Thomas Lee

  Notes:

From http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~kenzie/GenLEE.htm ;

Founder of the Ohio Company, a member of the governing Council of the colony, & acting governor of Virginia. In 1717, he purchased 1433 acres for Stratford Hall Plantation and, in the late 1730's, began building the brick Georgian Great House. A successful tobacco planter and land speculator, he owned more than 16,000 acres in VA and MD. In 1732, Thomas was named to His Majest's Council. President and Commander in Chief of the colony. Owned "Machodoc" estate.
Estate was known as Machodoc which was set on fire by imigrant felons from England who had been sternly treated by Thomas as a magistrate. Later he built Stratford starting in1738. It was 4800 acres at Thomas & Hannah's death.
Thomas was the son of Richard the Scholar. By the manner in which he combined materialist & political zeal, he would be a reincarnation of his grandfather, Richard the Founder.
While many familys suffered from a continuing depression in tobacco prices, Thomas was not limited to the modest agricultural revenue from lands his father bequeathed him, but drew a measure of wealth through the navel office and the Proprietary.

Thomas, the fifth son of Richard Lee and Laetitia Corbin, his wife, was born at "Mt. Pleasant," in Westmoreland county, in 1690; died at "Stratford," in same county, on the 14th of November, 1750. Of his early days his son has written: "Thomas, the fourth son, though with none but a common Virginia Education, yet having strong natural parts, long after he was a man, he learned the Languages without any assistance but his own genius, and became a tolerable adept in Greek and Latin..... This Thomas, by his Industry and Parts, acquired a considerable Fortune; for, being a younger Brother, with many children, his Paternal Estate was very Small. He was also appointed of the Council, and though he had very few acquaintances in England, he was so well known by reputation that upon his receiving a loss by fire, the late Queen Caroline sent him over a bountiful present out of her own Privy Purse. Upon the late Sir William Gooch's being recalled, who had been Governor of Virginia, he became President and Commander in Chief over the Colony, in which station he continued for some time, 'til the King thought proper to appoint him Governor of the Colony, but he dyed in 1750 before his commission got over to him."
That Thomas Lee possessed "strong natural parts" seems well attested by the important positions confided to him during en epoch in which the Colony was strong in men of marked ability. Besides being for many years a member of the House of Burgesses, a member of the Council and later its president, he became after the death of John Robinson, on the 5th of September, 1749, the acting Governor of the Colony, and held that position until his death. He served also upon various commissions for arranging boundaries, for making treaties with the Indians, and held other similar positons of trust and responsibility.
In May, 1744, Thomas Lee and William Beverley were appointed by the Governor his commissioners to treat with the Iroquois Indians for the settlement of lands west of the Alleghany Mountains.
Though Thomas Lee may have been a person of some influence in his day, he is known rather for his many distinguished sons than for his own individual merit. For it has seldom fallen to the lot of any man to rear six sons who took an active and patriotic part in the service of their country, at least four of whom were distinguished for their unselfish patriotism during the Revolutionary struggle.

Thomas married Hannah Harrison Ludwell, daughter of Col. Philip Ludwell and Hannah Harrison, in May 1722 in Green Spring. (Hannah Harrison Ludwell was born on 5 Dec 1701 in Rich Neck, Bruton Parish, James City and died on 25 Jan 1749 in Stratford, Va..)