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Messages - Lees Lady

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1
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Place of Birth of Elizabeth Jane Lees
« on: Wednesday 07 June 17 22:52 BST (UK)  »
Yes, you are right. I meant handwriting error. Here is an example of the kind of error I find.

I can't attach the actual record, but for the toddler's death certificate, it lists his last name as Lee but both his parents are listed as Lees. 

Name   Samuel Lee
Birth Date   abt 1870
Birth Place   Phila
Death Date   9 Aug 1871
Death Place   Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Age at Death   1 year 4 months 21 days
Burial Date   10 Aug 1871
Burial Place   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gender   Male
Race   White
Street Address   back 634 South St
Cemetery   Mount Moriah
Father   James Lees
Mother   Jane Lees
FHL Film Number   2020944

This mistake happens all the time and makes it pretty challenging to search for records.  I've also seen it written Lers and Lus. Ugh.

I've been searching for Elizabeth Jane ???? just about everywhere.  Pennsylvania, England, Scotland, Ireland.  There is one record of a James Lees marrying an Elizabeth J Berk in 1858 in Pennsylvania, but I can't find any other record about her other than that.  Any suggestions on how to find a woman's maiden name?


2
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Place of Birth of Elizabeth Jane Lees
« on: Wednesday 07 June 17 22:23 BST (UK)  »
I think Lee might be a transcription error.  In my ancestry research, I have seen this error often for Lees. Elizabeth Jane Lees' address was listed on her toddler son's (Samuel Lees, death 1871) death certificate. It was almost exactly the same as the one on this death certificate.

Her death record says Rear South 610.

Her son's death certificate says Back South 634, a year prior.

It seems like too big of a coincidence for for there to be a Elizabeth Jane Lees with practically the same address as a Elizabeth Jane Lee.  Plus, I can't find any other record of  Elizabeth Jane Lee other than this death record, while I can find others of Elizabeth Jane Lees...although it is frustrating because sometimes she is listed as Jane Lees and sometimes she is listed as Elizabeth Lees. She is also buried in the same cemetery as the toddler son (Samuel) that died, and her baby Thomas.

If anyone is up for this challenge, if she was born in Ireland, could you try to find one of the following:

Her birth/baptism record

Marriage record (husband James Lees, born 1831 in England.  He immigrated to the US in 1858)

Her immigration record

Unfortunately, I don't know her maiden name.

Thank you for any assistance!

3
Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Place of Birth of Elizabeth Jane Lees
« on: Tuesday 06 June 17 13:22 BST (UK)  »
I have the death certificate of Elizabeth Jane Lees.  I can't make out where it says her place of birth is.  I believe she was born in the United Kingdom, but I'm not sure what this specifically says.

Thank you for your deciphering help!


4
Staffordshire Lookup Requests / Re: The Marriage of James Lees and Ann ??, and their roots?
« on: Sunday 04 June 17 17:19 BST (UK)  »
Here is the lineage of the Philadelphia James Lees to my husband.

James Lees, (1825 England - 1904 Pennsylvania)
   Married to Ann ??
   Married to Jane/Elizabeth ???
   Married in 1873 to Susannah Gessler (1837 - 1898)
   
   father of
 
James Henry Lees 1865 - 1904 (both Pennsylvania)
  Mother, Jane?? 
  Married in  1886 to Mary Rothery  (1866, Yorkshire England - 1931 Philadelphia)

  father of

James J Lees  (1892 - 1865)

  father of

James Lees (1918 - 2008)

  father of

John Lees (1940 - present)

  father of

John Lees (1969 - present), my husband

Immigration records of James Lees
  His death certificate states he came to the US in 1858.  So I found this matching immigration record.

James Lee
  (Lee is a transcription error. On the actual record it says Lees)
   Age 32
   Country of Origin:  England
   Arrival:  Jan 15 1858
   Port of Arrival:  New York, New York
   Port of Departure:  Liverpool, England
   Ship:  Aurora
   Occupation:  Shoemaker

Under him is listed
Samuel  Lees
  Age 30
  All the same information is James except career is barber

May be just a coincidence, but above James is another person listed as a shoemaker.
John Crowley, Age 19, England

1870 US Census Record Philadelphia Ward 18 Dist 53 (2nd Enum)
Hard to read the street, but I think it says Sarah or Sarrah St.

