The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. When the contentious election of 1800 had been decided and Thomas Jefferson prepared to assume the presidency, he knew whom he wanted as his private secretary. She started the Locust Hill Graveyard in 1810, probably on the hopes that she could have Meriwether's body re-interred there from Tennessee, and because her son-in-law Edmund Anderson and a neighbor died that year and needed to be buried. discoveries. So Richard Ashcraft's mother was a Great aunt to Meriwether Lewis. He died in 1862, leaving the home to his children Charles and Mary Anderson. If so, login to add it. Meriwether moved to Georgia with his mother and her second husband, Capt. At home in Albemarle County, he pursued his studies with Dr. Charles Everitt, a physician, and then Rev. Meriwether Lewis | American explorer | Britannica They had nine children. {Benson}) They settled in the Goose Pond community in the Broad River area of northeast Georgia, where the boys enjoyed plentiful hunting and fishing. There were songs and poems written about him. Marshall, Fielding, Merriweather, Daingerfield, Taliaferro and others. Meriwether Lewis' Immediate Family and their Descendents Lucy Meriwether was born at Cloverfields on February 4, 1752. Among the families are direct descendants of William Clark and collateral descendants of Meriwether Lewis. He attempted marriage but never followed through, and started drinking excessively, which negatively affected his relationship with Jefferson. (Thornton was the daughter of Francis Thornton and Mary Taliaferro). After Jane's death in 1845, her son, Dr. Meriwether Lewis Anderson, inherited Locust Hill. Fielding Lewis (July 7, 1725 - December 7, 1781) was an American merchant, member of the House of Burgesses and a Colonel during the American Revolutionary War. By the age of eight, he was already showing the characteristics of courage and resourcefulness that stood him in good stead when he later commanded Jeffersons great expedition to explore the Missouri and Columbian Rivers from 1804 to 1806. Now in his new role, Governor Lewis was soon embroiled in quarrels with his territorial secretary Frederick Bates (1777-1825). 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 . William Clark is known for his expedition to explore and discover the land west of the Mississippi River, the land that the United States brought from the French in 1803. Lucy Meriwether. Who Killed Meriwether Lewis? The Thomas Jefferson Hour His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. Cookie Policy 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. View entire list of famous kin for Meriwether Lewis. Family tree of Meriwether LEWIS - Geneastar Read more on Genealogy.com! Supposedly, Theodesia pleaded with Meriwether to decline the journey and marry her, heavily encouraged by her father. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the present-day community of Ivy. Yet even now, precious little is known about the events of October 10, 1809, after Lewis armed with several pistols, a rifle and a tomahawk stopped at a log cabin lodging house known as Grinders Stand. In other accounts, the dog was never there at all. Interestingly, John Guice, one of the most prominent critics of the suicide theory, uses a very different astronaut comparison. But due to quarreling with local political leaders, approval of trading licenses, land grant politics, Indian depredations, excessive drinking and a slow-moving mail system, it appeared that Lewis was a poor administrator who failed to keep in touch with his superiors in Washington. Library of Congress, https://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/029/029_0175_0184.pdf. She returned to Albemarle for good, and Locust Hill became her property after Meriwether's mysterious death in 1809. Purchased for $20 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Seaman accompanied Lewis during the expedition and afterward. [10] He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. A year after his death, John Grinder, in whose home Lewis died, was brought before a grand jury on a warrant of murder. 17912 MERIWETHER LEWIS ST, Ruther Glen, VA 22546 | MLS VACV2003024 They settled along the Broad River in the Goosepond Community within the Broad River Valley in Wilkes County (now Oglethorpe County). Now Lewiss descendants and some scholars are campaigning to exhume his body, which is buried on national parkland not far from Hohenwald, Tenn. This controversy has existed since his death, says Tom McSwain, Lewiss great-great-great-great nephew who helped start a Web site, Solve the Mystery, that lays out family members point of view. . He served until 1801 achieving the rank of captain. However, the subsequent inhabitants of the home have made so many changes that the structure does not really resemble the original house. Who Is William Clark A Hero - 633 Words | Internet Public Library He died, apparently of bullet wounds to the head and abdomen, shortly before sunrise the next day. The death of Meriwether Lewis in the fall of 1809 has long been a subject shrouded in mystery and controversy. He was also related to Robert E. Lee and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, among others. Lewis picked William Clark as his second-in-command. Generation No. The trip had many perilous moments for Meriwether; who managed to survive falls, gun shot wounds, and accidental poisoning. 