Lewis was probably born in England. In 1784 at the age of 15, he became a close friend of Robert Gilmer who, a few years later in 1790, was a resident of New Marlborough, Ulster Co, NY. Gilmer may have been a relative of Lewis' or may have been his employer. Gilmer and Caleb Fordham both lived there at that time and Lewis may have learned the building business from one or both of them; later he and Fordham were partners as construction contractors and carpenters.

Lewis apparently was not an active Loyalist but he probably was a Democrat in politics--note that his son Robert, in 1822, named a son Albert Gallatin for the man who was one of those prominent in the Democrat Party at that time. It appears that Lewis was also a steady Presbyterian. He and Dolly named their first child Robert Gilmer for Lewis' good friend, and their first daughter Julia Ann for Gilmer's wife, Julia Ann Fordham.

In or prior to 1798, Lewis moved to Philadelphia where he most probably was employed as a carpenter. He lived in the North Section of the City (Fishtown) among fisherman and boat builders; perhaps he was employed in that trade. He remained there until sometime in 1802 when he removed to New York City where he was employed as a carpenter. At that time he and Dolly had three children. In 1812, he paid for a substitute to serve in his place in the war of 1812. He remained in the City for the rest of his life. During the following years Dolly had four more chidren, the last being Caleb, born in 1813. Thereafter Dolly's health gradually failed until she became an invalid in 1817; after a long illness, she died on 30 Jun 1819.

During this period Lewis was engaged in the building business and he, apparently, was quite successful. Though he and his partner, Caleb Fordham, did experience a severe loss when a cyclone destroyed buildings they were erecting on Ward's Island in the East River above Hell Gate, he accumulated an appreciable holding of residential property and real estate.

1m to Dorothy "Dolly" Drake on 07 May 1795. They had seven children: Robert Gilmer Hanford; Lewis Hanford, Jr.; James Hanford; Julia Ann Hanford; William Hanford; Lauretta Adelaide Hanford; and Caleb Hanford.

After she died, he 2m Letitia Fordham on 11 Oct 1822. They had three children: Letitia Fordham Hanford, Charles Augustus Hanford and George Fordham Hanford.

Daughter Retta described Lewis "of medium height and stockily built with black curly hair, brown eyes and was very good looking."

Lewis died on 14 Dec 1832, and he was buried beside his first wife in the cemetery at the corner of Eldridge and Houston Streets. In 1847 they were moved to Section 12 in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn. Aletitia died 12 Jan 1873 and was buried in the Hanford plot in Greenwood [Green-Wood] Cemetery.