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John Lewis John Johannsen, The House of Beadle and Adams and Its Dime and Nickel Novels: The Story of a Vanished Literature Online, Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, Illinois: "John Lewis was born near Belle Air, Spotsylvania County, Virginia, February 25, 1784. He was a son of Colonel Zachary Lewis (who fought in the French and Indian War and the Revolution) and his wife Ann Overton Terrell. Where Mr. Lewis was educated is not known . . . . He apparently studied law before the War with England in 1812, during which he was a captain of cavalry. Afterwards, he devoted most of his time to preparing young men for college at ‘Llangollen,' near North Ann River . . . . Here he taught law, Latin, English and mathematics, and also found time to write two books: Analytical Outlines of the English Language, Richmond, 1825, and Tables of Comparative Etymology and Analogous Functions, Philadelphia, 1828. On November 21, 1808, Lewis was married to Jean Wood Daniel (born in 1786 and died January 3, 1853). They had twelve children, of whom John Moncure Lewis, a budding poet, was the sixth. In 1832, Lewis took his family to Georgetown, Kentucky. Two years later he removed to Franklin county, in the same state, and bought a farm adjacent to one belonging to his brother, Addison. He named it ‘Llangollen,' after his Virginia home. After his removal to Kentucky, he began to contribute agricultural articles to the Farmers' Register, and in 1844 he wrote a novel entitled, Young Kate; or, The Rescue. A Tale of the Great Kanawha. It was published in two volumes by Harper & Brothers, and appeared in a second edition in 1845. In 1855, it was reprinted by Bunce & Brother, New York, apparently from the Harper plates, in one volume under the title New Hope; or, The Rescue. . . . In none of these editions was the name of the author mentioned. Lewis had begun to write poetry in 1804, and compiled a volume of poems by himself, his son John Aloncure Lewis (born May 11, 1820 and died March 21, 1845), Mrs. Gov. Wood, and Mrs. Huldah Lewis Scott. It was entitled Flowers and Weeds of the Old Dominion, and was published at Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1859. While this book was going through the press, Lewis died, August 15, 1858, in Franklin County, Kentucky." Poetry John Lewis (ed.), Flowers and Weeds of the Old Dominion: Poems (Frankfort, Kentucky: A. G. Hodges, Printer, 1859) Writings John Lewis, Analytical Outlines of the English Language, or A cursory examination of its materials and structure ... In the form of familiar dialogues, intended to accompany grammatical studies (Richmond: Shepherd & Pollard, 1825) John Lewis, et. al., Tables of comparative etymology and analogous formations in the Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, English and German languages; or, The student's manual of languages (Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Carey, 1828) John Lewis, Young Kate, or, The Rescue a Tale of the Great Kanawha (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1844)(2 vols.)
Horace Edwin Hayden, Virginia Genealogies 389 (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1891) Anon., Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky 469-70 (Chicago, 1896) F. V. N. Painter, Poets of Virginia 142-145, 332 (Richmond, 1907) Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography 3345-46 New York, 1915) Research Resources John Lewis Records [John Lewis Records: account books (4 v.), a commonplace book, 1806-1823, and miscellaneous papers kept by John Lewis as headmaster of the Llangollen School for Boys and while operating a general store in Spotsylvania County, Virginia; papers concerning Lewis's activities as principal of the Georgetown Female Academy in Georgetown, Kentucky] |
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