Giles Lee (abt. 1737 - 1817)

Born about 1737 in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey, British Colonial America

Descendants

Died 13 Nov 1817 at about age 80 in Russell county, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jerry Noble [send private message], Terry Lee [send private message], and Lindsay Tyrie [send private message]

Biography

1st Lieutenant Giles Lee served with Morris County Militia, New Jersey Militia during the American Revolution.

The following by Karen Glazener was edited by Terry Lee August 2021:

Giles is the son of Robert Lee, born about 1711 in Whitechapel, Middlesex, England. Robert was indentured 19 Jul 1728, bound to John Ball, a vintner of London. He was to serve 7 years and arrive in Pennsylvania or New York per "The Complete Book of Emigrants 1700-1750", Vol 3, page 385. He probably arrived in New York as there is no record of a ship arriving in Philadelphia in that time frame. New York did not keep ship arrival records. Robert married Rachel about 1736 and fathered two known children: Giles and Elizabeth, and, with his second wife Mary Wright, a son John (1749).

In 1737/38, Giles' place of birth was the Colony of New Jersey. He was baptized 22 May 1738 at Christ Church, Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey.

Giles married Ann about 1750. They had five known children including Eleanor "Nellie" (who married George Glazener), James, Robert, John, and William.

Giles was a 1st Lieut. in the Morris County, New Jersey Militia during the Revolutionary War.

After the death of Ann, Giles married Rachael about 1798 and Sarah about 1803. He did not father any children with Rachael or Sarah.

The last names of Giles' wives, their dates of birth, death or place of burial are unknown.

Children:

Eleanor Lee Glazener (1755 - 1855)*

James Lee (1765 - 1851)

Robert Lee (1765 - 1837)*

John Lee (1768-1841)*

William Lee (1772-1840/1850)*

Research Notes

There is much false information on the internet concerning the research into Giles Lee. He was never named "Phillip John" or "John Giles" Lee. Only Giles Lee.

Note: His military marker in the Lee Cemetery reads that his Rev. War service was in Virginia. At the time it was ordered, this was thought to be correct. It has since been proven that his service was in New Jersey. Giles was not in Virginia until about 1784.

Research Essays and Source documents can be found here:

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gileslee/genealogy/ [1] http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gileslee/genealogy/giles2.html [2]

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 21 December 2020), memorial page for Giles Lee (1737–13 Nov 1817), Find A Grave: Memorial #131035594, citing Lee Cemetery, Russell County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Karen Glazener (contributor 47556406).

• Baptized 22 May 1738 Christ Church in Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co., New Jersey. (John E. Stillwell, "Historical and Genealogical Miscellany; Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey", 1903, Volume 1, p. 160). His parents were listed as Robert and Rachel Lee, and the church record says they lived in Shrewsbury.

• Rev. War: Elected First Lieutenant in a company of militia raised in the western part of Morris County, NJ. ("History of Morris County, New Jersey", Edmund Drake Halsey et al, 1882. "… Giles Lee first lieutenant

• 1776, Aug. 22. Kingwood Baptist Church Records (1763-1802) “Dismissed Brother Giles Lee and Mercy Curzad (?) ... ,” from “Hunterdon County Records 1701- 1838” by Phyllis B. D’Autrechy.

• Rev. War: Minutes Of The Council Of Safety Of The State Of New Jersey (Volume I) - Page 104. July 24, 1777 - "Giles Lee 1st Lieut in a Company of Militia, belonging to the Co of Morris, voluntarily appeared & took & subscribed the Oaths of Abjuration & Allegiance as by Law appointed."

