The earliest record of the ancestry of this family is given in a book by Rev. William King (Vicar of Astley 1947-1973), titled ‘Bells and Pomegranates’. This book is a history of the village of Astley. He writes at length about Rev. Alfred Hewlett, who was also a vicar of Astley (1831-1837 and 1840-1885.

(Alfred Hewlett was descended from William Hewlett 1776 who is the brother of James Phillip Hewlett.)

Rev. King states that the officer in charge of the soldiers at the execution of Charles I (30 January, 1649) was Captain William Hewlett, a direct ancestor of the Hewlett line that is the subject of this history.

On 30 January 1649, Captain William Hewlett [also spelled ‘Hulet’ and ‘Howlet’] was the officer in charge of the soldiers at the execution of Charles I.

After the Restoration, Captain Hewlett was convicted on 15 October 1660 for his part in the regicide of Charles I on 30 January 1649, but was not executed along with the other men who were tried with him: Daniel Axtell and Francis Hacker.

See: https://archive.li/tIVzo#selection-519.1-533.213 See: http://www.axtellfamily.org/axfamous/regicide/DanielAxtellTrial1660.htm