Lees   James       43   1825   Male      
Lees   Jane           39   1831   Female      
Lees   William   11   1859   Male      
Lees   George   9   1861   Male      
Lees   James   7   1863   Male      
Lees   Samuel   1   1869   Male

I did notice that the 1860 census is indexed wrong.  It should not say Foley after their last name.  It does seem as though they may have lived with the Foleys, but I don't see the address on the census record.

1860s US Census Record Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Ward 1 Precinct 8
   Lees           James   35   1825   Male      England
        Lees     William   9/12   1859   Male      Scotland
   Lees     Elizabeth   31   1829   Female   Pennsylvania
   Williams   Charles   4/12   1860   Male      Pennsylvania

1880 US Census  Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Enumeration District 685
   
Lees   James   Male      55     1825   Self     Married   England           England   England
Lees   Sussie   Female 42     1838   Wife     Married   Pennsylvania   Maryland   New Jersey
Lees   William J.   Male      20   1860   Son     Single   Pennsylvania   England   Maryland
Lees   George W.   Male      18     1862   Son     Single   Pennsylvania   England   Maryland
Lees   James H.   Male      16   1864   Son     Single   Pennsylvania   England   Maryland
Lees   Laura L.   Female   5   1875          Daugh  Single   Pennsylvania   England   Maryland
Lees   Mary R.   Female   3   1877          Daugh  Single   Pennsylvania   England   Maryland


Here are the mysteries I'm trying to solve:

Trace definitely the James Lees of 1825 back to England.

Who is Elizabeth?

Who is Jane?  When did she and James marry?  While it would be great to determine if she is the mother of William J, my main focus is on James Henry, because he is husband's direct ancestor.  On the death certificates of George W and James Henry they list their mother's country of origin as Scotland.

Ancillary details:

I could not find birth or baptism records for William J., George W. or James Henry, but I did find them for their two younger brothers who were also born to a James and Jane Lees.

Samuel Lees
Parents:  James and Jane Lees
Birth  19 Mar 1870 • Philadelphia
Baptism
5 Jun 1870 • Philadelphia , Penns
Old St. George Methodist Episcopal Church
Death
9 Aug 1871 • Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Burial
10 Aug 1871 • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mount Moriah

Name   Thomas Lees
Birth Date   abt 1866
Birth Place   Philadelphia PA
Death Date   25 Nov 1868
Death Place   Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Age at Death   2
Burial Date   29 Nov 1868
Burial Place   Philadelphia PA
Gender   Male
Race   White
Cemetery   Mount Moriah
Father   James Lees
Mother   Jane Lees
Church of Record:  Roman Catholic, Church of the Evangelist  This might be a good clue because it indicates that they were Catholic.

Common Misspellings:  I have seen Lees misspelled as Lee, Lers, Lus, Leese, so that definitely makes things tricky when trying to find accurate records.  I think that is why you couldn't find the 1870 census,  I believe the transcription has it misspelled as one of those variations, at least on Ancestry.com.

Thanks for the help!!



5
Staffordshire Lookup Requests / Re: The Marriage of James Lees and Ann ??, and their roots?
« on: Friday 02 June 17 14:11 BST (UK)  »
Let me see if I can clear up some of the confusion...:)

Cross=posting:  The reason I cross-posted is because the James Lees in Staffordshire is not the only James Lees I am looking into.  I've seen other men named James Lees from Lancashire, Derbyshire, Manchester and London that could be our ancestor. I did post here first because I wanted to rule in or out this specific James Lees, but with this topic merged only into Staffordshire, I can't really get broader help with the rest.  I did think this James Lees might be my best lead, but I'm not positive the other candidates aren't him.

Scotland birth of William J Lees:  On the United States 1860 census record in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, James Lees is listed with a baby named William J Lees.  The census record indicates he was born in Scotland.  This same William Lees is on an 1870s census record, but on that one he is listed as having been born in Pennsylvania.  On 1860s census record, it is unclear who the mother is, as William J is listed second, and then there is a woman named Elizabeth who is listed third, and under her is another baby named Charles Williams (not William) so it seems unlikely that she could be the mother of both.   I could not find a birth certificate or death certificate for him, but I did find the death certificates for his two younger brothers.  While unfortunately, they don't give the Mother's name, they indicate that her birthplace was Scotland.

