Anderson, p. 62) In 1736, he obtained a grant for 4,000 acres on the Hardware River, and in 1740, he took a grant for 6,500 acres on Ivy Creek. Along with other grants, he accumulated a total of 21,660 acres, enabling him to bequeath land to all of his children. He also held an interest in 100,000 acres in Greenbrier County (now West Virginia). He built his home, "Belvoir," in the part of Louisa County that joined Albemarle County in 1761, apparently near the location of this cemetery. He served in the House of Burgesses 1744-1746 and was County Lieutenant for Louisa County. After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton in 1761, grandmother of Meriwether Lewis. Elizabeth's 1st husband Thomas was a son of Jane Meriwether's brother David.
Family links:
Parents:
John Lewis (1669 - 1725)
Elizabeth Warner Lewis (1672 - 1720)
Spouses:
Jane Meriwether Lewis (1705 - 1757)
Elizabeth Thornton Lewis*
Children:
Anne Lewis*
Nicholas Lewis (1734 - 1808)*
Mary Lewis (Cobbs) Thomson (1735 - 1812)*
William Lewis (1748 - 1779)*
William Lewis (1748 - 1779)*
Siblings:
John Lewis (1692 - 1754)*
Charles Lewis (1696 - 1779)*
Catherine Lewis (1702 - 1705)*
Isabella Lewis Clayton (1706 - 1742)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial: Belvoir Family Cemetery Rivanna, Albemarle Co., VA
Created by: Kaaren Crail Vining
Record added: Jan 15, 2006

Robert Lewis of "Belvoir" (1702 - 1765) & Jane Meriwether
Robert Lewis was the third son of Col. John Lewis and Elizabeth Warner. He was born at Warner Hall in Gloucester County, the family home of his mother. He married Jane Meriwether (1705-1745/55), the daughter of Nicholas Meriwether and Elizabeth Crawford. They had eleven children. Robert Lewis had land in Gloucester but he deeded that to his eldest son, John Lewis of "Halifax" and opted, along with his father-in-law, Nicholas Meriwether, to push out to unoccupied lands in the Piedmont area of Virginia. "Both took out grants for themselves of thousands of acres, being good judges of fertile, well watered selections." (Anderson, p. 62) In 1736, he obtained a grant for 4,000 acres on the Hardware River, and in 1740, he took a grant for 6,500 acres on Ivy Creek. Along with other grants, he accumulated a total of 21,660 acres, enabling him to bequeath land to all of his children. He also held an interest in 100,000 acres in Greenbrier County (now West Virginia). He built his home, "Belvoir," in the part of Louisa County that joined Albemarle County in 1761. He served in the House of Burgesses 1744-1746 and was County Lieutenant for Louisa County. Of their eleven children, two played key roles in Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks' life:
William Lewis of "Locust Hill" was Lucy's first husband.
Nicholas Lewis, who inherited "The Farm" from his grandfather Nicholas Meriwether, married Lucy's first cousin, Mary Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker and Lucy's aunt, Mildred Thornton
Of the remaining nine children, six of them married other Lewises.
After his wife's death, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth Thornton, Lucy's mother, in 1761.

At the time he made his Will, he was living in Fredericksville Parish,Louisa County. In the document, he named sons John, Nicholas, Robert,Charles, and William; daughters Jane Meriwether, Mary Cobbs, MildredLewis, Sarah Lewis, Ann Lewis (wife of John Lewis), Children "nowliving" were named as John Lewis, Jane Meriwether, Aaron Lewis,Nicholas Lewis, Mary Cobbs, Mildred Lewis, Robert Lewis (infant),Charles Lewis, William Lewis, Sarah Lewis. A daughter ElizabethBarrett was referred to as deceased. The absence of his wife fromthis document indicates she was also already deceased.

Robert married MERIWETHER Jane in 1725 in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA. Jane (daughter of Col MERIWETHER Nicholas, Jr. and CRAWFORD Elizabeth) was born about 1705 in Greensville County, Virginia; died before Sep 1757; was buried in Cismont, Albemarle County, VA ("Belvoir"). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Jane died before Sep 1757 in Albemarle County, probably at "Belvoir." About 1758, Robert Lewis married Elizabeth (Thornton) Meriwether, widow of Jane's nephew, Thomas Meriwether. There were no children by this marriage and Robert died before December 1765, when his will was proved. (Robert was the paternal grandfather and Elizabeth was the maternal grandmother of Capt. Meriwether Lewis. The Meriwethers & Lewises of the day liked to keep family connections close.)

