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First Fleet Marine James Lee ©Cathy Dunn and Glen Lambert September 2017 First Fleet Marine James Lee ©Cathy Dunn and Glen Lambert September 2017 James Lee was a marine private in the 35th Portsmouth Company, enlisted in the NSW Marines, and arrived in NSW aboard Scarborough in Jan 1788. James was a private, assigned to Captain Campbell's Company of the Port Jackson garrison. In Nov 1788 his name appears on the muster roll of the Marine Garrison for NSW Settlement.1 Some family historians believe that James Lee arrived on Norfolk Island aboard the Golden Grove in October 1788; however, records show that this is simply not the case.2 James Lee is also said to have been sent to Norfolk Island also on 9 April 1792, to superintend the growing of flax aboard the Pitt, which arrived on Norfolk Island from Port Jackson on 23 April 1792, sailing for Bengal on 7 May 1792. The Pitt actually left Sydney on 7 April 1792, she took no marines to Norfolk Island in April 1792, on board were 52 male and 5 female convicts and 9 males and one female stowaway convict. One asks the question was James Lee ever on Norfolk Island where he cohabited with Sarah Smith (1st) fathering children – William and Maria Smith – Lee. This has resulted in the “Lee Family Saga”. There was no land granted to a James Lee on Norfolk Island.3 James Lee is not listed in any of the Kings List 1800/1802, but most marines do not feature in these lists.4 More notably, James Lee is not listed in the Norfolk Island Victualling book 1792-1796, which is quite a comprehensive record of inhabitants on Norfolk Island. Nor does he exist in any living off stores records, shipping, sick lists or numerous other reports, returns and lists covering the era. It would be most rare for a person to not appear on a single source record, in such a relatively small population. The Molong Argus in March 1909 published: Among the official company of the first fleet was one Lee, a native of Cumberland (England). On account of his intelligence and robust build, he was specially selected for the difficult task of assisting to maintain discipline amongst the desperate convicts who formed portion of the freight of unfortunates. Later, he was joined by his wife in Sydney, and she accompanied him when he was transfer red to a responsible position at Norfolk Island. Lee died at Norfolk Island, leaving two children, William born on April 1, 1794, and Maria. The widow and children were sent to Tasmania, and then over to Sydney. Soon afterwards the widow returned to England, leaving the boy and girl in charge of the Rev. Richard Johnson, the first Australian clergyman. The mother re-married, and never again set eyes on the children. William Lee, an infant of eight, thus faced the world without parental solicitude and guidance.5 Some examples of writings of James Lee being on Norfolk Island and father of William and Maria Lee are as follows with 1909 appearing to be the first reference in newspapers, (note that James Lee actually arrived aboard the Scarborough 1788) 1914: A Sydney correspondent writes with reference to the personal sketch in the ' Times' recently of the late 'Mr. William Lee: - 'Mr. William Lee was born on April 1, 1794, at Norfolk Island, He was the son of James Lee, a marine in Capt. Campbell's company, who came out in the Lady Penhryn in the First fleet 1788.6 1 James Lee, Marines, 1788 Victualling book [T1/668], ML, PRO Reel 3551 and COD 88, with no other notation. 2 Golden Grove shipping musters, 1 Apr 1788 - June 10 1789, TNA, ADM 51/4376; Cathy Dunn, Culprits on Norfolk Island: Golden Grove October 1788, July 2015. 3 Cathy Dunn, Norfolk Island Land Grants and Leases, dataset 2017. 4 Carol Baxter, (ed). General Muster of New South Wales 1800 – 1802, Sydney, ABGR in association with the Society of Australian Genealogists, 1988. 5 "The Lees", Molong Argus, 5 March 1909, p. 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article100996503. 