Lawrence Lewis family papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon
3600 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Reference services
Phone: (703) 780-3600
Restrictions:

This collection is open for research during scheduled appointments. Researchers must complete the Washington Library's Special Collections and Archives Registration Form before access is provided. The library reserves the right to restrict access to certain items for preservation purposes.

Preferred citation:

[Name and date of item], Lawrence Lewis family papers, [Folder], Special Collections, The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon [hereafter Washington Library], Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
3.25 Linear Feet
Creator:
Lewis, Lawrence, 1767-1839
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Name and date of item], Lawrence Lewis family papers, [Folder], Special Collections, The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon [hereafter Washington Library], Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection (269 letters) includes correspondence regarding family matters, farm business, legal questions about various wills, including that of George Washington, buying and selling of slaves and land, letters from friends, travels, and business interests. Also included are financial papers, including accounts and bills for various services, many dealing with daily life, building materials, education expenses, books, taxes paid/owed, and financial transactions.

Biographical / historical:

Lawrence Lewis: Nephew of George Washington, born on April 4, 1767, in Fredericksburg, VA to Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington Lewis, the sister of George Washington. He volunteered for service in 1794 to help suppress the Whiskey Rebellion and served as aide-de-camp to General Daniel Morgan, achieving the rank of major. In 1797 he became personal secretary to Washington and married Eleanor Parke Custis, a granddaughter of Martha Washington, on February 22, 1799. They lived at Mount Vernon for the first several years of their marriage and had eight children, three of whom survived to adulthood: Frances Parke Lewis (1799-1875); Lorenzo Lewis (13 November 1803 – 27 July 1847); and Martha Eleanor Angela Lewis (1813-1878). He was the primary executor of Washington's will and was given 2,000 acres of land by him on which he built Woodlawn. They moved to Audley Plantation in 1830 on land he had purchased from Washington's holdings. He died on November 20, 1839 and is buried in the vault at Mount Vernon. Betty (Lewis) Carter: Niece of Lawrence Lewis, daughter of Fielding Lewis and Elizabeth Washington. Born 23 February 1765 in Fredericksburg, VA. Died 9 August 1830 at Audley Plantation in Berryville, VA. Robert Lewis: Son of Fielding Lewis and Elizabeth Washington. Born 25 June 1769 in Fredericksburg, VA. Died 16 January 1829 in Fredericksburg, VA. He was secretary to George Washington during his presidency.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into two series: Correspondence and Financial Papers. The correspondence relates to financial and legal matters, business transactions, dealings regarding the family and the farm. The financial papers include accounts and bills for various services, as well as legal documents.

Physical facet:
13 boxes
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard