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- BENJAMIN LEES was baptized 2 April 1790 at the Parish Church of
St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury. He was married by
license at Wednesbury 13 January 1812
to Mary Rock. Both were recorded as residents of that
parish. Benjamin was deceased before his uncle Thomas Lees wrote
his will 18 August 1826 and is possibly the Benjamin Lees buried at St.
Batholomew's 20 January 1826.
Children: ELIZA,
baptized 22 August 1812 and married ----- Laurence by August
1826; ENOCH, born circa 1815, mentioned in the
will of his great-uncle John Small and was with his grandmother Susannah
at High Street, Wednesbury at the time of the 1841 census;
MARY A.; SUSANNAH;
DINAH.
- ELIZABETH LEES was baptized 10 September 1792 at the Parish
Church of St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury. She married, 21 August 1821,
Josiah Disturnal at St. Philip's Birmingham, Warwick, England. Josiah
was listed in the 1822-23 and 1830-31 directories as an Earthenware
Dealer on High Street, Wednesbury.
Children: THOMAS, born
20 September 1822, married Mary Spittle the daughter of Robert and Martha
Spittle and died sometime in 1894; BENJAMIN,
born 5 November 1824. He was named in the will of his great uncle John
Small who died in 1832; MARY, born 1827,
married James Partridge and died 1892.
- DAVID LEES was baptized 23 August 1794
at the Parish Church of St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury and married, 4
September 1815, ELIZABETH BEDDOW at Handsworth. David and his cousin
William Kendrick succeeded to the coach spring and patent axel tree
manufacturing business of Thomas Lees & Co. of Wednesbury. He died
22 March 1851 at Potter's Lane, Wednesbury after a one month "voluntary
starvation".
- THOMAS LEES was baptized 31 May 1797 at the Parish Church of
St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury and married, 26 June 1820, Elizabeth Wheeler
at Handsworth. In the family tradition, Thomas became a Coachsmith
and the contents of his will suggest that he worked closely with his
brother David and cousin William Kendrick, coach spring manufacturers,
though not in partnership with them. Elizabeth was also from a family of
coachsmiths. In fact, Joseph Wheeler, Coachsmith, and Aaron Wheeler,
Coachsmith, were witnesses to Thomas' will. He died 10 December 1830 at
Wednesbury, and his will, dated 9 November 1830, was proved in the
Bishop's Court of Lichfield 9 June 1831.
Children:
JOSEPH; SUSANNAH, baptized 2
February 1823 and married ----- Bunn; HARRIET,
married Thomas Fraggalt George; THOMAS,
Coachsmith, married Nancy Grove and died 2 May 1867;
SARAH, married Paul Baker; MARY?
- ANN LEES was baptized 19 May 1799 at the Parish Church of St.
Bartholomew, Wednesbury. She married firstly by license at Wednesbury 15
August 1826 George Alexander in the presence of Mary Lees and David Lees,
but he died a short time later and was buried 8 June 1827, aged 25
years. She married secondly Isaac Mealing. Ann was present at the death
of her mother in 1848 at Church Hill, Wednesbury and was granted letters
of administration for the goods and personal estate of her mother,
Susannah, 10 October 1850.
- MARY LEES was baptized 26 May 1801 at the Parish Church of St.
Bartholomew, Wednesbury and married by license at Wednesbury, 24 March
1830, Mark Tolson of Dewsbury in the County of York, in the presence of
Susannah Lees and G.W. Court.
- JOSEPH LEES was baptized 12 September 1803 at the Parish Church
of St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury. He was mentioned in the will of his
uncle John Small, dated in 1832, as "now residing in America".
Among the passengers on board the Ship Ontario that arrived in New
York from London 28 June 1843, was one Joseph W Lees, age 38, Coach
Spring Maker, of Newark, New Jersey - an interesting entry, though
any connection has yet to be investigated.
- SUSANNAH LEES was baptized 29 November 1807 at the Parish
Church of St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury and married by license at
Wednesbury, 24 December 1832, Thomas Walmesley of St. Mary in the City of
Lichfield, in the presence of David Lees and Keziah Lees.
- KEZIAH LEES was baptized 13 April 1810 at the Parish Church of
St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury and appears never to have married. She was
living with her mother on High Street, Wednesbury during the 1841 Census
and living on High Bullen in 1861. The 1881 Census recorded Keziah living
on the East Side Of High Bullin, No 50 (Corn Factor Shop), in Wednesbury
with Sarah Ann, then a Corn Dealer, the widow of her nephew Benjamin Disturnal.
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OSEPH LEES was born in late 1767 or early 1768, probably
in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England. He and his twin brother were
baptized Joseph and John DITHERIDGE, "illegitimate sons of Anne" on 14
February 1768 at the Parish Church of St. Bartholomew, Wednesbury. Four
months later Joseph's mother married Thomas Lees of Wednesbury,
Coachsmith, however, he was not the boys' natural father. At some point
Joseph took, or was given, the name Lees and was later referred to in
legal documents as "Joseph Lees (otherwise Didderidge)". He carried on in
the family business and would eventually become a partner in trade with
his father and brother Thomas Lees the younger. The firm was engaged in
manufacturing the metal components of carriages, primarily axle trees,
springs and steps.
