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DEWEY, John Stevens,
Tobacco Grower.
ENCY< U IPEDLA <
It is sometimes surmised bj men of
commonplace names that tin- p.>ssrss ( , r ..f
a celebrated name finds more or less em-
barrassmenl and inconvenience in the
very natural query of ever) chance
quaintance as to whether he is related to
the famous man of the same name. Be
that as it may, the qualities which made
the great man famous are. in the majority
of eases, characteristic of the family.
While lie has stood in the public view and
the world applauds his deeds, other members
of the family, with similar traits and
broad capabilities, are applying their
powers in less Spectacular ways, in lines
of endeavor less open to the public view.
The general welfare of the people re-
quires that thousands of lives he spent in
quiet, unheralded occupations, in many
cases by men who would make good in
public life, given the opportunity. But
sterling worth counts for the public good,
whether that public is aware of it or not.
Of those big men who are doing import-
ant work in a quiet, modest way, John
Stevens Dewey, of the Indian Head Plan-
tation, of East <
iranby,
is an example.
That he is related to Admiral Dewey is
not a matter of consequence to him. He
is too fully occupied with the multitud-
inous duties of the large industry under
his own hand.
The name is that of an old feudal family
ol Flanders, which received the name
from the town of Douvai. Certain mem-
bers oi the family settled in Lancashire,
northeast of London, coming over with
William the Conqueror. It was for titled
members of this family, spelling the name
de Wey, that Weymouth, in Dorset, was
named. The name has been rendered
L3i
>F MM >GR M'HV
l >a\ 1
1,
i; i
'in
l >e Vie, I
>< la We) .
and
1 )ewey,
Mi Thomas 1 >ewey, the foundei of this
family in America, came from Sandwich,
1 unt)
Kent, I
ngland.
I fe was here
early as [633, as proved b) his signature
"ii a will, lie was admitted a freeman,
May 14. [63 1 He
intees of I
v. as 1
'in riginal
h >r< hester, Massachusetts, in
< >n August u. 1635, he 5( ild his
lands and removed to Windsor, <
Connec-
ticut, being one of the ttlers th< 1
He was -ranted land in [640. The in-
ventory of his estate was tiled May [9,
[648. lie married. March _'_'. [639, at
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