Elijah LEE

                   BUNCOMBE CO.N.C.CENSUS,1800 SHOWS THIS FAMILY ,WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY FOR FAMILY OF RHODA. SHE NAMED HER FIRST SON ELIJAH.  ELIJAH BOUGHT LAND IN BUNCOMB CO. 1797/1817  1790 THIS FAMILY IN MORGAN DIST.RUTHERFORD CO. N.C. OTHER LEES IN 1800,BUNCOME CO. GEORGE AND ROBERT POSSIBLE BROS..IN 1810 ELIJAH AND ELISHA- 1820 ELIJAH AND JOHN

1790 Census- Rutherford Co, NC- 1 male and 3 females in household.    County: Rutherford Roll: M637 7   Township: Unknown Township Page: 120
1800 Census-Buncombe Co, NC-MAles 0-10:1, 26-45:1.  Females 0-10:2, 10-16:2, 26-45:1.
1810 Census-Buncombe Co, NC-Males 0-10:2, 10-16:2, 16-26:1, 45+:1.  Females 0-10:1, 10-16:1, 16:26:1, 45+:1.                   (One of the 0-10 males would have been Clement.)
1820 Census-Buncombe Co, NC-Males 10-16:1, 16-18:1, 18-26:1, 45+:1.  Females 10-16:1, 45+:1.
1830 Census-(142) Monroe Co, TN-Males 60-70:1, Females 60-70:1.
1840 Census-Monroe Co, TN-Males 70-80:1, Females 70-90:1.  In establishing a history of Elijah Lee, many avenues were pursued.  Comparing notes between researchers for the family of Rhoda Lee, his first born, and for Clemmon/Clement Lee researchers led to the identity of the father.  One of the sources was a paper prepared by Jonathan B. Butcher in Mar, 1981 which can be found in the Madisonville, TN Family Files.  It is titled "Lee, Ritchey and Blanton Families", and in Section I-Ancestry of Clemmon Lee we find the following:  ".....Of the other Lees listed in Monroe Co in 1830 the one of most interest is Elijah, aged 60-70.  As Clemmon gave this name to his second son we would expect that this man might be his father, or at least a close relative.  However, any proof of this would apparently have to come from TN records.  Elijah would appear also to have been related to other Lees in Monroe Co, at least we find recorded on 19 Sep 1848 the marriage of Elijah Lee to Sarah Smith (Note: this is NOT the Elijah, son of Clemmon...D. Lee), but I have not been able to locate this younger Elijah in the 1850 census.  As this name is the best clue we have of Clemmon's origin from the TN records, I have traced the life of Elijah Lee as fully as possible.  ELIJA LEE, judging from the combined testimonty of Censuses, was born circa 1760/65 and died after the 1830 cesnsus.  He would appear to have married about 1784, but no bond is preserved in NC. (Note: later data leads us to believe that the marriage probably took place in VA....D. Lee).  The name Elijah turns out, rather unexpectedly, to have been a very uncommon give name in the Lee family, so he is easily traceable.  We first find Elijah in the NC 1790 census, living in the 13th Company of Rutherford Co, with a housefold consisting of 1 white male over 16 & 3 females.  He was not living near any other Lees and had probably recently arrived there as he is not mentioned in the Rutherford taxes of 1782 & 1785 (incomplete), or in abstracts of Rutherford Co wills, deeds of 1773-95 or of Court Minutes of 1779-86.  I find no record of Revolutionary War sevice for Elijah in NC.  The area to which Elijah lived was set off into the southern part of the new County of Buncombe in 1791.  We then find Elijah listed in Buncombe Co in the censuses of 1800, 1810, & 1920.  Note that this places him quite near to Monroe Co, TN.  Elijah first purchased land, which may have included a mill, in Buncombe Co in 1797: (4:45): 'This Indenture made this tenth day of August ...1797...Between William Ingram of the County of Buncombe and State of North Carolina...and Elijah Lee of the County of Buncombe...Witnesseth that the same William Ingram for...one Hundred Pounds...hath...sold...to the said Elijah Lee one Certain Tract of parcel of Land Containing one hundred Acres lying on the East side of French Broad River...beginning on a pociman and maple trees on the Bank of said River and at the mouth of said Ingrams Mill Creek, and runs South 89 poles to a stake, thence East 180 poles to a stake, thence North 89 poles to the beginning ...together with all woods waters plantations orchards Bildings or appurteneances...Witness: John Welch, Go