Francis Lewis
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Francis Lewis (March 21, 1713 – December 30, 1803), was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York.
Born in Wales, he was educated in Scotland and attended Westminster in England. He entered a mercantile house in London, then moved to New York in 1734. He was taken prisoner and shipped to France while serving as a British mercantile agent in 1756. On his return to America, he became active in politics, and was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775. His property on Long Island, New York was destroyed in the Revolutionary War.
His son Morgan Lewis served in the army during the Revolutionary War and later held many offices in New York State.
In Queens, New York, a high school is named for Lewis. There is also Francis Lewis Boulevard, which locals tend to refer to as "Franny Lew," stretching almost the entire north/south length of the borough, as well as Francis Lewis Park, which is located underneath the Queens approach of the Bronx Whitestone Bridge.
External links
- [Biographic Sketch at U.S. Congress Website]
- [Francis Lewis Gravesite]
- [Google Maps - Francis Lewis Boulevard]
- [Google Maps - Francis Lewis Park]
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