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County, 1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: none in
his own name; living in his father's house in An-
napolis. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: on December
22, 1778; probably at "Blenheim," Charles County.
PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, £7,198.3.7 current
money (including 8 slaves and 95 law books); FB,
£5,293.0.7. LAND: His estate was charged with 1
lot and house in Annapolis in 1783, but this prop-
erty was owned by his father and only used as a
residence by Lee.
LEE, RICHARD (ca. 1707-1787). BORN: ca. 1707
in Prince George's County; eldest son. NATIVE:
second generation. RESIDED: in Prince George's
County until at least 1739. By 1754 Lee had moved
to Charles County and was residing at "Blen-
heim" on the Potomac River, just below the mouth
of the Port Tobacco River. His plantation landing
was a port of entry for the North Potomac. FAM-
ILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Philip Lee (ca. 1681-
1744). MOTHER: Sarah (?-1724), widow of Wil-
liam Dent (ca. 1660-1704), daughter of Thomas
Brooke (ca. 1659-1730/31). STEPMOTHER: Eliza-
beth Lawson, widow of Henry Sewall (?-1722),
Gent. UNCLE Thomas Brooke (1683-1744). AUNT:
Priscilla Brooke, who married Thomas Gantt (?-
1765). HALF AUNT: Jane Brooke (?-1779), who
married Alexander Contee (ca. 1691-1740).
BROTHERS: Francis Lee (?-1749); Philip (?-1739);
Thomas (?-1749); and youngest, Arthur Lee (?-
1760). HALF BROTHERS: Hancock (?-1759); John;
Corbin Lee (?-1774); and George Lee (1736-1807).
STEPBROTHERS Nicholas Lewis Sewell (ca. 1721-
1800); Henry Sewall (?-1780). SISTERS: Ann (ca.
1711-1800); Sarah; and Eleanor (1710-1759).
HALF SISTERS: Hannah, who married second, Jo-
seph Sprigg (1736-1800); Letitia (Lettice) (?-
1776), who married third, Joseph Sim (?-1793);
Elizabeth; Alice; and Margaret (Peggy). FIRST
COUSINS: Thomas Gantt (ca. 1710-1785); Fielder
Gantt (?-1807); Edward Gantt (?-by 1783); prob-
ably Ann Gantt, who married John Brome (1703-
1748); Richard Brooke (1716-1783); and Eleanor
Brooke (1718-?), who married Samuel Beall (ca.
1713-ca. 1778). NEPHEWS: Philip Richard Fendall
(?-?); Thomas Sim Lee (1745-1819); and Richard
Potts (1753-1808). NIECES: Sarah Eleanor Potts,
who married Thomas Gantt, Jr. (?-1808); Re-
becca Potts, who married Benjamin Mackall IV
(1745-by 1810); and Sarah Fendall (ca. 1732-
1793), who married ca. 1755 Thomas Contee (ca.
1729-1811). MARRIED Grace (ca. 1713-1789),
youngest daughter of Col. Henry Ashton (?-1730)
of Cople Parish, Westmoreland County, Virginia,
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and wife Elizabeth Hardridge. Grace was the
probable stepdaughter of Mary (last name un-
known). She was the granddaughter of John Ash-
ton. Her brothers were Henry; John. Her sister
was Anne (?-by 1730), who married Capt. Wil-
liam Aylett, Jr. Grace was buried at "Blenheim."
Her personal estate was valued at £2,546.0.0.
CHILDREN. SONS. Richard, Jr. (?-1834), Esq., the
sheriff of Charles County from 1769 to at least
1770, who was a probable Loyalist sympathizer
and who had 200 acres of property confiscated
by the government in 1785; Philip Thomas Lee
(1738-1778). DAUGHTERS: Sarah Lettice (?-1761),
who married in 1759 her first cousin Philip Rich-
ard Fendall (?-?); Hannah, who married on De-
cember 5, 1762, George Plater (1735-1792); Alice
(1748-1789), who married in 1788 John Weems
(1737-1813); and Eleanor Ann (?-1806), who
died unmarried. PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: re-
ceived his education in England; probably ad-
mitted to the Middle Temple. RELIGIOUS AFFIL-
IATION: Anglican; pewholder in St. Paul's Parish,
Prince George's County, in 1734. SOCIAL STATUS
AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1728; Esq., by 1735;
Hon., by 1787. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: lawyer,
admitted to the following courts: Charles County
in March 1737/38, Prince George's County in No-
vember 1737; planter. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLA-
TIVE SERVICE. Upper House, 1745, 1745/46-1748
(Bills of Credit Cv 1, 1, 4), 1749-1751 (Bills of
Credit 2, 3), 1751-1754 (Bills of Credit 2, 3, 5),
1754-1757 (Bills of Credit 1, 2, 5), 1757-1758,
1758-1761 (Bills of Credit Cv 1, Cv 2), 1762-
1763, 1765-1766, 1768-1770, 1771 (appointed,
but did not serve), 1773-1774. OTHER PROVIN-
CIAL OFFICE: naval officer of the Potomac, 1744-
1774 (succeeded to office on his father's death;
recommissioned on August 28, 1769, and April
29, 1773; resigned in favor of his son in May
1774); Council, 1745-1776 (in office by August
5, 1745; president 1772-1776); acting governor,
May-November 1774 while Gov. Eden was in
England and briefly in 1776 during the interval
between the departure of Eden and the assump-
tion of the government by the Convention. LOCAL
OFFICES: sheriff, Prince George's County, 1728-
1730, 1734-1737; justice, Prince George's County,
1730-1733 (quorum, 1732, 1733); St. Paul's Par-
ish Vestry, Prince George's County, 1734. MILI-
TARY SERVICE: called captain, 1734. WEALTH DUR-
ING LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: assessed Value
£2,584.0.0, including 60 slaves and 312 oz. plate,
1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: at least 4,293 acres
in Prince George's County and Virginia (2,093
528
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