John Lee ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

   Another name for John was John Leigh.³

  Birth Notes:

Could be-

Name: John Lee
Gender: Male
Baptism/Christening Date: 14 Jul 1785
Baptism/Christening Place: LYING IN HOSPITAL ENDELL
STREET,HOLBORN,LONDON,ENGLAND
Birth Date: 03 Jul 1785
Birthplace:
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Joseph Lee
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Mary
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C05524-1
System Origin: England-ODM
Source Film Number: 916633
Reference Number:
Collection: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

Name John Lee
Gender Male
Baptism/Christening Date 19 Jul 1785
Baptism/Christening Place DUNTON BASSETT,LEICESTER,ENGLAND
Birth Date
Birthplace
Death Date
Name Note
Race
Father's Name Richd Lee
Father's Birthplace
Father's Age
Mother's Name Catharine
Mother's Birthplace
Mother's Age
Indexing Project (Batch) Number C03697-2
System Origin England-ODM
Source Film Number 592702
Reference Number

  Burial Notes:

United Presbyterian Church Cemetery

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation. ³ History of Putnam

SHOEMAKERS.
The first was William Hutton in the big house, and the next was Samuel
McCarle on "the hill." Others were John Thompson, on the old Thompson place, his mantle fell upon his son George's shoulder; John Lee, on the Lee place, Joseph Mace at the Corners, and a number of others of brief duration. George Thompson carried on the most extensive business of this kind in the town, amounting in two years, at one time, to $14,000

• Military Notes, Bet 1814 and 1818. ³ England
Possible John Lee's from UK Archives Military Records: I am not sure
if this list includes all soldiers of all branches of the British Military.

Item reference WO 97/563/78
JOHN LEE Born SILVERTON, Devonshire Served in 40th Foot Regiment Discharged aged 35
Record Summary
JOHN LEE
Born SILVERTON, Devonshire
Served in 40th Foot Regiment
Discharged aged 35
Covering dates 1804-1819
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 97/1243/22
JOHN LEE Born ROTHERHAM, Yorkshire Served in Royal Artillery; Royal Navy Discharged aged 34
Record Summary
JOHN LEE
Born ROTHERHAM, Yorkshire
Served in Royal Artillery; Royal Navy
Discharged aged 34
Covering dates 1805-1814
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 97/282/88
JOHN LEE Born ELLESMERE, Shropshire Served in 6th Foot Regiment Discharged aged 36
Record Summary
JOHN LEE
Born ELLESMERE, Shropshire
Served in 6th Foot Regiment
Discharged aged 36
Covering dates 1805-1819
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 97/1243/67
JOHN LEIGH Born KEPPY, Cornwall Served in Royal Horse Artillery Discharged aged 33
Record Summary
JOHN LEIGH
Born KEPPY, Cornwall
Served in Royal Horse Artillery
Discharged aged 33
Covering dates 1805-1818
Held by The National Archives, Kew

John Lees with no ages listed in records:

Item reference WO 97/311/49
JOHN LEE Born [Not Known] Served in 3rd Foot Guards Discharged aged [Not Known] Covering date gives year of discharge. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEE
Born [Not Known]
Served in 3rd Foot Guards
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Covering date gives year of discharge.
Covering dates 1814
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/185/460
JOHN LEE alias JOHN LEES Born [Not Known] Served in 76th Foot Regiment; 36th Foot Regiment Discharged aged [Not Known] Original certificate of discharge missing. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEE alias JOHN LEES
Born [Not Known]
Served in 76th Foot Regiment; 36th Foot Regiment
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 718
Covering dates 1815
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/202/229
JOHN LEE. Born [Not Known]. Served in 6th Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion. Discharged aged [Not Known]. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEE.
Born [Not Known].
Served in 6th Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion.
Discharged aged [Not Known].
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 419.
Covering dates 1819
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/202/902
JOHN LEE. Born [Not Known]. Served in 40th Foot Regiment; 3rd Royal Veteran Battalion. Discharged aged [Not Known]. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEE.
Born [Not Known].
Served in 40th Foot Regiment; 3rd Royal Veteran Battalion.
Discharged aged [Not Known].
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 710.
Covering dates 1819
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/179/438
JOHN LEES Born [Not Known] Served in 23rd Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion Discharged aged [Not Known] Original certificate of discharge missing. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEES
Born [Not Known]
Served in 23rd Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 727
Covering dates 1814
Held by
The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/179/537
JOHN LEES Born [Not Known] Served in 23rd Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion Discharged aged [Not Known] Original certificate of discharge missing. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEES
Born [Not Known]
Served in 23rd Foot Regiment; 5th Royal Veteran Battalion
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Original certificate of discharge missing. Residence or place where pension paid stated in document.
See film image 730
Covering dates 1814
Held by
The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/185/460
JOHN LEE alias JOHN LEES Born [Not Known] Served in 76th Foot Regiment; 36th Foot Regiment Discharged aged [Not Known] Original certificate of discharge missing. ...
Record Summary
JOHN LEE alias JOHN LEES
Born [Not Known]
Served in 76th Foot Regiment; 36th Foot Regiment
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 718
Covering dates 1815
Held by
The National Archives, Kew

