Lee, Walter

Home Lots on King Street

On King street the lots were divided into parcels of two acres each, situated on both sides of the street. Samuel Wright Sr., had the first lot at the corner of King and Main Streets, containing four acres. William Miller, David Burt, John King, Walter Lee, Thomas Woodford, Isaac Sheldon, Samuel Allen, and Joseph Root, had two acres on the east side of King Street, extending from the highway to the brook on Market Street. Every settler being entitled to a home lot of four acres, an additional two acres was granted to each of these men. The additions were located on the other side of the street, west of the brook, commencing at Park Street. William Miller had the first lot, and the others were laid off contiguously in the order named above, Samuel Allen’s being the farthest north. Joseph Root had no land except on the east side of the street, coming two years after the others, and John Allen was granted four acres, above Root, in 1671. The land between the King Street brook and the highway was held as “commons,” and was not disposed of for several years. [JRT, Vol. I, pp. 36-7]

Walter LEE and descendants

Walter Lee, immigrant ancestor, was born in England, about 1630. He died at Westfield, Massachusetts, February 9, 1718 "at a great age." He settled first in Connecticut and was admitted a freeman there in 1654. He removed to Northampton in 1656, and to Westfield in 1665. In 1664 he had a grant of four acres for a house lot and thirty-three acres of meadow at Westfield. He married (first) a wife who died at Westfield, February 29, 1696, and (second) 1705, Hepzibah, widow of Caleb Pomeroy.

Children of first wife, born at Northampton:

1. John, January 2, 1657; mentioned below.

2. Timothy, August 8, 1659, died young.

3. Stephen, March 5, 1662,

4. Nathaniel, December 25, 1663, at Westfield.

5. Mary, January 15, 1665, at Springfield.

6. Elizabeth, at Westfield, February 28, 1667. died young.

7. Hannah, January 9, 1668.

8. Abigail. December 11, 1670.

(II) John Lee, son of Walter Lee, was born in Northampton, January 2, 1657, and died at Westfield, November 13, 1711. He was a soldier in King Philip's war, and took part in the fight at Turners Falls in 1676. He married (first) December 9, 1680, Sarah, daughter of William Pixley: (second) Elizabeth, daughter of Dennis Crampton. She and his son John administered the estate.

Children, all born at Westfield:

1. John, July 8, 1683, died August 2, 1683.

Children of second wife:

2. John, August 2, 1687; mentioned below.

3. Elizabeth, December 14, 1689.

4. Sarah, April 24, 1692.

5. Abigail, October 28, 1694.

6. Ruth, April 1, 1697.

7. Joanna, 1702.

8. Samuel, 1704.

9. Margaret, 1707.

(III) John (2), son of John (1) Lee, was born in Westfield, August 2, 1687. He settled in Westfield, and probably died there.

(IV) Ichabod Lee, son of John (2) Lee. Was born in Westfield, in 1725-6, and was a prominent citizen of Westfield. He married Martha Root, of Westfield. During the revolution he was a Loyalist, like many of the older and prominent men who were unwilling to engage in armed rebellion against the existing government.

(V) Samuel Lee, son of Ichabod Lee, was born in Westfield, September 20, 1781. He settled in Southwick, Massachusetts, where he was living at the time of his marriage, November 27, 1800, to Rachel Shepard, of Westfield. He lived afterwards at Westfield.

(VI) Daniel Lee, son of Samuel Lee, was born May 6, 1801. and died August 4, 1863. He lived in Westfield. He married, about 1827, Mercy Everton, born July 10, 1803, died August 13, 1846.

(VII) Hiram Harrison Lee, son of Daniel Lee, was born at Westfield, February 28, 1831, and died there January 4, 1892. He was educated in the public schools, and in his youth and early manhood was a farmer. He afterward engaged in the manufacture of whips, an industry for which his native town is famous. He was a member of Mt. Moriah Lodge of Free Masons, of Westfield: and of Woronoco Lodge of Odd Fellows. He married Lucella R. Spencer, born November 16, 1839, daughter of Charles W. and Sarah Ann (Root) Spencer. Children: 1. Adella Delight, married, May 3, 1888, Henry Marshall Van Deusen. (See Van Deusen). [WRC, Vol III, p. 1685]

The court as well as the town authorities kept a sharp hold upon church members in matters of discipline. In 1665 the County Court had Walter Lee before it for threshing corn on the Sabbath at Woronoco. We learn by the record that Lee was a hard case. It runs:—

Walter Lee being presented and complayned of to this Courte for his passing the Lords Day at Worronoco this Last Winter in that he threshed corne on the Sabbath w^ch act be acknowledged to be soe [source?] for his calling Isaak Sheldon a member of Old Nick & a member of the Devill. And for his contempt of the authority in Springfeild [sic] in saying that he thought he might as well believe his boy (when he said Springfeild [sic] commissioners threated him with y^e Stocks & pmised him some new clothes) as the said Commissioners in declaring w^t his boy said ag^t him: This court judged the said to pay as a fyne to the Courte the summe of 20s.

