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Thomas Lee (Virginia colonist)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Lee was a leading political figure of colonial Virginia
. He was a member of the Lee family
, a political dynasty which included many figures from the pre-American Revolutionary War
era until the late 20th century. Lee became involved in politics in 1710 and he became the resident manager of the Northern Neck
Proprietary for Lady Catherine Fairfax. After his father died he inherited land in Northumberland
and Charles County
. Lee later acquired vast holdings in what are now Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties.
When Lee married Hannah Harrison Ludwell in 1722, he also associated himself with the already established Harrison family
. A year later he would become a member of the House of Burgesses
. After Lee's home was burnt down by criminals, he lost almost all of his possessions and a fair sum of money. With monetary donations he received from Caroline of Ansbach
and English Commissioners, he built his new home on the Potomac River
, naming it Stratford Hall. Four years later in 1733, he was appointed to the Governor's Council, upper house of the General Assembly. In 1747, he founded the Ohio Company of Virginia
with fellow Virginian colonists who wished to expand Virginia's territory into the Ohio River Valley. For a period of less than a year, in 1749, he became the de facto
Governor of Virginia
in place of the absent William Gooch
. George II was going to officially appoint him governor, but Lee's death in 1750 precluded the appointment.
. His parents were Richard Lee II
, "the scholar", and Laetitia Corbin. His ancestors had immigrated from Coton, Shropshire
, England to Virginia in 1642. Lee was the fourth son of the couple and would not receive as large an inheritance as his older brothers. This however did not prevent him from becoming successful in politics. Lee attended college at The College of William and Mary around 1700. Lee's education was referred to as a "common Virginia education". He soon became interested in the working of the tobacco industry. He left home to work with his uncle Thomas Corbin in the tobacco business.
Lee's political career began in 1710. His first office was Naval Officer of the Potomac River. The position was previously held by his father and upon his resignation, Lee became the new Naval Officer. In 1711, Lee's uncle, Thomas Corbin, helped him gain the position of Virginia agent for the Northern Neck Proprietary. As a result he was appointed by Catherine (Culpeper) Fairfax, Lady Fairfax who was living in England, as her agent and resident manager for the Northern Neck Proprietary which she had inherited from her father, Governor Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper
. Catherine was the wife of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Baron Fairfax. This property which consisted of approximately six million acres (24,000 km²), included all the land between the Potomac
and Rappahnnock Rivers
.
At one time the head of this agency was another one of Lee's uncles, Edmund Jenings
. While Jenings was in England, the offices of the agency were located at the plantation at Machodoc and under Lee's supervision. The agency was later taken from Jenings and given to Governor Robert "King" Carter
in 1720. This was due to poor management after Jenings assumed power of the agency in 1715. This event led to animosity between the Lee and Carter families. The members of the families refused to marry each other until Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee married Anne Hill Carter. Their most notable child was Robert E. Lee
.
Thomas held this position until 1722. In 1713, Thomas succeeded his father as Naval Officer in charge of collecting customs for the south side of the Potomac. The following year, upon his father's death, he inherited lands in Northumberland County
near Dividing Creek, as well as land in Maryland adjoining his brother Philip Lee, Sr.
of “Blenheim
”. Thomas leased the estate “Machodoc” from his brother Richard Lee III who was in London. That same year Thomas visited England, remaining for about a year.
Lee thought that marriage was not only important between two individuals but by the families that they were from. A nephew of his later said, "Our Late Hon[ora]ble & worthy Unkle Presid[ent] Lee said that the first fall & ruin of families and estates was mostly Occasioned by Imprudent Matches to Imbeggar families and estates & to beget a race of beggars." He was engaged to Jenny Wilson in 1716 and went to England to formalize the lease to the plantation before he was married. Jenny Wilson had found another husband, James Roscoe, and Lee learned this from William Byrd
. Lee and his brother Henry
had managed to receive a lease for 99 years on the plantation. During his stay in England, Lee had decided to buy some property on the Potomac River
called the "Clifts Plantation" in Westmoreland County. At the time, the property was owned by Nathaniel Pope, Jr., a mariner, of London. Another reason he bought it was because he predicted that when Virginia gained its independence that the capital would be located on the Potomac River. He would later rename it Stratford. Thomas purchased his father's old estate "Machodoc", from his sister-in-law, Martha Silk, the former wife of his older brother, Richard Lee III. "Machodoc", was later known as "Mount Pleasant".
