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Jacob Lewis (c1720s-c1796) of Bertie, Dobbs, Glasgow, Greene and Robeson Co., NC and Georgetown, Marion and Horry Co., SC
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Jacob Lewis is my 6 times Great Grandfather.
Notes: There were several men named Jacob Lewis in eastern NC around the same time as mine which has caused me considerable difficulty. Keep that in mind as you read what I’ve written below. I think I’ve done a decent job sorting them out, but I’ve bound to have missed something or conflated my Jacob with one of those others in some cases. Visit my Jacob Lewis Differentiation page for a list of the various Jacobs.
Jacob Lewis was born before ca 1729 if we assume he was at least 21 in 1750 when he purchased land. He could have been older than that. His likely parents were married as early as 1712, so Jacob could have been born in the 1710s or early 1720s. He was probably born in Bertie County where his likely parents resided until their deaths.
I believe that Jacob Lewis is a son of Isaac Lewis (c1691-1743) and Margaret Hooker (c1698-late 1740s). They were residents of Chowan County until Bertie was formed in 1722, then they fell into the new county. Thus, depending on when Jacob was born, it might have been in Chowan if before 1722 or Bertie if after. Furthermore, the section of Bertie they lived in was cut off to form Hertford County in 1759.
I don’t have absolute proof that Jacob is a child of Isaac and Margaret, but Jacob sold land in 1752 that had belonged to them, and I’ve found no record of him acquiring it, so it must have fallen to him via inheritance. That is generally good proof of a relationship, though more evidence would be helpful. For example, Isaac Lewis apparently made a Will in Bertie County, but unfortunately it can’t be found in the records, having become lost or stolen at some point since it was written ca 1743.
Alternately, my Jacob might be the same Jacob Lewis who is a proven son of Anthony and Elizabeth Lewis, of Onslow Co., NC, also formerly of Bertie Co., NC. However, I think that Jacob, son of Anthony, is the same Jacob who wound up in New Hanover Co., NC and died there in 1795. I could be wrong of course.
I believe the proof that my Jacob is the son of Isaac versus the son of Anthony is via 1750 and 1752 land records and via associations. That land in Bertie which Jacob purchased in 1750 (from John Lewis) was land granted to Isaac Lewis. While that strongly suggests that John is a son and heir of Isaac, it doesn’t prove that Jacob was. However, in 1752, Jacob sold land in Bertie that I have no record of him acquiring. It seems to be the same land that Isaac and his brother Jacob (Sr) purchased in 1714. Jacob (Sr) seems to have sold his share of that land to Isaac in 1729, thus meaning that when Jacob (the younger one) sold it in 1752, he probably did so as an heir of Isaac.
The associations relate to the 1752 deed also. The land in question adjoined land of Joseph Harrell. My Jacob Lewis was associated with Joseph Harrell in Dobbs Co., NC, which could be a huge coincidence, but I think not. Furthermore, Isaac Lewis had a son William Lewis who also moved to Dobbs Co., NC at the same time as Jacob, who would be his older brother.
Other associations include the Hooker family. Isaac’s wife Margaret was a Hooker. Jacob Lewis was associated with members of that family in Dobbs Co., NC.
I haven’t yet found a record of his Jacob’s marriage nor his wife’s name. Depending on when he was born exactly (between ca 1714 and ca 1729), he would have turned 18 anytime between ca 1732 and ca 1747, so he could have married in that same time frame. That’s a broad range, but his oldest suspected son was born before ca 1748 per records analysis. That fits.
The marriage would almost certainly have been in Bertie Co., NC. I’ve seen online trees listing Jacob’s wife as Elizabeth Pugh, which might be correct, but I haven’t seen any documentation for her thus far, nothing at all in fact. However, her surname would explain a grandson named Pugh Floyd though, if named in her honor. However, there are no other examples of the name “Pugh” used among Jacob’s descendants as far as I’ve noticed, so perhaps Pugh Floyd got his name some other way.
On 27 Sep 1750, John Lewis of Bertie Co., NC, Carpenter, made a deed to Jacob Lewis for ten pounds proclamation money, sold him 96 acres north side of Wiccacon Creek. John Lewis signed with a mark. Witnesses were John Harrell and Joseph Harrell. (Bertie Co., NC Deed Book G, p. 372.)
