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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: Geordie Mag on Wednesday 25 November 20 18:11 GMT (UK)
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Several years ago, I posted about Ingleton windmill and the Lee family. Thomas Lee and family were the millers for many years until they were forced to sell in 1895 to pat their creditors. Various people connected to the Lees and other millers responded.
However, one mystery was the whereabouts of Thomas's brother Matthew, who had started off working alongside Thomas at Alwent Mill, Gainford, when they started as millers. He appeared in the 1851 census but then disappeared. No one had managed to track him down.
I have now found him in FindMyPast's passenger lists. He had married Jesse (sic) Wightman in the 1st quarter of 1852 (Teesdale) and on April 29th 1852 he and Jesse, both listed as millers, arrived in New York on the Lady Franklin. I haven't managed to find where they went in the US.
This knowledge doesn't really move my family history on, but it does fill in a gap and may satisfy other completists out there.
However, I still haven't managed to find a picture of the windmill!
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Is this your man in California in 1870?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DRT7-6K?i=8&cc=1438024&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMN62-5C7
Age seems a bit out.
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The USA 1880 Census shows a Jesse Lee in California as a Widow, aged 58 (born circa 1822). With her is a nephew and a niece, both born in Scotland - their names are Mark and Issabelle --- their surname is recorded as WIGHTMAN !!
This is the link to the Census image:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYB-XZ?i=19&cc=1417683&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM6PQ-PFS
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Jesse Lee died 22 Sept 1880 and her will is on Ancestry in the California, U.S. Wills and Probate Records 1850-1953. Her executor was Mark Newman Wightman.
Mark Newman Wightman and Isabella Wightman her nephew and niece (as per the census AllanUK found) were the the only beneficiaries.
Boo
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Matthew Lee died 7th August 1874, his will too is on Ancestry
The will named his wife "Jessey" as his executor and sole beneficiary
Boo
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Looks like Mark Newman Wightman, Jesse's nephew, continued to farm and died 5th March 1920
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64031678/the-sacramento-bee/
His will also in that dataset on Ancestry
Boo
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Newspaper notice re probate of Matthew Lee
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64032464/the-sacramento-bee/
Boo
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Hi Boo,
You beat me to posting about the Wills -- I had found all of them but had to log off as my wife wanted me to help her with the start of wrapping Christmas presents!!
Allan
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Thank you both very much. I didn't expect to get so much information so quickly. Jesse (the spelling of her name seems to have caused some confusion about gender) being a Scot explains why I couldn't find her birth in Teesdale.
I'll do another post, when I've got a moment, to explain why I started trying to find out about Matthew.
Thanks again.
Mag
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I hoped Matthew would solve a mystery about his nephew, my g.grandfather Alf (Richard Alfred Lee). After the family Milling business failed in 1895, Alf took on the Bay Horse at Killerby. He was also a dealer in flour. However, this did not go well and on October 19th 1899 he was at the bankruptcy court in Stockton. He was obviously the worse for drink and was told to return for another hearing. However, on November 16th 1899 he arrived in the USA at Ellis Island. He seems to have been back in England by 1906 and in the 1911 is recorded as working as a stockman. I have often wondered what he actually did when in the USA and discovering that Matthew went there I thought that Alf might have gone to join him. However, from the information you discovered it seems that both Matthew and Jesse had been dead for some years by then, so not a solution after all! Mag