In May 1722, Thomas Lee married a member of the Harrison family
, Hannah Harrison Ludwell (December 5, 1701-January 25, 1750) at "Greenspring", James City County, Virginia. The marriage lasted his entire lifetime and brought him increased wealth and status. Hannah was the daughter of Philip Ludwell II of "Greenspring", and Hannah Harrison. The couple had eleven children, though only eight survived to adulthood:
1728 was a tragic year for Lee and his family. On January 29, thieves broke into the house stealing the Lee family plate, jewelry, and other articles of value, and upon leaving, set fire to the plantation house at Machodoc. The fire destroyed the entire plantation, including Thomas' office, the barns, and outhouses. Almost all of the Lees' possessions were destroyed as well as up to 10,000 pounds in cash (equal to £ today). The house quickly burned and Hannah Lee, being pregnant with her fourth child, had to be thrown from her chamber window on the second floor. This resulted in Hannah's miscarriage of her son John. The only person who was injured was a servant girl, who died. Virginia Governor William Gooch
blamed transported convicts for the crime. It is said that Col. Lee's loss was not less than 50,000 pounds (equal to £ today). English Commissioners later gave Lee 300 pounds (equal to £ today) as compensation and Queen Caroline
also gave him money from her private purse to help with rebuilding. The convicts and an accomplice were later found guilty. Their punishment is unknown because the trial records were destroyed. When construction began on their new home, the Lee family stayed with Thomas's brother Henry at Lee Hall
. The "Machodoc" estate was then sold to Richard Lee III's only son, George Lee, who was the builder of "Mount Pleasant".
Lee's political career required him to make trips to Williamsburg
, which meant that Lee had to be away from his family for a good amount of time. Despite the trips, Lee managed to make the 80-mile (130-km) journey to his family and to be with his wife at the birth of all their children. Several of the children became high ranking political figures and were active in the American Revolutionary War
and post-Revolution politics. Richard Henry was a senator from Virginia to the United States Senate
and Francis Lightfoot was in the Virginia Senate. Lee's youngest sons William Lee
and Arthur Lee
were diplomats to various European countries. William, along with Jan de Neufville, drafted an unofficial treaty between the United States and the Netherlands which Great Britain
used as a reason for the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
.
Lee later became a vestryman for Copole Parish and Justice of the Peace
in Westmoreland County. In 1723, Lee became a member of the House of Burgesses. He held this office until he was appointed to the Governor's Council in the Virginia General Assembly
in 1733. This position was a lifetime appointment. The Council was made up of twelve appointees who were selected by the Governor of Virginia and was the upper half of the Virginia General Assembly. The lower half was made up of the House of Burgesses
. This position also gave Lee the rank of Colonel, a military rank that was second only to the governor. Members of the Council were advisors to the governor and judges in the General Court of the colony. Their work led them to spend about a third of the year in the capital Williamsburg, Virginia
.
When Governor William Gooch was recalled to England in 1749, Lee was named President of the King's Council of Virginia and Commander-in-Chief of the colony. He was going to be appointed Governor of Virginia by King George II
but died before the appointment could happen.
in 1744. At the treaty, an agreement was made with the Six Nations for 400 pounds (equal to £ today) in return for the right for Virginians to settle in the Shenandoah Valley
. In 1747, Lee co-founded the Ohio Company of Virginia
along with Lawrence Washington
, Augustine Washington, Jr.
, the Duke of Bedford
, and John Hanbury
. The Ohio Company was a land speculation venture which helped colonize the Ohio Country
. Lee's influence as a member of the Governor's Council helped lead to the success of the Ohio Company and within seven years the company had 100 families living in Ohio. He was also the first president of the Company and after Lee died, was succeeded by Lawrence Washington.
