In a message dated 7/1/2004 7:03:31 AM Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes: All, I am working on the LEE surname in NC, specifically, Johnston Co. Much has been written about John LEE (Esq.), d. 1766, and his descendants, but little on other LEEs in the area. One of the heroes of that area was Captain Thomas LEE (RW-NC). There are many assertions about him that are inconsistent. He is claimed as the son of John LEE (Esq.) who indeed had a son, Thomas. He is claimed to be the son of Richard and Judith (Steptoe) LEE of Ditchley Hall, VA. He is claimed to be the husband of Mary GRIFFIN who died in 1758. And there are other claims of wives. What we know of Captain Thomas LEE is that he died in Hawkins Co., TN in 1816 and at the time was married to a widow, Mary RAINS, who survived him. I WILL BE SENDING TO HUGH ([email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) ) ABOUT TEN PAGES OF RECORDS OUT OF JOHN LEE, ESQ. OF JOHNSTON CO., NC AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS. IF STUDIED TOGETHER AND IN SITU, THERE'S EVERY INDICATION THAT THOMAS LEE, SON OF JOHN, ESQ. REMOVED FROM JOHNSTON CO., NC INTO TN. & SHORTLY INTO HAWKINS COUNTY. THE CORRELATION FOR IDENTITY OF THOMAS LEANS HEAVILY ON CONGRUENT LAND RECORDS BETWEEN JOHN, ESQ. & OTHERS NAMED IN JOHN, ESQ'S WILL AND SON THOMAS. ON APR.19, 1771 THOMAS LEE SIGNED HIS NAME AS "LT." UNDER COL. NEEDHAM BRYAN, JOHNSTON CO., MILITIA. HE APPEARED AS "CAPT." AT A COURT MARTIAL HELD IN SMITHFIELD, 15 AUG., 1777. "A GENERAL RETURN OF OFFICERS & MEN BELONGING TO THE REGIMENT OF MILITIA IN JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMANDED BY COL. JOHN SMITH AT A GENERAL MUSTER AT SMITHFIELD ON THE 24TH MAY 1779" SHOWED CAPT. THOMAS LEE'S COMPANY CONTAINED 64 MEN. IN THE LAND RECORDS OF JOHNSTON CO., NC. IN 1782 THERE WAS A GRANT OF 100 A. HEAD OF WATRY BRANCH & WHITE OAK, ENTERED JUNE 1779 AND SURVEYED FOR CAPT. THOMAS LEE. IN 1795, THIS LAND WAS SOLD FOR THOMAS, BY HIS ATTORNEY, SHADRACK INGRAM TO SAMUEL AVERA. IN 1792, THOMAS LEE WAS GRANTED 100 A. BOTH SIDES OF WHITE OAK SWAMP, HIS OWN CORNER AND THAT OF SHADRACK INGRAM'S LINE, LEMUEL LEE'S LINE. CHAIN BEARERS: WILLIAM LEE, JAMES LEE. ON 16 NOV. 1792, THOMAS LEE SOLD THIS LAND TO SHADRACK INCRAM, A GRANT TO CAPT. THOAS LEE. ON 15 FEB. 1784, THOMAS LEE OF GREEN CO., NC [SUBSEQUENTLY TN], GAVE POWER OF ATTORNEY TO WILLIAM INGRAM AND SHADRACK INGRAM OF JOHNSTON CO. WITS: SAMUEL SMITH, JOSIAH BARNS. SHADRACK INGRAM AND THOMAS LEE HAD APPEARED IN THE WILL OF JOHN LEE, ESQ. JOHNSTON CO. WR 4 D3EC. 1766; PR. FEB. 1768: - - - - - -TO SON THOMAS - "AFTER MY WIFE'S DECEASE OR WIDOWHOOD, PLANTATION WHERE ON I NOW LIVE" PART OF 200 A. IN LOW GROUNDS CALLED 'FREDERICK'S LAND' PART OF TRAPNALS LAND 2 NEGROES CALLED CUGGO AND JENNEY. - - - - -TO DAU. MARY BALLENGER - - REST OF TRAPNALS LAND NEGRO CALLED NICE - - - - - TO GRANDSON SHADRACK INGRAM - 200 A. ADJOINING RICHARD INGRAM'S LINE AND JOHN LEE'S LINE 300 A. ON WHITE OAK SWAMP NEGRO CALLED JUDAH. A COPY OF ONE OF THOMAS LEE'S LETTERS HAS BEEN PRESERVED IN JOHNSTON CO. RECORDS, N.C. ARCHIVES CR.056.514.3, PP. 225-6, AS FOLLOWS: "Dear Cousin after my best and loving compliments to you and your family these comes to let you know that my family is all in good health at Present thanks be to God for his mercies) But I have what is called the intermiting fever this five or six months and I am not able to come and see