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John Henry Lee
John Henry Lee
was born on July 20, 1878 to James Monroe and Emily (Byrd) Lee in the Reservation community.
He married Martha Ella Taylor, who was born in 1883 to Lewis and Malinda (Holmes) Taylor. She was the granddaughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Hundley) Holmes. Despite the barriers to education at this time, Martha was able to access some education in her early years, possibly in part through her relationship with a white family.
The couple forged a prosperous life together in the Reservation community.
John Henry Lee Sr. and Martha Ella (Taylor) Lee
Courtesy: Mary Lassiter
John Henry Lee was primarily an oysterman in the Reservation but built a diversified livelihood to provide for his family, which included farming. He and Martha owned 66 acres of land and 60 fruit trees, according to an oral history by his son, Alexander Lee. In the winter, he operated a lucrative oystering business. In the summer, the family also supplemented their income by farming, raising cows, pigs, and horses, and fishing for trout, croaker, and different kinds of spot, some of which they sold commercially.
In this oral history clip, great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter discusses John Henry Lee as an oysterman and landowner.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
John Henry Sr. and Martha were raising six children in the Reservation community:
Lillian E. (1906-1971)
Yearda (1907-1962)
Leander (1908-1963)
Ezekiel (1909-1983)
John H. Jr. (1912-1966)
Alexander (1914-2000).
The couple also had three daughters who passed away in infancy.
Sarah Emma
Lucy
Fredonia Ruth (1915-1915)
Sarah Emma and Lucy, and likely Fredonia Ruth, were buried in Cheesecake Cemetery.
Their youngest son, Alexander Lee, recalled happy times from his childhood. He remembered that his oldest sister liked to cook, and his oldest brother would do a share of the cooking, but mostly liked the eating! When their mother was out of the house, the two siblings would cook - sometimes his mother Martha would lock up the ingredients to try to stop them! One day, their mother came home and found they had made a cake but ruined it. "My mother was quite angry," Alexander Lee recalled, "My father, he didn't do nothing but laugh. He said, "Well, that's the only way the children will learn. Learn by doing."
Source: Alexander Lee (1984:2)
Birth certificate for Fredonia Ruth Lee, daughter of Martha and John H. Lee
Courtesy: Christine James
The family lived in a two-story home. Alexander Lee recalled the family's wood-frame home as “neatly built with plenty of room." The home, pictured below, was built on a hill that overlooked Felgate’s Creek where it empties into the York River, and there were steps leading down to the river.
Source: Alexander Lee, as cited in Andes (1993)
John and Martha Lee's home overlooking Felgate's Creek
Courtesy: Navy Mine Depot, Yorktown: Photographs of Buildings, ca. 1919; Box 90; Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy), 1799-1950, Record Group 125; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
In this oral history clip, descendants Curtis Lassiter, Christine James, and Mary Lassiter recall memories their ancestors shared of John Henry Sr. and Martha's family home in the Reservation commmunity.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
When the U.S. joined World War I, John Henry Lee was prepared to serve his country, registering for the draft. However, John Henry, Martha and their family would be asked to serve the war effort in another way - by leaving their home, life, and livelihood.
John Henry Lee Sr., WWI draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005.
Displacement
"My mother cried. I remember crawlin' up on my mother's lap."
Young Alexander Lee remembered his mother's reaction to the prospect that she, her husband, and children would be forced off their land by the U.S. government.
Amidst the tears, John Henry and Martha pursued justice. As Alexander Lee recalled, "The government ordered them to move without a nickel, without a place to go." In response, John Henry joined his neighbors in signing the Prayer Petition, calling on the U.S. government to give families more than just 30 days in the middle of winter to relocate.
Source: Alexander Lee as cited in Andes (1993)
John Henry Lee's signature on the Prayer Petition
Source: Roberts, John A., Moses Lee, Annie E. Roberts, Cyrus Jones, and L. Redcross. 1918. Petition submitted to Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, by residents of York County threatened with eviction by Presidential Proclamation #1492 dated November 15, 1918. General Correspondence, Records of the Bureau of Ordinance 1818-1967; Record Group 74; National Archives Building, Washington D.C.
John Henry Lee also testified before the U.S. Government's Board of Valuation on Commandeered Property regarding the value of his property and investments in oyster grounds. Below is an abstract of that testimony.
Source: Board of Valuation on Commandeered Property. 1920. Abstract of Testimony In Vols. 1 and 2 of Hearings Before Board On Valuation of Commandeered Property at Yorktown, VA. Box 42, Records of the Board on Valuation of Commandeered Property 1918-1922, Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy) 1799-1950, Record Group 125; National Archives Building, Washington D.C.
