Lawrence Lewis was born on April 4, 1767, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the son of Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington Lewis. His mother was George Washington’s younger sister, making Lawrence the future president’s nephew. His father was a prosperous merchant and planter who operated Kenmore plantation and invested heavily in the Patriot cause, including the manufacture of arms. Lawrence thus grew up in a household closely tied to both commerce and revolution. The war placed severe pressure on the family’s finances. Fielding Lewis spent large sums supporting military production and died in 1781, when Lawrence was fourteen, leaving debts and a complicated estate. Betty Lewis managed the family through these difficulties. Lawrence’s upbringing therefore combined gentry privilege with the insecurity of paternal loss and declining resources. He received the education expected of a Virginia gentleman, including reading, writing, arithmetic, riding, and plantation management. Detailed school records are limited. As he matured, family connections became essential to his prospects. George Washington took an interest in his nephews and offered guidance, employment, and access to the social world surrounding Mount Vernon. During Washington’s presidency, Lawrence served for a time as a household manager or secretary and traveled within the extended family network. This work familiarized him with correspondence, accounts, visitors, and the practical management of an elite establishment. At Mount Vernon he became better acquainted with Eleanor Parke Custis, or Nelly, Martha Washington’s granddaughter and George Washington’s adopted daughter. Lawrence and Nelly married at Mount Vernon in February 1799. Washington helped establish them on property that became Woodlawn.