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. Family & Relationships; Fiction; Games; Gardening; Health & Fitness; History; See Full Categories List. This page has been accessed 22,092 times. He was the son of William Lewis, of Welsh ancestry, and Lucy Meriwether, of English ancestry. John Marks, along with his brother Reuben, in 1784. The mission lasted two years, starting in 1804 and ending in 1806. (He had had one brother who died while serving in the Confederate Army. Greenwood Publishing Group. Nothing is known of her childhood. I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him, he wrote after receiving word of Lewiss fate. We could do the DNA to find out the color of his hair.. They could also potentially learn about his nutritional health, what drugs he was using and if he was suffering from syphilis. His deathby a gunshot wound to the head and another to the abdomenis a mystery. At some point in the night she heard multiple gunshots, and what she believed was someone asking for help. Lewis also had the responsibility for making arrangements to publish the Corps of Discovery journals, but had difficulty completing his writing. Sacagawea's Role In The Lewis And Clark Expedition | ipl.org The group he was with was called the Corps of Discovery. Guice believes that bandits roaming the notoriously dangerous Natchez Trace killed Lewis. 2 2.William Lewis, born 1733; died November 17, 1781.He was the son of 4. I am so glad you like it. A cave, Lewis and Clark Caverns between Three Forks and Whitehall, Montana. Meriwether Lewis : Family tree by Tim DOWLING (tdowling) - Geneanet After he excused himself from dinner, he went to his bedroom. Maybe there is an answer beneath the monument to help us understand, says James Holmberg, curator of Special Collections at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Ky., who has published work on Lewiss life and death. Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809 Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) Clark, William, 1770-1838 On April 1, 1801, he was appointed as an aide by President Thomas Jefferson, whom he knew personally through Virginia society in Albemarle County. Meriwether Lewis Gov. In 1807, Jefferson appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory; he settled in St. Louis. She is reported to have notable culinary and intellectual skills as well. 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). Historians still dispute whether the explorer and then-governor of Louisiana committed suicide or was murdered. Meriwether Lewis never married and never had any children. 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. Meriwether is 15 degrees from Jennifer Aniston, 16 degrees from Drew Barrymore, 17 degrees from Candice Bergen, 18 degrees from Alexandre Dumas, 13 degrees from Carrie Fisher, 27 degrees from Whitney Houston, 18 degrees from Hayley Mills, 15 degrees from Liza Minnelli, 13 degrees from Lisa Presley, 19 degrees from Kiefer Sutherland, 14 degrees from Bill Veeck and 21 degrees from Brian Nash on our single family tree. "[12] This claim and another by a Joseph DeSmet descendant, Martin Charger, are explored in some detail on the Joseph DeSmet Lewis documents WikiTree page. Servants found Lewis badly injured from multiple gunshot wounds. They had 9 children: Anne Eliza, Meriwether Lewis Anderson and 7 other children. However, the two men were quite different in education and temperament. Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis. 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. However, those closest to Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and William Clark, fully accepted the reports of suicide. There were five colonels in the RevolutionColonel Nicholas, Colonel Fielding, Colonel William, Colonel Charles and Colonel Joeland quite a number of majors and captains. In her will, she was careful to address the dispersion of the books among her offspring; appraisers valued the total collection at the modern equivalent of several hundred dollars. He registered for military service in 1861. Meriwether Lewis dies along the Natchez Trace, Tennessee Meriwether Lewis | Encyclopedia.com At some point in the night she heard multiple gunshots, and what she believed was someone asking for help. Her daughter and son-in-law put the house for sale on the market at $255,000 in 1982. President Jefferson asked him to be his private secretary; the president then appointed him commander of the Lewis and Clark expedition at the age of 30. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. Here his heavy drinking persisted.[6]. He was never married, but family legend shares that he courted Theodesia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr. The explorer was buried not far from where he died. . Thomas Jefferson is credited with the inscription on Lewis' tombstone: Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! Meriwether Lewis was the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that was commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Territory. He was the second child and first son of William Lewis (abt.1738-1779) and Lucy Meriwether (1752-1837). President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806. Help. Descendents of the family point to this legend as a reason why Meriwether men take a long time to get married. Lucy Meriwether Lewis Marks was widowed a second time in 1791. The last item in the side bar to the left contains links to some that we have identified. The progenitor of a prominent colonial family, and great-great grandfather of President George Washington, he was born in Norwich, Norfolk, the son of Thomas Warner and Elizabeth Sotherton. Lewis concluded 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. His party affiliation didn't hurt, either. Several years after his biggest accomplishment, Lewis was dead. 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 . ), In 1882, the house was sold to Mrs. Bearley, releasing the house from Lewis family descendents for the first time. Meriwether Lewis, John Ordway, George Shannon, John Shields, Peter Weiser, Peter Willard, and Joseph Whitehouse. He gave the Grinders money to maintain Lewiss grave and visited the site himself. Despite warnings that they would all be drowned, the men of the Lewis and Clark expedition paddled toward the ferocious rapids. Lewis never married he killed himself in 1809, three years after the expedition ended so he has no known direct descendants. Meriwether Lewis Facts & Biography - Study.com That rifle came in handy as well when a hunting party from Locust Hill failed to kill a deer. 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. 