Family legend says that John Lee was a descendent of "The Virginia Lees".  No documentation exists (to my knowledge) to prove or disprove this. There are several different, but similar story lines. Right now, it’s take your pick and research in that direction.

1. A John Lee history done by a grandson, William Edgar Griffis (son of Sarah Moody Lee Griffis), says that Joshua Lee was his father.
2. A letter submitted to the LDS data base by William Griffis’ daughter, Katherine Griffis Van Hoose, lists her belief that Levi Lee (21 Aug 1748) was John Lee’s father, and that his grandparents may have been Edward and Eliza Lee.
3. And yet another descendent, great-grandson John Levi Lee, Jr. said  "The man who researched the family said it (his father) was another John Lee." (Anyone know about this research ?)

The Levi Lee information I have seen, does not seem to match with the known time frame of John Lee's life. The information on Joshua Lee seems to be more closely aligned.

4. Huxford (Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, vol.6) says that Levi Lee, RS, was his father.
5. There is another family genealogy on the internet that says his father was  William Lee of Ireland. (doubtful....in my opinion......although John Lee did buy property in Florida in 1835 & 1837 with a William Lee.)

Other information (not proven), says that Levi /Joshua (both names seem to be used interchangebly) was a member of the Virginia Lees, but married a quarter Indian woman, and became an outcast, moving to South Carolina. Katherine Van Hoose suggests that this may have been a second marriage.

Levi/Joshua's known children, 2 girls and a boy, were born in South Carolina (US Census, FL 1850, 1880), and he is believed to have died soon after the last known daughter was born, around 1799.  The Stratford Hall archivist denies any relationship to Levi Lee. When a descendent went there seeking information, they were told "if you were a Lee, WE would have found you."(Thelma Lee Clonts)

My family legend says that John Lee was made a loan by a Henry Lee,  in Camden Co, Georgia, to purchase a butcher shop or meat market.  Documentation for this is supposed to be in the South Carolina State Archives, but no one can provide a specific reference. William Griffis's story is better :
 

Which is true ? I have no idea. Several problems with this is that it ignores the known sisters, and the family was still in South Carolina in 1799, so John was not an infant when they moved to Georgia. As for the loan being made by Lighthorse Harry Lee, as appealing as that is, it seems unlikely. In 1813, Lighthorse Harry Lee was in poor health and humilated by bad investments the caused him to spend time in debtors prison. Seeking the warmth of the sun for his chronic health problems, he sailed for the Bahamas.  One suggestion is that the ship may have stopped in St. Mary's on the way, and Henry Lee, hearing of the wife's death, paid for her funeral, which would probably have been a small sum. Five years later, in deteriorating health, he was returning home and became gravely ill. The ship put into Cumberland Island, where he was taken to the Dungeness Plantation, home of  Mrs. Louisa Shaw, the daughter of a former comrade in arms, General Nathaniel Greene. He diedand was buried there in 1818. In 1913, his body was taken back to Virginia to be interred in the Chapel of Washington and Lee University, with his famous son, General Robert E. Lee. General Lee is reported to have visited his father's grave site several times. I have found one citation for a visit by General R.E. Lee to his father's grave in 1869.
 

Next
 

revised 4/5/2002
************************************************************************************************
All material contained on these pages is furnished for the free use of those researching their family origins. Any commercial use, without the consent of the author is prohibited- -Copyright is retained by the author of the material and publication to any medium, electronic or non-electronic, without consent is in violation of the law.
8/20/2001