The above 96 acres is probably the same 96 acres granted to Isaac Lewis in 1741, thus making John a likely son of Isaac. This also associates Jacob with Isaac, indirectly. Joseph Harrell appears in Dobbs Co., NC records with Jacob Lewis, which is one factor making me believe they are the same Jacob in both locations.
On 22 Apr 1752, Jacob Lewis of Bertie Co., NC made a deed to Benjamin Wynns of the same place for 20 pounds sterling, 96 acres north side of Wiccacon Creek to the Creek Pocoson ... mouth of the deep branch ... Signed Jacob Lewis (his mark). Witnessed by Frances Thomas, Harmon Holloman. (Bertie Co., NC Deed Book G, pp. 539-540.)
The above 1752 deed is the same land Jacob purchased from John Lewis in 1750.
Jacob Lewis’s mark on the above deed was basically a plus sign. Compare this to the mark he used later in Robeson Co., NC deeds which suggests it’s the same man in both places. However, certain types of marks like this one were commonly used and can’t really prove much. In fact, the marks found in deed books are almost always the clerk’s reproduction of the mark, not the actual mark drawn by Jacob himself which would only be on the original deed. Compare this mark to another deed the same year listed below which is very similar but not exactly the same. It was clearly written by a different clerk.
On 17 Nov 1752, Jacob Lewis of Bertie Co., NC, Planter, made a deed to Henry Maynor, of the same place, for 75 pounds lawful money he sold him 100 acres in Bertie on Brookses Creek between Isaac Lewis and Joseph Harrell, whereon Jacob Lewis formerly lived. And another tract containing 100 acres being half of a 200 acre tract, the other half belonging to Isaac Lewis, yet undivided. Signed by Jacob Lewis (his mark). Witnessed by Nathaniel W. Hargrove, William H. Boon, Wm Wynns. (Bertie Co., NC Deed Book I, pp. 47-48.)
There is no record of this Jacob Lewis obtaining the above land. However, the much older Jacob Lewis, along with his brother Isaac Lewis, did obtain this land in 1714 from George and Sarah Smith. That Jacob Lewis (c1682) died in 1744, so it isn’t the same one selling the land in 1752. My first thought was that the Jacob selling the land in 1752 must be an heir of the older Jacob. However, records show that the elder Jacob sold this land in 1729 to his brother Isaac Lewis. Though the description had changed, it appears to include the jointly owned Brooks Creek land obtained in 1714, likely combined with other tracts.
In the estate of John Wynn, deceased, in Bertie Co., NC, Benjamin Wynn made a list of accounts current. Included therein was an entry dated 16 Jun 1756 “Cash recd of Jacob Lewis 2.16.3.” It didn’t say what it was for, perhaps the repayment of a loan or something of that nature. There were many other names listed including Hookers, Vanpelts and other names associated with the Isaac Lewis family. In fact, the very next entry after Jacob was the same date, “Cash recd of Vanpelts Exec. 9.18.” (Jacob’s nephew William Lewis, son of William, later married Mourning Van Pelt.)
Sometime between 1756 and 1758, Jacob and family moved to what was then Johnston Co., NC, but soon became Dobbs, and later Glasgow, and finally Greene Co., NC. He wasn’t the only one to make this move, as his older brother William (c1717), and wife Miss Banks, also made the move as well as did Benjamin Lewis (b. bef 1735), relationship currently unknown, perhaps also a brother. Jacob had a son named Benjamin and this might be him, though he seems too old to be Jacob’s, but perhaps not. More on that in Jacob’s children section. Members of the Hooker family also made the move and wound up as Jacob’s neighbors in Dobbs. Anthony Van Pelt also went to Dobbs.
A brief history of this area is in order. Johnston County was formed in 1746 from Craven Co., NC. It was a very large county for awhile and included the area where the Lewis’s moved to. Dobbs County was created in 1758 from eastern Johnston, at that time being quite large including what is now Wayne, Lenoir and Greene Counties. In 1779 Wayne County was cut off from western Dobbs. Then in 1791 Dobbs was abolished, the southern section becoming Lenoir County, and the northern Glasgow. The Lewises lived in Glasgow. Glasgow was renamed to Greene in 1799. Most of the family had left there by then.