• Many Sources in Wilkes Co., Georgia & Russell Co., Virginia:

Sources in Wilkes Co., Georgia:

• (1) In 1784 Giles Lee received a land grant, which he soon sold, in Franklin county, Georgia.
• (2) In 1785 Wilkes Co. Tax List, Giles (as Jiles) was taxed for 400 acres in Capt. Elsberry's District. The land was of third quality meaning the land featured pines rather than hardwood. In the 1786 Tax List, he appears along with a Robert Lee who owns no land. This usually implied a son had turned 21 during the ensuing year. If so, Robert was born ca. 1765. Giles appears in the 1787 Tax List, but not Robert. In 1790 Giles owned 200 acres in the same district. A John Lee, who owned no land of his own, lived with him, indicating this son was born 1767 to 1769.
• (3) 1789 Wilkes Co., 200 acres headlight, on Broad River (Vol. Q, p. 165). Giles lived on the south branch of the Broad River. This land would lie in westernmost Oglethorpe county when that county was formed from Wilkes in December of 1793.
• (4) 1791, 1792, and 1793 Tax Lists (200 acres) Wilkes Co.
• (5) 1792 - Headright grant for 200 acres on the Broad River (Wilkes County Deed Book WWW, pp. 268 and 269)
• (6) In February 1794, an estate sale was held for the possessions of Robert Pogue, a farmer who lived next to Giles. The record shows Giles, James, Robert, and George Glazener attended the sale.
• (7) In June of 1794 Giles and his wife Ann sold their 200 acres to John Griffith for the goodly sum of 500 pounds (Oglethorpe County Deed Book A, p. 270). Griffith had been one of the early settlers along the South Fork of the Broad, and by 1794 he owned the land on all sides of Giles’ farm. So the purchase connected his pieces and gave him more frontage on the river. Griffith’s land also adjoined James’ and George Glazener’s, confirming that they had indeed lived close to Giles.

Sources in Russell Co., Virginia:

• (1) In August 1795, Giles bought 50 acres in the Glade Hollow area (Russell County Deed Book 2, p. 25).
• (2) Giles Lee bought 94 acres from William Fugate and his wife Jane, of Lee Co., Virginia, on 25 July 1797. This land was in Moccasin Valley on Moll's Creek, and he was granted a license to keep an “ordinary” (a tavern) in his home for one year (Russell County Virginia Law Order Book 2, p. 382).
• (3) Deed Book 2, page 436, 26 Sepember 1797, Giles Lee sells to William Sergeant 50 acres in Glade Hollow, being land patented to Cornelius Roberts in 1787.
• (4) Deed Book 2, page 537, Russell Co., Virginia, Giles Lee and his wife Rachael on 28 August 1798, sell to Colbet Fugate, 50 acres being part of the above tract bought of William Fugate.
• (5) Deed Book 2, page 245, Russell Co., Virginia, 28 May 1809 Giles Lee and Sarah, sell to Colbert Fugate, another 15 acres part of the William Fugate tract.
• (6) Deed Book 5, page 43, Russell Co., Virginia, 5 April 1814, Giles Lee sells to Colbert Fugate, 29 acres being the remaining part of the 94 acres of William Fugate tract.
• (7) In June 1796, Giles was brought to the Russell County Court of Quarterly Sessions for selling spirituous liquors (Russell County Virginia Law Order Book 2, p. 364).
• (8) In 1803, Giles Lee and his wife Sarah were dismissed from the Stoney Creek Baptist Church (Fort Blackmore). In 1798, he had wife "Rachael". In 1803 and 1809, he has wife "Sarah", which means Rachael died sometime between 1798 and 1809.
• (9) In 1804 Giles asked the county court to be excused from paying his taxes because of age and bodily infirmities (Russell County Virginia Law Order Book 3, p. 331). He was about 67 then and the release was granted. It suggests Giles and Sarah were poor.
• (10) A Giles Lee bought a 5 acre plot in the Copper Ridge region of Russell County on November 3, 1817 (Russell County Deed Book 6, p. 33). Ten days later James Lee wrote in his Bible, “Giles Lee departed this life Nov. 13, 1817.”

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA test results on AncestryDNA. Terry Lee, Relative Genetics kit # T062675, and his 5th cousin 1x removed, Henry D. Lee, ancestry.com dna kit # A10400530, match at a Genetic Distance of 1 on 37 markers, thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Giles Lee, the 5x great grandfather of Terry Lee and 4x great grandfather of Henry D. Lee.