With Lee's higher rank in society and wealth he decided he needed to build a mansion to secure his position as one of the gentry in Virginia. The location that Lee had chosen for his new home was the "Clifts" which he had owned since the mid 1710s. Lee decided on this land because it was located in Westmoreland County, the county in which he was born, and also because it was located on the Potomac River. The land was sufficient for having many construction laborers live there. Hannah had an influential say in the design and planning of the interior of the house. Philip, the couple's eldest son, had said, "See what it is to be ruled by a woman. I should have been now living in a house like this ... had not my father been persuaded by his wife to put up this very inferior dwelling, now over my head." The actual building date of the house is unknown but it is estimated that construction began around 1725-30, as all of Lee's sons were born at Stratford. Workers on the plantation were free people, indentured servants, and slaves.
Between 1719 and 1746, Lee acquired vast holdings in what are now Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties. The town of Leesburg
, was named in his honor as recommended by his two sons, who were the founders and trustees. Hannah Harrison died at "Stratford" on January 25, 1749, after having been the mother of eleven children. Hannah was buried in the old family burying ground, called the "Burnt House Fields", at "Mount Pleasant". However, her tombstone was removed to "Stratford Hall", probably by Henry Lee, who built the new vault at that place. On November 14, 1750, Thomas Lee died at age sixty and was buried in the old "Burnt House Fields", at "Mount Pleasant". According to his will, he wished to be buried in between his wife and his mother. The plantation at Machodoc was to go to his nephew, George Lee, and Stratford Hall to his eldest son, Philip Ludwell.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He was a member of the Lee family
Lee family
The Lee family of the United States is a historically significant Virginia and Maryland political family, whose many prominent members are known for their accomplishments in politics and the military. Through the past few hundred years it was believed that Colonel Richard Lee of Virginia descended...
, a political dynasty which included many figures from the pre-American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
era until the late 20th century. Lee became involved in politics in 1710 and he became the resident manager of the Northern Neck
Northern Neck
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This peninsula is bounded by the Potomac River on the north and the Rappahannock River on the south. It encompasses the following Virginia counties: Lancaster,...
Proprietary for Lady Catherine Fairfax. After his father died he inherited land in Northumberland
Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. In 2010, its population was 12,330. Its county seat is Heathsville...
and Charles County
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....
. Lee later acquired vast holdings in what are now Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties.
When Lee married Hannah Harrison Ludwell in 1722, he also associated himself with the already established Harrison family
Harrison family
The Harrison family is a prominent political family in U.S. history. Most famously, this family produced numerous Governors of Virginia , as well as two U.S. Presidents: William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison.The family has a longer recorded heritage in politics, however...
. A year later he would become a member of the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
. After Lee's home was burnt down by criminals, he lost almost all of his possessions and a fair sum of money. With monetary donations he received from Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
and English Commissioners, he built his new home on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, naming it Stratford Hall. Four years later in 1733, he was appointed to the Governor's Council, upper house of the General Assembly. In 1747, he founded the Ohio Company of Virginia
Ohio Company
The Ohio Company, formally known as the Ohio Company of Virginia, was a land speculation company organized for the settlement by Virginians of the Ohio Country and to trade with the Indians there...
with fellow Virginian colonists who wished to expand Virginia's territory into the Ohio River Valley. For a period of less than a year, in 1749, he became the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
in place of the absent William Gooch
William Gooch
Sir William Gooch, 1st Baronet , born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, and died in London, served as Governor of Virginia from 1727 through 1749...
. George II was going to officially appoint him governor, but Lee's death in 1750 precluded the appointment.
Early life
Thomas Lee was born around 1690 at Mount Pleasant, on the Machodoc River in Westmoreland County, VirginiaWestmoreland County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,846 households, and 4,689 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 9,286 housing units at an average density of...
. His parents were Richard Lee II
Richard Lee II
Col. Richard Henry Lee II, Esq. was a Colonel, planter, member of the Upper House and the King's Council.Richard Henry II, was termed "Richard the Scholar". Richard was the son of Col. Richard Lee I, Esq., "the Immigrant" and Anne Constable Col. Richard Henry Lee II, Esq. (1647-1715) was a...