Jacob resided in the vicinity of Rainbow Swamp or Creek. Rainbow Creek rises in present day Greene Co., NC south of Snow Hill, a short distance east of the Arba community. It flows generally easterly and north easterly for several miles until joining Contentnea Creek at the town of Hookerton. I haven’t located Long Branch, though it apparently is part of Rainbow’s system. Wheat Swamp, the next waterway to the east and south of Rainbow, rises just two or three miles below Arba on the present Lenoir / Greene county line and is itself the boundary between the two counties for a considerable distance. At first it flows southeasterly then takes a northeasterly turn and flows several miles until joining Contentnea Creek a mile or two east of Hookerton. The Lewis’s had considerable lands in this area.
It should be noted that I myself live 10 miles south of Hookerton and even closer to Wheat Swamp in Lenoir County not far from Greene County line and only now (2026) have discovered my Lewis ancestors once lived near here. Small world, eh?
Unfortunately for researchers, the bulk of the Dobbs County records were destroyed in court house fires, two in Lenoir County (1878 and 1880) and one in Greene County in 1876, making research in this area extremely difficult. There are some state/colonial records that survive for Dobbs including land warrants and surveys. The Dobbs deed books were lost, but a few of the indexes remain and those are helpful for showing residence and association, but no details were included such as acreage or where the land was.
Jacob Lewis is listed in the 1757-1758 index for Deed Book 5 as having deeded something to Daniel Powell. Unfortunately no details were included, and as noted, the original deed books are lost. (Dobbs Co., NC Deed Book 5, p. 283, index only.)
I don’t know what land he was selling for I found no record of him obtaining any prior to that. Of course Deed Books 1 through 4 are lost, including the indexes, so there may have once been a record. Daniel Powell, or someone of the same name, was still in Dobbs for the 1790 census and in Lenoir Co., NC by 1800 (formed 1791 from Dobbs).
In the same deed book (5) Lewis McClendon and others made a deed to Jacob Lewis. (Dobbs Co., NC Deed Book 5, p. 290, index only.) I found a land grant dated 1757 to McClendon in Johnston Co., NC, 640 acres south side of Contentnea Creek. This would be the same area Jacob Lewis lived.
The same index includes deeds for William Lewis, Benjamin Lewis and Thomas Lewis. Of those, I’m sure William and Benjamin are related. I’m not sure if Thomas is, but he could be.
Book 6 (1758-1765) includes entries for Thomas Lewis, none for Jacob.
On 11 Sep 1764, Jacob Lewis made a land entry for 200 acres in Dobbs Co., NC on south side of Rainbow. It was granted to him on 26 Sep 1766. The survey, dated 11 Nov 1764 described the land as on Rawlings corner. Joseph Harrel and John Williams were chain bearers.
Note that a Joseph Harrell was associated with Jacob Lewis in Bertie Co., NC in the early 1750s. Is it the same man here in Dobbs a few years later? Are they related? There may have been multiple men of that same name. This same Joseph Harrell was granted 300 acres of land in the same vicinity as Jacob Lewis, bordering McClendon, in 1768.
On 29 Jun 1767, Jacob Lewis made a land entry for 377 acres in Dobbs Co., NC on the south side of Great Contentney (sic) Creek on Long Branch out of Rainbow, near head of MacClendon’s Marsh in Maxfield’s line. The survey was dated 29 Jun 1767, which was same as the entry date (per the index card, no actual entry/warrant was included). Isaac Walters and Joseph Harrell were chain bearers. The land was granted to Jacob Lewis on 28 Apr 1768.
I didn’t find any other records for Isaac Walters. There was one in Gates Co., NC in the 1780s and 1790s.
Dobbs Deed book 7 index (1765-1769) includes no entries for Jacob Lewis. However, William and Benjamin Lewis have entries.
The 1769 tax list for Dobbs Co., NC was alphabetical so we can’t determine who lived where or near one another. Jacob Lewis and “son” Stephen Lewis were taxed together. James Lewis is also listed He could be another son, or perhaps Jacob’s brother, though I suspect son.
There is a second Jacob Lewis listed, with John Garland, and an Anthony Lewis listed with John Murphy. The other Jacob could be a son of our Jacob, or perhaps not. John Garland had a large amount of land in Dobbs county including in the same general area as our Jacob Lewis, though not on Rainbow as best as I can tell.
I don’t know who Anthony Lewis is. He could be a son of our Jacob, though the person he was living with, John Murphy, didn’t live near Jacob’s area as best as I can tell though he did reside in what later became Greene County. This Anthony, and perhaps the other Jacob, could be from the Onslow County family of Anthony Lewis and Elizabeth who died there in the 1750s.
