S EA

LEWIS EASTWOOD (1746- April 6, 1829)
 Tanner (also Currier, Cart Man)

Lewis Eastwood was the second son (of ten children) born to Israel and Mary Eastwood. Israel was the great-grandson of Richard Eastwood, who had emigrated from England to Jamestown Colony in 1642 and established the first Eastwood family in America. Richard and his young wife, Elizabeth, acquired a land parcel of 400 acres along Indian Creek, on the Western Branch of the Nansamund River (below the land of neighbor, William Hatfield), in Norfolk County, Virginia and recorded the deed on May 22, 1642.

Lewis, unlike his ancestors who were content to remain on their ancestral farmland where they were born, as well as, eventually die, was a bit of a vagabond who never seemed to stay in one location for very long. His nomadic lifestyle brought some major changes to the history of the Eastwood family.

According to the “History of Orange Co. NY” by Ruttenber & Clark- "Lewis Eastwood lived in the town of Warwick in September, 1775 when his land was assessed at the value of 5 s. 3 p.  Of the seventy families living in District 9 (evidently comprised of the southern portion of the present town of Goshen, the Florida (?) neighborhood of Warwick, and southward to the vicinity of Mount Eve) his land was among the least valuable".

As noted in the diary of his son, Asa Eastwood (2/20/1781-2/25/1870):

“My father moved from Allentown, New Jersey when I was a child, to Goshen, State of New York, from there to Schenectady, from thence to Balstown, from thence to Lolenburgh, from thence to Kinder Hook, from thence to Harperfield, from there to Catskill, from thence to Red Hook Living in some place from several years and in other for several months only, in the former place he carried on his trade in an extensive manner which was that of Tanner (The Tanning Business - History) and Currier in Balston.” {New York}.

In addition to Lewis’ itinerancy, research seems to indicate that he was the first of the Eastwoods in America to remarry. He married his first wife, Mary (Virginia Mary) in 1776.  Mary gave birth to their eldest son, Lewis Washington Eastwood Jr. around 1777.The couple would move several times during their 14 year marriage, but tended to stay in the New York Harbor region between Goshen, New York and Allentown, New Jersey. The proximity to the busiest seaport in the colonies provided Lewis with a variety of business opportunities over the following decades. When his next three sons, John, Asa, and Enos, were born over the following 5 years, the boys all grew up around the ships in the harbor and were instilled with a love and respect for the sea which they retained throughout their lifetimes. Sadly, it would also prove to be the cause of the demise of young Lewis Jr. at the tender age of nine.

The records of the John Street Methodist Church in New York City states that “Lewis Eastwood, ... died of a fall from the mast onto the Quarter Deck on Dec. 2, 1786”.

In Monmouth County, New Jersey in the town of Allentown, Lewis began to firmly establish his career as a tanner. To expand his livelihood, he would eventually build, or more likely, acquire his own Tannery.

New Jersey Deed Records show that on April 4, 1785, Lewis and Mary Eastwood of Allentown, Monmouth County, sold their tanyard [tannery] for the sum of 440 pounds.

During their residency in Allentown, Lewis and Mary’s young family again expanded (sixth son, Benjamin had been born in Goshen, NY) with the birth of the couple's first, and only, daughter, Catherine, about 1785.

My assumption that Virginia Mary’s Date of Death is around 1790 is based on the entry in Asa Eastwood’s diary which states:

“My mother died when I was about nine years of age, and my father married in about a year thereafter”.

After the sale of Lewis’ business the family began their exodus throughout the state of New York.

To further complicate this chronological quagmire;  would be that Lewis and Mary left Portsmouth, Norfolk, VA prior to 1775 or possibly that Lewis had acquired this small parcel of land while still residing in Virginia.

 Further research by the author is forthcoming and, in addition, the results of my DNA testing will provide some answers. Additionally, Asa Eastwood’s diary states that his father moved from Allentown, New Jersey to Goshen, NY when he was a child which would be after Asa’s birth in Allentown on Feb. 20, 1781, a fact that is well documented in many historical records. It is this author’s humble opinion that either the “History of Orange Co. NY” erred in reporting the date, or more than likely, another Lewis Eastwood preceded this Lewis’ move to the area.

Many family trees and other records of Eastwood history also denote Dec. 2, 1786 as the date of Mary Eastwood’s death. If this is accurate, one must assume that her death was related to the incident that resulted in young Lewis Jr.’s tragic death. Even if one was to believe that perhaps she attempted to catch her falling son, or, a bit more believable, suffered a heart attack as a result of the traumatic experience; surely the document which noted Lewis Jr.’s death would have included Mary’s demise, as well. My assumption is that somewhere over the years this date was erroneously listed and has been repeated over time in subsequent documentation.
 

Lewis married his second wife, Lucy, in New York City in 1792 and she soon gave birth to their son, James (aft 1794?), in New York City. Although James was the only child born to Lewis and Lucy, * 5/06 update - Rachel(1791) + Samuel (1791) ?

His first wife, Mary, had previously blessed him with the birth of four boys (Lewis Jr., John, Asa, and Enos) (Nathaniel?) and a daughter, Catherine. Though Lewis was forty eight years old at the time of James’ birth, the boy only outlived his father by less than seven years.

Lewis’ fourth son, Enos, chose to follow in the footsteps of his two older brothers, John and Asa; and sought to find a career as a seaman. Both of his brothers had gone to sea in 1800, aboard the USS Constellation, the first frigate to be commissioned in the newly reorganized U.S. Navy. Launched in Baltimore on September 7, 1797, the 164-ft ship sported 38 guns and weighed over 1,278 tons. The Constellation combined the firepower of a standard frigate with the celerity of a Baltimore Clipper. She was capable of cruising at 14 knots, and had earned the nickname...

        "Yankee Racehorse."