6 The Bathurst Times, 20 April 1914, p. 2, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111499483 1921: William Lee was the son of that James Lee, who came to Australia in Imperial service with Philip in the first fleet in 1788, and was born at Norfolk Island, where Phillip formed a settlement by the agency of a chosen band of early colonists, of which James Lee was one.7 1921: The first to come out to Australia was James Lee, of Warwickshire, England. He was a marine in Captain Campbell's Company in the ship Lady Penhryn, one of the vessels of the First Fleet, and was followed by his wife about a year later. He had previously held a commission in the American army and his medal's now in the British Museum. He was supposed to know something about flax growing, so was selected to accompany Lieut. P. G. King to Norfolk Island. Where he died in 1795. Shortly before his death he had a grant of land on the Hawkesbury River. He left a widow and one son, William, and a daughter, Maria, born just after his death. His widow married a man named Panteny shortly after her husband's death, and left for England in a vessel that was never again heard of, consequently little is known of the Family history. According to the late W. C. Wentworth, who was also born at Norfolk Island in 1793, the Government considered that they were under some obligation to James Lee, and so made the two children wards of the Crown and thereafter looked after them until they came to years of discrimination. They were first sent to Tasmania and placed under the care of Richard Dry, of Hagley, near Launceston. The boy William was taken as a passenger in the flagship, H.M.S. Buffalo, which seems to confirm what Wentworth had said, considering who the other passengers were. Both William and Maria were brought to Sydney, by the Rev. R. Johnson in 1809. Mr. Johnson was the only tutor the boy had. William was placed under the care of Lieut. Cox at Windsor, and Maria in the care of Surgeon Mountgarrett. She afterwards married a Mr. Bloodworth and lived to a very advanced age. … William Lee was born on April 1, 1794 at Norfolk Island and his sister Maria in 1796. 1938: I am informed that the original member of the Lee family. James Lee came to Australia from Warwickshire on a ship 'Lady Penrhyn' in 1788 with the first fleet. His wife followed a year later. James Lee was sent to Norfolk Island with Lieutenant Phillip Gidley King to superintend the growing of flax. About seven years later he died. His two children, William and Marie were born on the island. I understand that Mrs. Lee later was married to Commandant Pantling or Pantency then in charge of Norfolk Island. The couple left for England in a vessel which was never heard of again.8 A booklet privately published in 1921 by Edric Brady, a great-grandson of the first Lee, had this to say: “My experience is. ..that children of long ago did not ask their parents about family history, thereby much has been lost to us, so what I have been told by grandfather, grandmother and Aunt Bloodworth I am passing on to you and your children. The first to come to Australia was James Lee of Warwickshire, England. He was a marine in Captain Campbell’s company, in the ship ‘Lady Penhryn’, one of the vessels of the First Fleet, 1788, and was followed by his wife about a year later. He had previously held a commission in the American army and his medal is in the British Museum. Ida Mariott also tells us there is a letter of his complaints to the Government of the cost of his wife’s passage. He was supposed to know something about flax-growing so was selected to accompany Lieut. P G. King to Norfolk Island where he died in 1795. Shortly before his death he had a grant of land on the Hawkesbury River, having been transferred to the 102nd Regiment as he was not entitled to it as a marine. His son, William, lived on the grant before he was married. James left a widow, one 7 "The Lees of Bathurst", Sunday Times, 18 December 1921, p. 12, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news- article123246109. 8 "The late Mr William Lee", National Advocate, 15 February 1938, p. 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news- article160694828. son, William, and a daughter, Maria (born just after his death). His widow married a man named Panteny shortly after her husband’s death and left for England in a vessel that was never heard of again, consequently little is known of the family’s history.9 All of the above articles have been proven to be based on a very 'loose' type of family research where one simply finds a name and/or events that seems right or desirable, and builds a story around them. In the following decades the account was added to and became family folklore, which some wold say implies a higher colonial status than a convict descent would. One must remember that a family's own stories in the newspaper are not source material by any stretch There is a record of William Smith (Lee), born on Norfolk Island in 1794 and a sister Maria Smith (Lee) though not present in the records, is also thought to have been born on the Island, with Sarah Smith being their mother.
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