1769 Dobbs Co., NC Tax List
Name Whites-Blacks-Total
John Garland, Jacob Lewis, Joseph Whitley and Negroes Perel? Winney 3-2-5
Jacob Lewis and son Stephen 2-0-2
James Lewis 1-0-1
John Murphy Junr & Antony Lewis 2-0-2
Dobbs Deed book 8 index (1769-1771) includes no Lewis entries.
On 15 Apr 1771, a Land Warrant was issued to Jacob Lewis for “a plantation containing” 100 acres on the south side of the Rainbow Swamp joining the said Lewis’s land and Thomas Evans’s land. The survey was dated 15 Oct 1772 and mentioned John Maxwell’s corner. James Lewis and Stephen Lewis were chain bearers. There was no indication this land was actually granted to Jacob Lewis. Perhaps it turned out to already have been claimed. Stephen is Jacob’s son, and James is probably also his son.
There was a Thomas Evans in Bertie through ca 1756. I don’t know if this is the same one Dobbs but it could be.
I didn’t find out anything about John Maxwell except he appeared on several land surveys in Jacob Lewis’s vicinity in Dobbs.
On 14 May 1772, John Cale (Cail on other records) received a Land Warrant for 150 acres in Dobbs joining John Maxwell, Thomas Evans and Jacob Lewis, lying “on both sides of a marsh called Sowens Marsh” joining his own land.
There was a John Cale in Bertie in the 1750s. Same man?
On 16 May 1772, Jacob Lewis received a Land Warrant for 100 acres in Dobbs County joining Simon Bright and his own line, Benjamin Hodges and Sharp Renalds. The land was surveyed on 12 Jun 1772. Joseph Harrell and Benjamin Lewis were chain bearers. The land was granted to Jacob Lewis on 28 May 1775.
Benjamin Lewis is Jacob’s son, I believe. I don’t know who Hodges and Reynolds were.
Simon Bright was a wealthy landowner in the area, a Revolutionary War soldier, politician, etc.
Jacob Lewis made a deed to James Lewis and one to Stephen Lewis both between 1773 and 1775. No details are known. (Dobbs Co., NC Deed Book 10, p. 122 (James) and p. 129 (Stephen), index only.)
Those two are his sons, Stephen proven, James likely.
On 17 Nov 1778, a survey was made in Dobbs for John Freeman for 20 acres on the north side of Rainbow joining his own line and Jacob Lewis’s line. William Hooker Jr and Jacob Lewis were Chain Carriers.
As noted earlier, Jacob Lewis’s mother was Margaret Hooker, daughter of William Hooker (d 1717). Margaret had a brother named William Hooker, though he died ca 1757 so it isn’t him on this record. Undoubtedly a relative though.
On 12 Oct 1779 a survey was made for James Lewis in Dobbs Co., NC for 135 acres on north side of Wheat Swamp and south side of “The Rainbow” and both sides of Long Branch. It mentions Jacob Lewis’s corner. The chain bearers were Jacob Lewis and Stephen Lewis.
Another survey for James Lewis in Oct 1779 (day is illegible) mentioned Jacob Lewis. This one for 100 acres at head of Long Branch Jacob Lewis’s corner. Mentions Briggs Hill’s line. Chain Bearers were John Cail and Jacob Lewis.
I don’t know anything else about Briggs Hill except he lived in the same vicinity.
Jacob Lewis made two deeds between 1777 and 1779 in Dobbs county, one to Jessee Handley and one to William Lewis. No details known. (Dobbs Co., NC Deed Book 11, p. 69 (to Handley) and p. 309 (to William Lewis), index only.)
Jacob’s son William would have been 18 in 1779, so this could be him, but it might be Jacob’s brother William instead.
I have no additional data on Jesse Handley at present.
Jacob Lewis is on the 1780 tax list in Dobbs Co., NC taxed for $400 worth of property in Granger District. Listed in the same grouping are James Lewis, Stephen Lewis, and William Lewis, each with $400 taxable property. It was not an alphabetical list, so these were all living near each other assuming the tax collector went from house to house, or they all came in to pay taxes as a group if the tax collector didn’t visit. The transcriber of the tax list described Granger District as being in modern Greene County from Snow Hill to south as far as Wheat Swamp, including Hookerton and westward to include Arba. That perfectly describes the area where the Lewis’s had land. Anthony Lewis and the 2nd Jacob Lewis from the 1769 tax list were not listed in 1780, perhaps having moved elsewhere by then or died before 1780.