, "the scholar", and Laetitia Corbin. His ancestors had immigrated from Coton, Shropshire
Coton, Shropshire
Coton is the name of two hamlets in the English county of Shropshire:*One Coton lies near the road from Whitchurch to Wem about one mile southeast of Hollinwood. Coton Hall, home of Viscount Hill, is an important English heritage site. In the early nineteenth century it belonged to Admiral George...
, England to Virginia in 1642. Lee was the fourth son of the couple and would not receive as large an inheritance as his older brothers. This however did not prevent him from becoming successful in politics. Lee attended college at The College of William and Mary around 1700. Lee's education was referred to as a "common Virginia education". He soon became interested in the working of the tobacco industry. He left home to work with his uncle Thomas Corbin in the tobacco business.
Political career
Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper
Thomas Colpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.-Biography:...
. Catherine was the wife of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Baron Fairfax. This property which consisted of approximately six million acres (24,000 km²), included all the land between the Potomac
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and Rappahnnock Rivers
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
.
At one time the head of this agency was another one of Lee's uncles, Edmund Jenings
Edmund Jenings
Edmund Jenings was a Virginian politician. He was President of the Council of Virginia and later became the acting governor from August 23, 1706, to June 10, 1708.His father Sir Edmund Jenings was a Member of Parliament...
. While Jenings was in England, the offices of the agency were located at the plantation at Machodoc and under Lee's supervision. The agency was later taken from Jenings and given to Governor Robert "King" Carter
Robert Carter I
Robert "King" Carter , of Lancaster County, was a colonist in Virginia and became one of the wealthiest men in the colonies....
in 1720. This was due to poor management after Jenings assumed power of the agency in 1715. This event led to animosity between the Lee and Carter families. The members of the families refused to marry each other until Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee married Anne Hill Carter. Their most notable child was Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
.
Thomas held this position until 1722. In 1713, Thomas succeeded his father as Naval Officer in charge of collecting customs for the south side of the Potomac. The following year, upon his father's death, he inherited lands in Northumberland County
Northumberland County, Virginia
Northumberland County is a county located on the Northern Neck in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state in the United States. In 2010, its population was 12,330. Its county seat is Heathsville...
near Dividing Creek, as well as land in Maryland adjoining his brother Philip Lee, Sr.
Philip Lee, Sr.
Captain the Hon. Philip Lee, the Elder , was a Captain, Justice of the Peace, and Sheriff in colonial Maryland.Lee was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, probably at “Paradise” in 1681, the son of Colonel Richard Lee II, Esquire , by his marriage to Laetitia Corbin...
of “Blenheim
Blenheim (Maryland)
"Blenheim", was the once historic estate of the Lees in Charles County, Maryland. It was owned by Capt. Philip Lee, Sr., Hon., Esq. ....
”. Thomas leased the estate “Machodoc” from his brother Richard Lee III who was in London. That same year Thomas visited England, remaining for about a year.
Lee thought that marriage was not only important between two individuals but by the families that they were from. A nephew of his later said, "Our Late Hon[ora]ble & worthy Unkle Presid[ent] Lee said that the first fall & ruin of families and estates was mostly Occasioned by Imprudent Matches to Imbeggar families and estates & to beget a race of beggars." He was engaged to Jenny Wilson in 1716 and went to England to formalize the lease to the plantation before he was married. Jenny Wilson had found another husband, James Roscoe, and Lee learned this from William Byrd
William Byrd II
Colonel William Byrd II was a planter, slave-owner and author from Charles City County, Virginia. He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia.-Biography:...
. Lee and his brother Henry
Henry Lee I
Capt. Henry Lee I was a prominent Virginian colonist, brother of Governor Thomas Lee, and grandfather of Revolutionary War hero Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee....
had managed to receive a lease for 99 years on the plantation. During his stay in England, Lee had decided to buy some property on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
called the "Clifts Plantation" in Westmoreland County. At the time, the property was owned by Nathaniel Pope, Jr., a mariner, of London. Another reason he bought it was because he predicted that when Virginia gained its independence that the capital would be located on the Potomac River. He would later rename it Stratford. Thomas purchased his father's old estate "Machodoc", from his sister-in-law, Martha Silk, the former wife of his older brother, Richard Lee III. "Machodoc", was later known as "Mount Pleasant".
