Biography and History Regarding Walter Lewis Senior compiled by Lola L. Sorensen, A. G. 28 July 1979 Walter Lewis, father of Walter Lewis born 1807, was born in Middlesex, England (English Shire or county) according to his Military service induction record. Middlesex is a county largely taken up by the City of London. It is surrounded by the shires of Hertford, Essex, Surry, Buckingham and Kent. Approximating his birth date from known dates in his service record, I would .judge that he was born between the years 1771-1775.. King George III was the ruling monarch at that time. His Majesty suffered from periods of insanity off and on during his reign from 1788 to 1811. At the latter date his son, George IV was appointed regent to act in his father's place because the King was unable to govern any longer. During the years that Walter was a child, the London streets and houses were given a definite system of numbering and lettering for the first time. London had no regular police during this time. On the 28th of June in 1780 when Walter was yet a lad, there were riots in the city of London. There was much property damage. Newgate Goal was destroyed. These riots were touched off by the speeches of George Gordon. The people were wanting reforms from the King and he refused them. London at that time was a much different London from the one that we see today. The historic River Thames which flows 216 miles eastward and divides part of London had no bridges at that time. Many people living along the coasts and river were drowned. There were no large walls built like there are today to protect the people from the tides. Many people had employment in dark cold buildings with no adequate sanatati on facilities. The hours were long and the pay was poor. Many people died from hunger. The London docks were a busy place bringing goods from all over the world. During this time the English had gained supremacy with their Navy and England was coming to a height in her influence that could be felt around the world from Africa to the colonies in America and to the sub-continent of India. Trade to an Island country was vital. These same docks that brought these vital goods to be traded was also without realizing it, the breeding grounds for the black death. The ships brought in, in their holds, the mice that were to come to shore and bring the deadly disease which killed thousands of people in England alone. The climate of London has many gales in the early months of the year. In the month of April a rainy condition is ever present. Cold winters in the southeast (where London is) are followed by warm summer's with some hot weather. The most extensive reaches of flat coast are on the east. The average temperature in London year round is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. When snow does come it is of infrequent and short duration. The southeast averages about 16 days of snowfall a year. A large part of the country in this area is wide valleys and plains. The south's largest portion of land is a continuous plain consisting of Wealds of Sussex, Surry, and Kent covering about 1,000 square miles. One of the famous churches in the Middlesex area of London was St. Andrews Undershaft, whether your Walter was christened there or not has not been proven yet. The computer update for August 1978 shows no Walter in the London or surrounding areas or shires previously cited. One fifth or more of the population of England has resided in London. Walter as a child, would no doubt have known of the horrors of living in a big city in those days. There was no modern plumbing. Conditions were very unsanitary. Dysentery took many victims, along with cholera, T.B., pneumonia and many other diseases. Most people, except the wealthy who could afford a life of ease, lived lives of quiet desperation. • Work hours at shops and factories were long, even for children. Conditions were damp and cold. Life expectancy was not much over 30 years of age for those who lived to adulthood. The majority of children died young or at birth. Many mothers died at childbirth of childbed fever because of unclean conditions during delivery. If the child was lucky enough to survive birth many times he or she died from being taken to church for a christening. How many brothers and sisters Walter had that died during this time we don't know. The textile mills kept most of the people busy unless they were involved in shipping. Some rural areas near London found many yeoman (farmers) doing their trade as had their ancestors for centuries. Walter upon his induction in the service gave his trade as laborer. That was a general occupation which could mean that he would work at most any kind of job. The American revolution (1776-1782) caused a depression in England because the lack of trade from American colonies. The colonists had been their main source of revenue. Troubles with America improved after the war but was started again with the onset of the war of 1812 which was fought over the impressionism of American naval personnel onto English ships. To add to the troubles at this time the French revolution.followed the American revolution. This also disturbed the English trade interests in France. During Walter Senior's childhood and early manhood the population of London doubled. Walter reached his legal age and sought to better his condition by joining the service. If a young man was not to be apprenticed to learn a trade and his parents or he didn't know what to do, then the service could supply poor families with needed income for 'their children. He joined the 89th regiment of Foot. (Infantry). Walter remained with this regiment until his death. His regimental records show a great deal of moving from place to place and tell us quite a bit about his life at that time. His enlistment was given as 23 May 1802 at the time he stated that he was born in Middlsex, England. By 16 September 1802 he was in Ireland recruiting. He had at that time the rank of Sergeant. Ireland at that time had by the Act of Union in 1800 became part of the United Kingdom. The 1700's had seen many Catholic Irish subject to penal law because of their religion. By