1780 Dobbs Co., NC Tax List, Granger District
Line # Name Value
52 Jacob Lewis 400
53 James Lewis 400
54 Stephen Lewis 400
55 Willm Lewis 400
The next entry after William Lewis was Hymerick Hooker, who is probably Jacob Lewis’s cousin to some degree.
There were also several familiar names listed in Granger District near Jacob Lewis: William Hooker, Jacob Lassiter, Briggs Hill, John Garland, Joseph Harrell, John Freeman, a second William Hooker and John Cail. Those were all neighbors and some related.
On 24 Jun 1780 a land warrant was issued to Jacob Lewis for 200 acres in Dobbs on the south side of the Rainbow joining John Maxfield and John Cale on the mouth of Sowels Branch. On 8 Oct 1782, Jacob Lewis (mark*) transferred his rights to the above to John Cail. It was then surveyed for Cail on 6 Nov 1782 described as on Frederick Jones line, John Maxwell’s corner, joining John Cale. Chain bearers were Frederick Jones and John Dikes?
*Jacob’s mark on this record was still sort of a plus sign + though made a little more ornate, perhaps to resemble a J. This one might actually be his original mark, made by him, and not a clerks approximation.
On 28 Jun 1780, a land warrant was issued to Jacob Lewis for 100 acres in Dobbs on the south side of the Rainbow joining John Jones, William Hooker, Samuel Bollens and Maxfield’s lines. Like the previous entry, Jacob Lewis transferred his rights to the above to John Cail on 8 Oct 1782.
On 10 Oct 1783, Jacob Lassiter had an entry of 330 acres surveyed in Dobbs Co., NC, described as on the east side of Sowel Branch, Jacob Lewis’s corner, Thomas Evans’s line, Abraham Bush’s line, Isaac Standly’s line and George Bell’s corner. The chain carriers were James Lewis and George Bell.
Jacob Lassiter was married to Ann Hooker, whose father William Hooker (d 1757) was Margaret Hooker Lewis’s brother, thus Ann was Jacob Lewis’s 1st cousin. This might be a younger man of the same name and not Jacob’s 1st cousin. I’m not sure.
At some point in the 1780s Jacob Lewis joined some of his Lewis kin in what was then Georgetown Dist., SC. At that time Georgetown included all of present day counties of Georgetown, Williamsburg, Horry, Marion, Dillon and a portion of eastern Florence, thus it was quite large back then. The Lewises, or ours at least, had land in the border section between Horry and Marion in both counties. This was fairly close to the North Carolina state line in the Robeson / Columbus county border area. (Columbus didn’t actually exist yet then, it being part of Brunswick at that time.) I think that Jacob’s older brother William either moved with him, or preceded him there.
On 7 Jan 1788, Jacob Lewis received a state land grant in Georgetown Dist, SC of 200 acres on the north east side of Little Pee Dee River bounded by vacant land on all sides. The land was surveyed on 26 Mar 1787. There are two copies of this in the land grant book. I think they’re duplicates and not two different grants.
The survey for the above (26 Mar 1787) was signed by Josiah Lewis, Deputy Surveyor. Josiah is probably related, but not closely as best as I can tell. As a Deputy Surveyor he would have handled numerous surveys and their shared surname wouldn’t be a sign of a connection, though I do believe they are probably related, but not too closely.
The description of the land location is quite vague, so this could be in the section that became Horry in 1801 or the part that became Marion in 1798, effective 1800. I found no record of Jacob Lewis disposing of this land in the Marion or Horry records, so if he sold it before he died, that record was probably lost with most of the other Georgetown records during the Civil War.
Jacob Lewis is listed on the 1790 census in Georgetown District, in Prince George Parish. Unfortunately this census was alphabetical so I can’t determine who any of his neighbors might have been or what section he resided in. There were many other Lewises listed. I think the bulk of them were in the section that later became Horry, while one or two might have been in the section that became Marion.
1790 Census, Georgetown Dist., SC, Prince George Parish
Page |
Name |
Males 16+ |
Males under 16 |
Females |
Others |
Slaves |
507 |
Jacob Lewis |
2 |
~ |
2 |
~ |
~ |
My analysis (who each person *might* be):
2m 16+ (before 1774) 1. Jacob Lewis
2. Son?
2f (before 1790) 1. Wife?
