Private John Lee (c 1776.......1834)

Back To . . .The New South Wales Corps. ( Rum Corps. ) "Renamed 102nd Regiment

Born :c 1772

Where Born : Ufton (also known as Ufton -Nervet) in Berkshire, England

Occupation : Soldier /

Date Arrived : 14 February 1792

Ship Arrived on : " Pitt "

Rank on Discharge : Private

Date of Enlistment : , 20 March 1791

Where Enlisted : Chatham England

Enlistment Detail : Free

Date of Discharge : 24 April 1810

Transfered: 24 April 1810 1st / 102nd Invalid Company

Transfered: The Royal New South Wales Veteran Regiment, 1813

Date of Discharge : 24 September 1823

Where Discharged : Sydney

Died : 15 January 1834 age 58

Where Died / Buried : Bathurst Plains buried on 16 January 1834

Parents Names :

Spouse's Name : Catherine Riley,

Born : 1786

Where Born :

Occupation : Home Duties

Date Arrived : 3 June 1790

Ship Arrived on : " Lady Julian "

Died : 8 April 1832

Where Died / Buried : St James Anglican Church, Sydney on 9 April 1832

Date Married : 24th December 1803

Where Married : Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England

Spouse 's Parents : Elizabeth Riley and unknown father

LEE, John EM 550986 Marriage Spouse: RILEY, Cathrine Index Year: 1803 Reg Year: 1803 Reg State: New South Wales Ref Number: V1803312 4 Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)
Re-Registered
LEE, John EM 550987 Marriage
Spouse: RILEY, Catharine
Index Year: 24th December 1803
Reg Year: 1803 Reg State: New South Wales
Ref Number: V1803559 3A Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)

LEE, John ED 504209 Death
Age at Death: 58
Index Year: 15 January 1834
Reg Year: 1834 Reg State: New South Wales
Ref Number: V18342161 18 Parish: Abercrombie District; Bathurst, Church of England (1)

Descendants: Some information kindly supplied by Margaret j.m@bigpond.net.au;

Area Settled :
Sydney

Children :

John Lee and Catherine Riley
(1) Elizabeth was born on 10 March 1802
LEE, Elizabeth EB 1162423 Christening Father: John Mother: Catharine (Riley) Reg Year: 1802 Reg State: New South Wales Ref Number: V18021052 1A Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)
Re-Registered
LEE, Elizabeth EB 1162424 Christening
Father: John
Mother: Cathrine (Riley)
Reg Year: 1802 Reg State: New South Wales
Ref Number: V1802711 4 Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)
2) Sophia, born 10 October 1803.
LEE, Sophia EB 1164587 Christening Father: John Mother: Cathrine Reg Year: 1803 Reg State: New South Wales Ref Number: V1803778 4 Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)
Re-Registered
LEE, Sophia EB 1164588 Christening
Father: John
Mother: Catharine
Reg Year: 1803 Reg State: New South Wales
Ref Number: V18031217 1A Parish: Sydney, St Phillip's, Church of England (1)

(3) William born before 1807

LEE, William CB 1164837 Birth
Sex: Male Father: John
Mother: Riley Catherine
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 184 (1)

Re-Registered
LEE, William CC 1164838 Christening
Sex: Male Father: John
Mother: Catherine Riley
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 184 (1)

Catherine born before 1807

LEE, Catherine CB 1162044 Birth
Sex: Female Father: John
Mother: Riley Catherine
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 185 (1)

Re-Registered
LEE, Catherine CC 1162045 Christening
Sex: Female Father: John
Mother: Catherine Riley
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 185 (1)

Mary, c. 1807

LEE, Mary CB 1163997 Birth
Sex: Female Father: John
Mother: Riley Catherine
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 186 (1)

Re-Registered
LEE, Mary CC 1163998 Christening
Sex: Female Father: John
Mother: Catherine Riley
Event Date: 00 XXX 0000
Reg Year: 1811 Reg State: Tasmania
Ref Number: 186 (1)

It has been suggested that Mary may not have been John Lee’s daughter since she appears twice in the Musters as Mary Packsman (Paxman) and once as Mary Lee, and on each occasion was living with the Jessop family – her eldest sister Elizabeth was married to James Jessop. There was another soldier at the Port Dalrymple settlement named Obadiah Packsman.

History & Achievements :

Catherine Riley, mother Elizabeth Riley and unknown father was about three years old when she accompanied her convict mother on board the Lady Julian to the colony of New South Wales, arriving at Sydney Cove on 3 June 1790.[i]

In 1800 when Catherine was probably only 14 years old, she was recorded as living in Sydney with John Lee.[ii] Their first daughter Elizabeth was born on 10 March 1802 [iii] followed by another daughter Sophia, born 10 October 1803.[iv]

On Christmas Day 1803 Catherine Riley and John Lee were married at St Phillips Church of England in Sydney.[v] Their daughter Sophia was baptized on the day of their wedding.[vi]

John Lee was born in Ufton (also known as Ufton -Nervet) in Berkshire, England.[vii]

This would have been about 1771. In March 1791 he enlisted at Chatham, England as a Private in the especially formed NSW Corps (102^nd Regiment) and was posted to Sydney, arriving there on board the Pitt on 14 February 1792 as a member of the second detachment of the Corps.[viii]

The only known fact of John Lee’s first years of army service in NSW is that he served in Captain Thomas Rowley’s Company from 1798-1801. In 1798 he was promoted to Corporal but by 1801 had been demoted back to the rank of Private, for reasons unknown. He was transferred to Colonel William Paterson’s Company in 1801.

