Lewis E. Bartholomew - My 3 times great grandfather

Lewis E. Bartholomew

Lewis lived about 80 years according to the newspaper. It is funny that as researchers we find that starting with death we get the most clues about our ancestors lives. It is in looking at Lewis' will that I was able to determine that he was married twice. So many family trees have taken his wife at his death and his earlier marriage records and combined them into one. But looking at the age of his first wife at the time of the birth of his last child that things look very wrong. Charles May Bartholomew was born in 1872 and Harty, Lewis' first wife would have been in her 60s.. not likely. The next clue is Charles' middle name, May. 

Here is the story of Lewis E. Bartholomew.....

Lewis was born around 1812 or 13 to Lewis Bartholomew and Lucy Ruth Bennett. He was their third child. The custom of the time was to name the first male child after the husband's father and the second after the child's father. This is what Lewis and Ruth did.  On 9 Jun 1831 a marriage bond was issued for Lewis and Harty Jackson. The census records seem to indicate that Harty was much older than Lewis, possibly 5 or 6 years. A year or 10 months later Sidney Wiley Bartholomew was born to Lewis and Harty. They would have 8 children together. 

There is a Lewis E. Bartholomew that served in the Civil War. According to records he was 16 at the time he enlisted. This is definitely not my Lewis Bartholomew, he would have been in his 50s then. I had to wonder if this was another son of Lewis and Harty but 1840 and 1850 Census Records do not support this. 

I have been unable to locate Lewis and Harty in the 1860 census records. I will continue to look.

The 1870 Census is the last time Harty appears in the records and 2 years later Charles May was born. Then came the search for Susan May...

Susan was the widow of William Stone that did not survive the war. Susan and William had one daughter and one son, William, before he died. Their daughter, Anna, would marry William G. Collins, the son of James T. Collins and Mariah Cope (my 3 times grandparents on the Leonard side) Susan and Lewis' son, Charles May Bartholomew married twice. His second wife was Lille Neal. It is very possible that Lillie was Transberry Neal's sister. Transberry married my great great aunt Bettie Neal. We must not forget that two of Lewis Bartholomew's granddaughters married John T. Neal my great grandfather. John T. and Bettie were brother and sister. Talk about your family ties!!

Lewis passed away in August of 1889 as reported in The Franklin Times.

The Franklin Times 16 Aug 1889

Charles May was 17 when his father passed away. Lewis wrote his will in 1881 and made sure that his youngest son was provided for. 

Lewis was very specific when he wrote his will - leaving six hundred pounds of pork and four hundred pounds of bacon, seventy-five pounds of lard, one hundred pounds of sugar, twenty-five pounds of coffee, among other items to Susan in trust for her support.

Lewis appointed his son-in-laws as executors of the estate.

In the 1900 Census, Susan is living with her son William and his wife. Also living in the hone is Louis Taylor Bartholomew, the son of Charles May Bartholomew. His wife Florence had passed away the year before. Charles was a conductor on the train from Rocky Mount to Richmond. In 1901 he married Lillie Neal in Manchester Virginia. 

Susan appears in the 1910 Census, on this census she is listed as head of household and 77 years old. Charles Taylor is still living with her, as well as William Stone and his family. This is the last time Susan appears in records. 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope to blog about Lewis and Harty's children next, before moving on the Lewis and Lucy Bartholomew, the parents of Lewis E. 

Pattie