2. Daughter?
On 29 Nov 1792, Benjamin Lewis, Planter, of Georgetown Dist., SC made a deed to Jacob Lewis, of the same place, for 150 pounds lawful money, sold him 200 acres of land in Robeson Co., NC on the east side of Indian Swamp. It mentions New Ground field Branch which might not be a place name but a reference to the condition of the land (newly ground field, as in just cleared and plowed). The land is part of a 640 acre patent by David Clark. Signed by Benjamin Lewis. Witnessed by James Lewis and Abraham Witherington. (Robeson Co., NC Deed Book C, pp. 416-418.)
I believe both Benjamin and James are sons of Jacob. I don’t know who Abraham Witherington was. I couldn’t find any other records for him. This surname was found in Dobbs Co., NC records as well as Hertford County records (remember that Hertford was formed in 1759 from Bertie). Perhaps he’s related to the Lewis family.
The 1792 deed above signifies the time frame of Jacob’s move from SC to Robeson Co., NC which bordered Georgetown Dist., SC at that time, thus wasn’t all that far from where he was.
Big Indian Swamp rises in Robeson Co., NC in Juniper Bay just a little north of Proctorville and flows generally southerly, passing to the west of Proctorville. Little Indian Swamp rises in east Proctorville and flows south not very far before joining Big Indian. Together they become Indian Swamp. It continues flowing southerly a few miles then joins Ashpole Swamp. Indian Swamp’s run is entirely in south eastern Robeson County. Where it joins Ashpole is very near the Dillon Co., SC line, which in 1792 was part of Georgetown Dist., SC. Ashpole flows southerly another couple of mile and joins the Lumber River, back then usually called Drowning Creek.
On 8 Jan 1793, Benjamin Lewis of Georgetown Dist., SC made a deed to Stephen Lewis of Glasgow Co., NC for 300 pounds current money for land in Robeson Co., NC 240 acres on the east side of Indian Swamp joining 200 acres belonging to the widow Stewart. The land was part of a 640 acre patent to David Clark, conveyed by Clark to Samuel Thornton, and by Thornton to James Sanders and by him to John Smith, then by John Willis, Smith’s attorney, to Jesse Jernigan Senr, and by him to Jesse Jernigan Junr, and by him to Benjamin Lewis. Signed by Benjamin Lewis. Witnessed by Nancy Lewis and Jacob Lewis (his mark). (Robeson Co., NC Deed Book C, pp. 411-413.)
Stephen Lewis is a proven son of Jacob Lewis. I don’t know who Nancy Lewis is yet. Stephen had a daughter of that name though she’d have been around 13 at this point, give or take. If a tad older, it could be her acting as a witness.
On 11 Jan 1794, Jacob Lewis of Robeson Co., NC made a deed to John Lewis of the same place, for 150 pounds currency, he sold him the same 200 acres he purchased from Benjamin Lewis in 1792. Jacob Lewis signed with a mark. Witnesses were Benja. Lewis and William Lewis. Benjamin Lewis proved it in April 1794 court. (Robeson Co., NC Deed Book D, pp. 250-252.)
His mark on this deed is reproduced as basically a plus sign. However, refer to the next deed from the same date.
On the same date (11 Jan 1794), Jacob Lewis made another deed to John Lewis, this one for horses, cattle, hogs, various livestock, and furniture and “all my household kitchen furniture.” Jacob Lewis signed with a mark. Witnesses were Benjamin Lewis and William Lewis. The bill of sale was proven in Jan 1803 court by Benjamin Lewis. (Robeson Co., NC Deed Book M, p. 248.)
Note that the mark on this one is different from the prior one of the same date. Of course we can only see how the clerk copied it, not what the original might have looked like. Sometimes the clerk made faithful reproductions of marks, other times they didn’t.
The above deeds suggest Jacob Lewis was ready to move, for his next records (as far as I’ve found so far) show him back in South Carolina. It’s also possible the land in SC was granted posthumously and he didn’t move back there. A third possibility is that it’s a younger Jacob Lewis who received the land grants as there was a younger Jacob later in Robeson who I think is a grandson of our Jacob. However, that younger Jacob wasn’t really old enough to be making deeds in 1794.