the early 1800 "s when the Union with England was made there were movements among the people to pressure their King for a return of their religious rights. During this time of religious tension, Walter was recruiting in Ireland. His regiment was there in Ireland from 1805 to 1806 in the areas of Kinsale and Cork, Ireland. Sometime in Jan. 1806 Walter found himself in Loxstead. Germany in a Dutch prison. The English and Dutch were rivals for sea supremacy at that time and for the rights to colonies in Africa and India. They gave in to the English and were driven out of their Indian properties which were called factories but they held on to their African interests. Walter in order to have been in a Dutch prison was involved in the Boer wars or South African war at that time. The English were engaged in fighting in Africa from 1793 til Jan 1806 when hostilities ceased. A month after the hostilities ceased the Dutch returned their prisoners, including Walter and he returned to Margate, Kent on the 6th of February 1806. Then in March and through June of that year he was in Ospringe barracks in London. I looked for his marriage there but didn't find it. Also available marriage records in the computer were searched for London and adjacent areas as well as Ireland with negative results. Our next date of importance is the christening (infant baptism) for Walter Lewis, Jr. in the St. Mary parish, Portsea (suburb of' Portsmouth), England on 14 August 1807. His parents are listed as Walter Lewis and Elizabeth. No witnesses are listed at that event. A search was also made to see if he had had any brothers or sisters who had died young and there were none listed to Walter and Elizabeth, except Walter Junior. Your family tradition stated that Walter and his wife next went to Africa or India, leaving their only son and heir in the hands of a governess, Elizabeth Buckley until they were to return. The death rate of Europeans in India was extremely high so they were no doubt protecting their offspring from possible death or serious illness by having him remain in England. The regiment crossed around the Cape,of Good Hope (tip of Africa) by sailing vessel. Their journey was from December to March of 1806-1807. With their son receiving his infant baptism in 1807 the nurse would have to have had that done because the parents were on their way to India at that time. The 89th regiment was stationed in southern India out of the main port city of Madras. A high portion of the natives in that area of India are of mixed Caucasian and black ancestry. Today the name Madras calls to mind the famous India cottons by that name. The English in India pitted the native princes in various intrigues one against another and encouraged quarreling to help keep their foothold in the trade enterprises there. The British East India company had power granted them by the crown to establish areas for trade. Also church records were kept by the company of their employees who took part in church services in the Presidencies of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. A few scattered Catholic returns were kept too. The Madras Presidency records for the church of England tell us the sad story of the remainder of the lives of Walter and his wife. Funerals for the date 27 November 1812 Madras indicate that Catherine Lewis, wife of Walter Lewis, 89th regiment was buried by the Reverend Dr. Bell, Chaplain. Her cause of death is not given. If the wounds of battles didn't kill in those days then the plagues and sicknesses that followed the troops would. Funerals tell a sorry story of short lived families. Since she was not a battle casualty chances are that a disease got her. On November 21, 1813 a child of Drum Major Lewis died. (no age or sex given). Please note that he had been promoted to title of Drum Major. The Drum major's were among the most risky of positions in those days because they with the piper and fifer were usually among the first to be killed. Why were they among the first? They went at the head of their regiment and played as the columns marched to battles. With no means of protection and just their instruments in hand many brave souls died. Funerals records dated 14 July 1814 indicated that Walter Lewis, Drum Major, 89th regiment was "Decently interred and funeral service of Church of England read over them, this 24th July 1814 of Church of England by me," signed W. Thomas, Chaplain. (The exact wording is given by the minister who performed the last rites.) The military and church records verify what your family records said, mainly: Walter and his wife died in India. However, a child also died in India. The funeral record of the wife, gives the given name of Catherine while the christening record of the child, Walter, gives the mother's given name as Elizabeth. Either Walter had two wives who preceded him in death or his wife had more than one given name. Walter according to your family tradition served in Africa or India in the service and the military records of the regiment prove that he served in both places for a time. Walter Lewis. Jr. after his parents deaths was taken by the governess to Scotland to live with her and he remained there until he married and began his own family in Scotland. Bibliography of sources.used to compile this account as follows: British East India records, Madras Presidency (film 506,956) fol. 5, pages 62, 248, 492: St. Mary's parish, Portsea, , Vol 1, page 227 (film 191,738 item 1); Smeon Clarke, genealogist searched for us records for 89th regiment of foot at war office, London and sent us information about movements of Walter, Plus his birthplace, his enlistment, where he stayed while in service, his trip around Cape of Good Hope and stay in India (see report in corres file 15 March 1979), letter in Lewis notebook compiled by Lola Sorensen; Encyclopedia Americana Volume 13, pages 25-7, pages 172, 185, 194-5, 171-2; Encyclopedia Americana Vol. 10, pages 328-9, 356-9, Vol. 17, pages 590, 597, 587; Encyclopedia Americana Vol. 25 pages 282; .Bell Zavier Families of India compiled by Lola Sorensen for Information on Dutch East India and British East India Companies, page 3.