Lewis family, of St Pierre

Family

Lewis family, of St Pierre

The Lewis family had its seat at St Pierre, Monmouthshire, from [c.1400] until they moved to Moynes Court in the same county in 1893.

The (probably Welsh rather than Norman) family of St Pierre is known for the period 1245-1580, mainly for their North Wales and Cheshire interests, including holding the barony of Malpas in 1317. William de St Pierre and Sibil his wife can be definitely connected with St Pierre in Monmouthshire in 1340. After their deaths and the failure of the family, St Pierre was adjudged in 1395 to be the property of Robert ap Ieuan ap David, in right of his wife.

What became of Robert is unknown, but shortly afterwards St Pierre was held by Sir David ap Philip (fl. 1387-1423), which Philip was the younger son of Llywelyn ap Ifor of St. Clears, Carmarthenshire, by Angharad, daughter and heir of Sir Morgan ap Maredydd of Tredegar, Monmouthshire. William Lewis (fl. 1487) was the first to adopt Lewis as a permanent surname, and was succeeded by his son George Lewis (d. 1508). His son, Henry Lewis (d. 1569-1571) enhanced his estate by marrying Bridget, daughter and heir of Thomas Kemeys of Caldicot, and widow of Thomas Herbert, by whom he had the manor of Shirehampton in the parish of Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire.

The Lewis family also acquired the 1400 acres of the Abbey Dore estate, Herefordshire, when Captain Thomas Freke Lewis inherited the estate following the death of John Higham (formerly John Parsons) sometime between 1847 and 1852. He appears to have been succeeded by his sister, Mary Fanny Susanna (d. 1927), who in 1864 had married Francis Thomas Egerton Protheroe (d. 1917) of Malpas, Monmouthshire. Their heir appears to have been Air Commodore Freke William Wiseman-Clark. However, sometime after the death of Captain Thomas Freke Lewis without issue in 1908, his executors began to sell the estates. In 1925 the St Pierre mansion and deer park were sold to Daniel Lysaght.