Meshach Lewellyn, son of Shadrach and Deborah Burson
Billie Harris - Jun 21, 2013
The following is taken from the Randolph County, Indiana book 1818-1990 compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society
"LEWELLYN, Meshach Lewellyn (I) was b. probably in Loudoun Co., VA sometime between 1760 and 1765. He was the son of Shadrach and Deborah (Burson) Lewellyn. He m. Hanna (Brooks?) ca 1790 probably in Washington Co. OH During his moves west he lived in Washington Co. PA, Hardin Co. KY and Preble Co. OH before coming to Randolph Co. in 1816.
"Tucker's 1882 History of Randolph County says that he built a mill, in what is now Ridgeville, about 1819. His neighbors considered him an old man. He would have been between 54 and 59 at that time--old to be claiming a new home from raw wilderness but he couldn't qualify for a senior discount today. He did have a large family. We have records of nine children and believe there were more. Seven of these children were b. before he arrived in Randolph Co. and two of them were already m. Birth places and birth dates of the children are Nancy (1791) and Shadrach (1794) in Pennsylvania; Deborah (1796), Benjamin (1796) and Isaac (1802) in Kentucky; Rachel (1805) and Mary "Polly" (1808 in Ohio and Elizabeth (1825 in Randolph Co. IN.
"Until after he arrived in Ohio and possibly after he came to Randolph Co., Meshach was a Quaker. He seems to have switched to the Methodist Episcopal Church late in life. His wife, Hanna, remained a Quaker.
"Meshach d. about 1832. His wife d. in 1842, her will was filed Nov. 16, 1842. She was somewhere between 67 and 72 at the time of her death.
"As you would expect from their large family, Meshach and Hanna have many descendents. Marriages that we have records of are listed below.
"Nancy m. James Addington on June 11, 1809 in Preble Co. OH. Their history is given separately.
"Shadrach m. Elizabeth Miller on Oct. 6, 1817 in Wayne Co. IN
"Dborah m. Stephen Jones on Oct. 28, 1813 in Wayne Co. IN
"Deborah m. Stephen Jones on Oct. 28, 1813 in Wayne Co. IN
"Benjamin m. (1) Nancy Jane Sutton and (2) Patience Blanden. Their son, Abednego moved to Anderson Co. KS in 1857 during the height of the border warfare between free state and slave state supporters. We have no record that he participated in the fighting, but his cousin, a member of the same immigrant party, was a captain of a company of free state militia.
"Isaac m. Sarah Miller on May 13, 1824, in Randolph Co. IN
"Rachel m. Abraham Renberger on Nov. 28, 1824, in Randolph Co. IN
"Mary m. David Hammer on Jan. 12, 1826 in Randolph Co. IN. they moved to Lee Co. IA. It is Mary and David's wedding that is described on page 408 of Tucker's 1882 History of Randolph Co. After David's death in Lee Co., she married Henry Pritchard.
"Elizabeth m. Isaac Renburger.
"There are at least 52 ways to spell Lewellyn. Clerks used five of them in one document. Three of the variations used by Meshack during his life are Lewellyn, Lewallen and Lawellen."
There is more information in the book on James Addington, son of John and Elizabeth (Heaton) Addington who married Nancy Lewellyn, daughter of Meshack. James was born Feb. 6, 1789 in either Union or Newberry Co. SC. His father and grandfather migrated from Enland 1745 and were Quakers but John's brothers, William and James, fought in the Revolutionary. After the Rev. the family moved first to Tennessee then to kentucky and Ohio. In 1806 James settled in what is now Wayne Co. IN. On June 15, 1809 in Preble Co. James married Nancy. They had 13 children, seven of whom lived to maturity. They finally settled in the Ridgeville area in Randolph Co. where Meshack had settled several years previously.
Some of their children were James Lewallen Addington (b Wayne Co 1810), a justice of the peace who married Sarah Stephens and Nancy Fashner. William Lewallen Addington b 1818 and married Mary Hughes 1840. He was killed by lightening 1852. Benjamin Lewallen Addington b. 1825 in Wayne Co. and married Margaret Hughes. In 1857 he moved to Anderson County KS. He was a Justice of the peace. Thomas Lewallen Addington born 1829. Isaac Lewallen Addington born 1832 Randolph Co and married (1) Piety Horn and (2) Eliza ? (Submitted by Don Wilson)
Landy Gobes - Jul 10, 2013
Hi Billie,
Meshach, son of Shadrack and Deborah, seems to have followed exactly the same pattern as my ancestor, John Lewellen: born around the same time in Loudoun Co, VA, marrying in PA (by the way, you say Washington Co, OH - but isn't that a type? Don't you mean PA?) then moving to Hardin Co, KY and then to Preble Co, OH. My John stayed there in Preble Co rather than moving on. I believe John was born around 1754 which makes him a little older than Meshach.
I believe we have always thought that their fathers (Shadrack Lewellen and Thomas Lewellen in Loudoun Co, VA at the same time) were brothers or cousins, and this is more confirmation of that guess.
Landy Gobes (landyg333@gmail.com)
Billie Harris - Jul 11, 2013
Yes, Washington County, OHIO, was a typo.
With your John in the same areas, then yes, it certainly does seem there's a connection, although it seems Shadrach and Deborah's children were fairly well documented in the Quaker records.
[NOTE: broken link]