Marriage and family
Harrison family
The Harrison family is a prominent political family in U.S. history. Most famously, this family produced numerous Governors of Virginia , as well as two U.S. Presidents: William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison.The family has a longer recorded heritage in politics, however...
, Hannah Harrison Ludwell (December 5, 1701-January 25, 1750) at "Greenspring", James City County, Virginia. The marriage lasted his entire lifetime and brought him increased wealth and status. Hannah was the daughter of Philip Ludwell II of "Greenspring", and Hannah Harrison. The couple had eleven children, though only eight survived to adulthood:
- Richard Lee (b. 1723)
- Philip Ludwell Lee (February 24, 1726-February 21, 1775)
- John Lee (b. and d. January 1728)
- Hannah Ludwell Lee (February 1729-1782)
- Thomas Ludwell LeeThomas Ludwell LeeThomas Ludwell Lee, Sr. was an editor of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. He was the older brother of Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, William Lee, and Arthur Lee. He was a member of the House of Burgesses from 1758-1765, but refused to enter into national politics...
(December 13, 1730-April 13, 1778); a member of the Virginia Delegates and editor of the Virginia Declaration of RightsVirginia Declaration of RightsThe Virginia Declaration of Rights is a document drafted in 1776 to proclaim the inherent rights of men, including the right to rebel against "inadequate" government...
. - Richard Henry LeeRichard Henry LeeRichard Henry Lee was an American statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence from Great Britain. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and his famous resolution of June 1776 led to the United States...
(January 20, 1732-January 19, 1794); signer of the United States Declaration of IndependenceUnited States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a... - Francis Lightfoot LeeFrancis Lightfoot LeeFrancis Lightfoot Lee was a member of the House of Burgesses in the Colony of Virginia. As an active protester of issues such as the Stamp Act, Lee helped move the colony in the direction of independence from Britain. Lee was a delegate to the Virginia Conventions and the Continental Congress...
(October 14, 1734-January 11, 1797); signer of the United States Declaration of IndependenceUnited States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a... - Alice Lee (June 4, 1736-March 25, 1817)
- William LeeWilliam Lee (diplomat)William Lee was an American diplomat during the Revolutionary War.-Background:He was born at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia to Hon. Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell...
(August 31, 1737-June 27, 1795) - James Lee (b. and d. 1739)
- Arthur LeeArthur Lee (diplomat)Dr. Arthur Lee was an American diplomat during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Hon. Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell...
(December 21, 1740-December 12, 1792)
1728 was a tragic year for Lee and his family. On January 29, thieves broke into the house stealing the Lee family plate, jewelry, and other articles of value, and upon leaving, set fire to the plantation house at Machodoc. The fire destroyed the entire plantation, including Thomas' office, the barns, and outhouses. Almost all of the Lees' possessions were destroyed as well as up to 10,000 pounds in cash (equal to £ today). The house quickly burned and Hannah Lee, being pregnant with her fourth child, had to be thrown from her chamber window on the second floor. This resulted in Hannah's miscarriage of her son John. The only person who was injured was a servant girl, who died. Virginia Governor William Gooch
William Gooch
Sir William Gooch, 1st Baronet , born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, and died in London, served as Governor of Virginia from 1727 through 1749...
blamed transported convicts for the crime. It is said that Col. Lee's loss was not less than 50,000 pounds (equal to £ today). English Commissioners later gave Lee 300 pounds (equal to £ today) as compensation and Queen Caroline
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
also gave him money from her private purse to help with rebuilding. The convicts and an accomplice were later found guilty. Their punishment is unknown because the trial records were destroyed. When construction began on their new home, the Lee family stayed with Thomas's brother Henry at Lee Hall
Lee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....
. The "Machodoc" estate was then sold to Richard Lee III's only son, George Lee, who was the builder of "Mount Pleasant".
