Dadswell and Lewin Families

The Dadswell and Lewin families became formally linked with the 1894 marriage at Ararat, Victoria of Alfred Otto Dadswell (1860-1946) and Emma Lewin (1862-1918).

Ancestors of Emma Lewin lived mainly in the south of England and a number, including Francis Henry Lewin, the father of Emma, migrated to Australia.

Information about pre-Australian ancestors of the Lewin family comes mainly from Australian members of the Lewin family, and from some additional research.

The direct line of the ancestors of Emma Lewin is shown below.

Generation 1
Francis Lewin ( -1754) yeoman of Bushey Hall, Hertfordshire. Francis appears to have had more than one marriage with one son John being born about 1701, a marriage on 12 January 1720 to Elizabeth Marshall at St Michael's Church, St Alban and two children Elizabeth and Francis born in 1726 and 1732. Francis Sr is thought to have died at Aldenham in 1752, the year his will was read. This family line continues through Francis' son John -

Generation 2
John Lewin (1701-1772) was baptised on 17 October 1701 at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, died March 1772 at Aldenham, Hertfordshire. He married Elizabeth (last name unknown), born 1713, died 7 July 1747. In his will, John Lewin is described as a miller and land owner. The couple had 5 children including -

Generation 3
James Lewin, (1731-1798) was born at Ifield, West Sussex and baptised on 10 July 1734 at Bushey. He died in December 1798 at Aldenham, Hertfordshire. He married Martha Spencer, daughter of Nicholas and Sarah (Towney) Spencer. Martha was born in 1731 at Cowley, Oxfordshire, died 8 October 1792 at Ifield (pictured: memorial in St Margaret's Church, Ifield, West Sussex). James twice served in the militia. They had 3 children including -

Generation 4
Spencer James Lewin, (1766-1842) was born at Ifield and died there on 25 April 1842. He studied at Oxford University and became a clergyman. On 19 July 1791 at the Old Church, St Pancras, London, he married Elizabeth Capper, daughter of Richard and Mary (Ord) Capper. Elizabeth was born 1770 at Lincoln's Inn, London and died on 29 August 1845 and was buried at St Margaret's Church, Ifield. Spencer Lewin was the rector of Rushden, Northants in 1807 and of Crawley, Sussex in 1817, and for 52 years was vicar and patron of Ifield. The couple had 6 children including -

Generation 5
Robert Spencer Lewin, (1798-1885) born 1 November 1798 at Ifield. He became a property owner, and on 18 October 1825 at Moulton, Suffolk he married Mary Ann Diana Isaacson, daughter of John and Mary (Otterwell) Isaacson. Mary was born in 1805 at Cowlinge, Suffolk and died on 6 November 1881. She was buried St Margaret's Church, Ifield. The couple lived at 7 Medina Villas, Hove, Sussex and employed 4 domestic servants .They had 5 children, including -

Generation 6

Francis Henry Lewin, (1830-1907) was born in April 1830 at Cuddington, Surrey and died on 28 March 1907 at Mt Cole, Victoria. According to the birth certificate of his daughter Emma, Francis was married in London in 1854 but no record of that marriage has been found. He migrated to Australia in the 1850s and possibly was the Francis Lewin who arrived aboard the sailing ship Mermaid in 1852. He farmed at Mt Cole near Ararat and became a significant sawmill operation with ownership of at least three mills and working two more in partnership with Francis Forbes, all in the Mt Cole area, and operated the nearby Warrak Hotel again in partnership with Francis Forbes. After the births of his 8 Australian children, he married, on 23 April 1878 at the manse of St Andrew's Kirk, Ballarat, Victoria Margaret Johnstone, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Fraser) Johnstone. Margaret was born on 26 May 1830 in Edinburgh, Scotland and died on 29 March 1899 at Mt Cole. It appears she migrated to Australia during the 1850s. Francis and Margaret second child was -

Generation 7

Emma Lewin, (1862-1918) was born 7 March 1862 at Mt Cole, died 12 June 1918 at Mt Cole. On 25 April 1894 she married Alfred Otto Dadswell (born 28 February 1860 at Moorabool, Victoria, died 18 June 1946 at Mt Cole). Emma lived at Mt Cole where her father operated a number of sawmills, and Otto Dadswell worked as an engine driver at a number of the mills. Emma was remembered by her family as being a skilled horse rider, as was the man who was to become her husband. Emma and Otto lived at nearby Warrak and had 3 children, Henry William, Stanley Alfred and Ethel May Dadswell. Her death at age 56 occurred while both her sons were serving with Australian forces in Europe in World War One. Otto continued to live at the Warrak home until his death in 1946 when he was aged 86.

Dadswell Family History

Lewin & related families

Further information