- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Francis Lewis
Francis Lewis was born in Wales, March 21, 1713. He received a liberal education, and came to America at the age of twenty-one. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in New York, and soon acquired a large fortune. He was a man of strong mind and sound judgment, and took an active part in public affairs.
He was a delegate to the Colonial Congress at Albany in 1754, and was a member of the Committee of Safety. In 1776 he was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress, and was present at the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, to which he affixed his signature.
During the war, his house on Long Island was plundered by the British, and his wife was taken prisoner and confined for several months. After the peace, he retired from public life and passed the remainder of his days in quiet retirement.
He died December 30, 1802, in the ninetieth year of his age.
Source:
Lossing, Benson J. The Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1855. Patriot Echoes Archive
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