John Lewis (Virginia colonist)

John Lewis (1 February 1678 - 1 February 1762), the founder of the prominent Lewis family in the westernmost part of the Colony of Virginia, was a militia officer, magistrate and pioneering farmer. Born in northern Ireland, he was forced to emigrate across the Atlantic Ocean after killing his landlord. He settled in Virginia and, together with his nephew James Patton, became wealthy through land grants and sales during expansion of Virginia's westward frontier. Lewis and his eldest son Thomas became magistrates upon the creation of Augusta County and helped found Staunton, the county seat and gateway to the west during their lifetime. Thomas Lewis also served in the House of Burgesses, and many descendants would likewise achieve high political office. His second son Andrew Lewis became prominent during the French and Indian War and achieved rank of general in the American Revolutionary War, where he became known for his victory at the Battle of Point Pleasant, although his youngest brother, Charles, died in that battle. For many years, Lewis engaged in a heated rivalry with his nephew Patton over land grants, judicial power, and the construction of a parish meeting house. He died at his home in Staunton, Virginia at the age of 84.