Jane Dameron, wife of John D. Lewis

  ©  Kathy Duncan, 2022

Finally identifying what became of Emily Lewis, daughter of John D. Lewis, prompted me to go back into the file of papers that comprise the lawsuit among the Lewis heirs: F.A. Bryant et al vs. John Fitzpatrick, 1872. I was looking for any reference to Emily's husband Franklin B Hanks or any other Hanks. I did not find anything, but I did pay particular attention to all references to Emily Lewis.

The questions asked in each deposition seem to be geared around the information that a specific witness could provide. In other words, they seem very specific and not exploratory. The questions about Emily mostly focus on her share of John D. Lewis's estate and how much she actually received. Per John D. Lewis's will, she was to receive her share as a child of John Lewis plus additional money for her education. Since she was only about four or five years old when her father died, it makes sense that an education fund would be set aside for her. John D. Lewis's land was sold and each heir received an equal monetary share, except for Daniel A. Lewis and Wiley Lewis, who received $5 and $1 respectively and were essentially disinherited. 

The deposition of David McKinzie, taken on 12 February 1872 contained information about Emily that I had never noticed before:

David McKinzie was asked the following:

"What amount of the property was set apart to Emily daughter of John D. Lewis and by what authority, who of the parties were present and what was said by them about said appropriation."

McKinzie responded:

"By petition there was amount set apart for her education and maintenance by the county court. the exact amount I don't remember but think it was 150$. Said amount was not to be charged to her out of said estate For the said Emily old Billy Dameron who was her uncle was present. and G.B. Babb who was old man Lewises Son in Law and a Law was opposing the appropriation."

Aside from the fact that Green B. Babb attempted to block Emily's education fund, I had never noticed that Emily had an uncle Billy Dameron. That suggested the possibility that Emily's mother Jane was a Dameron and not a Hammerick and that John Lewis was probably not her first husband. 

Then I double-checked the information that one of the depositions provided about John D. Lewis's marriage to Jane. That information was in the deposition of Robert Michie, aged 55, given on 12 February 1872:

Robert Michie was asked the following:

"State as near as you can the time of the second marriage of the Said John D. Lewis. to whom and how many children did he have by Said Second marriage."

Michie replied:

"He Married Jane Hammerick Said to be his Second wife in the year 1836. He had one child by Said Second Marriage, her name was Emily."

Robert Michie does not state how he knew the marriage occurred in 1836. Was he present? Was he related to her in some way?

The next question that elicited valuable information about Emily was this:

"State what amount was set apart to John D. Lewises Daughter Emily. By whom it was Set apart. Who was her guardian and for what purpose Said amount was Set apart to Said Daughter."

Michie's response:

"I don't know the amt that was Set apart by Said Lewis for Said Daughter Emily I Saw a Note Made by James Damron to A.J. Kincaid who was her guardian for 300$ which was given as her money. I don't know by whom Said amt was Set apart. I Suppose it was Set apart for Said Emily."

The presence of a second Dameron strongly suggests a family connection to Jane. Armed with that I googled "William Dameron" "McNairy County." Up bubbled a reference to Jane Dameron, sister of William Dameron, who married Jason Hambrick in 1820 in Madison County, Alabama. Jane Hambrick? She certainly seemed like a possibility. 

Jane Dameron married Jason Hambrick in Madison County, Alabama on 20 January 1820. Jason Hambrick next appeared on the 1830 McNairy County, Tennessee census. In his household, there was one male 20 - 30 years old (himself). There were two females: one age 20 - 30 (Jane), and one 30 - 40 (unknown). There were no children. Then Jason Hambrick disappears from the census records. 

The family tree on Family Search places Jane Dameron wife of Jason Hambrick as the daughter of Elizabeth Haynie and Joseph Dameron. She had a brother named William and one named James, among others. Her brother James Dameron had a daughter named Eliza Jane Dameron, who was married to Robert W. Michie and lived in District 9, McNairy County, Tennessee. My guess is that he is the same Robert Michie who provided a deposition in the Bryant v. Fitzpatrick lawsuit. 

Right now, my theory is that when Jason Hambrick died, Jane lived with one of her siblings in McNairy County, Tennessee, since I have yet to find a deed for Jason Hambrick. Then she met John Lewis when he moved to District 9, and they married in 1836.

If you would like to read the depositions taken for the F.A. Bryant v. John Fitzpatrick lawsuit, they are attached to John D. Lewis in Family Search.