William Lewis (Australian politician)


William Lewis JP was a businessman and politician in South Australia.

History

He was born in Tredegar, Cornwall, the only surviving son of Rev. Lewis, and at age 14 was forced by the death of his father to abandon studies for the ministry and find employment as a lawyer's clerk, as a stationer in London, then as a bailiff for his cousin Sep. Lewis in Wales. In 1853 he emigrated to South Australia on the Iris, and soon found work with Hart & Co., then ran a store at Sydenham Road, Norwood. He moved to Kapunda in 1857 to manage Carrington Smedley's drapery store at the corner of Main and Hill Streets, which he subsequently purchased. He later sold the business to Andrew Thomson and retired to Allendale, a few miles to the north.
He was a longtime supporter, and treasurer, of the Kapunda and Light Agricultural Society, as well as chairman of the Kapunda School Board of Advice. He also acted as local registrar of births, deaths and marriages. He was an agent for the Australian Mutual Provident Life Assurance Society and the South Australian Fire Insurance Company. He was auditor for the Kapunda Corporation for six years. All these activities he had to relinquish with declining health, a year before he died.
He was a foundation member of the Kapunda Congregational Church and superintendent of the Sunday school for many years, and president of the local branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Politics

Lewis was appointed to the inaugural Kapunda Council in 1865, retiring late the following year. He was member for Light in the South Australian House of Assembly from May 1868 to April 1870, with Captain John Hart as his colleague. In 1888 he was a candidate for the North Eastern district in the Legislative Council, but was soundly defeated by Henry Ayers.
He died at his home in Allendale.

Family

He married Elizabeth Hughes around April 1839. Their children included: