| ![Show Contents]() Lewes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The proud Lewes surname is from the personal name Lewis, an Anglicized form of the Welsh name Llewellyn. This name is often explained as meaning "lion-like," but is in fact probably derived from the Welsh word "llyw," which means "leader." Alternatively, the name Lewis is also an Anglo-French form of the Old Frankish name Hludwig, which means "loud battle." Early Origins of the Lewes familyThe surname Lewes was first found in Glamorganshire (Welsh: Sir Forgannwg), a region of South Wales, anciently part of the Welsh kingdom of Glywysing, where the family held a seat from ancient times. Early History of the Lewes familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lewes research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1616, 1625, 1627, 1640, 1650, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1669, 1674, 1675, 1677, 1679, 1690, 1699, 1706 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lewes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Lewes Spelling VariationsAlthough there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Lewes have included Lewis, Lewiss, Lewess, Lews, Llewys, Llewis, Lewwis, Llewess and many more. Early Notables of the Lewes familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir William Lewis, 1st Baronet (1598-1677), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1677; William Lewis (1625-1661), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660; Richard Lewis (c 1627-1706), an English landowner and...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lewes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Lewes family to Ireland
Some of the Lewes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Lewes migration to the United States | + |
Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Lewes:
Lewes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Lewes, who landed in Jamestown, Va in 1607 1
- Roger Lewes, who arrived in Virginia in 1617 1
- Mr. George Lewes, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia aboard the ship "Edwine" in 1617 2
- William Lewes, who arrived in New England in 1632 1
- Sarah Lewes, who landed in New England in 1634 1
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lewes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James Lewes, aged 18, who landed in America in 1821 1
| Lewes migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Lewes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Thomas Lewes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Ann Lewes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Richard Lewes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Emma Lewes, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
- Mr. N Lewes, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Scimitar" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 5th March 1874 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Lewes migration to West Indies | + |
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4Lewes Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century- David Lewes, aged 28, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 1
- Mr. Richard Lewes, (b. 1609), aged 26, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Lewes (post 1700) | + |
- George Henry Lewes (1817-1878), English writer
- Sir Watkin Lewes Griffies -Williams (1800-1877), 3rd Baronet, Welsh peer, an officer in the British Indian Army who had a "perfect knowledge" of Burmese
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Patriae fidus
Motto Translation: Faithful to my country.
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
- Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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Lewes migration to the United States 
Lewes migration to New Zealand 
Lewes migration to West Indies 
Wales-Alt
Ireland