[ix]

In November 1804, still a private in the NSW Corps, John arrived at Port Dalrymple (now Launceston) in Van Diemen’s Land, as part of the first settlement which was established there under the leadership of Colonel Paterson.[x]

John’s wife Catherine, together with their daughters Elizabeth and Sophia, accompanied him to Port Dalrymple although it is unknown if they were also in the first contingent to land. [xi]

John and Catherine had three more children while at Port Dalrymple in Van Diemen’s Land. William and Catherine were born before 1807[xii] and Mary, c. 1807[xiii]. They were baptized on 26 February 1811 by Reverend Robert Knopwood at St John’s Church of England in Launceston.[xiv]

In 1810 when the 102nd Regiment (NSW Corps) was Transfered back to England in disgrace the Regiment was replace by and 73^rd Regiment, John Lee left Port Dalrymple on board the Trial in March of that year[xv]. His wife was also said to have left the settlement in 1810,[xvi] however since 3 of their young children were baptized in Launceston the following year I think it most likely that she did not return to Sydney until sometime later and that possibly by this time they had separated.

On 24 April 1810 John Lee was transferred to the newly formed 1st / 102nd Invalid Company this company was disbanded in 1813. John enlisted in the The Royal New South Wales Veteran Regiment and posted to Windsor[xvii], 55 kilometers northwest of Sydney.

In the 1814 General Muster Catherine was recorded as wife to John Lee with five children off the stores and living in Sydney. Whether or not Catherine and John were actually still living together is unknown but again, doubtful.

In the 1822 General Muster of New South Wales, Catherine was recorded as living in Sydney, the wife of J [sic] Horber. However a second entry under Thomas Horber’s name stated simply that he “lives with C. Riley”. In fact, Horber & Riley do not appear to have married. [xviii]

In the 1823-1825 general muster, Catherine was again listed twice. The first entry is for Catherine Lee, “Came Free, Lady Julian 1790, Single, living in Sydney”. The second entry states Catherine Riley, “Came Free, Lady Julian 1790, wife of J. Lee, living in Pitt Street, Sydney.

In the same muster, her daughter Sophia and mother Elizabeth, were listed as living at Pitt St, Sydney and so presumably all in the same house.

On 24 September 1823 The Royal New South Wales Veteran Regiment, of which John Lee had been a member since his transfer from the 1st / 102nd Invalid Company and 102^nd Regiment in 1810, was disbanded following repeated representations by Major General Macquarie for this to happen.

When the Royal New South Wales Veteran Regiment, was disbanded and John Lee discharged, he was offered a grant of 100 acres of land “in any part of the Colony already surveyed.”

The record of his entitlement dated 24 December 1823, stated that he had a wife and four children.[xix] (His daughter Elizabeth had married in 1819 and was living in Van Diemen’s Land.) However he did not take up this offer [xx]

In all, John had served 32 years and 205 days with the British Army. His personal description was recorded on his discharge papers and from those we learn that he was then about 51 years of age, five feet nine inches tall (1.75metres ) with light brown hair, hazel eyes and fair complexion. He was a labourer by trade. It was also stated that his general conduct as a soldier had been very good. He signed his discharge papers by marking with a cross.[xxi]

n the NSW census of 1828 John Lee was registered as a 55 year old lodger living in the district of Windsor at the house of Sarah Miller (or Millen). His religion was recorded as Protestant.

In the same census Catherine was registered as a 47 year old housekeeper for Joseph Tilson (or Filton) in Pitt St, Sydney. Her stated religion was Catholic.

Catherine Lee had been living at Castlereagh Street, Sydney when she died at the recorded age of 47. Her burial took place at St James Anglican Church, Sydney on 9 April 1832.[xxii]

John Lee was awarded an Army pension on 13 June 1832.[xxiii] He died in January 1834, the burial taking place in the parish of Bathurst on 16 January 1834. His abode was recorded as Bathurst Plains (about 160kms west of Sydney) and his age as 58.[xxiv]

References
(1) Australian Vital Record Series 1788 - 1905 Discs 1 to 4
[i] Michael Flynn, The Second Fleet: Britain’s Grim Convict Armada of 1790
[ii] Carol Baxter (Ed.), Musters & Lists NSW & Norfolk Island 1800-1822
[iii] State Records NSW , V1802 711 Vol 4
[iv] State Records NSW , V1803 778 Vol 4
[v] State Records NSW, V1802 312 Vol 4
[vi] State Records NSW, V1803 778 Vol 4
[vii] R. H. Montague, Macquarie’s Veterans p. 29
[viii] Pamela Statham (Ed) , A Colonial Regiment
[ix] Ibid
[x] Pamela Statham (Ed) , A Colonial Regiment
[xi] Tasmanian Ancestry - Dec 2003 p. 148
[xii] Ibid p. 158
[xiii] State Records NSW, SR Reel 1255
[xiv] AOT, NS 748/1 & RGD 32/1 Reg. No. 184-186
[xv] Tasmanian Ancestry - Dec 2003 pp 146-147
[xvi] Ibid p.148
[xvii] R. H. Montague, Macquarie’s Veterans p. 29
[xviii] Carol Baxter (Ed.), General Muster of NSW, 1822
[xix] State Records NSW , Col. Sec’s Papers, Reel 6011; 4/3509, pp. 484-486
[xx] R. H. Montague, Macquarie’s Veterans p. 29
[xxi] The National Archives, UK, WO97/1141/109
[xxii] State Records NSW, V1822 1630 Vol 16
[xxiii] Norman Crowder , British Army Pensioners Abroad 1772-1899
[xxiv] State Records NSW, V1834 2161 Vol 18
The information is intended for short Historical value only,
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Last revised: Sunday, 20 July 2008 07:44:28