Jesse"Jehu" Fitzhugh Lee - Jehu Lee Y DNA results

Transcript of the Miller Lee (son of Richard Henry Lee and Mary Elizabeth Betsy Miller) letter as it appears in the book on Gresham Lee by R.E. Lee. The transcript was provided to R.E. Lee by a Barbara L. McKelvey, a Miller Lee descendant.

Rusk City March 30, 1850

I, Miller Lee, was born on the first day of July 1769 in Buckingham Co. in the State of Virginia. My father's name was Richard Lee, raised in Buckingham Co. and lived there most of his life until just before he died. He moved to Ballston, near Arlington, Va. There my mother died. He then moved to Jackson, Tn. where he died. His father came from England, his mother from Wales. My mother's name before marriage was Elizabeth Miller. Her father and mother were from Germany. She was born in the State of Delaware and she moved to Virginia. The Indians killed her father. Her mother died when she was about 12 years of age.

She was my father's second wife. Richard was the first child, then Miller, John, Barnett, Agnes, Arthur who died at three weeks of age, then Stephen, the last. …

There is no “Jesse”, Jehu, or any similar name variant in this primary source.

A letter written by George Lee, grandson of Richard Henry Lee, on 9 Oct 1867, states that Lee and Mary Grisham (Gresham) had 10 children: Grisham, William, Jesse, Archer, Young, George, Abner, Dorothy, Mary and Elizabeth. This does not mention a "John" (shown above) but names a "William," (not listed above). The above list also has two Marys, which the letter does not mention.

GEORGE WASHINGTON LEE LETTER (Son of Abner Lee)

…. Alfred and Abraham was sons of uncle Jehew Lee by Richard Henry Lee's second wife whose maiden name was Miller. Alfred and Abram are onley 1/2 cozens to me. ….

Well Richard Henry Lee married Mary Grisham who was the sister of thetwo John Grishams Brothers, full Welch also, and he had by her 7 sons and 3 daughters (to wit) Grisham,William, Jesse, Archer, Young, George and Abner. These was the sons. The daughters was named Dorothy, commonaly cauled Dolley, Mary & Elizabeth. …

Uncle Jessee maried but I have forgoten his wife's name. he went to Geogia, Oglethorp County, had a large family but I never saw him or aney of his children. …

grandmother died and grandfather maried a Mary Miller and had by her 5 sons and 1 daughter (to wit)Richard, Barnet, Miller, Gehew & Stepen.

—-

Comments:

One of the conclusions that I drew from the document was that Abner was illiterate to the point that he can't even sign his name. I'm having trouble putting that together with the impressions one gets of Richard Henry and his forebears. So to stop beating around the bush, can you point me toward any documentation--a will, a census--anything that connects Richard Henry and Mary with their children. Thanking you in advance."

From Geni

yDNA testing, shown on http://zippersoftware.com/zdna/zdna_results.php?id=104

99 Abner Lee (b1760 NC, d1852 Jackson Co., TN) Line of Jehu Lee (of Buckingham Co., VA) yDNA haplogroup i1a

In other words, Miller Lee in 1850 does not list a full brother Jehu.

G.W. Lee, son of Abner (so a generation removed) in 1867 writes somewhat incoherently with different sibling lists.

So If Abner & Jehu were 1/2 brothers, neither of them were sons of Richard Lee??

Why can’t I find them at https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Lee?iframe=yresults

So if we follow the letters, we have

1. Jesse by wife Mary Gresham “moved to Georgia”

2. Gehew by wife Mary Miller (No further info)

3. Abner’s son thinks he’s a son of RHL & Mary Gresham, but Y DNA does not support this. We know this because of comparisons with (???)

4. Y DNA says Jehu & Abner, with tested descendants, were half brothers, from unknown parents

I didn’t have a lot of choice. I was trying to clean up “barnacle” children a couple weeks ago and bad merged Jesse & Jehu, which has been called to my attention. So in order to even match what’s currently in the profile notes for RHL, I have to undo merges and try to repair. I think there were like 5 extra children that match no one’s notes when I started the (No good deed goes unpunished) cleanup. :(

The family groups page is still useful, though.

https://henryleesociety.com/leeancestry/familygroups.php

So it’s a different Miller Lee from the Miller Lee of the 1850 letter?

https://wc.rootsweb.com/trees/245959/I1285/richardhenry-lee/individual

Sources
1. Title: FAMILY GROUP SHEETS TROY GRESHAM
2. Title: Thomas Gresham Family Group Sheets
Author: Milton Gresham

Miller Lee Born July 1 1769 Buckingham County Va. Married Peggy Margart Carson and Had 9 Proven Children.

Gehew Jehu Married Unknown having Two Children Alfred and Abraham Lee

REFERENCE: Richard Lee II, Page 17 - Richard Edward Lee - Author of Ancestors & Descendants of Gresham Lee of Buckingham Co, Virginia Paragraph 2

Miller Lee Husband of Margaret (Carson) Lee died 1852 Tyler TX

I did find the tone of his letter more in keeping with what one would expect of an educated planter of the era. In contrast to the “I don’t have an envelope” 1867 letter GW Lee, son of Abner.

Extracted Jesse Lee

Extracted Jehu Lee

—-

The children of Richard Lee & his 2 wives now match the notes in profile for Richard Lee, and the conflict in letter evidence is noted in profiles.

It appears that Buckingham County had many Lees, and their origins (who was son of whom) are not clear, even as early as Miller Lee’s 1850 letter.