Fielding Lewis Jr. (1751-1803)
of Frederick County, Virginia
His mother was a niece of George Washington and he held an important place in local society. He received a healthy dowry from his first wife and inherited a plantation in Frederick County. However, he was a spendthrift who was frequently bailed out by his father but nonetheless ended up in debtor's jail in 1784, just a month after ordering himself a new carriage. He appealed to George Washington for help, but received none. When he was released from prison in 1786, he had lost all the land he inherited in Frederick County and his second wife brought no money to their marriage. His family having run out of patience with him, he was sent back to debtor's prison in 1790. His elder - and decidedly more responsible - half-brother, John, refused to bail him out and instead forced him to mortgage all his remaining property (slaves, houseware, livestock, etc.) in exchange for the necessary £1,200, but he was back in jail just two years later (1792). His wife and children were then sent to live at "Kenmore" with his mother and although he was later released he never owned property again and lived in obscurity.
