The Parentage of Col. Greenberry Lee of GA

Date: 1750 [unknown]
Location: Georgia
Surname/tag: Lee

Regarding the Ancestors of Col. Greenberry Lee and John Lee who died in 1786 in Fairfield, South Carolina

This Critique from Hugh Hoffman on the Emma Lee Bettis Manuscript

In Emma Lee Bettis' attempt to determine the parentage of Col. Greenberry Lee of GA, it appears that Emma took a leap of faith when she identifies John Lee (Thomas, Charles, Richard) of VA as the John Lee of MD who was in SC 1751. She placed John of VA in SC by assumption -- convenience of association of two people with the same name. Unless it can be proven that John of VA moved to MD, married there, and then moved to SC, I don't see the connection.

Thomas, John's brother, wrote his will in 1758. It is unlikely he would make John administrator, if John was living in SC since 1751. This situation does not contribute to a connection.

There is a John Lee in MD who married Margaret Howard in 1745 in Joppa, Harford Co., MD, but there is no evidence that they went to SC either. William FEW, father of Elizabeth who married Col. Greenberry Lee in GA, was from Harford Co., MD. William FEW (and family) went to NC and then on to Wrightsboro, Richmond Co., GA. It is more likely that the LEEs of Harford Co., MD followed the FEWs to NC then on to GA perhaps with a stop in SC enroute.

There is the claim that Greenberry Lee was Thomas Greenberry Lee, Jr. of VA/NC. I have been unable to establish Thomas Greenberry LEE, Jr. by any record. The assertions are strong, but the evidence is weak to nonexistent.

In any case, the issue of Col. Greenberry Lee's parentage is not resolved satisfactorily at this point.

Best regards,

Hugh Hoffman^[1]

The Will of John Lee's Brother, Thomas Lee (Thomas, Charles, Col. Richard Lee "The Immigrant") 1759

Thomas Lee Will Abstract

Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster County, Colony of Virginia

Lee, Thomas: 1 Dec. 1758. Rec. 16 Mar. 1759. Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster County, Colony of Virginia. Dau: Mary Lee. Brother: John Lee, Richard Lee, died. Son George Lee. Wife: Lucy Lee. Brother: Charles Lee, land I now live on. Sister, Elizabeth Dobull's eldest son.

Exors: Wife, Lucy, Chas. Lee, Eppa Lawson and Geo. Currell.

Wits: Benj. Kelly, James Scrosby, Jr., Charles Lee, G. Currell.^[2]

Text regarding Thomas' Brother John Lee

Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster County, Colony of Virginia

John Lee is mentioned in the will of his brother, Thomas Lee II (1730 - 1759) of Parish of Christ Church, County of Lancaster, Colony of Virginia, written on 1 Dec 1758 and probated in Lancaster, Virginia on 16 Mar 1759. John Lee is single.

…I give and bequeath to brother John Lee one negro wench named Cate…I give and bequeath to my brother John Lee all the land [I] have in White Chapple Parish...I give and bequeath all the rest of my negroes not before mentioned to my brother John... and my will and my desire is that my brother John Lee may work the negroes he now has upon the land I now live on as long as he lives single…^[3][4]

Sources

1. ↑ https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rgibson/genealogy/Lee/Documents/Emma_Lee_Bettis_Manuscript.html
2. ↑ Abstracts of Lancaster County, Virginia Wills 1653-1800; {Ida J. Lee} W.B. 16, p. 52.
3. ↑ Text of Will on p 563
4. ↑ Text of Will on p 564