Looking for the Lee family, and not the rich and famous ones. Ambrose Lee b. 1733 Amherst Co. VA .

Question

Hello.  I have been researching our family lines for over 25 years and using retirement to step up my research by actually traveling to points of information.  We live in Oregon...our families seem to be southerners so that is where we go.  

You would think it would be easy to complete the LEE family line but NOT.  There were the rich Richard Henry Lee's and that clan plus all of the offshoots that are on the fringes.  The ones I am looking for seem to be outside of the fringes....Richard Lee b. 1752, son of Ambrose Lee1733-1764 and wife Frances Penn Lee Tucker 1735-1812. Ambrose was the son of William1710-1780 and Rachel Ambrose Lee 1710-1770.  All mostly based in Amherst Co. VA.  

Richard Lee b. 1752--1845 married Frances "Frankey" Harrison 1753-1785.  They married 12/4/1780 in Amherst Co. VA.  We believe that they had at least 3 children before she died at age 32 in 1785 in Amherst Co.  Sometime after that, Richard Lee met up with his brother George Penn Lee in Lincoln County, KY.

I believe that Richard had been married BEFORE he married Frances Harrison, daughter of Battaile Harrison 1714-1776.  He had died as a Rev. War soldier and brutally killed by Indians while he was on patrol.  He was originally from Essex Co. VA then Caroline and wound up in Amherst Co.

I also believe that Richard Lee b. 1752 might have been married 4 or 5 times...Once before Frances and numerous after since he lived to be 93 years of age, dying in KY.  He could be who my husband's family is related to.  

OR a what we call James Lee SR who came to Sumner Co. TN during and after the Rev. War--1779-1810.  He had a large family whom we assumed were ours, but DNA links us to the Ambrose Lee and PENN families.

Brick wall here in the extreme.  If anyone thinks they are related to Ambrose Lee and Frances Penn Lee Tucker, please let me know!

Deborah Lee

Answer 1

Hi, I am a member of the Lee family of Campbell County. My father’s mother was Mary Eleanor Lee Burton. I started researching the family just a few months ago. So far I have located so many names. Some of which I recognize from the stories my dad used to tell when I was a kid. I haven’t gotten to the years you are looking for but the Names do run in my family. I have noticed that the parents seem to mix and use names from their parents, cousins, uncles, aunts and siblings. If I locate your kin I will contact you.

Kathy

Answer 2

Hi Debbie,

I have a similar problem as you do with my Lee line.  I have a Richard Lee that settled in Kentucky in Madison County.  One of his sons, Thomas, is my 3rd g-grandfather and this is where I can start to verify that I have the right people.  

Over the years I've contacted the historical society in Kentucky without much success.  It seems there were several Richard Lee's in that area and telling them apart seems to be difficult.  I have my Richard married to an Elizabeth H. Scott.  Also, a problematic name.

Anyway, from Thomas on I have all the info and know who's who.  It does seem that my line also came from Virginia, and everyone just assumes we're from THE Lee line.  I don't believe that.  

I've tried tying my line to different lines but have no success.  I had checked a Peter and a Charles line but can't make a connection.

My family, beginning with Thomas, moved from Kentucky and settled in Howard County, Missouri.  I still have relatives in that area though my dad's family moved to CA in the late 40's.  

It doesn't sound like we're from the same line but feel free to check out my Ancesty tree; The Kyser family tree and I'm cmkyser.  I have tried to make it clear that from Thomas back, is just guess and the easy line.  I have put a Peter and a Charles Lee in my tree just to play around with and see if any kind of link ever shows up.

I've read some of your profile and I agree with you about WikiTree, it isn't intuitive and some of what they do makes no sense to me!

Good luck with your search and let me know if you see any similarities in our lines.

Connie

Answer 3

Hello Debbie.

I too am in search of as many of my Lee family as I can find. I am more curious, in where they may live, what their parents did and the lives they led. On my Lee side, I can only trace back to 1800 in Ireland and can't seem to go further back than that.

My Grandmother was a Cornell and I can easily trace that family to the MayFlower and even further back to England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy.

WikiTree is a great tool, wishing you success in your search.

William Lee