From The Times-Register archives
John Lewis Initial Pioneer In The Valley – Most Of Settlers Wanted Freedom More Than Economic Security
The first settlers in what is now Roanoke county were of that adventurous band of Scotch-Irish which came down from Pennsylvania or Maryland to build homes in a wilderness. The first Settlers in this vicinity arrived about the year 1740 and the identity of the first settler is now known. It might have been James McAfee who settled on the Catawba river, William Carvin who located at Tinker’s Knob, James Burke who settled on the Roanoke river or Mark Evans who founded that great plantation, Cedar Springs.
However, the fact is fairly sell established that the first settler in the Shenandoah valley was John Lewis who settled near Staunton on 1732. He was the father of our renowned Andrew Lewis and came here from Ireland via Portugal.
At this time the Scotch-Irish were pouring into the America by the thousands. After being persecuted in Scotland and Ireland for years these hardy souls in whose veins flowed the blood of the ancient Scottish clansman, who defied the Church of England, sought refuge in a land where they could worship as they pleased.
These Scotchmen, most of whom were Presbyterians, had left Scotland for the northern part of Ireland because of religious persecution. In Ireland all went well for a whole but new troubles were soon to engulf them. Not only were they subjected to religious persecution in Ireland but in the matter of commerce they were treated outrageously.
Presbyterians Oppressed
In 1698 England became jealous of the successful Scotch-Irish manufacturers in Ulster, and laws were passed which soon had the effect of crippling the growing linen and woolen mills of Northern Ireland. Moreover Presbyterians were not permitted to have schools and their ministers were not permitted to perform the marriage ceremony. It was enacted that a marriage performed by a Presbyterian minster be held null and void, and that the marriage be declared illegal. Under such disadvantages the Scotch-Irish people were up against the same old method of oppression as prevailed in Scotland so that in the 50 years which followed half a million came to these shores. Most of them landed at Philadelphia while some entered this country via Charleston, South Carolina.
In Ireland the Scotch had intermarried with the Irish and for that reason the names of the new settlers showed evidence of as much Irish descent as Scotch.
Nor were all those who came down the valley from Pennsylvania Scotch-Irish, but there were a number of Germans who accompanied them. These people were of a sturdy pioneer stock who were better adapted to the settlement of wild country than the English settlers who had occupied the eastern part of Virginia.
The Germans came here to make a living by tilling the soil while the Scotch-Irish came here not for that reason alone, but to find a place where they were free from oppressive laws and religious intolerance.
The Scotch-Irish immigrants were inclined to talk of rights and privileges and not so much of building up a civilization. For that reason they were foremost in the fight to free this land. Later the same Scotch-Irish pioneers were the backbone of the Jeffersonian democracy as opposed to the aristocratic party of Hamilton. Later on it was these people who were responsible for the election of Andrew Jackson to the presidency.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
