Burwell was born probably in York County, the son of Lewis Burwell (d. 1710) and his second wife, Martha Lear Cole Burwell. The date of his birth is not recorded, but in June 1718 his half brother Nathaniel Burwell complained that Lewis Burwell could scarcely write, spell, or do his sums correctly and was likely to spend his life as a "Blockhead." This characterization may suggest that he was then still a pupil at the College of William and Mary and therefore was born probably closer to the date of his mother's death in August 1704 than to the date of his parents' marriage in 1694 or 1695.
Time Line
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ca. 1720 - Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) marries Elizabeth Armistead, the sister-in-law of his half brother James Burwell. They will have at least two sons.
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December 1725 - Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) becomes a member of the vestry of Bruton Parish.
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August 15, 1728 - Lieutenant Governor Sir William Gooch appoints Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) to the vacant position of naval officer.
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1736 - By this time Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) owns more than 2,000 acres in James City and York counties, 1,800 acres in Isle of Wight County, and an additional 4,800 acres in King William County.
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ca. 1736 - Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) erects a large new mansion at his Kingsmill plantation, near Burwell's Ferry and the future site of Carter's Grove.
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December 15, 1737 - Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) is listed as a justice in a new commission of the peace for James City County.
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1742–1743 - Lewis Burwell (d. 1743) represents James City County in the House of Burgesses.
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November 19, 1743 - Lewis Burwell dies, probably at Kingsmill, and is likely buried in the family cemetery there.
References
Further Reading
Cite This Entry
- APA Citation:
Simpson, A., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Lewis Burwell (d. 1743). (2016, November 22). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/Burwell_Lewis_d_1743.
- MLA Citation:
Simpson, Alan and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "Lewis Burwell (d. 1743)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. READ_DATE.
First published: November 6, 2012 | Last modified: November 22, 2016
Contributed by Alan Simpson and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.