[MAG, p. 135-6]

Walter Lee was among those who between 1653 and 1658 had grants of land in Northampton. In 1666 he was summoned before the County Court there for neglecting public worship and for profaning the Lord's Day by threshing corn “and for calling Isaac Sheldon a member of Old Nick and a member of Divell." Isaac Sheldon was a prominent citizen, a member of the church the year of its organization, a Selectman the year after the town was organized and later, he was subsequently a Tithing Man and overseer of the poor. His may have been that type of goodness which has a peculiarly exasperating effect upon certain impulsive natures and thus provoked that desperate crime for which Lee was arraigned. It is a relief to find that the next record relating to Walter Lee that we have concerns his work done upon the Westfield parsonage, the town having, in 1678, voted him 15 shillings on account of loss of time about Mr. Taylor's chimneys. The following year he was chosen Surveyor for the Country roads. But a most impressive evidence of his amendment from his early neglect of public worship and his sneers at the pious citizen who became one of the first Tithing men of the Colony, is found in the following vote recorded in 1689: “Walter Lee, Samuel Fowler and the Serjeant of the guard are appointed to take care of children on the Sabbath to see that they atend and keep their places both before and during the time of exercises.” Thus he himself, in the course of years, was transformed from a Sabbath breaker into a Tithing Man. He died February 9, 1717, aged at least 84 years. His son John was in the “Falls Fight” 1676. [JHL, Vol. I, p. 92]

In the same year, 1665, he was presented for neglect of church attendance and a more serious offense, as it would be considered at this day:

"Mar. 28, 1665.

"Walter Lee prsented by ye Constable of Springfield for that he very seldom comes to God's Ordinances on ye Lords day he having not been at ye meeting at Springfield from ffebr. 8th to this tyme & very seldome ye rest of this winter past.

"The sd Walter Lee also being bound over to this Corte by Springfield Commissionrs to answer Mr. Cornish upon suspicion of killing a steere of his ye sd Mr Cornishes; at Worronoco the summer last past;

"The Corte findeth that the evidences in ye case are strong agt ye sd Walter to prove he hath made away Mr Cornishes steere; and that therefore he shall pay Mr Cornish for it 50s & the charges of ye Corte in ye case vizt. £3.04s.00d, whereof 10s is to be allowed towards expenses of ye Corte to be pd to ye County treasurer."

In spite of that and the previous conviction and fine, he still held his reputation high and resented aspersions upon his good name. At the same session of the Court he turned prosecutor:

“Walter Lee complayned agt Cornelius Merry for misdeameaning himself towards him calling him Rogue dog, & rogue & thief &c” Merry was bound over in the sum of £5 to answer at the next Court in Springfield.

[JHL, Vol. I, pp. 176-7]

Caleb Pomeroy, son of Eltweed and Margery (Rockett) Pomeroy, was baptized at Windsor, March 6, 1641. He was one of the first settlers of Northampton; and was admitted a freeman in 1663. In 1686 he sold his farm at Northampton, and moved to Southampton, or Easthampton, neighboring towns in Massachusetts. He was a soldier in King Philip's War. He married, March 8, 1665, Hepsibah Baker, born May 10, 1646, daughter of Jeffry and Joan (Rockwell) Baker, of Windsor. He died November 18, 1691. Children:

1. Hepsibah, born July 27, 1666, died young.

2. Samuel, of further mention.

3. Abigail, born October 26, 1671.

4. Hepsibah, baptized January 19, 1673; married Walter Lee, of Westfield, Massachusetts.

5. Ebenezer, born March 14, 1674, died September 12, 1699.

6. Caleb, born May 3, 1677, died in April, 1690.

7. Eldad, born December 6, 1679; married Sarah Wait, daughter of William Wait.

[8 is missing]

9. Mercy, born September 20, 1684, died April 17, 1712; married, July 7, 1702, Joseph Baker, of Windsor.

10. Sarah, born August 6, 1687; married (first) Deliverance Church; (second) Noah Wright.

[WMH, Vol III, p. 199]