you nor to do anything else and God only knows whether I ever shall be able to come over to see you about my business And dear Cousin I have got Cader Lee to come to you to settle my business. And I depend upon you to settle the business and I shall be fully satisfied. And dear Cousin if you are not satisfied I wish you to satisfy yourself for I have always greate confidence in you & have ever been well satisfied but dear Cousin you know there is very few men now a days that can be fully depended upon. Dear Sir please send me by Cader Lee what money you have collected and what evre you can collect from the Creditors and you will much oblige your friend Dear Sir please to write to me in full concerning affairs and whatt money you send me by Cader Lee And to take a receipt for the same) Dear Sr if you can collect the whole please to write what the balance is ) and when you collect it please to send it to me by who ever you shall think a safe hand I have nothing strange or uncommon to write but I remain your loving friend. THOMAS LEE. PLEASE TO REMEMBER MY LOVE TO SISTER MARY BALINGR {emphasis mine-KG} and all enquiring friends &C. August 19, 1797 To SHADRACK ENGRAM Endorsed To SHADRACK ENGRAM living in Johnsn County of THE WATERS OF MILL CREEK there. Proved by Kedar Lee Received of Shadrach Ingram in full of all accounts debts dues or demands from the beginning of the world till this day. I say received by me this 11th day of January 1796. Hopkns Lee Robert Lee THOMAS LEE Rec'd August 31st 1797 of SHADRACH INGRAM AGENT FOR THOMAS LEE four hundred and twenty silver dollars it being money collected by the said SHADRACH INGRAM in part or sundry Debts said Ingram was Impowered to collect for the said THOMAS LEE in the state of No. Carolina in the county of Johnston. Test. his Wm. Sasser (Signed) Keder X Lee for THOMAS LEE mark NOTE: THOMAS LEE does not appear in any Tax List or Census record of Johnston Co., N.C. He and Nicholas Lee (son) appear on the 1781 Tax List of Washington Co., (Tenn.). The first record of Thomas in Hawkins Co., Tenn., is in Thomas Amis' Record Book (of his store) in 1783. THOMAS LEE appears throughout the Court Minutes of Johnston County from their beginning in 1759 until 1780, when (it is probable) he left the county. In May 1780, he relinquished the guardianship of Henry Rains, orphan of John Rains, dec'd., to Henry Rains, Esq. [Thomas's last wife, Mary, was widow of John Rains]. Securities for his bond were NEEDHAM BRYAN and Henry Rains, Esq. In a suit in Chancery Court, Hawkins Co., Tenn., 23 May 1823, by Thomas Bailey of Shelby Co., Ala., named nine heirs of Mary Lee, the widow of Thomas Lee. They were Henry Rains, Needham Lee, John Lee, Winiford Bailey, Zilpha Bailey, wife of Thomas Bailey, William Lee, Edward Lee, James Lee, and Mary Griffin, wife of Jones Griffin. WHAT I WILL BE SENDING TO HUGH IS THE WILL OF JOHN LEE, ESQ. AND THE LAND RECORDS OF THOMAS LEE BOTH IN JOHNSTON CO., NC - AND - IN HAWKINS CO., TN. MOST ARE TAKEN FROM THE BOOK JOHN LEE, ESQ. (ETC.). WITHOUT A DEEP STUDY OF THE CONTEXT; I.E., NAMES OF PERSONS CONJOINED IN ALL RECORDS AND THE CONCOMMITANT PROXIMITIES OF LANDS, THE THREADS OF CONNECTION WILL BE MISSED. IT'S NO LONGER POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RETYPE ALL THESE RECORDS (OSTEOARTHRITIS IN HANDS), SO I'LL LEAVE IT TO HUGH TO POINT OUT CONGRUENCIES. KAY GUNN [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected])