Hi,
According to Rita Dunstan, "Leaders in industry, medicine --- Grandfather ran away to sea: Pioneer Family of South Australia", The Australian Women's Weekly, Australian Consolidated Press, Sydney, Australia, October 15, 1958, Page12 & 13.
This article starts of with a paragraph under photographs of olden James and Eliza Lewis:-
PIONEER James Lewis, son of a Welsh ironmonger, who ran away from home in 1824 and went to sea, arriving in South Australia 12 years later as a second mate in the Rapid. Etc.
To the start of the main part of this article:-
It was a quiet Sunday morning in the dyer's shop until James Lewis, a strapping 12-year-old, stopped by on his way to church.
James handed over a dress of his mother's to be dyed, and stood whistling while the girl behind the counter unwrapped the parcel.
Then something the girl said cut short his whistle. What she said we'll never know, but whatever it was, it mad James see red. Vermillion, in fact. Whole vatfuls of it.
And into one of the vats he tipped the saucy lass and left her there, dripping with dye to reflect on her folly.
James bolted out of the shop and was racing in the direction of the church, when he thought better of it. His mother would be at church and would no doubt soon hear of his escapade.
News travels fast, especially the kind of new James had made.
He turned towards home, but thought better of that too. His father, a stern Welsh ironmonger would be home. James changed course again.
This time he made straight for the coast, and instead of going home that day, went to sea and stayed there for 12 years.
That was how in 1824, James Lewis ran away from his home in Monmouthshire on the border of Wales. Etc.
This article had the blessing of John Lewis's family, and the story was part of our family lore. John, son of James, was my mothers maternal grandfather.
The main point in this is that James was the son of a Welsh ironmonger.
I have only included a small part of the article.
I don't believe that there was any other connection to cloth-dyers or clock-makers.
I hope this helps
