Hi, Just to set the record a little straighter, I have done some research into the Van Pelts and, although Mary Lewis Stevenson's book is in many ways correct, the information about Mourning's parentage and meeting with William Lewis has not, as far as I can find, been proven true. In fact, the documentation I have found shows that Mourning Van Pelt's family actually started in Liege. Her ancestor, Teunis Jansen Lanen Van Pelt, arrived with his family consisting of his wife, Grietje Jans and six children, aboard the ship Rosetree, or Roseboom, which sailed into port at New York (New Amsterdam) in March of 1663. Teunis brought over a company of seventy-two persons, men, women, and children in the ship Rosetree (or Roseboom) and settled at New Utrecht, Long Island. In establishing the village of New Utrecht on Long Island (which eventually became Brooklyn, New York), Teunis became the Patroon and his home, built the next year in 1664, became the Manor House. The family were members of the Dutch Reformed Church. In one source they were said to have been Walloons who were refugees from areas controlled by the Duke of Alba who had tried to exterminate the Protestants. A few years after their arrival in this country, Teunis' first wife died and he married the widow of John Otter, Gertrude Jans Otter. Although the Van Pelts began in New Utrecht, they gradually moved, via Staten Island, New York, where many Van Pelts still show as listed in the telephone book, to North Carolina. Teunis' grandson, who was the grandfather of Mourning, was Hendrick and had moved from Staten Island to North Carolina. In fact, Hendrick, often called Henry in North Carolina, acquired at least 100 acres in Bertie Precinct, Albemarle County, NC, and probably acquired quite a bit along with the rest of his family. He appears on a list dated June 12, 1735, showing him in arrears of quit rents to His Majesty's Government from Sept. 20, 1729, to March 1732. He owed 1 lb, 5 pence, 0 shilling. Hendrick was a planter and bought 200 acres on "Chinkapen" Swamp in March 1717 from John White of Bertie County, according to Deed Book E. This transaction was registered by Thomas Hansford, a ship's carpenter, with Bridget Hansford as witness. His will, which he signed Hendrick, was proved by oaths of Thomas Hansford and Alex Volentine August 11, 1747, according to the NC Historical and Genealogical Register. Mourning's father, Jan [anglicized to John) was also from North Carolina, although he probably traveled quite a bit. John's will, dated November 22, 1734, was probated on June 17, 1748, before Gab Johnston. In his will, he stated that he was "Of the City of New York". He left his eldest son John 5 pounds and his plantation in Bertie Precinct called John Swan's Plantation. He left his son Daniel his plantation in Bertie Precinct call Chinkapin Neecke and John Wilson's Plantation. His daughters Mary and Elslie five lots in Bath Town. His wife Mary was to receive the use of all his estate during her widowhood. The executors were his wife Mary and his son Daniel. The witnesses were Andrew Moor, John Pratt, and Henry Demeyer. Peter Payne testified to the handwriting. Nothing was left to Mourning, probably since she had already been given her inheritance. However, it appears that Mourning lived in the close vicinity of the Lewis family and probably knew William there. I'm not certain where the story of Mourning meeting William in Charleston and falling so in love with him that she left her father, married William, and then watched her father sale back to Holland. Although the Van Pelts may, actually -- although I have no proof of this yet and it is only surmise on my part -- have been Dutch owners of ships (perhaps slave traders who docked at Charleston and other ports), it appears that the story of love conquering in Charleston is just a lovely story. Especially as it's known that William and Mourning did own land in North Carolina. In fact, on October 9, 1766, in Bertie Co., NC, Deed Book K, pg. 81, William and Mourning Lewis of Dobbs County, NC, sold Eleazor Quinby, Mariner, for 16 Pounds Proclamination Money, 250 acres on Tumbline Branch, heired by Mourning Van Pelt now Lewis, from her Grandfather, Hendrick Van Pelt. The witnesses were John Freeman and James Freeman. And although it appears that William and Mourning Van Pelt Lewis moved to South Carolina around 1766/1767, they were still very active in the old neighborhood in North Carolina and still owned property there. On August 9, 1793, as shown in Bertie Co., NC, Deed Book P, Wm Lewis of Glasgow, state of North Carolina and William Lewis, Planter of Kingston County, South Carolina, sold 200 acres in Bertie County but the name of the individual who purchased the property is given in this extract. On August 29, 1793, as shown in