434 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



of a New York General,) was the son of John Lewis," one of the pioneer 

 settlers of Killingvvorth, now Clinton, Middlesex County, Conn., the 

 fourth in descent from John Lewis, a native of Rossenden-in-Bleane in 

 the County of Kent, England, who emigrated to Scituate, Mass., in 1635, 

 and died at New London, Conn., on the 8th of Dec, 1676. He seems 

 only to have exhibited a fondness for mercantile pursuits, and first 

 served as a clerk in the store of Capt. Isaac Jones of Darien, Conn., 

 from thence he removed to Danbury, and not long after to New York, 

 and soon became (from his determined energy and close application to 

 business) the foremost clerk in the establishment of Messrs. Hoffman 

 & Sons, then one of the principal auctioneer firms in that city. After 

 serving there for three years with great satisfaction to his employers, he 

 started business for himself in Wall Street, where, by his untiring energy 

 and perseverence, he amassed a large fortune. No man better under- 

 stood the value of money and the labor spent in acquiring it, therefore 

 he greatly disliked to see negligence and indolence in others ; he had 

 also a great fondness for literary pursuits. In 1852 he published a work 

 upon " The Merits of Protestantism Demonstrated by the Character of 

 Man," embracing in his history various countries from the earliest 

 recorded period to the present century. 



It was his great object in this undertaking to show the merits of Pro- 

 testanism and the benefits which it has conferred upon the world in 

 improving the civil, social and religious conditions of the great mass of 

 the people. The work is written in a good spirit . and brings into one 

 compendious view the good fruits of the Reformation, and passed through 

 three editions' 5 ; he was preparing a fourth for the press, only a few years 

 before his death. Possessed of abundant means, he was liberal especially 

 in the cause of education, being one of the founders of the free academy 

 in New York and a generous contributor to its support. In 1840 he 

 gave ten thousand dollars for the maintenance of the common schools in 

 this town, and at one time greatly desired to establish a school not only 

 for the promotion of Agriculture within its borders but throughout the 

 country at large. He was preparing to increase his gift of the Glebe 

 Lands by the building of the new church of St. Paul's, when he was re- 

 moved by death on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 1st, 187 1. It was his wish that 



a The following- inscriptions on tombstones in the cemetery at Clinton, are to the memory 

 of John Lewis and Mary his wile (who was the flrst person buried there : ) 



In memory of In memory ol 



JOHN LEWIS, MAKY, 



Who departed tins life Aug. 24th, Wile of John Lewis, 



A. D. 1786, Died Dec. 16, A. D. 1T65, 



In the 67th year of his age. In the 43d year of her age. 



b Third edition New York for sale at the Astor House book store, 1854. Aoopy of this book 

 is still preserved at St. Paul's Rectory, Lewisboro. 



