I wanted to share the following information with the list pertaining to Needham Lee, Sr. It will be of interest to any of you who are his descendants. Anna Prestage Mr. Will Franke, whose family were early settlers of Jefferson and Shelby County, was a businessman, educator, scholar, genealogist and historian. He was born Aug. 18, 1889 in Waddell, formerly Watkins Branch. When he died on Nov. 22, 1964, Alabama lost one of its best and most faithful historians. He was widely recognized as the authority on many phases of the State's history. He is attributed for compiling and preserving more pioneer history of the Birmingham area than all other person and institutions combined. Because of his foresight, many early records of Jefferson and Shelby County was preserved. His research was recently donated to the Special Collections Dept. at the Samford University Library. This is of great interest to those individuals who descended from the early pioneers of Jefferson and Shelby County, including the Acton, Bailey, Byars, Caldwell, Lee, Massey and Watkins families. Re: Needham Lee Sr., his having fled to Etowah County, AL because he was charged with counterfeiting. I know the story, but not exactly who started the counterfeiting flight story or exactly when. My best guess is that it got started when someone got a partial transcript of the grand jury proceedings. I believe that the transcript has to have cropped up after Will Franke died in 1964 since his papers do not include a copy of the transcript, only a record that charges were dropped against his (Needham's) two Bailey nephews in 1824. The Will Franke papers, most of which were donated in 2002 to Samford University (Birmingham) include early court records for Shelby County beginning with 1824, the year that charges against the Baileys were vacated. Did I mention I am Will Franke's niece and as luck would have it, the one who cataloged his papers before we turned them over to Samford? In the case of Needham Lee, Sr., you already have seen Tennessee litigation instituted by Thomas Bailey which indicated Needham is deceased. (Shown later) The last record of his being alive is when he gave testimony in 1823 before a grand jury in Shelby Co., AL. I have been trying to pinpoint, prove where he is buried. Locating the burial place of anyone who was buried prior to 1840-1850 is extremely difficult because families buried family members in family plots and often did not put up markers of any sort. In the case of Needham Lee, Sr., I have been able to substantially prove that he did not go elsewhere when he died. First, he had no reason to leave. The charge consisted of a claim that Needham Sr. had given another a $10.00 bill issued on the National Bank of Nashville, TN. On questioning, it was demonstrated that it could not be proven which $10.00 bill Needham gave to the man. The bill was not marked. Second, for Needham to remain at liberty bail had to be posted. Bail in the amount of $2,000 was posted by Samuel Acton and $2,000 was posted by the Governor of Alabama. At that time counterfeiting was considered a serious offense, a capital crime. Counterfeiters were hung. Consequently for Needham to have been allowed to post bail indicates that he had standing in the community where he lived, and be able to post a large amount of money as bail, or have friends who could. $4,000 at that time was a very large amount of money. We do know that the bail money was not forfeited. If Needham had fled, those who posted bail money would have had to forfeit the money they posted to guarantee that Needham would be available to appear to answer charges in court. I eliminated claims that Needham went to Etowah County with any of his children. Etowah Co. was Indian Territory at the time Needham died (or was said to have left). All of his children (census records) were present in Shelby Co. through the census of 1840. Neither William Carroll Lee (son) nor John Willis Lee (son) acquired land until after 1840. We have Bold Springs and Birmingham Lake Purdy records. History of church: established by Overtons (wife of Gaines Lee, son of Needham). Robert Bailey, first minister, land donated included cemetery for community (have land records). In 1906 first dam on Cahaba River flooded over Bridgewater and forced families to vacate land. They were compensated and members of church named in church history. The church received eleven acres of timberland as part of compensation for land lost in church. In 1926 dam was raised. As a result, water covered Bold Springs for which the church is named and started creeping up into the cemetery. Church received bond in the amount of $2,000 to enable moving family plots being covered by water. Eleven members of the Needham Lee family including two unidentified children were moved. Their remains were placed in eleven boxes that he determined how many there were buried there. The remains of the children were placed together in the same box. In addition to Will Franke's description, I have an affidavit from a witness. Needham Lee, Sr. is buried (family were moved when Lake Purdy was created) at Bold Springs Church where Shelby and Jefferson Co. come together. Note this is not good enough evidence to allow us to place a marker on Needham Lee's grave. Without digging them up in the hope something remains that would allow us to make a determination that such and so is Needham, we can't. Mr. Watkins noted that they buried dirt, buttons, and bones, all very carefully. I am hoping that we will be able to put up a historical marker. At least, we can be reasonably sure that Needham Lee, Sr. was reburied in Jefferson Co. Fortunately we will have less of a problem with Needham's son William Carroll Lee. Here, everything is clear cut: his service record and where he is buried. He has one of the oldest markers I have seen and the family owns the land and the cemetery. I'll be able to mark and commemorate William Carroll Lee. I also have where charges against Bailey were dropped and individual who had them in custody was compensated. It would appear that in the early days of Shelby Co. there was no jail; individuals were paid to assume responsibility for prisoners. Hawkins County, Tennessee Chancery Court Records 1825-1845 Wednesday, May 6, 1829 Court met pursuant to adjournment. Present: The Honorable Nathan Greene, Chancellor & c Thomas Bailey vs Edward Lee, Executor Mary Lee, Dec'd, Micajah Lee, Susan Morell, Adm'x of Christian Morell, Dec'd, Susan Lee, Widow of Needham Lee, Dec'd, Thomas Lee, Wm. C. Lee, James Bailey, his wife Winifred Lee, Samuel & Zilpha Eaton, John W., Ingram, Needham, Lee, Wm. & Zilpha Eaton, Elizabeth, Sally, Harry, Edward, Perry, Gaines, Polly, Martin, Franklin, and Suan Lee, Heirs and Reps. of Needham Lee, Dec'd. Decree: This cause coming on to be heard and finally determined before the Honorable Nathan Greene, Chancellor & c, on the bill answers replication and proof and it appearing to the satisfaction of the court that the Comp't is by regular and assignment entitled to the share of Needham Lee of the estate of Mary Lee, dec'd and that the Defendant, Micajah Lee and Christian Morell had obtained judgments before Hezekiah Hamblen and C. E. Kenner, Esqrs. as stated and set forth in the bill of Complainant on garnishment and that the executor of Mary Lee, dec'd had an account of said judgment and refused to pay the Comp't the amount of said share of Needham Lee on account of said judgments against him on garnishment which share amount to the sum of $176.50. It is therefore considered ordered adjudged and decreed by the court that the said Edward Lee, Executor of Mary Lee, dec'd pay to the Comp't the sum of $176.50 together with the further sum of $73.25 the interest due thereon from the time the same ought to have been paid up to this time and it is furthermore ordered adjudged and decreed by the court that the injunction heretofore granted against the judgments of the said Micajah Lee and Christian Morell be and the same is hereby perpetual and it is furthermore ordered adjudged and decreed by the court that each party pay the costs occasioned by them in this suit for which execution may issue and it is further ordered adjudged and decreed that Comp't pay the costs of making the Heirs or Representatives of Needham Lee parties to this suit for which execution may also issue.