On 7 Mar 1796, Jacob Lewis received a state land grant in Georgetown Dist., SC of 200 acres surveyed 29 Jul 1795, being on N.E. side of Drowning Creek bounded by James Lewis and land already granted to Jacob Lewis, and also vacant land. I didn’t find a survey for this. However, his next grant, the same day with the same description does have a survey, but it’s 500 acres. Is this one bogus?
Note that Drowning Creek was what they called the Lumber River back then.
On that same date (7 Mar 1796), Jacob Lewis received a land grant of 500 acres in Georgetown District (surveyed 29 Jul 1795), described as bordering his own land and James Lewis and vacant lands. The survey for the above was signed by Josiah Lewis, Deputy Surveyor. Studying the plat I can see where it borders his 1788 land grant which was described as on the NE side of Little Pee Dee, whereas this one is on NE side of Drowning Creek. The two of those come together right by the present town of Nichols in Marion Co., SC. However, for this land to be on the north east side of Drowning Creek, it would have to be on the Horry Co., SC side, I think.
On 4 Apr 1796, Orson Floyd received a land grant in Georgetown Dist., SC of 234 acres on north east side of Little Pee Dee bounded by Jacob Lewis and James Lewis and vacant land. Orson Floyd (alias Austin Floyd) was closely associated with James Floyd who was Jacob Lewis’s son-in-law. His land was in the part of Georgetown that became Horry in 1801, which suggests that James and Jacob Lewis’s land was as well.
I didn’t find Jacob Lewis on the 1800 census in NC or SC. He may have been dead by then, though whether in SC or NC I can’t say. Alternately, he could have still been alive, but residing with a son or daughter and thus not the head of household. John Lewis, who I believe is his son, had two adult males in his household on that census, one age 26-44 (1755/1774) and one 45 and up (born before 1755). I don’t think John himself was born before 1755, so this could be Jacob residing with him.
Jacob was named in an undated petition, which is marked ca 1801 by the South Carolina Archives:
To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the house of Representatives of the State of South Carolina the petition of James Floyd of George Town District in said State Respectfully sheweth that your petitioners father in law, Jacob Lewis of North Carolina Robeson County has conveyed his property by deeds of gifts to his Children and to your petitions wife Elizabeth Floyd a Negroe fellow named Daniel, but under the existing laws your petitioner is prohibited from bringing the said Negroe into this state without the [???] of the legislature your petitioner therefore solicits your Honorable body to take his case into consideration and Grant him the liberty of brining into this state the sd Negro Fellow and your petition as in duty bound will pray. [Signed] Jas Floyd
I didn’t find the referenced deed, so it must have been written and filed in Georgetown District instead of Robeson Co., NC. Unfortunately, most of the Georgetown records were destroyed in the Civil War.
The petition above doesn’t state that Jacob Lewis was dead, but implies the deeds were made in lieu of a Will, so perhaps he died shortly afterward. I didn’t find any record for him after 1795/96. He wasn’t on the 1800 census unless he’s with son John as I speculated about above. He was not on the 1810 census, though there was a younger Jacob Lewis (1784/94) in Robeson in 1810. He’s probably a grandson of our Jacob.
At least two children are proven for Jacob Lewis, a son Stephen (proven by 1769 tax list) and daughter Elizabeth Lewis Floyd, proven by a ca 1801 petition by her husband regarding a slave deeded to her by her father Jacob Lewis. John Lewis is almost certainly a son seeing how Jacob gave him all of his household property in 1795.
I have found records of Jacob being associated with several Lewis men who are likely his sons, but I don’t have absolute proof that they are. Some could just as easily be nephews, William (1761-1841) and Benjamin (bef 1755-aft 1820) for example. I think they’re his sons. Also James Lewis is a likely son.
I haven’t found any daughters other than Elizabeth, though I would assume there were some.
Any children born before ca 1754 would have been born in Bertie Co., NC, the rest in Dobbs Co., NC, their section became Glasgow County in 1791 then Greene Co., NC in 1799.
1. James Lewis, born before 1748 (assuming at least 21 for the 1769 tax list). Was always near Jacob and associated with him (chain bearer for surveys, neighboring land owner, witness deeds, etc.) in Dobbs Co., NC, and in Georgetown Dist., SC through the 1790s. Also associated with other likely sons of Jacob.