Notes:

John Lewis II, called Councilor John due to his service on the King's Council in 1715, married his first cousin, Elizabeth Warner-the woman who would later become the great aunt to George Washington. They gave birth to 14 children: Catherine, Elizabeth, Col. John Lewis III, Col. Charles Lewis, Col. Robert Lewis III, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Ann. The names of the other children remain unknown.

John married WARNER Elizabeth about 1691 in Virginia. Elizabeth (daughter of WARNER Augustine and READE Mildred) and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John Lewis II, called Councilor John due to his service on the King's Council in 1715, married his first cousin, Elizabeth Warner-the woman who would later become the great aunt to George Washington. They gave birth to 14 children: Catherine, Elizabeth, Col. John Lewis III, Col. Charles Lewis, Col. Robert Lewis III, Elizabeth, Isabella, and Ann. The names of the other children remain unknown.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer/Planter, land speculator; Attorney
• Residence: 1729, Cismont, Albemarle County, VA; Cloverfields plantation
• Residence: 1735, Goochland County, VA

Notes:

Nicholas Meriwether was born on October 26, 1665, in Iceland, the child of Nicholas Meriwether to Elizabeth Woodhouse, age 32, and Nicholas Meriwether, age 34. He married Elizabeth Crawford in 1687 in Buckingham County, Virginia. They had eight children in 17 years. He died in November 1744 in Virginia, having lived a long life of 79 years.

Col. Nicholas Meriwether II
Col. Nicholas Meriwether II amassed a large quantity of land, at one point owning about 33,000 acres. His will, one of the longest recorded in Virginia, was witnessed by Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson.
Buried: East bank of Rivanna River, near present day Charlottesville. Actual site has been lost.

Children
William MERIWETHER b: ABT 1688 in James City County, Virginia
David MERIWETHER b: ABT 1690 in James City County, Virginia
Thomas MERIWETHER b: ABT 1691 in Virginia
Anne MERIWETHER b: ABT 1694 in Virginia
Sarah MERIWETHER b: 1697 in Virginia
Nicholas MERIWETHER b: 11 JUL 1699 in Virginia
Elizabeth MERIWETHER b: 20 JUN 1703 in Virginia
Jane MERIWETHER b: ABT 1705 in Virginia
Mary MERIWETHER b: ABT 1707 in Virginia

Lake Meriweather is located there and poss named after him

Historical Background The first plantation house was built by Nicholas Meriwether about 1735 where he died in 1744. Sometime before the Revolutionary War, the house burned and Col. Nicholas Lewis, grandson and heir of Meriwether, built a second main house which has since disappeared. Colonel Nicholas Lewis (1728-1807) (uncle of the famous explorer Meriwether Lewis) was a surveyor who served in several public roles including sheriff, surveyor and magistrate.[4] The 1782 tax records indicate he owned 33 slaves, 80 cattle and 17 horses.[5] His neighbor and friend Thomas Jefferson paid tribute to him in his writings for bravery in fighting the Cherokee Indians in 1776:[6]

Residence:
Cloverfields Plantation: The Cloverfields plantation, which the Meriwether family first acquired as part of the 3,000 acre grant to Nicholas Meriwether II in 1729. No one called it"cloverfields"until at least 1760, when Nicholas Meriwether II and his wife, Margaret Douglas built the first dwelling on the property. At the present time, there are several buildings in which people live. The original chimney from the kitchen still stands on the property, as well as the original smokehouse. The other buildings have been updated and/or rebuilt since the Meriwether's lived there. One of the buildings was added to the property in order to keep it from being destroyed. Developers were building on the land where the building originally stood. The graveyard is, of course, also in its original spot and condition. Edward C. Mead wrote in 1899"Here sleep undisturbed on their native ground those noble men and women who lived in the exciting times of the Revolution and saw the wild country emerge into a'new nation.'"Many of the people who lived at the plantation were originally buried in the family plot, but have since been moved to Grace Church in Cismont. Many people interred in the graveyard lie in unmarked tombs. The most well-known burial there is William Lewis, Meriwether's father. While on leave from the Continental Army to visit his wife and children at Locust Hill, he crossed the Rivanna River in a flood. His horse drowned and he caught pneumonia. Cloverfields, his wife Lucy's childhood home was much closer, so he went there to recouperate. Instead, he died there, and his body was never moved. Cloverfields is still a private property owned by the descendants of the Meriwether family."Cloverfields Cemetery."Write-up by Douglas Valentine. April 1998 and Barnes, Sara Lee. Live Interview at Cloverfields. 2 December 2002.