Lee's political career required him to make trips to Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, which meant that Lee had to be away from his family for a good amount of time. Despite the trips, Lee managed to make the 80-mile (130-km) journey to his family and to be with his wife at the birth of all their children. Several of the children became high ranking political figures and were active in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and post-Revolution politics. Richard Henry was a senator from Virginia to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and Francis Lightfoot was in the Virginia Senate. Lee's youngest sons William Lee
William Lee (diplomat)
William Lee was an American diplomat during the Revolutionary War.-Background:He was born at Stratford Hall Plantation in Westmoreland County, Virginia to Hon. Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell...
and Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee (diplomat)
Dr. Arthur Lee was an American diplomat during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Hon. Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell...
were diplomats to various European countries. William, along with Jan de Neufville, drafted an unofficial treaty between the United States and the Netherlands which Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
used as a reason for the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
The Fourth Anglo–Dutch War was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, tangentially related to the American Revolutionary War, broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that...
.
Lee later became a vestryman for Copole Parish and Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Westmoreland County. In 1723, Lee became a member of the House of Burgesses. He held this office until he was appointed to the Governor's Council in the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
in 1733. This position was a lifetime appointment. The Council was made up of twelve appointees who were selected by the Governor of Virginia and was the upper half of the Virginia General Assembly. The lower half was made up of the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
. This position also gave Lee the rank of Colonel, a military rank that was second only to the governor. Members of the Council were advisors to the governor and judges in the General Court of the colony. Their work led them to spend about a third of the year in the capital Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
.
When Governor William Gooch was recalled to England in 1749, Lee was named President of the King's Council of Virginia and Commander-in-Chief of the colony. He was going to be appointed Governor of Virginia by King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
but died before the appointment could happen.
Ohio Company
Lee was appointed commissioner, along with William Beverly, to negotiate with the Six Nations of the Iroquois at the Treaty of LancasterTreaty of Lancaster
The Treaty of Lancaster was a treaty concluded between the Six Nations and the colonies of Virginia and Maryland. Deliberations began at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on June 28, and ended on July 4, 1744....
in 1744. At the treaty, an agreement was made with the Six Nations for 400 pounds (equal to £ today) in return for the right for Virginians to settle in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. In 1747, Lee co-founded the Ohio Company of Virginia
Ohio Company
The Ohio Company, formally known as the Ohio Company of Virginia, was a land speculation company organized for the settlement by Virginians of the Ohio Country and to trade with the Indians there...
along with Lawrence Washington
Lawrence Washington (1718-1752)
Lawrence Washington was a soldier and prominent landowner in colonial Virginia. As a founding member of the Ohio Company of Virginia, and a member of the colonial legislature representing Fairfax County, he was chiefly responsible for securing the establishment of the town of Alexandria, Virginia...
, Augustine Washington, Jr.
Augustine Washington, Jr.
Colonel Augustine Washington, Jr. was the second son of Augustine Washington and Jane Butler, and George Washington's half-brother. Augustine married Anne Aylett who was born in 1726 at "Nominy Plantation." According to the will of Augustine Washington Sr., the land now known as Mount Vernon...
, the Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
, and John Hanbury
John Hanbury
John Hanbury was one of a dynasty of ironmasters responsible for the industrialisation and urbanisation of the eastern valley through which runs the Afon Llwyd in Monmouthshire around Pontypool....
. The Ohio Company was a land speculation venture which helped colonize the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
. Lee's influence as a member of the Governor's Council helped lead to the success of the Ohio Company and within seven years the company had 100 families living in Ohio. He was also the first president of the Company and after Lee died, was succeeded by Lawrence Washington.
Stratford Hall
Between 1719 and 1746, Lee acquired vast holdings in what are now Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties. The town of Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, was named in his honor as recommended by his two sons, who were the founders and trustees. Hannah Harrison died at "Stratford" on January 25, 1749, after having been the mother of eleven children. Hannah was buried in the old family burying ground, called the "Burnt House Fields", at "Mount Pleasant". However, her tombstone was removed to "Stratford Hall", probably by Henry Lee, who built the new vault at that place. On November 14, 1750, Thomas Lee died at age sixty and was buried in the old "Burnt House Fields", at "Mount Pleasant". According to his will, he wished to be buried in between his wife and his mother. The plantation at Machodoc was to go to his nephew, George Lee, and Stratford Hall to his eldest son, Philip Ludwell.