 1770 - 1841 (~ 81 years)
-
| Name |
LEE William |
| Born |
Between 1760 and 1770 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
Aug 1841 |
Chambers County, AL  |
| Person ID |
I0141 |
Combo |
| Last Modified |
22 Aug 2009 |
| Family |
BOYKIN Zelpha, d. Bef 1850 |
| Married |
Abt 1790 |
| Children |
| | 1. LEE Thomas, b. 1795, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
| | 2. LEE Mary ( Polly ), b. 1796, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
| | 3. LEE Samuel, b. 1798, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
| | 4. LEE Edwin E., b. 13 Oct 1800, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. 7 Jun 1864, Dadeville, Tallapoosa, AL (Age 63 years) |
| | 5. LEE Boykin, b. 1801, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
| | 6. LEE William, Jr., b. 1803, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
| | 7. LEE Alford, b. 1805, Smithfield, Johnston Co., NC , d. UNKNOWN |
|
| Family ID |
F0074 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
| Notes |
- (From L. Aubrey and R. Reid, descendants of William Lee)
On January 15, 1793, William purchased from his father, Samuel, a tract or survey of land on the South side of the South prong of Mill Creek in Johnston County, SC. This tract of land was obtained by Samuel Lee under a grant about 1770. There were, by estimation, five hundred acres in the tract of land but William paid his father only five pounds for the purchase. This sale was considered as William's part of his father's estate and William was given nothing more in his father's will, which was written in 1828. In his father's will, William was noted as having already received his inheritance by "bills and deeds of sale and deeds of gifts, etc."
William and his family became well known and highly respected in Smithfield, NC where they lived. William was a land holder and had many slaves on his plantation.
Upon his father's death, William realized that he could not obtain enough land in Johnston County to provide room for his sons and their families to grow, so he began to look westward for a location where he could obtain larger land holdings and provide for his descendants. His son Thomas had moved about looking for land and his son Samuel had returned from Tennessee, where he had moved in 1827, to tell of the large tracts of land that could be obtained in the near wilderness to the west. In 1832 the Creek Indians were being removed from west Georgia and east Alabama and the land was opened up to the white man.
William decided in 1833 to travel to this wild and unsettled land to seek more land for himself and his children. William sold his tract of land on Mill Creek that he had obtained from his father in 1793 to Henry Britt of Wayne County, on January 26, 1833. On March 23, 1833 William gave notice that his remaining land would be sold the following Saturday, and on the same notice was given the information that Edwin Lee would sell all of his household furniture and other articles. Jamile has a transcribed copy of the deed where William sold this land to go to Alabama. Copy is from "Lees of Johnson County, NC" by Dr. Lubey Royall, obtained by Ruth Reid to Linda Aubrey. Johnson County, NC Deed Book P-2, Page 422: This indenture made this 26th day of January, 1833 between William Lee, Sr. and Henry Britt, for 400 Pounds. Sighed "X" by William Lee, Sr.
On April 25, 1833, one of Williams' Sons, Edwin, obtained a recommendation from his neighbors to carry with him to the new land and told them that the Lee family would be moving as soon as practicable. There was much to consider. Edwin's wife had just borne twin girls and William Jr. had a small child. They would, however, like to get away before cold weather set in.
The party leaving Smithfield would be quite large. There was William Lee Sr., his wife, their belongings, live stock and slaves. Their only daughter, Polly, would go with them. However, she was unmarried and would not have a family to move. Samuel was now living in Georgia and gave notice to the family that he would join them later wherever they decided to settle. Thomas and Alfred would not make the trip but would remain behind to live in Smithfield with their families.
Edwin Lee, his wife Susie Cotton, and their twin daughters, Mary and Zilpha, would be on the wagon train. Susie Cotton's father, John Cotton, her brother James and her sister Nancy would also be in the group. William Jr. and his family would go part of the way with the family but would turn off in Georgia. Boykin was making the trip but he was single and would not have a family to move. Other families from the area of Smithfield also moved at the same time. The wagon train was very large when it set out in the spring of 1833.
After many days of travel, the wagon train arrived at a fork of the road somewhere in Georgia. Here William Lee, Jr. and some of the other settlers turned off to find their homes in the Indian lands of central and southern Georgia. William Lee, Jr. traveled to Pulaski County, Georgia. There he made his home and brought up his children.
The wagon train moved on into Alabama. William and his sons, Edwin and Boykin stopped in Chambers County, Alabama, where William obtained land near Chambers County Court House (later the town of Lafayette). The land was located on the Lafayette - Bluffton (later the town of Lanette) highway. The tract contained about 300 acres. RR has a note that said they, and the Cotton family, lived in the Emory Chapel Community, just east of Lafayette, AL.
Polly, William's only daughter, married Robert M. Curry, a local attorney in 1839 and moved away from the plantation. Two years later, in January of 1841, Boykin found a wife and he too married, but stayed on the plantation to help his father who was now very old and nearing the end of his life.
On September 5, 1841, Edwin notified Thomas and Alfred in Smithfield of the death of their father. Thomas wrote from China Grove, TN, a month later asking about the settlement of the estate. Alfred journeyed to Alabama to see the family and to help in the settlement of the estate. On January 14, 1842, Alfred gave his brother-in-law, Robert M. Curry, a power of attorney in all things pertaining to the land of William Lee, Sr.
Boykin and Polly had incurred debts while supervising the plantation of their father. Their debts were settled and the land was sold. Boykin obtained part of the plantation from the rest of the family and lived there raising his family until after 1850. Jamile has a transcribed copy of the Estate Petition for William Lee deceased, asking for permission to sell 479 acres of land to pay debt. Copy came from Chambers County, AL courthouse, gathered by Ruth Reid, and copied for Linda Aubrey.
Land being sold is in Orphans Court Records for the Year 1844, 001/15, page 35
Division of Slaves/sale of cotton crop is in volume 5, page 105
William Lee's wife died before 1850 and Edwin moved his family to Tallapoosa County. His new land was located near the Tallapoosa River and about 10 miles from Dadeville, the county seat. He later sold his part of the plantation obtained from the estate.
|
|
|