Source: http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/encounter/projects/homesteads/map/farm.html The farm was the 1020 acre plantation of Colonel Nicholas Meriweather, a contemporary of Thomas Jefferson's father, where he build his home in 1735. This stretch of land lies in the river flats between Moore's Creek and Meadow Creek. Its simple name comes from it being the earliest cleared loaction West of the Rivanna River and as such became a conspicuous landmark in the area. It was on this site with a view of Monticello that Nicholas Meriweather lived the rest of his life and was buried nearby. His grandson Colonel Nicholas LEWIS, a Revolutionary Officer uinherited the property.

Residence:
The Farm: Col. Nicholas Meriwether II amassed a large quantity of land, at one point owning about 33,000 acres. In 1735 he built his plantation, [which became] "The Farm", in Goochland (now Albemarle) County, the site of which is now the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. His will, one of the longest recorded in Virginia, was witnessed by Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson.

Descendants of Nicholas Meriwether II & Elizabeth Crawford are eligible for membership in the Magna Charta Dames or to the Barons of Runnymede (NHM p. 174).
02 May 2013 • F

Buried:
The Cloverfields plantation, which the Meriwether family first acquired as part of the 3,000 acre grant to Nicholas Meriwether II in 1729. No one called it"cloverfields"until at least 1760, when Nicholas Meriwether II and his wife, Margaret Douglas built the first dwelling on the property. At the present time, there are several buildings in which people live. The original chimney from the kitchen still stands on the property, as well as the original smokehouse. The other buildings have been updated and/or rebuilt since the Meriwether's lived there. One of the buildings was added to the property in order to keep it from being destroyed. Developers were building on the land where the building originally stood. The graveyard is, of course, also in its original spot and condition. Edward C. Mead wrote in 1899"Here sleep undisturbed on their native ground those noble men and women who lived in the exciting times of the REvolution and saw the wild country emerge into a'new nation.'"Many of the people who lived at the plantation were originally buried in the family plot, but have since been moved to Grace Church in Cismont. Many people interred in the graveyard lie in unmarked tombs. The most well-known burial there is William Lewis, Meriwether's father. While on leave from the Continental Army to visit his wife and children at Locust Hill, he crossed the Rivanna River in a flood. His horse drowned and he caught pneumonia. Cloverfields, his wife Lucy's childhood home was much closer, so he went there to recouperate. Instead, he died there, and his body was never moved. Cloverfields is still a private property owned by the descendants of the Meriwether family."Cloverfields Cemetery."Write-up by Douglas Valentine. April 1998 and Barnes, Sara Lee. Live Interview at Cloverfields. 2 December 2002.

Charlottesville
Albemarle County
Virginia USA
Cemetery notes and/or description:
THE OLD FAMILY GRAVEYARD, A DISGRACE TO ALL THE DESCENDANTS

Following the county road already described, starting at Charlottesville and as soon as you cross the Country Bridge over the Rivanna River, you are upon the plantation left by the will of Nicholas (2) "to my grandson Nicholas Lewis the son of Mr. Robt. Lewis, my plantation and land whereon I now live, containing by Patent One Thousand and Twenty acres, together with One Hundred and nineteen acres part of a greater tract bought of Thomas Graves…"

The county road begins to climb the side of the mountain as soon as it leaves the bridge. Off to the left a short distance, and facing the river, is the present Mansion, but upon the right of the road and facing more towards "Monticello", and the bend of the river, stood the old home of Nicholas (2) Meriwether and wife Elizabeth (Crafford). This was the house in which he died, and it was a beautiful site for a home. On the same first ridge of the mountain, but about 150 yards to the right of the present county road, and perhaps 200 yards from the bridge, was the old Meriwether family graveyard in which were buried Nicholas, Col. David, and many of the family.

At the time of the writer's visit the entire field where stood the old house and where is located the old graveyard, was planted in corn. Not even a mound marks a grave, and it seems to him a disgrace to every descendant of the family. Cannot this be rectified? The cost would be very small divided among so many

Nicholas married CRAWFORD Elizabeth on 26 Oct 1665 in New Kent County, VA (Saint Peter's Parish). Elizabeth (daughter of CRAWFORD David, Esq. and CRAWFORD Jane --?--) was born about 1672 in New Kent County, VA ("Assasquin"); died before 11 May 1762 in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA; was buried in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alt. Burial: Unknown
• Will: Will proved in Louisa, but may have died in Albemarle

Notes:

. Her family is said to be descendents of Sir Roland Crawford, the grandfather of Sir William Wallace (the subject of Mel Gibson's 1994 epic movie Braveheart.) (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. Their oldest, Jane Meriwether married Colonel Robert Lewis; they became Meriwether Lewis' paternal great-grandparents. The second oldest, Nicholas Meriwether III married Mildred Thornton. The other children were William, Thomas, Colonel David Meriwether, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, and Mary.

Alt. Burial:
Burial place unknown, though some state "Clover Fields." May also have been with Nicholas on the Rivanna River.

Notes:

Major John Lewis. William died without having any children, so John inherited 33,333 1/3 acres from his father.
John Lewis married Isabella Warner, and they settled "Warner Hall" which was named for Isabella. They had a son, John Lewis II, born in 1669.

John married WARNER Isabella. Isabella and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1628, Virginia

Notes:

The ancestry of the Warner family and the identity of Mary, wife of the first Augustine Warner, were completely unknown until comparatively recently. This always seemed odd, because the name Augustine Warner was distinctive, he obviously came from an educated class, he used a coat of arms, and it seemed reasonable to expect to find records.

It remained for a very able scholar, Mrs. Mary Derrickson McCurdy, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to notice a clue in Raine's edition (2883) of Dugdale's 1664-5 Visitation of ?Lancaster. Mrs. McCurdy had been studying the Townley family, and came across a chart in this visitation of a branch of the Townley family which included the marriage of a Mary Townley to an Augustine Warner. Proceeding from here, she developed a magnificent Assay in the July, 1973, Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, which gives Augustine Warner's ancestry, identified his wife as Mary Townley, and shows several other connections of the Townleys with the Warners and other early Virginia families. It is from Mrs. McCurdy's article that the account of Bacon's invasion of Warner Hall is copied (supra).(John A. Washington, Feb 2001)

Augustine Warner
Augustine Warner (November 28th, 1610 - December 26th, 1674), was born in Norwich, Norfolk, to Thomas Warner and Elizabeth Sotherton. He was the progenitor of the Augustine Warner Family, who arrived in Virginia in 1628 at the age of seventeen, one of a group of thirty-four brought in by Adam Thoroughgood. His first land acquisition came 7 years later when he patented 250 acres (1,000,000 m2).
Continuing the typical pattern of seventeenth-century success in Virginia as a merchant, investor in land, and statesman, he rose through the colonial hierarchy to become a member of the House of Burgesses in 1652 and then in 1659 a member of the King's Council, which he held until his death. About 1657, he moved across the York River to Gloucester County, where he settled and built the first house at Warner Hall.
Augustine Warner died in 1674, at sixty-three, and was succeeded at Warner Hall by his only son, Augustine Warner, Jr. (1642-1681). After his English education in London and at Cambridge, the younger Augustine Warner returned to Virginia, and soon, by 1666, became a member of the House of Burgesses, and then Speaker of the House in 1676. In 1677 he took his seat on the King's Council, but his career was cut short by his early death in 1681 at the age of thirty-nine.
Besides the son Augustine Warner the second, the first Augustine Warner (1610-1674) had at least two daughters. One married David Cant, and the other, Sarah, married Lawrence Townley, and was the ancestor of General Robert E. Lee.
It is recorded that the second Augustine Warner (1642-1681) had three sons, all of whom died unmarried, and three daughters, who inherited the Warner property and left huge progenies.
The three were; (a) Mary Warner, who married in 1680 John Smith of Purton, they were the ancestors of Queen Elizabeth II through the Bowes-Lyon ancestry of the Queen Mum (Queen Elizabeth II's mother); (b) Mildred Warner, who married about 1690 Lawrence Washington (1659-1698), ancestors of George Washington, and (c) Elizabeth Warner, who married about 1691 to John Lewis, and kept the Warner Hall house itself in the division of the Warner properties after the brothers' deaths. Elizabeth and John Lewis were the grandparents of Fielding Lewis, who married first George Washington's cousin and second his sister, both ladies also being grandchildren of Mildred Warner. Additionally Elizabeth and John Lewis were the ancestors of Meriwether Lewis of the Corps of Discovery fame.
Warner Hall stayed in the eldest male line of the Lewis family, through a succession of eldest sons named Warner Lewis, until 1834, when it was finally sold by a daughter of the last of them, another Elizabeth Lewis.
Warner Hall is still known by this name and the Lewis descendants became known as the Warner Hall Lewises. A non-profit DNA Project LEWIS Surname DNA Project is actively seeking descendants from this paternal line. In some cases a scholarship may be offered.
SOURCE: Wikipedia, online @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_Warner