The mystery is how is it possible he was born in Scotland if James Lees immigrated in 1858?  Maybe his mother still lived in Scotland and James Lees went back for a visit after immigrating and that's when his wife got pregnant? Maybe he wasn't really born in Scotland, but it seems like a odd mistake to make on a census record in Pennsylvania?

Second Wife/Birth Mother, Elizabeth Lees or Jane Lees or Elizabeth Jane Lees:  If the Staffordshire James Lees is the right guy, then Ann must have died, or he divorced and he married again.  It is possible that the Elizabeth in the 1860 census record, and the Jane listed in the 1870s census record are the same person. And they just have some variation of the name (i.e. Elizabeth Jane, Jane Elizabeth, etc.)  I don't know whether they married while still in the UK or once they came to the United States.  I can't find a marriage record.  I am DYING to find out who this woman is!  For her, it may extend into looking into Scotland records, but no idea how to track her down at all!!

Would LOVE help from people who are more experienced at this than I am!

Records/Clues:

I have the following documents that I want to attach, but it doesn't seem to be letting me.  I've been clicking "Attachments and other options" but then it just stays on this post?  I will try figure it out but may not be attachment to this post.

1841 Staffordshire Census
1851 Staffordshire Census
1860 US Census Records
1870 Us Census Records

1858 Passenger List (James Lees, travelling with a Samuel Lees, who I assumed is his brother but no proof of that.  The ages don't line up perfectly with the 1841 census records, but I thought they were close enough that they could be the same two people.)

Death Certificates of 2 of James Lees sons, (both state that their mother was born in Scotland.  Unfortunately, the don't provide the mother's maiden or first name.) 




 

6
Staffordshire Lookup Requests / James Lees 1825, England - 1904 Philadelphia
« on: Friday 02 June 17 06:03 BST (UK)  »
I am having a really hard time trying to definitively trace my husband's great great great grandfather back to England.  His name is James Lees. 

Born: 1825 (possibly January)

Immigrated to the United States: 1858 
(I found one passenger that has a James Lees on the Aurora in 1858 from Liverpool to New York.  He seems to be travelling with a Samuel Lees, who is listed as a barber. James Lees occupation is listed as shoemaker. 

Occupation:  Shoemaker, Cordwainer, Cordwinder

Death:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  1904

On 1860 census record in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is listed with an baby (William J. Lees) (b 1859).  This census record says William J Lees was born in Scotland, but all later census records give his place of birth as Pennsylvania.

Really appreciate any help finding out which James Lees in England is my James Lees in the United States.

7
Staffordshire Lookup Requests / The Marriage of James Lees and Ann ??, and their roots?
« on: Friday 02 June 17 05:25 BST (UK)  »
I have been trying to trace my husband's great great great grandfather (James Lees, b: 1825) back to England.  I know he immigrated to the United States in 1858 (I think on the Aurora, from Liverpool to NY), but I can't definitively pinpoint him back in England.  So now I using process of elimination by finding any James Lees in England that fits the profile, and then ruling them out or in.

According to the 1851 Census, James Lees and Ann Lees lived on Albert Street in Harborne, Staffordshire.   

James Lees
Age 26  (I believe my relative's birth year is 1825, possibly born in January)
Occupation:  Cordwinder, Cordwainer, Shoemaker (this matches "My" James Lees)
Born:  Slitting Mill, Stafford

Ann ?? (maiden name unknown)
Age: 24  (so birth year, abt 1827.
Born:  Smethwick, Staffordshire

I'm searchinf for records for either of them before or after the 1851 census.  Would love to find a marriage record and/or trace them back to their birth families. Also, would love to know if there is anything about them afterwards.  *My* James Lees immigrated in 1858, but I found no record of an Ann immigrating with him.  Maybe she died?   If we find record of James and Ann Lees after 1858 in England, then I will know that this isn't my relative.

I found an 1841 census record for a James Lees who was 15 living in Slitting Mill, Rugeley...so that fits this person.  Parents are listed as William and Sarah Lees.

I found it very difficult to trace a relative back from the US to the UK.  Especially with a name like James Lees.  I found plenty of men named James Lees, but have no idea how to determine which one is him!!

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