Martha, who could read and write, also defended the family's rights. She wrote detailed and powerful descriptions of her assets and the compensation she felt they deserved. The quality of her cursive handwriting on this government questionnaire demonstrates that she must have devoted significant time to her education.
Segment of Martha Lee's response to a government questionnaire on the value of her assets and property
Source: Questionnaire completed by Martha Lee, May 27, 1919; “Lee, Martha;” Box 32; Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy), 1799-1950, Record Group 125; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
Descendants Curtis Lassiter, Christine James, and Mary Lassiter describe Martha Lee as a strong, literate woman who could "hold her own." They discuss the property Martha owned and her efforts to protect her property and that of her family despite legal and other obstacles.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Note: Narrators speak of Martha's brother but do not know the name of the brother to which this story refers
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
The families were given more time to relocate. However, despite the courageous efforts to claim just compensation, the family was not satisfied with the U.S. government's response. As Alexander Lee explained: "They were paid what the government considered the land to be worth, and they were paid when the government got ready."
In addition to losing their land, the family lost their investments in oyster grounds. Both John Henry and Martha owned oyster grounds. "In two to three years my father could've sat back and smoked his pipe and sold oysters," Alexander Lee explained, "The only thing I ever regretted was my father never got the profit from the oysters." Oysters take three years to grow once planted, and John Henry and Martha Lee were in the middle of a three year cycle when they were forced to move. They each made separate claims for compensation for their independent oyster grounds, and the U.S. government deemed the value of each of their claims at just $50.
Both John Henry and Martha Lee refused the compensation rather than accept the insult of the offer.
Source: Alexander Lee as cited in Andes (1993)
Rebuilding a Legacy
John Henry Sr. and Martha relocated their family to Penniman Road. As their son, Alexander Lee recalled, "It took 60 acres of land to buy 20 acres of land in James City County. It benefited some of the people, but the majority of people were hurt. My father used his life savings to buy land on Penniman Road." He reported that his parents paid $3000 for the 20 acre lot on Penniman Road.
Source: Alexander Lee as cited in Bell (1888)
John Henry Lee Sr. and Martha Lee's home on Penniman Road
Source: Mary Lassiter
Great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter describes how she felt when she read the Prayer Petition signed by her grandfather, John Henry Lee Sr., and other family members and describes the land that they purchased on Penniman Road when they were forced out of the Reservation community.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
In this oral history excerpt, great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter describes John Henry Lee as finanically astute, which likely helped him rebuild after the displacement and set a foundation for his children. John Henry and Martha's family were among the first to leave the Reservation. They moved on January 21, 1921.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
John Henry and Martha began to rebuild their livelihood. John Henry had lost access to his oyster grounds in the York River, but he continued to tong oysters, likely from the James River, and sell them as seed oysters.
However, as the Depression hit, these efforts to rebuild became more difficult. Prices for seed oysters dropped, as his son, Alexander Lee recalls in this oral history excerpt.
Film Courtesy: Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Martha raised chickens and turkeys to sell; however, once the Depression hit, prices for these were very low as well.
In this oral history excerpt, great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter recalls Martha Lee raising chickens and growing flowers. She paints a picture of the yard lined with Easter lilies.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
To weather these difficulties, the family rebuilt the diversified livelihood they had in the Reservation. John Henry again farmed, growing some crops and raising cows, horses, and pigs. Alexander Lee also remembers the family picking up odd jobs. John Henry Lee and his brothers also loved to fish, but did not do so commercially as they had when living in the Reservation.
"We had plenty of food, plenty of clothes, plenty of everything but money," John Henry and Martha's son, Alexander Lee recalled.
When he registered for the WWII draft, John Henry Lee listed the College of William & Mary as his employer. John Henry Lee Sr. also worked for the Colonial Restoration (now Colonial Williamsburg) for a period.
Source: Alexander Lee (1984:4)
John H. Lee Sr.
Courtesy: Christine James
John H. Lee Sr.
Courtesy: Christine James
John Henry Lee, Sr., WWII draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Despite the difficult times, the family pulled together and reinforced the strong family ties they forged in the Reservation. As Alexander Lee recounted, "Being in a large family...you learn how to share. You learned to respect each other. You may fuss and do, but you're going to protect each other."
In these oral history excerpts, descendants remember John Henry and Martha instilling these family values. In the first excerpt, Christine Lee recalls her grandfather, John Henry Lee Sr., as a quiet man and a "refuge" for her as a young child. In the second excerpt, great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter recalls how the family remembered Martha Lee - as "sharp", "assertive", and a "no-nonsense" person who taught the family to show respect and take care of each other. She goes on to describe the family home and family gatherings that brought everyone together.
Source: Alexander Lee (1984: 5)
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
John Henry and Martha also emphasized education in their home. In this oral history excerpt, Alexander Lee talks about the importance of education in the Black community in this period.