Col Augustine Warner, I
Birth: 1610
Death: Dec. 24, 1674
Aged 63 Yeares 2 Mth 26Ds. Came to Virginia about 1628, and finally settled in Gloucester Co., on an estate called "Warner Hall." He was Burgess from York in 1652, and from Gloucester in 1658. He was a member of the King's Council, 1659-74. He is the 4th great-grandfather to Gen Robert E Lee.
**************************************************
From "Warner Hall Story of a Great Plantation" by David Brown & Thane Harpole, pub. DATA Investigations Inc., 2004 p. 64
Inscriptions on the Warner Hall Tombstones
These fourteen inscriptions are taken from Lyon G. Tylers 1894 article in the "William and Mary Quarterly". There is some confusion about the tombs, since Mildred Reade Warner has no legible inscription, and the stone of James J. McClanahan was moved to Abingdon Parish Church.
2. Augustine Warner Deceased
ye 24th of December 1674,
Aged 63 Yeares 2 Mth 26Ds.
Thos dead whilest most men live he canot dy
His name will live fresh in their memory
True worth is highly shown in liveing well
When future ages of his power shall tell
[Virginia Founder]
Family links:
Spouse:
Mary Towneley Warner (1614 - 1662)*
Children:
Susan Warner Towneley*
Augustine Warner (1642 - 1681)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial: Warner Hall Graveyard Naxera, Gloucester Co., VA

