THE HEART OF THE CITY
THOMAS LEWIS
101 King Street East
(pre-1890 address 80 King Street East)
Thomas Lewis was a tobacconist and a cigar
manufacturer. He was born in Hamilton in 1832. He married Elizabeth Arthur who had been
born in Ireland and moved to Canada in 1832. In his lifetime, Thomas had four sons and
nine daughters.
Several of his children achieved fame in their own right. One of his daughters,
Jeanette Lewis, was a promoter who brought many celebrities to Hamilton. She secured a lot
of money for a childrens hospital. Jeanette was born in 1877 and died on November
21, 1942.
Two of his daughters, Eleanor Letitia Lewis and Ida Lewis became famous actresses. Eleanor was born in 1877 and usually went by her stage name, Eleanor Dorel. She was a child prodigy and had a lot of acting talent. She married young to a millionaire named Frederick Charles Pardridge. The marriage did not last. Eleanor divorced Frederick and received a succession of substantially large alimony payments. Ida Lewis was a world-renowned actress who went by her stage name of Julia Arthur. She took the last name from her mother. Julia played Hamlet and is considered one of the best stage actresses that Hamilton has ever produced. She married Benjamin Pierce Cheney, a yachtsman-financier and a millionaire, on February 23, 1898. Julia died on March 29, 1950. A Hamilton cigar factory named a cigar after her.
Thomas Lewis passed away in his home at 312 Bay Street South in Hamilton after a brief bout with pneumonia. He had enjoyed a large acquaintanceship during his lifetime. Lewis is probably best remembered for the family he built and loved.
REFERENCES:
Lewis Family. Personal File of Margaret Houghton.
Special Collections, HPL.
Times Scrapbook. Volume T1. Special Collections, HPL. Special Collections, HPL.