When you have a collection of many similar portraits, it’s easy to dismiss this type of photograph as just another portrait of a man from the 1880s. I try not to do that, but it’s true that the more unusual the portrait, the more I’m drawn to writing about it. However, when I look at this rather usual portrait of “Rich Lewis,” I notice his serious, but inquisitive expression. I get the sense that he was a thinker. I probably spend way too much time looking at portraits, trying to imagine who I’m looking at and what their personalities might have been. So instead of guessing, let’s try to nail down who Mr. Rich Lewis was, as best we can.
There are a few clues on the reverse of the cabinet card. The handwritten pen inscription reads:
To Harry
-From Grandpa-
Grand Haven Mich
~Sept 6th 1881~
And at the bottom of the back:
Rich Lewis
Taken 1880 – Al [April] – 56
The photographer’s name, William Cass, Artist is
stamped across, beneath the inscription. And those of you who have read my blog before, you've probably guessed I've tried to locate an archive of Mr. Cass' photographic images for a quick solution to my photo identification problem. Sadly, no luck.
Even though we have a name, place, and date, I wasn’t confident that I could be successful in narrowing down the identity of the man in the portrait. Rich (Richard) Lewis could be considered a common name. The dates given do not indicate a birth date or the marking of a special, traceable occasion. So, for me, the biggest clue, outside of the name Rich Lewis and the location of Grand Haven, is the name of his grandson, Harry.
I started a search on Familysearch.org with what I knew. The first hit was a Find-a-Grave listing for Richard Lewis, born in 1824, buried in Grand Haven. This piqued my interest because of the inscription at the bottom of the photograph. The “56” likely refers to the age of Mr. Lewis in 1880. That would place his birth date about 1824. I put this information aside and decided to look for the 1880 census. There was one hit. Richard Lewis was a Minister, 55 years old, married to Margret with two daughters, Jennie K, 18, and Maggie A, 15 as well as one grandchild living in the household. The family lived on Clinton Street. I suspected the grandchild, Grace Dunswell, 2, could possibly be the child of another of Richard’s daughters, not living in the household. To get a better look at the family, I went in search of earlier censuses.
Prior to Michigan, the family lived in Canada. Based on information in the 1871 and 1861 censuses the other children in the family were: Alexander R, born about 1851; William H., born about 1853; Grace, born about 1855, and George, born about 1857.
I learned that Grace Swinton Dunwell, the grandchild of Richard and Margaret Lewis, was born in Ludington, MI in 1878 to F.P. Dunwell and Grace Swinton Lewis. Grace, the mother, died in March of 1878, possibly in childbirth, and so Richard and Margaret Lewis took care of the child after the death of their daughter.
This leaves Harry. Did one of the children above have a child by that name? Yes, indeed. Alexander R. Lewis and his wife, Gertrude Spearman had a son, Harry Spearman Lewis, born August 15, 1879, in Appleton, Wisconsin. As I was researching Harry and his parents, I found the 1909 will of his father, Alexander, online at Ancestry.com.
I’ve read many wills as part of my various genealogical research projects, and I have never seen one with such emphasis on family items of genealogical value. Alexander Richard Lewis’ will details the distribution of various photographs and bibles. The will reads, “I give and bequeath to my son, Harry Spearman Lewis, the old family bible, dated A.D. 1683 given me by my mother, Margaret Crawford Hart Lewis; our family bible given me by my father and mother, Richard and Margaret C. Lewis, 1876, the pictures of my grandfather Lewis and grandmother Lewis.” He later bequeaths to his daughter, Grace, “the miniature of her great-great-grand-father, Henry Swinton and also of her great-grandmother, Grace Swinton Hart.” I wonder where those items are now. I hope someone is cherishing them!
The Reverend Lewis died 22 Jul 1902, and is buried in Lake Forest Cemetery, Grand Haven. The following notice in the Hinsdale Doings newspaper (Hinsdale, IL) on August 8th, 1902 provides a little background information on Richard Lewis' movements and ministerial life:
“The sympathy of his friends is extended to Geo. F.
Lewis who was lately called to be with his mother and
family. Rev. Richard Lewis died at his home in Grand Haven,
Mich., July 22, he was nearly 78 years old. Born in
England, his parents moved to Brooklyn, N. Y.,when he was
ten years old. There he spent the years of his early manhood.
Later the family moved to Canada where he worked with
his father not until he was nearing middle life and had
four children … the call of God. … graduated in 1863 from
Canadian Congregational College, now affiliated with McGill
University of Montreal and in 1874 returned to the U.S.
His aged wife of 52 years survives him.”
So, is this the image of the Richard Lewis, Congregationalist Minister, of Grand Haven, Michigan, and earlier of Canada and Portsmouth, England? Is Harry, the recipient of the photograph, Harry Spearman Lewis? I can’t say absolutely. It’s a possibility. After viewing a photograph of the Reverend Richard Lewis on the Familysearch Tree, I think the possibility is even greater. It does look like him, much older, but I feel it is the same person. What do you think? I’ve included a link to the Familysearch page in the sources list below.
This photograph was found at an antique store in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Sources:
"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVG2-VR2C : 14 April 2023), Richard Lewis, ; Burial, Grand Haven, Ottawa, Michigan, United States of America, Lake Forest Cemetery; citing record ID 128073938, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
"United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW34-DDQ : Wed Aug 02 17:53:18 UTC 2023), Entry for Richard Lewis and Margret C. Lewis, 1880.
"United States Census, 1880", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNH4-2CV : Thu Aug 03 13:34:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Alexander R. Lewis and Gertrude S. Lewis, 1880.
"Canada Census, 1871," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4QZ-RZC : 7 April 2022), Richard Lewis, Belleville, Hastings, Ontario, Canada; citing 1871; citing National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
"Canada, Ontario Census, 1861," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3FX-469 : 9 March 2018), Richard Lewis, Jr., Saint James' Ward, Toronto City, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 117, line 4; Library and Archives Canada film number C-1105 & C-1106, Public Archives, Toronto; FHL microfilm 390,245.
Michigan, U.S., Death Records, 1867-1952 [database on-line] Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca). Richard Lewis, 22 Jul 1902, Certificates, 1897-1920, 051: Oakland-St Clair, 1902. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.ca.
History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Chicago : H. R. Page, 1882. Page 46. Richard Lewis biography.
Encyclopedia of History, Volume I: People. Wallace K. Ewing, 5th digital printing, January 2022. William Cass, biography. https://www.loutitlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/HISTdirectoriesi2.pdf
Encyclopedia of History, Northwest Ottawa County, Volume I: People. Wallace K. Ewing, 6th digital printing, January 2023. Richard Lewis biography. https://www.loutitlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/HISTdirectoriesi.pdf
"Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3D3-P3P : 18 February 2021), George Calvin Asby and Grace Swinton Dunwell, 6 Aug 1902; citing Marriage, Ludington, Mason, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4032371.
"Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQS6-G5J : 18 February 2021), Frank P Dunwell and Grace Swinton Lewis, 30 Jan 1877; citing Marriage, Ludington, Mason, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4207589.
"Michigan Births, 1867-1902", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ4Z-J4M : 22 April 2023), Grace S. Dunwell, 1877.
Ancestry.com. New Jersey, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, will for Alexander Richard Lewis, 5 Mar 1909, citing Probate Records, 1780-1930; Indexes, 1803-1971 [Middlesex County, New Jersey]; New Jersey. Surrogate's Court (Middlesex County), Wills, Vol Y, 1910-1911.
"England and Wales Non-Conformist Record Indexes (RG4-8), 1588-1977," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWXH-2V5 : 11 December 2014), Richard Lewis, 03 Feb 1825, Baptism; citing p. 167, Portsea, Hampshire, record group RG4, Public Record Office, London.
"United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KSB-9MWK : 10 February 2023), Alexander R Lewis in entry for Harry Spearman Lewis,
Image of Rev. Richard Lewis on Familysearch Tree (you'll need to sign in): https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/100150011?p=27491998&returnLabel=Richard%20Lewis%20(MVD1-P3D)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FMVD1-P3D
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