Immigration:
ugustine Warner I (1610-1674) and Warner Hall
Augustine Warner I was born on November 28, 1610 in Norwich, England. He was one of the first Virginia Immigrants to sail to the New World under Captain Adam Thouroughgood in 1628.
The Warner family settled along the Piankatank River. As some of the Warners moved into Maryland Augustine Warner I, who received the earliest known land grant in Gloucester in 1635, was most influential in establishing a Gloucester settlement, later to become Gloucester County by 1651. Augustine's wife Mary Townley immigrated to Virginia in 1638 by The Charles River Company. As Augustine's acquisition of land increased, so did his political influence in the area. He became important in government and a man of respect in the county. In 1642 Augustine Warner's wife gave birth to their second child on July 3, Augustine II.
By the 1650's, Augustine Warner had acquired over one thousand acres through land grants spanning Virginia, it has been rumored that he was granted nearly 33,333 acres total throughout Gloucester County. This may have included land covering the entire North side of the Severn River, out to the Mobjack Bay Finally, he became politically influential. Captain Warner was a member of the King's Council of the Royal Governor of Virginia until his death. This included being Justice and Burgess of York and Gloucester Counties between 1652 and 1658. This enabled him to advise the Governor on many important matters. He was named Speaker of the House and known as Speaker Warner at this time. He became Captain of the Virginia Militia and received commission from the Governor "Gentlemen." He aided the Dutch with the attacks on the Virginia Fleet of Hampton Roads. Augustine Warner was also famous for giving handsome service of communion plate to Abingdon Parish as well. He was considered an important man of the county as "Mister" was a term of respect. "Ordinary people had no handle on their names."
Augustine Warner I is the great grandfather of George Washington, as well as ancestor to Robert E. Lee, Capt. Meriwether Lewis and the Queen of England.
Warner Hall was built in 1674 on the land granted to Augustine Warner thirty plus years before. It was the first brick home built North of the York River, which included a brick stable with three chimneys, the only one in the history of Gloucester County. Warner Hall surpassed all other homes as a monument of extreme wealth and culture, as Gloucester County has always been distinguished in Virginia as the residence of a large number of families of wealth, education and good birth. It was the home of George Washington's great grandfather, Augustine Warner I as well as his grandfather, Colonel Warner II. Betty Washington's husband, Fielding Lewis, was even born there.
Warner Hall is set on the northern shore of the Severn River. It reveals three centuries of architectural development on the site. Through its history several fires have damaged or destroyed the home. The first fire in 1841 destroyed the five room house and in 1845/49, the central part of the mansion burned down leaving only the two wings. These two fires were only a fraction of the amount of destruction that has happened to the house since it was first built. The house has been restored as closely as possible to the original structure and design.
The first house on the site was built in 1674, although there may have been a house or a wing on this site earlier in the 17th century; a later house was certainly built about 1740. The circa 1905 Colonial Revival core of the expansive dwelling is attached to two colonial wings, original free standing dependencies, that remain from an 18th century house which burned circa 1940. The 18th century west wing was enlarged and remodeled ca. 1840s probably to house the family after the center portion was destroyed by fire. It is likely that this section of Warner Hall occupies the site of the 18th century dwelling which burned. The center portion of Warner Hall is underpinned by brick and sits on a full basement, there are no basements under the wings. Four giant Ionic columns support the steep pediment. The three center bays are closed by Ionic pilasters. Greek Revival moldings are used almost exclusively throughout the structure. Laid entirely in Flemish bond, the wing was raised from its original 1-1/2 stories to two stories. The north door lost its transom during this enlargement to allow for the installation of the stair. A dwarf portico shields the center bay of the north elevation. The wing has a beveled water table, and the first floor windows are capped by gauged brick jack arches. Corbeled interior end chimneys (one original, one rebuilt) terminate the gable ends. A box cornice with returns and unmolded entablature runs the length of the north and south elevations. This single pile, center passage structure has retained much of its interior fabric. Interior walls are laid in English bond and were originally plastered. The studs with lath were probably added during the 1840s rebuilding. The center passage contains the open string, dog-leg stair which has a carved newel and handrail and two square balusters per tread. A three light transom caps the south door, and both the south and north doors are Colonial Revival replacements. Fireplace openings have been rebuilt to facilitate the installation of stoves.
Three dependencies of note, a smokehouse, dairy, and stable, are associated with Warner Hall. The 19th century smokehouse is laid in seven course American bond and is utilized for storage. Partially constructed of 18th century brick with shell mortar, the dairy shows evidence of 19th century rebuilding. Its small windows and spatial division indicate that it may have been used as a stable. The large 18th century brick stable was enlarged with a frame addition in 1903 designed by the Richmond firm Noland and Baskervill. Exterior walls of the original section are laid in Flemish bond, while interior walls are English bond. The windows were originally like those on the dairy. A beveled water table circles the structure. Notches in the plate evidence an addition, now removed.
Warner Hall remained in ownership of the Warner family and its descendants until the last century when another family bought it to preserve the old home. The land around Warner Hall today includes the house, three dependencies and a circa 1900 tenant house. The total acreage is approximately thirty eight acres.
Also adding to Warner Hall's historic interest is the potential archaeological significance of the site. Artifacts from the 17th and 18th centuries, if they are preserved on the property, could yield valuable information about the settlement and expansion of early Virginia as well as important clues to the cultural history of Warner Hall. In the vicinity of the present 20th century structure are possibly the remains of a mid 17th century house, a dwelling built by John Lewis in the 1690s, the house built by John Lewis II for Priscilla Carter Lewis in the mid 18th century, and subsequent buildings erected on the site during the 19th century. The grounds were tested for archaeological evidence by the Virginia Research Center for Archaeology in the spring of 1980, and various l8th century artifacts were unearthed. As of 1980, no full scale archaeological investigation has taken place.
Today Warner Hall with its magnificent center frame construction having columnar fronts toward the land approach and toward the Severn, and two brick wings stands as majestically as ever in its grove of centuries old trees.
Colonel Augustine Warner II (1642-1681)
Colonel Augustine Warner II succeeded his father and became political friends with Nathaniel Bacon, who was educated at Oxford and a Barrister in London. Bacon staged the first actual American Revolution in 1676, as he organized an army of three hundred to four hundred pioneers to cope with the Indians North of the York River. He was involved in a private fur deal spanning the entire Virginia frontier. By the end of the decade, Bacon's troops had taken care of all the Indian tribes. They marched on Jamestown as Governor William Burkeley fled, and sailed to the Eastern Shore. Nathaniel Bacon and his troops soon set up their headquarters at Warner Hall after the burning of Jamestown in 1676. This Virginia Colony was in charge of matters North of the York to the Potomac River. Beyond the Potomac, lay the Maryland Colony. It was at Warner Hall, where he sent notices for the people to assemble to take the "Oath of Fidelity" of his fellow countrymen. Bacon contracted Malaria and died within a year his troops then fleeing the Colony.
Augustine Warner II inherited Warner Hall at the death of his father in 1674. He married Mildred Reade, the daughter of George Reade, founder of Yorktown, and after her death, Elizabeth Martian. Augustine II was speaker of the House of Burgesses during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, and also was a member of the Council.
When Augustine Warner II died, he left three daughters his son dying June 19, 1681. Mary became the wife of John Smith, of Purton, on the York, and their son Augustine Smith was said to have been one of the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe with Governor Spotswood, on his famous expedition across the Blue Ridge in 1716. Mildred, another daughter of Augustine Warner II, married Lawrence Washington, of Westmoreland, and her second husband was George Gale. Her three Washington children were John, who built Highgate, Augustine, father of George Washington (first President of the United States), and Mildred. Augustine Washington married Mary Ball, and named his son George for his great grandfather, George Reade, who founded Yorktown.
Elizabeth, the third daughter of Augustine Warner II, became the wife of John Lewis and inherited Warner Hall. Their son, John Lewis II was a member of His Majesty's Council, and was prominent in the county. For generations the Lewises lived here, and members of the family emigrated to all parts of the United States. Their descendants built Belle Farm, Eagle Point, Abingdon, Severby, and Severn Hall, all in Virginia. Elizabeth and John Lewis I's grandson, Colonel Fielding Lewis, of Belle Farm, married Catherine Washington, and after her death married Elizabeth Washington, also known as Betty, sister of George. He built beautiful Kenmore for her, in Fredericksburg.

