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Fielding Lewis Jr. and Nancy Ann Alexander

Great‐Great Grandparents of Robert Herndon Davison

Fielding Lewis Jr. was the first son of Betty Washington and Fielding Lewis. He was born February 14, 1751. His

uncle, George Washington was his Godfather and his grandmother, Mary Ball Washington was his Godmother.

In 1769, Fielding and his father went on an extended trip to Mount Vernon to visit with George and Martha

Washington. While there, he met Nancy Ann Alexander, who was a member of the prominent Alexanders of
Alexandria, Virginia. They hit it off and they were married later that year. Fielding Jr. was only 18‐years‐old.

They set up housekeeping on a thousand acre property in Frederick County, which was intended by Fielding
Lewis to be his son’s legacy.

Fielding Jr. was very different from his father in that he had quite an appetite for luxury and extravagance This

trait alarmed his father and in a letter dated September 16, 1769, Fielding wrote to George Washington of the

concerns he had for his son, “I am almost certain that he will in a year or two spend every shilling [of his wife’s
fortune] as I cannot perceive the least amendment since his marriage, nor advice I give him now.”

Fielding and Nancy Ann had several children, the last one was born in 1787 and was named Ann, after her

mother. Like her mother, she was also sometimes called Nancy. This is our line.

Not long after Ann was born, her mother died and by 1789 her father had remarried to Elizabeth Dade.

Elizabeth, unlike Nancy Ann, did not bring wealth to the marriage.

By 1790, Fielding found himself in financial straits. He was forced to sell off most of his Frederick County
inheritance, thus fulfilling his father’s fears. In May of that year he sold to his half‐brother John all his worldly

pos‐ sessions including slaves, livestock, silver, his household furnishings, his chariot and his library. He was
being sued by one of his many creditors and in August he went to debtors’ prison in Winchester.

Soon after this, Fielding Jr.’s mother took on the care of Fielding’s younger children including our Ann.

Not much else is known of the rest of Fielding’s life. He did have a couple of children with his second wife and

they eventually relocated to Fairfax County to be close to his wife’s relations.

When I think of Fielding Lewis Jr. I think of him as kind of the “black sheep” of the family, due to his immaturity
and extravagant lifestyle living outside of his means. I also envision him as “the life of the party.” It is hard not

to be judgmental when doing genealogy!