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Leon Lewis (writer)

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For other people named Leon Lewis, see Leon Lewis.

Julius Warren Lewis (April 8, 1833 – October 28, 1920)[1] was an American writer of popular fiction. He used the name Leon Lewis and wrote under that name among others.[2] A prolific Dime novel author in the 1860's and 1870's, his works include "The Silver Ship", "The Web Of Fate", "The Reef Spider" and many others, serialized in publications as The New York Weekly Journal and the New York Ledger.

Lewis was born in Southington, Connecticut,[2] the son of James D. Lewis[3] and Patty Bishop. At the age of 21, he was living in Massachusetts and considered himself an author.[4] He began his writing career in Boston, which led him to become editor of the flash paper Life in Boston. In 1852, Lewis edited Northern Light, a literary journal published by A. C. Currier.[5]

Lewis received $300 from Enoch Train to start a Know Nothing paper in New York City. The paper failed and Lewis returned to Boston, where he asked for Train's assistance in starting an anti-Know Nothing paper. Train refused to give Lewis any more money and Lewis began sending threatening letters to Train. On January 23, 1885, Lewis went to Train's Dorchester home, informed him that he was armed with a Bowie knife and a revolver, and demanded money from him. Train grabbed Lewis and after a violent struggle, threw him down his front steps and tied him with bed-chord.[6]

In 1860 Lewis married Harriet Newell O'Brien (1841–1878) of Penn Yan, New York.[7] The couple began writing serials for the New York Weekly and the New York Ledger. Harriet Lewis died on May 20, 1878.[8][9]

Lewis was a summer guest sometime in the 1870s at a boarding house owned by Thomas Nickerson. He was a retired sailor who had survived the sinking of the whaleship Essex as a cabin boy. [10] (The first mate's 1821 account of the disaster, as well as personal contact with the captain, inspired Herman Melville in writing his 1851 novel Moby Dick.) Lewis encouraged Nickerson to write down his story and in 1876 received from Nickerson a manuscript with additional accounts of his life.[10] Lewis did nothing with the material, but a friend of his secured the trunk that contained it during Lewis' crisis with creditors in 1879. It was discovered by the friend's family in 1960.[11]

In January 1879, Lewis disappeared from Penn Yan owing more than $50,000. He sailed with his deceased wife's 15-year-old niece, Julia E. Wheelock (b. 1865), daughter of disabled Civil War veteran Cyrus Wheelock (1837 – 5 Feb 1918)[12] and Helen Elizabeth O'Brien (1843 – 1906),[13] and married her in Brazil. During the 1880s he wrote boys' stories in England.[8] Their daughter Harriet Wheelock Lewis was born in London, England, became a teacher in Connecticut and later married Carl Asahel French.[13][14] Their son Leon Lewis (15 March 1885 in Greenport, Long Island, New York – 26 February 1976 in Farmington Hills, Michigan) lived in New Hartford most of his life, spending his final years with his daughter Leona L. Lewis and her husband Nicholas Pedersen in Michigan.[15]

By 1910, Lewis was living with his sister Sara in New Hartford, Connecticut.[16] Lewis and Julia were divorced in 1913. Living with his sister in Bakersville, Connecticut, he died October 28, 1920, in a Winsted, Connecticut, hospital.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Leon Lewis (1833-1920), 'Yesterday's Papers', by John Adcock, August 7, 2011
  2. ^ a b c ""Leon" LEWIS". The Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Digitization Project. Northern Illinois University Libraries (ulib.niu.edu). Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  3. ^ 1850 U.S. Federal Census: James D. Lewis
  4. ^ [1] 1855 Massachusetts State Census, Norfolk County, West Dedham Parish: Julius Warren Lewis
  5. ^ "Northern Light". The Maine Farmer. September 30, 1852.
  6. ^ "Attempted Robbery and Assassination of Enoch Train, Esq". The New York Times. January 25, 1855.
  7. ^ "MARRIED". The New York Times. July 27, 1860. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
      Yesterday's Papers states that Lewis and O'Brien were married in 1856 when she was 15 years old, presumably by confusion with his taking a 15-year-old second wife.
  8. ^ a b "Leon Lewis (1833–1920)". Yesterday's Papers (blog). John-adcock.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  9. ^ [2] Harriet Newell Lewis. Women Novelists, 1891-1920. An index to biographical and autobiographical sources. By Doris Robinson. New York: Garland Publishing, 1984. (WomNov)
  10. ^ a b "Thomas Nickerson". Encyclopedia. Kids.Net.Au. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
  11. ^ "The original story of Moby-Dick: A mere 108 years between manuscript and publication". Lost Manuscripts (lostmanuscripts.com). Retrieved 2016-05-21.
      Concerning The Loss of the Ship Essex Sunk by a Whale and the Ordeal of the Crew in Open Boats by Thomas Nickerson.
  12. ^ U.S. Military Post Burial Records
  13. ^ a b [3] North America Family Histories 1500-2000: Lineage Book for Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume 071.
  14. ^ [4] U.S. World War I Draft Registrations: Carl Asahel French
  15. ^ Hartford Courant, 28 February 1976; Hartford, CT.
  16. ^ 1910 Federal Census: Leon Lewis
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