Bertie Co., NC, Deed Book L, pg. 74, William, and his oldest son, William Jr., sold 450 acres to Peter Van Pelt of Bertie County, NC. At this sale, he described his son as being from Glascow County (now called Green County), State of North Carolina, and himself as from Kingston County, State of South Carolina. The witnesses were Thomas Granbury and Simeon Van Pelt. As you will note, there are Van Pelt's, actually kin of Mourning, still in Bertie County at that time. As for Gilbert Lewis, I do not find him in the database I have managed to input into my FO program so far. Although I've been working on it for quite a few years, I've only managed to get about 30,000 names on it. I might have more information on your Gilbert Lewis in some of the piles of papers I haven't gotten to input yet and if I do have anything, I will certainly let you know. If you have any other Lewis names that might help in locating your Gilbert, please let me know and I'll be glad to search. I have information, although I do admit that some is not as well researched as I would like, on the Lewis line back to Henry Lewis who was born about 1584 in Wales. We're all related in Horry and Marion Counties, so I'd be glad to help my cousins any way I can. I've finally been persuaded to do a webpage and put my information online so I'll be working at that during the next little while. As soon as I get it up and running, I'll let ya'll know and then maybe I'll find I have more cousins down there. Good luck in your searches, Dianne "Robert G. Lewis" wrote: > > > Hi, Marceline: > > I have not researched nor can I verify the accuracy of the following > concerning William Lewis and Mourning VanPelt, but it might bear looking into. > > Have you seen or do you have a copy of "William Lewis of Horry County, > S.C." by Mary Lewis Stevenson? While she doesn't name Mourning VanPelt's > parents, she does indicate that they, Mourning and William, met and presumable > married in Charleston (Page 3). Mourning's father returned to Holland to bring > his family back to the colonies but never returned. > > On page vi, an excerpt of a deed of gift of Thomas Banks of Bertie > precinct, Albemarle county, Carolina, to William Lewis who married the daughter > of Thomas Banks, states in part: : " . . . . . bounded thus Vis beginning at a > marked Oak Then running along a line of mark trees to John Vanpelt's > land.......". This dead was registered in November Court in 1736. If I > understeand the paragraph associated with this deed of gift, then the William > Lewis who married Mourning VanPelt was the son of William Lewis who married the > daughter of Thomas Banks. That just might make John VanPelt the > father/uncle/or other relative of Mourning VanPelt. Don't know; haven't > checked. Taking into account the story of how William and Mourning met and > married, it is a great possibility that John VanPelt was the brother to Mouning > VanPelt's father. > > While this is not known to be my line, I am interested in who William Lewis > was and from whence he came. My brickwall: I am missing the parents and > siblings of Gilbert Lewis in Nash County, NC and explore every lead in an > attempt to find them. Gilbert was born about 1795 and died in 1846 when he was > thrown from his horse in the yard of Griff Lewis. We don't know the > relationship between Gilbert and Griff. Any help or clues would be > appreciated. > > Gilbert left a wife, Elizabeth (WINBOURN) LEWIS, and five children; > Guilford who married Catherine Tisdale, Caswell who married Eliza J. High, > Elizabeth Jane who married John R. Morris, Gilbert who died at Gettysburg, and > Gilliam Augustus my GGrandfather married Temperance Jane Hogg. > > Hope this helps you, also. > > Later, > > ROB > > Robert G. Lewis > EMail <rlew6897@interpath.com> > Searching: LEWIS; ALFORD; FINCH; HOGG; WINBORNE; VOLIVA and others > RootsWeb Sponsor; Member: The National Genealogical Society; The Alford > American Family Association; The Tar River Genealogical Society > > ==== SCHORRY Mailing List ==== > More SCHORRY-L listmember sites: > 16. Van & Katherine Jenerette > http://members.aol.com/vandoniii/familytree.html > 17. Elizabeth Whitten ewhitten@ro.com > http://ro.com/~ewhitten/ > 18. Debbie Parsons debpar@pahrump.net > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/1602/ > 19. Tom Harrelson- tharr29@idt.net > http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/3087/ > 20. Ron Hall- phillhall@email.msn.com > http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Quarter/5221 > 21. Marion Banks McGee - MarionBMc@aol.com > http://www.geocities.com/~marionbmc/ > 22. Danny Lee Blanton > http://millennium.fortunecity.com/abbeydale/731/ > > ============================== > Free Web space. ANY amount. 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