Item reference WO 121/190/1751
JOHN LEES Born [Not Known] Served in 8th Royal Veteran Battalion; 23rd Foot Regiment Discharged aged [Not Known]
Record Summary
JOHN LEES
Born [Not Known]
Served in 8th Royal Veteran Battalion; 23rd Foot Regiment
Discharged aged [Not Known]
Original certificate of discharge missing.
See film image 1221
Covering dates 1816
Held by
The National Archives, Kew

• Military, 1814. ³ Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York, USA
Fought against Americans - Captured by Aruna Shepardson

He came from England and fought in the war of 1812 for England.

He was captured by the father of Nancy Jane Shephardson- wife of his
son (James Lee) father.

From a list of prisoners of war for the War of 1812, this "Mr. Lee" seems to fit perfectly into the story passed down to John's descendants.

Possibly our John Lee captured by Arunah Shepardson
Current Number: 7813
Name: Lee Mr
Rank: Midshipman
By what captured: Com. McDonough
When captured: 14 Sep 1814
Where captured: L. Champlain
When & How disposed of: Paroled to B agent 15 Sept 1814
Source: National Archives, Kew, London. Ref. ADM 103/466

The above prisoner of war index states that he was captured by Com. McDonough. My guess is that Arunah Shepardson was a volunteer during the battle of Plattsburgh and turned John Lee over to Thomas McDonough.

Midshipman- A student training to be a commissioned naval officer, especially a student at a naval academy.

COMMODORE THOMAS McDONOUGH
Hero of Battle of Lake Champlain 1814. Born 1783. Died 1825. Commodore 1814. Assisted Commodore Decatur in capturing and burning the “Philadelphia” off the coast of Tripoli, 1804. Original name of village “The Trap”, changed to “McDonough” 1914.

Below is a list of ships and and their commanders involved with the battle of Plattsburgh. One of the ships on the British side could have been John Lee's.

The comparative strength and loss of the two parties on the lake were as follows:-
AMERICAN
Vessels Men Guns Killed Wounded
Flagship Saratoga, Com. Macdonough 212 26 28 29
Brig. Eagle, Capt. Henlyn 150 20 13 20
Schooner Ticonderoga, Lieut. Cassin 110 17 6 6
Sloop Preble, Lieut. Chas. Budd 30 7 2
Galleys Allen, Burrows, Borer, Nettle, Viper, and Centipede (each 1 long 24 and 1 Columbian) 210 12
Galleys Ludlow, Wilmer, Alwin, and Ballard (each 1 12 pound) 140 4
Total 852 86 49 55

BRITISH
Frigate Confiance, Capt. Downie 300 39 41 83
Brig Linnet, Capt. Pring 120 16 10 14
Sloop Chub, Lieut. McGhee 45 11 6 10
Sloop Finch, Lieut. Hicks 45 11 2
Galleys Sir Jas. Yeo, Sir Geo. Provost, Sir Sidney Beckwith, Broke, and Murray (each 2 guns) 225 10
Galleys Wellington, Tecumseh, Drummond, Simcoe, and 4 names unknown (each 1 gun) 360 8
Total 1,095 95 57 109

• Military, Bet Sep 11 and 23, 1814. ³ New York, USA
On this date John would have been 29 years, 2 months, 11 days old.

A timeline of the events on Lake Champlain:

COMMODORE THOMAS McDONOUGH
Hero of Battle of Lake Champlain 1814. Born 1783. Died 1825. Commodore
1814. Assisted Commodore Decatur in capturing and burning the ``Philadelphia´´ off the coast of Tripoli, 1804. Original name of village ``The Trap´´, changed to ``McDonough´´ 1914.

Sunday, September 11, 1814
Macdonough wrote to the Hon. W. Jones Sec. of the Navy.-" The Almighty has been pleased to grant us a signal victory on Lake Champlain in the capture of one frigate, one brig and two sloops of war of the enemy."

At the beginning of the battle on the bay, the enemy had opened his batteries on our forts and the fighting continued in different quarters nearly all day. But as night fell no time was lost by the van-quished foe in making their escape as best they could over the muddy and nearly impassable roads north-ward.

