Person:William Lee (156)

Per oral history of C. Bruce Lee, “Barnard” Lee was from Madagascar, brought to Niagara on the Lake as a slave, escaped slavery. I strongly suspect that this is NOT true, as the LEGAL importation of slaves from Africa had stopped decades earlier.

1814 Bill Martin’s Pages (my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/niag-bap.htm :2013), “Baptisms at Niagara, 1791-1832,” from EARLY RECORDS OF ST. MARK'S AND ST. ANDREW'S CHURCHES, NIAGARA. NOTE: Niagara is now Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The number on creeks start at Niagara River. 2 Mile Creek - Niagara On The Lake. 4 Mile Creek - Niagara On the Lake to St. Davids 8 Mile Creek - McNab (8 Mile Creek) 10 Mile Creek - Port Weller. (Now Welland Canal) 12 Mile Creek - Port Dalhousie to St. Catharines & beyond. Part of the lst Welland Canal. 15 Mile Creek - Charles Daly Park. 16 Mile Creek - other side of Charles Daly Park. 18 Mile Creek - between 16 Mile & 20 Mile Creeks. 20 Mile Creek is at Jordan Harbour 30 Mile Creek is at Beamsville. 40 Mile Creek is at Grimsby Beach.

at 40-Mile Creek, June 26 - Margaret Thompson (of riper years), of colour. William Lee, of Peter and Mary, of colour. Maria Lee, of Peter and Mary, of colour. James Waters, of James and Clarissa, of colour.

1814 Vital Records of Upper Canada/Canada West, Vol 1: Part 2, Niagara District 1792-1849, baptisms Niagara 1814, St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake: 26 June 1814 William, son of Peter and Mary Lee. of colour. 26 June 1814 Maria, daughter of Peter and Mary Lee. of colour.

• • 8/3/01 Need to verify that this is the same William Lee, but considering the fact that I have not found another black William Lee in Ontario in ANY county, during my research, I strongly suspect this is the correct one.

• • Also baptised at that same church, Mary Van Patten, daughter of John & Ann (assumed white, since no comment appears next to their names), on 9/6/1814.

Land Claim Certificates of Upper Canada Militiamen Who Served in the War of 1812 - 1814 Pgs 1484-1486 Peter Lee, Corps of Colour Pgs 1465-1467 Isaac Lee, Corps of Colour

1834 Slaves were freed in Canada.

1835 From “The History of the County of Brant, Ontario,” by Warner, Beers & Bo., Toronto, 1883, p. 333 (http://brantford.library.on.ca/localhistory/pdfs/warners1883.pdf : 2011) “THE BRITISH M. E. CHURCH (COLOURED) The society of coloured Methodists was organised in 1835 with but a handful of members. Meetings were held whenever and wherever opportunity offered, and the church continued weak until 1865, when the society, having received frequent acquisitions to its membership, decided to erect a church building. Accordingly a lot was purchased on Murray Street, between Dalhousie and Darling, and a frame church built, with a seating capacity of about 300. The society is now in a more promising condition, and numbers about fifty members.”

• • Was Barnard a member of this church? **

1841 Ontario Criminals Database (purchased from ontariogenealogy.com : 2011) Home District [Toronto] Jail Register Transcript, no. 541, William Lee, male, committed 10/26/1841, Court of Assize, perjury, discharged 10/28/1841. ** Our William? **

1843 Ontario Criminals Database (purchased from ontariogenealogy.com : 2011) Home District [Toronto] Jail Register Transcript, no. 141, William Lee, male, 36, black, crime disorderly, committed Jan 31, 1843, by A. B. Gummett and Armstrong, sentenced Jan 31, 1843 in Police Court, sentenced to find 13/9 or seven days hard labour. Discharged Feb 7, 1843, time expired. ** Is this our William? ** The Home District Gaol was in Toronto. Upper Canada and Canada West: Civil and Provincial Secretaries (RG 5 B27)???

1847 The Marriage Registers of Upper Canada/Canada West, Vol. 13: Gore District 1842-1856, compiled by Dan Walker and Fawne Stratford-Devai, (NorSim Research & Publishing) lists: “William Barnett Lee, to Elenor J. Smith, both of Dumfries. 2 Mar 1847, by banns. Rev. Newton Bosworth. Wit. John VanPatter and Eliz. VanPatter.” Not sure if N. or S. Dumfries, but considering the fact that Rev. N. Bosworth is buried in South Dumfries, I suspect Barnard and Eleanor were living in South Dumfries at the time of their marriage.

1847 Voter’s List for the Town of Brantford (compiled in 1984 by Mike Wingrove, pub by Ontario Genealogical Society), lists William B. Lee.