Augustine married READE Mildred. Mildred (daughter of Col. READE George and MARTIAU Elizabeth) was born on 2 Oct 1643 in Warner Hall, Gloucester, Virginia; died on 20 Oct 1694 in Warner Hall, Gloucester, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Legal clerk, legal representative, planter, Justice
• Immigration: 1652
• Alt. Death: 15 Dec 1678, Lynnhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia
• Alt. Death: 17 Dec 1678, New Kent County, VA

Notes:

When Nicholas Meriwether was born in 1631 in Bramber, Sussex, his father, Francis, was 27 and his mother, Alice, was 46. He was married in 1655 in Virginia. He died on December 15, 1678, in Prince William County, Virginia, at the age of 47.

Nicholas Meriwether arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, probably about 1650. The first confirmation of his existence there was 4 July 1653 when he patented 300 acres of land in Lancaster County. From at least 13 Oct 1653 until 13 Dec 1656, Nicholas served as a clerk of the Quarter Court and Governor's Council for the Colony in Jamestown. Although many researchers state he was clerk of Surry County, there is no evidence that he was. About 1661, he bought "The Island House" from Elizabeth Kingsmill & her husband Nathaniel Bacon, a relative of the Bacon who started "Bacon's Rebellion"; a marker on Jamestown Island identifies the "Island House" location today.
Sometime in the 1660's, after the English monarchy was reestablished, Nicholas bought "Indian Springs" in Surry County and seems to have retired from public office to pursue land speculation and tobacco production and shipping. Since his entire government career was during the reign of Cromwell and he ceased upon restoration of the throne, this seems to contradict those who claim Nicholas was one of the "Cavaliers", supporters of the Crown who came to the Colony to escape persecution.
Recent research has tried, without success, to determine if Nicholas came to Virginia in 1652 as part of the Parliamentary fleet that sought the surrender of Virginia to the Cromwellian government. This would certainly explain his appearance in 1653 as a clerk of the Quarter Court and subsequent years working for the colonial government.
The birth date of Nicholas was derived from an affidavit in which he stated his age. His death date was supposedly found in the bible of Nicholas Meriwether II, in possession of descendants in Louisville, Ky, in the late 1800's. Efforts to locate this bible in the late 1900's have failed. Documents created in the mid 1800's, 200 years after Nicholas was in the Colonies, refer to him, or possibly his son, Nicholas II, as "The Welshman". No evidence has been found to indicate that he was from Wales, however. Nothing has been found to track him to a particular location in England, either; efforts to locate Nicholas in Kent or Wiltshire, where many English Meriwether families are found, have not been successful.
A Thomas Meriwether, merchant, of Bristol & London, had business dealings with Nicholas and it was at one time believed he could be a brother or uncle. Evidence found in 2004 no longer supports this.

Children
Elizabeth MERIWETHER b: ABT 1662 in Virginia
Nicholas MERIWETHER b: 26 OCT 1665 in Virginia
Francis MERIWETHER b: ABT 1670 in Virginia
Jane MERIWETHER b: ABT 1675 in Virginia
Thomas MERIWETHER b: ABT 1677 in Virginia
William MERIWETHER b: AFT 17 JUN 1678 in Virginia

The Meriwether Family
were the men that settled central and southwestern Virginia? They were few in number, and their families rose to prominence throughout the formative years of the United States of America. One of these men, Nicholas Meriwether I, came to the shores of Virginia in 1652 to claim a large tract of land in Northrern Neck and Surry Counties. Supposedly, there is a record "in Virginia land registry office between 1652 and 1669 of patents to the extent of 5,250 acres in Westmoreland Co. done by Nicholas Meriwether." (Anderson, 1984) The family, so-called because they were happy all the time, hailed from either Wales or England (this is still in dispute.). The name was originally spelled Merryweather.) Nicholas I married Elizabeth Woodhouse, who gave birth to seven children. They were Nicholas, Jane, Elizabeth, Francis, Thomas, William and David. (Minor, 1892)
Nicholas II was the only one to extend the family name. He lived on a land grant which he secured from King George II in 1727 at the base of the Southwest Mountains. This 13,762-acre tract of land grew another 3,000 acres in 1730. In 1735, he added another 1,190 acres to his holdings, on which he built "The Farm." Charlottesville now lies over the land on which "The Farm" existed. (Minor, 1892) It all exists in what is currently Albemarle county, and history sometimes refers to Nicholas as "the Father of Albemarle." Albemarle County was carved out of Goochland County in 1744, the year of Nicholas' death.
Nicholas Meriwether (II) met and married Elizabeth Crawford. Her family is said to be descendents of Sir Roland Crawford, the grandfather of Sir William Wallace (the subject of Mel Gibson's 1994 epic movie Braveheart.) (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. Their oldest, Jane Meriwether married Colonel Robert Lewis; they became Meriwether Lewis' paternal great-grandparents. The second oldest, Nicholas Meriwether III married Mildred Thornton. The other children were William, Thomas, Colonel David Meriwether, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, and Mary.