Monday, September 12, 1814
Commodore Macdonough caused the wounded to be removed to his own hospital on Crab Island and there, south of the hospital tents, the dead of both armies were buried in trenches together. The same day the Vermont volunteers returned home.

The surviving British officers boarded Saratoga to offer their swords (of surrender) to MacDonough. When he saw the officers, MacDonough replied, "Gentlemen, return your swords to your scabbards, you are worthy of them". Commander Pring and the other surviving British officers later testified that MacDonough showed every consideration to the British wounded and prisoners.[1] Many of the British dead, not including the officers, were buried in an unmarked mass grave on nearby Crab Island, which was the site of the military hospital during the battle, where they remain today.

Tuesday, September 13, 1814
The New York militia were disbanded and the most severely wounded of the enemy were paroled and sent to the English hospital at Isle aux Noix. This day the body of Lieut. Stansbury, who mysteriously disappeared from the Ticoncieroga during the action, rose to the surface of the water, and was found to have been "cut in two with a round shot." He was a son of Gen. T. B. Stansbury.

Wednesday, September 14, 1814
The remains of the lamented Gamble, Stansbury, Carter and Barron were placed in separate boats, manned by crews from their respective vessels. The sad procession then moved to the Confiance, where the British oflicers joined them with their dead. At the lakeshore the funeral party was met by a large concourse of soldiers and civilians and, as the procession slowly wended its way to the village cemetery, minute guns were fired from the fort. In the centre of that peaceful spot, friend and foe were laid to rest, the flags for which each had fought, furnishing a pall.

Thursday, September 15, 1814
The English prisoners were abele, left Plattsburgh for Greenbush, NY by Steamboat in charge of Capt. White Youngs.

Thursday, September 22, 1814
The paroled British prisoners arrived at Greenbush.

Friday, September 23, 1814
At three o'clock p.m., naval dinner at Green's hotel was tendered Commodore Macdonough by the grateful citizens of Plattsburgh. The Commodore, accompanied by General Macomb and Mooers, and officers of the army and navy then present, was escorted from Macomb's quarters to the hotel by the president and vice-president of the day (Peter Sailly, Esq. and the Hon. William Bailey); the Hon. Henry Delord, and John Warford, Lewis Ransom, and William Swetland, Esqs., the committee of arrangements; the judge and sheriff of the county and other prominent citizens. On the way a national salute was given and after the cloth was removed, many toast were drunk amid the booming cannon and strains of martial music furnished by Macomb's band.

• Residence, 1818. ^{3 8} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
According to the 1855 Census of New York State, John says he had lived
in New York for 37 years.

• Residence, 1820. ^{3 4} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
1820 United States Federal Census
Name: John Lee
Township: Putnam
County: Washington
State: New York
Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
Free White Males - 26 thru 44: 1
Free White Females - 16 thru 25: 1
Foreigners not naturalized: 1
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 1
Free White Persons - Over 25: 1
Total Free White Persons: 2
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 2

• Residence, 1830. ^{3 6} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
1830 United States Federal Census
Name: John Lee
Home in 1830: Putnam, Washington, New York
View Map
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
White Persons - Aliens - Foreigners not Naturalized: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 5
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 7
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 7

• Residence, Jun 1, 1840. ^{3 5} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
1840 United States Federal Census
Name: John Lee
Township: Putnam
County: Washington
State: New York
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 9
Persons Employed in Agriculture: 5
Free White Persons - Under 20: 7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 1
Total Free White Persons: 9
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 9

• Residence, 1850. ^{3 7} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
1850 United States Federal Census
Name: John Lee
Age: 53
Estimated birth year: abt 1797
Birth Place: England
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Putnam, Washington, New York
Family Number: 93
Household Members:
Name Age
John Lee 53
Margaret Lee 50
John C Lee 25
Alex Lee 23
Sasam Lee 20
Nancy Lee 17
Elizabeth G Lee 14
Andrew Lee 8

• Residence, 1855. ^{3 8} Putnam, Washington, New York, USA
John Lee, 73, England, married, no occupation, in state 37 years

John married Margaret Corbet, daughter of Alexander Corbet and Nancy Agnes Hutton, about 1820 in Putnam, Washington, New York, USA.^{1 2 3} (Margaret Corbet was born on Dec 18, 1800 in Putnam, Washington, New York, USA ^{2 3 7 8 11}, christened on Feb 22, 1801 in Washington, New York, USA,³ died on Feb 26, 1874 in Putnam, Washington, New York, USA ^{2 3} and was buried about Feb 27, 1874 in Putnam, Washington, New York, USA ³.)