Film Courtesy: Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
As John Henry and Martha built a new life for their family, they never forgot the life they left behind. In this oral history excerpt, great-grandson Curtis Lassiter recalls John Henry and his brothers always dreaming of their lives in the Reservation community. He remembers his grandfather and his brothers as caring and selfless men. Granddaughter Christine James describes how Curtis carries on this legacy in his own life and through what he has passed down to his children.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
John Henry and Martha not only rebuilt their livelihoods and family life, but they helped to rebuild the community. Great-granddaughter Mary Lassiter remembers how the resources, like the family well, that her grandparents built were shared with the community.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
The Lee Family well
Source: Mary Lassiter
Alexander Lee also remembers the community life that was rebuilt after leaving the Reservation. He recalls gatherings and parties at people's homes, as well as opportunities for young people, such as movies at the James City County Training School and Harris' dance hall off Nicholson Street in Williamsburg.
Film Courtesy: Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
John Henry and Martha's commitment to the church remained strong through the displacement. John Henry Sr. served as Church Clerk for St. John Baptist Church, carrying on the legacy of dedication to the church that his father, James Monroe Lee, forged in the Reservation community.
This commitment to the church was also reinforced in their children. Their son, Alexander Lee recalled attending the programs offered by the Baptist Young People's Union in his youth.
Film Courtesy: Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
As John Henry and Martha aged and Martha became bedridden, the family's values of caring for one another again shone through.
Granddaughter Christine James remembers Martha as a good cook and recalls her parents stressing the importancce of visiting her grandmother daily in her later years when she was bedridden.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
Great-grandson Curtis Lassiter remembers living with his grandmother, Martha, when he was a young boy and then visiting her in the hospital before she died.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
John H. Lee Sr. passed away on October 11, 1949.
John H. Lee Sr. funeral announcement
Courtesy: Sosa Winbush
Source: Daily Press, October 15, 1949, pg. 9, via Newspapers.com
John H. Lee Sr., death certificate
(mother's name inaccurate - should be Emily Byrd)
Courtesy: Sosa Winbush
Source: Ancestry
Martha E. (Taylor) Lee passed away on November 8, 1951. At the time of her death, she had 15 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Martha (Taylor) Lee, death certificate
Courtesy: Mary Lassiter
News clipping reporting Martha (Taylor) Lee's death on November 8, 1951
Courtesy: Mary Lassiter
The Legacy Continues:
John Henry Lee Sr. and Martha Ella Lee's Children
As John Henry and Martha's children grew up, many of them returned to live on the family property on Penniman Road. As descendants Curtis Lassiter, Christine James, and Mary Lassiter described, this next generation lived together and shared resources.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
Descendants Curtis Lassiter, Christine James, and Mary Lassiter discuss the numerous descendants that continue today to live on the original plot of land purchased by John Henry Lee Sr. and Martha Lee after being pushed off the Reservation.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
These descendants not only live on their family's land but also carry on the values and legacy of their ancestors. Just as the generation living in the Reservation built family and community ties, today's generation continues that tradition, as Curtis Lassiter describes here.
Mr. Curtis Lassiter, Mrs. Christine James, and Ms. Mary Lassiter
Source: Oral History conducted by Amy Quark and Molly Robinson, April 24, 2022, The Village Initiative Collection
Click on the photos below to learn more about how John Henry Lee Sr. and Martha Lee's children carried on their legacy.
Sources:
Andes, Jennifer. 1993. First-hand reflections. Daily Press, Williamsburg, VA. March 17.
Bell, Martha. 1988. Freedman forfeited their first York home. York Town Crier.
Board of Valuation on Commandeered Property. 1920. Abstract of Testimony In Vols. 1 and 2 of Hearings Before Board On Valuation of Commandeered Property at Yorktown, VA. Box 42, Records of the Board on Valuation of Commandeered Property 1918-1922, Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Navy) 1799-1950, Record Group 125; National Archives Building, Washington D.C.
Lee, Alexander. 1991. Oral History. In McDonald, Bradley M., Kenneth Stuck, and Kathleen J. Bragdon, “Cast Down Your Bucket Where You Are”: An Ethnohistorical Study of the African American Community on the Lands of the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, 1865-1918. Williamsburg: William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research.
Lee, Alexander. 1984. Oral History. James City County Oral History Collection, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries. December 19.
Lee, Harris. circa 1984. Oral History. James City County Oral History Collection, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
Roberts, John A., Moses Lee, Annie E. Roberts, Cyrus Jones, and L. Redcross. 1918. Petition submitted to Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, by residents of York County threatened with eviction by Presidential Proclamation #1492 dated November 15, 1918. General Correspondence, Records of the Bureau of Ordinance 1818-1967; Record Group 74; National Archives Building, Washington D.C.
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