Elizabeth Lee, the last witch of County Durham

[Lu Hutton]

Hi! Apologies for starting a new topic, I did find an old one relating to Elizabeth Lee but think maybe it has been closed. I have joined the forum in an attempt to find some information that I have been struggling with.

My interest is that my late aunt told my dad that their grandfather, John Edward Hull (born 1863), told her that it was true that they were related to the last witch. It is debateable which witch she was referring to but we think the most likely is Elizabeth Lee of Edmundbyers.
I have been trying to trace back this line of our tree but am finding it very difficult so decided to change tack and investigate Elizabeth Lee.

The information I have gathered so far, largely from her headstone, is that she died in 1792 aged 87, so was probably born around 1705. She was married to John Lee who died in 1771. She married John Lee in 1745 as Elizabeth Whitfield, a widow. Also on the memorial is John Whitfield who died in 1741 and I assume to be her previous husband, as well as Joseph Whitfield who also died 1741 and I assume to be their son.

Question 1. I have been unable to find any other records for children of Elizabeth from either marriage to trace the lineage forward. Can anyone help me with that?

Question 2. I couldn't find a maiden name for Elizabeth but I read in the previous thread that she was a Parker. Could someone please confirm this and the source of that information?

Thanks in advance 😊

[Lu Hutton]

I have only found one image of the headstone and it's very hard to see the top part but I have seen it transcribed as Joseph son of John Whitfield died 1741 aged 16. If so, this could be his baptism and Mary could be his sister.

But if Elizabeth was the last in the line of witches she would have no children who lived to have children of their own. So perhaps I should be looking for her siblings, or John Whitfield's, as that is a name mentioned in previous witch investigations.

[Lu Hutton]

So, after making some assumptions in tracing back my own tree, it seems that my connection is actually to the Lees.

My direct ancestor is Hannah Lee of Edmundbyers, who married Edward Kirkley in 1738. Her death record in 1798 has an estimated birth year of 1717. The only Hannah Lee I could find for this time was born in 1715 at Highwood, Hexam. From this I have her father as Edward.

I have John Lee of Edmundbyers born 1710, father John. And I have Edward and John born Hexam with a common father, William Lee or Gulielmi Lee.

If anyone has any information supporting, disputing or expanding on this, it would be gratefully received!

[QueenoftheWest]

Just going off the primary sources available, I can see from an image of the parish register that the burial record of Hannah Kirkley states that she was "the wife of Edward Kirkley, labouring man of Snods Edge", but - most importantly - that she was "late Lee of Haltwesel [sic]".

On 3rd July 1717, a Hannah was baptised in Haltwhistle, Northumberland to Robert Lee.

I have honestly never in all my years of genealogy seen a burial record as detailed as this! Whoever filled in the register deserves an award, haha.

Queenie 

[Lu Hutton]

Thank you! I see that birth record now on Family Search. Funny it's not on Durham Records. Off to find Robert Lee then! 😃

[Radcliff]

Durham inheritance database , Robert Lee Parish of Haltwistle date of Probate 11th October 1733, names sons George and John,

[Radcliff]

Freereg
Rob Lee senior
buried 24th September 1733
abode Willimonswisk
Holy Cross Haltwistle

[Lu Hutton]

Thank you so much for this. I was really feeling like I had hit a brick wall with Robert Lee! I haven't used these resources before and I actually have some free time this week so I can't wait to dig in 

[Lu Hutton]

Well, I am still at a loss as to the connection to my family but they are definitely in the right place at the right time.

However, thanks to the Durham Inheritance Database, I have discovered that, not only did Elizabeth and John Whitfield have a daughter, Mary Whitfield, at the time of his death, but she had two daughters with John Lee at the time of his death. Margaret Teasdale (I believe to be the wife of Richard Teasdale) and Elizabeth Lee (I think went on to marry John Oxley).

So I believe that answers my first question 😎