Alt. Death:
15 Dec 1678 • Lynnhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia Colony, America

Nicholas married WOODHOUSE Elizabeth about 1664 in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA. Elizabeth was born about 1638; died about 21 Apr 1695 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States; was buried in Surry County, VA ("Four Mile Tree"). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In Surry County Court on 4 March 1678/9, Elizabeth Meriwether was listed as the executrix of Mr. Nicholas Meriwether, deceased. On 13 Jun 1680 in James City, Coll. Browne represented Ni. Meriwether and on 6 July 1680 there is a judgement to Lt. Col. William Browne as marrying the executrix of Mr. Ni. Meriwether which would be Elizabeth Meriwether. In Aug, 1679, she is granted a Commission of Administration for the estate and orphan of Lewis Williams. She is apparently dead by 21 Apr 1695, when Nicholas II and his sister Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clements are appointed administrators of the estate of their brother, William. She is certainly dead by Jan 1695/6, when her son Thomas is assigned a guardian.
In 1899, William Ridgely Griffith stated in his book that he thought Elizabeth's maiden name was Woodhouse(?), daughter of Thomas Woodhouse (a resident of Jamestown and a client of Nicholas Meriwether) but had found no evidence to support this. Most Meriwether genealogies since that time have simply stated she was Elizabeth Woodhouse, daughter of Henry or Thomas Woodhouse. There is no evidence that Thomas Woodhouse ever married, much less had a daughter named Elizabeth. Although Henry did have a daughter named Elizabeth, she is believed to have married Giles Collins. According to annecdotal information collected by the Society, Collins & Woodhouse married abt 1653 and had at least four children. Collins supposedly died about June 1674. This was well after a number of children had been born to Nicholas and his Elizabeth. In addition, no Collins descendants were mentioned in Henry Hartwell's will, though all known Meriwether and Browne descendants of Elizabeth were. These facts strongly indicate that Elizabeth was not the daughter of Henry Woodhouse.
It is likely that Elizabeth was the sister of Jane (?) White Hartwell, wife of William Hartwell. There is some support for their maiden names being May (a partner of Nicholas) or Williams (see above association of Elizabeth with the estate of Lewis Williams).

Marriage 1 Nicholas MERIWETHER b: ABT 1631 in Great Britain
     Married: ABT 1664 in Virginia
     Note:

The children shown are all proven to have existed by various primary sources. There is a possibility that the mother of the first child, Elizabeth, was not the Elizabeth who was the mother of the remainder of the children.

Many people also claim descent from a David Meriwether, whose daughter Susannah married a Nicholas Catlett about 1669. There is no record that NM1 had a son David and in any event a son of NM1 could not have been old enough to have a daughter of marital age in 1669 (at which time NM1 himself was only 38).See:

150 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE:
William Browne, Henry Browne, and eleven servants and negroes. It is probable that Colonel William Browne married Mary, daughter and heiress of Colonel Henry Browne, as there is in Surry a deed.
December 3rd, 1695, from William Browne, Jr., son and heir of Mrs. Mary Browne, the only heir of Colonel Henry Browne, deceased.

And yet there is a record in Surry, November 7th, 1682, which states that Lieutenant-Colonel William Browne married the administratrix of Lewis Williams, deceased. On June 9th, 1679, Elizabeth Merriwether was granted administration on the estate of Lewis Williams ( whose wife was named Lucy). Mrs. Merriwether was the wife of Nicholas Merriwether, who, the records show, lived a number of years after 1682.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Military: Sons of the American Revolution
• Immigration: 1 Jul 1643
• Land: 1672, New Kent County, VA
• Occupation: 1690; Plantation Owner; House Of Burgesses 1690-92

Notes:

Military:
U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
about David Crawford, Col.
Name:David Crawford          
SAR Membership:91053          
Birth Date:1625          
Birth Place:Ayreshire, Scotland          
Death Place:Virginia          
Father:          
Children:David Crawford          

Immigration:
Immigration with father
1 Jul 1643 Age: 43 To America-Virginia Came with his only son, David

Land:
Date
1672
Location
New Kent County Virginia
Description
1,000 acres headrights passage for 20 people

Notes:

Married:
Type: Web Site
Author: Arlene Crawford
Title: Crawford Family
URL: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=arlen