Re: Jeremiah Lee Jr. 1828-1855
DREWER, LEE, SMITH
Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email) In Response To: Jeremiah Lee Jr. 1828-1855 (Megan)
Date: 1/2/2012 at 16:54:15
I spent some time looking at your Lee research and this is what I propose from what I was able to locate:
I believe that your Jeremiah Lee is the one you located in the 1850 census as the 20 year old son of Frederick and Eliza Lee. From the tombstone inscription in Ferrel Cemetery, Jeremiah would have been born about June 20, 1828 (age 27 years, 5 months and 29 days). The official date of the 1850 census was the age on June 1, 1850. Jeremiah was still 21 and not yet 22 on June 1. It is not a problem that he was recorded as 20 instead of 21 -- ages were often not exact.
His father, Frederick Lee [December 24, 1800 -- June 14, 1880]
His mother, Eliza Ann Smith [March 17, 1805 --- March 8, 1879]
Both buried in Ferrel Cemetery, New London, Iowa; Frederick and Eliza Smith were married on March 4, 1824, Bond County, Illinois. It is significant that Jeremiah and Martha's first son was named "Smith" which would have been his mother's maiden name.
Jeremiah's grandfather would have been Samuel Lee, Sr. who had six sons. Jeremiah would have had uncles in Henry County, Iowa named John, Hezekiah and Jeremiah and an uncle in Missouri or Illinois named Elias. Also significant that second son was named Elias.
Samuel Lee, Sr. had the following sons:
Samuel Lee, Jr. [ca 1795-1829, Missouri]
John P. Lee [1797 -1879, Henry County, Iowa, married Charity Smith --sister of Eliza Ann Smith]
Frederick Lee [1800 – 1880, Henry County, Iowa] married Eliza Ann Smith
Hezekiah Lee [1806 – 1864, Henry County, Iowa]
Elias Lee [ca. 1810 – 1873, Missouri or Illinois]
Jeremiah Lee [1816 – 1887, Henry County, Iowa]As for Jeremiah signing his marriage certificate as "Jeremiah Lee, Jr.", that is probably to distinguish him from his uncle Jeremiah Lee. The other Jeremiah was his cousin (Hezekiah's son).
An abstract from: Biographical Review of Henry Co, Iowa, 1906:
"The Lee Family has long figured prominently in Henry Co and the name is inseparably connected with its history, for its members have been active in promoting the material, intellectual, social, and moral progress of this part of the state. Fred and Hezekiah Lee, brothers, natives of Ohio and Illinois, came to Henry Co in the spring of 1835 and took up separate claims of government land in New London twp that are now owned by James Totemeier. John Martin Lee now owns the Fred Lee property. Both of the brothers who came originally to the county were buried in the Ferrell Cemetery, New London twp, Henry Co, IA where also were interred the remains of two other brothers, John and Jeremiah Lee, who came to this county in 1836. Elias, another brother, died in Illinois. John and Jeremiah Lee also took up government land, living for some years upon their property before it came on the market. John took up over four hundred acres, of which Samuel Lee conducts over eighty acres. the improvement of that property were all placed there by the Lee family and the parents lived and died upon this farm...."
Since all the Lee families were from Bond County, Illinois before they migrated to Henry County, Iowa, it is probably in Bond County that your Jeremiah Lee was born.
Hope this helps. To prove it, I would look for a probate for Frederick Lee sometime after his death in June 1800 and see if anything was left to his grandson, Elias. Perhaps there is an obituary also that might mention Jeremiah or Elias.
Henry Queries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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