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. These two Captains shared a common progenitor and were second cousins once removed. In the early 1790s, Lewis briefly served as President Washington's personal secretary and manager of Mount Vernon. 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.) One visit to Georgia occurred in the summer of 1789 but Meriwether returned to his schooling in the fall. Gary Stella. Though Lewiss mother is said to have believed he was murdered, that idea didnt have much traction until the 1840s, when a commission of Tennesseans set out to honor Lewis by erecting a marker over his grave. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. PORTSMOUTH, Va - Puller Chronicles Volume 1, Second Edition, by Meriwether Ball, is a fascinating look at LtGen Lewis B. Puller's family and faith which made him an American and Marine Corps icon. Jane, Meriwether was born on month day 1770, at birth place, to William Lewis and Lucy Lewis. Sadly, William Lewis died of pneumonia when his son was five, and so Meriwether spent most of his formative years in Georgia with his mother Lucy and stepfather John Marks. The account given by the the innkeeper's wife was inconsistent, and with each telling becoming further muddled. Meriwether Lewis - Genealogy.com The original house burned down but it was rebuilt in the same style as the original. After returning from the expedition, Lewis received a reward of 1,600 acres of land. It was also in the Broad River Valley that Lewis first dealt with a native Indian group. Meriwether Lewis Facts and Accomplishments - The History Junkie [6], It was at Jefferson's suggestion that the Corps of Discovery expedition was undertaken and the plan was approved by Congress in 1803. And now Lewis, the consummate adventurer, suddenly found himself stuck in a desk job. Geographic names that honor him include Lewis County, Idaho, Lewis County, Kentucky; 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. When his father died in 1779, he inherited his Locust Hill estate. But rather than feeling alienated, he would have been busy enjoying a level of Buzz Aldrin-like celebrity. Was an American explorer, soldier, 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. Clark and Lewis were both relatively young and adventurous and had shared experience as woodsmen-frontiersmen and Army officers. What were his experiences? John Lewis was grandfather to Richard Ashcraft and G-grandfather to Meriwether Lewis. Death of Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis - Death, William Clark & Family - Biography He died of gunshot wounds in what was a murder. 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 Lewis had known president Jefferson since he was a boy, "he had grown up on a plantation in virginia a few miles from Monticello, and they had went on to make a relationship working together in the White House." The alpine plant Lewisia (family Portulacaceae), popular in rock gardens, is named after Lewis, as is Lewis's Woodpecker. Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 - October 11, 1809). Lewis never married. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. The US Navy Polaris nuclear submarine USS Lewis and Clark was named for him and William Clark. Meriwether Lewis Sr. (1802-1882) FamilySearch They would get to the Pacific Ocea. 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. Clark was more pragmatic and practical. One of his traveling companions, who arrived later, buried him nearby. Thanks so much for sharing! Meriwether Lewis - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage Garden of Praise: Meriwether Lewis Biography Your Privacy Rights . What did Clark and Lewis discover? - BIO-Answers.com It is known that he visited at least twice. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. The National Park Service is currently reviewing the exhumation request. Not so, says Sandra Hargrove, a member of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Descendant Certificate Project. [5] 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. He was also a second cousin once removed of Washington's on his father's side. The Web site, www.SolvetheMystery.org , explains the Lewis family's more than decade-long quest to gain federal permission for the exhumation as well as a Christian reburial. Meriwether Lewis became an American hero upon his return from his expedition across what is now the Northwestern half of the United States. He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dogs to go hunting. He came back and he just could not readjust. Create a FREE Account. 111 on September 16, 1808. Mrs. John Grinder who served as his landlady on the last night of his life reported: heard the sound of a gunshot and then the sound of something heavy falling to the floor followed by the words, Oh Lord! heard the sound of another gunshot and in a few moments, Lewis voice Oh, Madame, give me some water and heal my wounds. [she] refused to leave the room where she had been sleeping she waited nearly two hours before [rousing] the servants. He also showed an interest in plant knowledge, and his mother, an herbalist, encouraged that interest. His life and achievements were acknowledged and some in the audience shed tears as the tragedy of his death was noted. In addition to his role as naturalist, Meriwether also served to represent the new government, which had purchased the area, to the native peoples living there. In reply to: Re: Meriwether Lewis/Woodson Connection. His wound hampered him for the rest of the journey. It was in Georgia that he met Eric Parker, who was the first to introduce him to the idea of traveling. Lucy Meriwether. [9], During the first half of the journey east, it is reported that on the riverboat he twice attempted to take his own life before becoming the victim of gunshot wounds, at a Natchez Trace inn, in what was either a murder or suicide. He is honored today by a memorial along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Surprisingly, he may also have felt like something of a failure.