2. Stephen Lewis, born before 1753 (assuming at least 16 for the 1769 tax list). He is a proven son of Jacob per the 1769 tax list. He died 1800 in Robeson Co., NC. He left a Will naming wife Kerenhappuch, daughter Nancy Barfield and son Cader Lewis. He probably has other children not named in the Will.
3. Jacob Lewis (Jr) born before ca 1753, assuming he was at least 16 for the 1769 tax list. On that tax list, in Dobbs Co., NC where the elder Jacob was residing, this Jacob was listed with John Garland who was responsible for his poll tax (and also responsible for Joseph Whitley). I don’t know if John Garland is a relative, perhaps this Jacob’s father-in-law. Or, perhaps Jacob was indentured to him. If indentured, this Jacob is probably not our Jacob’s son, but maybe a nephew instead. I didn’t find any other records on this Jacob Lewis, or none I suspected was him. John Garland was on the Dobbs County 1780 tax list in the same district with our Lewises. Likewise, Joseph Whitley was also listed in 1780 just a few entries from the other Dobbs County Lewis’s which seems to confirm that Jacob Lewis (Jr) is part of our Jacob’s family somehow. I don’t know what became of him after 1769.
4. Anthony Lewis born before 1753, assuming he was at least 16 for the 1769 tax list. On that list, in Dobbs Co., NC (where Jacob was at that time), Anthony Lewis was with John Murphy Junr. I didn’t find any other record for this Anthony Lewis, but it’s notable that there were men of this name in Chowan and Bertie and Onslow where there were also records for Jacob Lewises. John Murphy might be related, or perhaps not. There is a man named John Murphrey on the 1780 Dobbs tax list in Ormond District which is also now Greene County, NC, not too far from where Jacob Lewis et al were residing though not in the very same community. I don’t think Anthony is a son of Jacob, but he certainly could be. I think it’s more likely he’s from the Onslow branch of the Lewis family where Anthony Lewis (II) died ca 1750s. This Anthony may be a grandson of that elder Anthony.
5. Benjamin Lewis, born before 1755, died after 1820. He was associated with Jacob in Dobbs, SC and Robeson Co., NC, and associated with Jacob’s proven and likely children across several years and locations, so it’s highly likely he’s Jacob’s son, or if not, a nephew at minimum. There was another Benjamin Lewis (1755/58-1821) who was in Dobbs, Lenoir and later Robeson Co., NC, same as our Benjamin, thus causing some confusion. However, this younger Benjamin isn’t related at all as best as we can tell.
6. Elizabeth Lewis, born 1755/1765 per 1800 and 1810 census. Married James Floyd ca 1780. Moved with him to what is now Horry Co., SC and remained there until death. See their page for more information.
7. William Lewis, born 1761 in Dobbs, now Greene per RW Pension, remained in Greene for awhile then moved various places for a few years at a time which ought to make him difficult to trace. However, he named all the places in his pension application which helps. Also, he left records in all those places so that helps: Dobbs (later Glasgow, now Greene), Wayne Co., NC, Duplin Co., NC, South Carolina, Lenoir Co, NC, Sampson Co., NC, Robeson Co., NC and finally, Cumberland Co., NC where he died in 1841. He was associated with members of Jacob Lewis’s family in several of those places, including Cader Lewis (proven son of Stephen, proven son of Jacob) who followed William around after the death of Stephen in 1800, thus helping prove that William is also a son of Jacob, or at least very closely related.
8. John Lewis, born ca 1765/1774 per census analysis. He was on the 1790 census in Georgetown Dist., SC. He was deeded land and other property by his father Jacob in 1795 in Robeson Co., NC. John witnessed his brother Stephen’s Will in 1800 in Robeson Co., NC. He’s listed on the 1800 census there as well. There are two adult males in the household, one born ca 1755/1774, which is probably him, and one over 45 (before 1755) which could be him if he’s older than I suspect, or it could be his father Jacob if still living in 1800. John is listed on the 1810 census in Robeson, age 26-44 (1765/84) near Jacob Lewis (1784/94) and William Lewis (1784/94) perhaps his sons or nephews. He died in 1817 leaving a will leaving his estate to his wife, daughter and sons, without using their names!
9. It’s possible that Jacob had other children, perhaps some daughters, but none are known yet.
For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database pages for Jacob Lewis.
Revised: May 30, 2026
Copyright © 1996-2026 Marvin A. Grant, Jr. All Rights Reserved.
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