LEWIS: Edward Lewis, son of James A. and Prudentia (Wilson) Lewis, was born in Charleston, Western Virginia, August 24, 1838, died in Roane County, 1902.

James A. Lewis, the father of Edward of Roane County, was born in Bath County, Virginia, 1794, served as a soldier of the War of 1812, died in Kanawha County, 1860. Prudentia Wilson, wife of James A. and mother of Edward, was born in Ireland in the year 1801, died in Kanawha County, 1867.

Edward was married twice, the first to Anna L. McChesney, October 21, 1858, she born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, December 7, 1838, died June 4, 1865, leavimg one child, named Prudentia, born October 23, 1861, grew to womanhood and became the wife of Dr. William Campbell. See the family, Campbell. In the great "Rebellion" Edward Lewis enlisted in Stonewall Jackson's Brigade, Co. I, 4th Va. Infantry, at Richmond, October, 1864, with one of his brothers, John F. Lewis. John Lewis, another brother, soldier of that same army, had been killed in battle at Winchester, September 19, 1864.

Edward visited Rockbridge County again, and there on October 9, 1867, Mary M. McChesney, sister of the first wife, became his wife. She was born February 22, 1841, daughter of James and Frances A.
(McNut) McChesney. Edward Lewis in his biography in Hardesty's, says he "Settled in this county ,then Kanawha, in the year 1854." From this date he was a settler in what is now Roane County, two years before his first marriage. Here at the place of his first settlement, near Southern line next Kanawha County, he owned seven hundred and fifty acres of land, made a large farm, and cattle and horse buyers visited his place, though for many years deep in the forest, six or seven miles from Walton, where they were sure to find some stock to drive away.

Here were born all the children of the married life of Edward and Mary M. (McChesney) Lewis, their names as follows: Fannie M., (Simpson by marriage) was born September 19, 1868; William A., January 31, 1871; James McChesney, September 3, 1873; John Edward, May 22, 1876; May (Goad by marriage), September 15, 1878; Lucy J. (Mrs. James Lynch), August 24, 1881. Mary M., the mother of these and widow of Edward Lewis, died about the year 1915.

This large tract of land owned by Edward Lewis descended to his children above named at time of his death, intestate, Prudentia Campbell had preceded him in death by a few years. At time of his death an oil company held a lease giving its exclusive right to explore for and produce oil and gas of all this large tract, holding it at the price stipulated in the leases of twenty-five cents per acre.

The widow and heirs decided to have this 750 acres partitioned among them, by proceedings of court; the writer, author of this history, was attorney for the plaintiff and made and presented to court all papers and orders of the partition proceedings, and as the circuit court’s commissioner made deeds to the several heirs, to each his allotment; here hangs a more instructive story: When in consultation as to instituting the suit for partition, the heirs moving the matter, were informed that as the law then was, the oil company might object to such division and complain that it had not bargained to deal with so many persons, and the court sustain its objection, thus preventing partition. This was met by the plaintiff's deciding that twenty-five cents per acre per annum, was not worth bothering with, and decided to bring the suit without making the oil company then owning the leasehold a panty to the proceedings, which was done, and the cause completed and a deed made to each heir for his moyety in acres, by metes and bounds, except the share of the deceased, Prudentia Campbell, which had descended to her children and that share was conveyed to them as joint owners. The widow it was argued by the heirs was of right getting that twenty-five cents lease money paid by the holder of the leases, and it did not hurt the share of any one. But:

After a few years oil was struck on the western side of the original 750 acres, and slowly extended on the nearest three shares; the money for production being paid to the holder of the share on which such producing wells were located, and nothing to the others.

This continued until some three hundred thousand dollars had been obtained by the holders of these shares having produced oil and gas, wells on them.

Then a suit in chancery was instituted by Dr. Campbell for himself and children, alleging and contending that such a division of lands as shown in that partition suit did not partition nor divide the minerals or mineral rights, and praying for an accounting; the court of last resort sustained the contentions and ordered an accounting and a refunding by those of the heirs who had received it, the full and proportionate shares of all money received for oil and gas to those heirs from whose "surface shares" no oil or gas had been produced or marketed. The accounting and reimbursements were made as ordered. We have not heard whether or not this engendered a family feud; let us hope it did not.

Source: History of Roane County, West Virginia, 1774-1927 William H. Bishop, Esq. p 587-588