Sir Edward served as the Sheriff of Glamorgan during the years 1548, 1555, and 1559, playing a significant role in local governance during a tumultuous period in Welsh history.

Generations later, the family includes Ivor Bach, a powerful lord who famously defended Welsh rights against Norman encroachment by capturing Cardiff Castle in the 12th century.

The Lewis family of Van also claims descent from the Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus, who ruled in the late 4th century AD and is known in Welsh tradition as Macsen Wledig.

[7] The family maintained this distinguished heritage through strategic marriages and land acquisitions, reinforcing their noble status and linking their lineage to one of the most storied emperors of Rome.

[3] The Lewis family of Van claims descent from William the Conqueror through a line connecting Ifor Bach, a prominent Welsh lord, and the Norman nobility.

This marriage brought together Welsh and Norman lines, consolidating land and influence in the region and embedding the Lewis family within the noble bloodline descending from the Conqueror.

[8][9] The Lewis family played a significant role in the industrial development of Wales and Britain through their association with the Dowlais Ironworks, one of the largest and most influential iron production facilities in the 19th century.

The ironworks expanded under the leadership of industrialists like Josiah John Guest, but the Lewis family, as influential landowners in Glamorgan, were instrumental in supporting and facilitating the industry in their region.

Their estates provided both the land and resources necessary to fuel industrial growth and their investments in infrastructure helped secure South Wales as a center of British iron and coal production.

The success of the Dowlais Ironworks not only contributed to Britain's industrial might but also helped transform the Welsh economy, fostering urbanization and laying the foundations for future advancements in engineering and manufacturing.

This union between the Lewises and the Washingtons created a close familial bond that would impact the early governance and military leadership within Virginia and the emerging United States.