Elizabeth Lee (1761 - 1833)

Born 4 Sep 1761 in Exeter, Devon, England

Ancestors

Wife of Arthur Owen — married 2 Jul 1786 in Tower Hamlets, London, , Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 18 Jan 1833 at age 71 in Princetown, , Prince Edward Island, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Arthur Owen [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth was born 1761 the daughter of George Lee and Anne Vicary. She was christened 30 Sep 1761 at Saint Martin, Exeter, Devon ^[1]. On 2 July 1786 she married Arthur Owen at St Mary's Church, Rotherhithe, Surry^[2]. In 1790 she came to Saint John's Island with her husband and their young son. She died in 1833 and was buried in the old cemetery at Princetown. Lot 18.

Over the years, some of the graves at the old cemetery in Princetown which was adjacent to the shore were washed away by storms. Eventually the cemetery was abandoned and all trace of it disappeared. Recent testing using ground penetrating radar have identified the location of the cemetery in Cabot Park, Malpeque. Although Elizabeth was buried in Princetown, her name was added to the headstone for [[Owen-3148|Arthur Owen] in the Old Protestant Cemetery, Charlottetown.

A persistent story that has been published in several local history books is that Elizabeth was the first cousin to Robert E Lee, the Confederate General, and that he had come to PEI to visit her. Given their ages, it is unlikely that they would be first cousins and since, according to Robert E Lee's pedigree on wikwtree, his Lee ancestors have been in Virginia since 1640 and were from Shropshire previously, it is unlikely that there is any connection between the two in the past 600 years. Thus this story has to be considered false.

Another repeated story is that Elizabeth's father, George Lee, was a jeweler from London and that she hide her jewelry in the lining of a dress resulting in them being lost when she died. We do not know what George did for a living, but we know he lived in Exeter when he baptised his 5 children. Although Elizabeth moved to London sometime prior to her marriage there are no records to suggest that George was a jeweler or ever lived in London. While the second part is possible, it is unlikely that she ever owned significant jewelry.

Birth

Birth:

Date: 4 SEP 1761

Place: Exeter, Devon , England^[3]

Death

Death:

Date: 18 JAN 1833

Place: Princetown, , Prince Edward Island, Canada^[3]

Baptism

Baptism:

Date: 30 SEP 1761

Place: Exeter, , Devon, England ^[1]

Burial

Burial:

Place:  ? Cemetery, , , Prince Edward Island, Canada

Marriage

Husband: Arthur Owen

Wife: Elizabeth Lee

Child: Arthur Lee Owen

Child: Martha Owen

Child: Sarah Sophia Lee Owen

Child: George Owen

Child: Thomas Owen

Child: Ann Owen

Child: John Owen

Child: Elizabeth Lee Owen

Marriage:

Date: 2 JUL 1786

Place: Rotherhithe, London, , Surry, England^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} England, Births-Christenings 1538-1975 (IGI, FamilySearch) Title: England. Genealogical Society of Utah. England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. International Genealogical Index. FHL digital index. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Page: Elizabeeth Lee, 30 Sep 1761 Data: Text: Name: Elizabeth Lee Gender: Female Baptism/Christening Date: 30 Sep 1761 Baptism/Christening Place: SAINT MARTIN,EXETER,DEVON,ENGLAND CONT Birth Date: Birthplace: Death Date: Name Note: Race: Father's Name: George Lee Father's Birthplace: Father's Age: Mother's Name: Anne Mother's Birthplace: Mother's Age: Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C05098-1 System Origin: England-ODM Source Film Number: 917102 Reference Number:
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Ancestry.com. London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Original data: Church of England Parish Registers, 1754-1921. London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary, Whitechapel, Register of marriages, P93/MRY1, Item 031
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Various Family Bibles George & Ann Lee Bible

• ROYAL GAZETTE, CHARLOTTE-TOWN, TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1833

DEATH: OWEN - At Princetown on Friday last, Elizabeth, wife of the late Arthur Owen, Esq. aged 71 years