1851 CAN Census (Ontario, Brantford, Queens Ward, ED 2, p 93, ln 4), William B. Lee, 35 (b. Canada West), Barber, religion Baptist. He is NOT listed as Black, nor is anyone else in the family. I suspect that the Census Enumerator was reluctant to denote him as Black because his wife was clearly a white woman. Eleanor Jane, 25 (b. Ireland), religion Church of England; David, 6 (b. Canada West); Mary Annie, 1 (b. Canada West). Census also stated that they lived in a 2 story farm house with a barber shop.

Undated Tax Assessment Roll (Brantford, South Ward), William B. Lee rented his barber shop (south side of Colborne Street) from Widow Wilkins. Living on the premesis, one male over 16, and one female over 16. Widow Wilkins, who lived in the North Ward, is also is listed as owner of another barber shop on the south side of Colborne Street which she rented to Matison Mayson; and also owner of a wagon maker’s shop on the south side of Colborne Street, which she rented to Thomas Heaney.

1851 Tax Assessment Roll (Brantford, Queens Ward), William B. Lee and Millliam Minishine (?), part of 7 N. Colborne St., size = 10ft, value of lot £150, total annual value of taxable real and personal property £15, and they owned 1 dog.

1852 Tax Assessment Roll (Brantford, Queens Ward, ln 3), W.B. Lee listed as Barber, freeholder & householder, “12/2” acres (what does THAT mean?), valued at £200, with an annual value of £12. Annual value of house or building is £25, total annual value of real property £34. His amount of taxable income was £50, total annual value of taxable real and personal property or income was £40. W.B. Lee also owned the property next door, which he rented to a 22 year old painter named James King. The values for this property are the same as stated above. No age is stated for W. B. Lee.

1854 Tax Assessment Roll (Brantford, North Ward, p 4, ln 97), W. B. Lee, Barber, freeholder & householder, 38 years old, lot/house no = “part 39”, 1/10 of an acre, taxable income is 50 (not sure of the currency), and he owned no dogs.

1855 Crown Lands Register Artemesia Twp, 1 Conc S. of Durham Rd, Lot 21, 50 acres, Gabriel Black, 30 Jan 1855. Per 1871 Ontario Census, Gabriel Black was of African descent, b. U.S. (49 years old in 1871, Grey County, Artemesia Twp).

1856 Grey County, Collector’s Roll for the Twp of Artemesia for the year 1856, pg. 21 William B. Lee, freeholder, 1st South concession, lot 23, 50 acres, value £24, taxes £40, remarks,“Paid.”

1856 Grey County, Collector’s Roll for the Twp of Artemesia, pg. 24 William B. Lee, 1st North, lot 21, 50 acres, £25, unpaid tax £92, statute days = 1, labout commutation at per day = 50, total tax £42, remarks = “no property.” No idea what any of this means.

1861 CAN Census, Simcoe Co, Collingwood Town, unable to find William Lee.

1861 “Blacks in Canada, 1861,” (compiled by Barry C. Noonan, Madison, Wisconsin, 2000), J. Van Patter (m), 40, his wife E. Van Patter, 36, and their 3 children (18, 16, 14) were living in Burford, Brant County, pg. 41. J. was black, a farmer, and Wesleyan Methodist. E. was white, same religion, and the children, H. (m), 18, M. (f), 16, and J. (m), 14 were mulatto. I strongly suspect this J and E Van Patter were the same who witnessed Barnard’s marriage in 1847 ... John would have been 26 at that time.

1861 CAN Census (Grey Co, Artemesia Twp, p 7, ln 30), Wm. B. Lee, mulatto, 45 (b. U.C.), religion W. Methodist, occupation farmer, married. Roselia “Wilson”, 26 (b. U States), religion W. Methodist, single. Mary Ann Lee, 10 (b. U.Canada), mulatto; Wm. Lee, 1 (b. U. Canada). They lived in a one-story log house, in which 2 families lived.

• • The only other family nearby listed as also living in a one-story house in which 2 families lived was on line 38, John Smith, 25 (b. Scotland), a farmer, his wife Catherine, 19 (b. Scotland), and their two children, Donald, 5; Mary, 2, both b. U. Canada. Religion for the family was Church of Scotland. An incredible coincidence in that Barnard’s first wife’s name was Eleanor Smith.

1861 CAN Agricultural Census (Grey Co. Artemesia Twp, p. 37, ln 1). Concession 1S, Lot 23, Total acres = 50; 7 acres under crop cultivation, 43 acres under wood or wild. Cash value of farm $300; Cash value of farm implements or machinery $75. 3 acres of spring wheat, 3/4 acres peas (15 bushels), 1-1/2 acres oats (30 bushels), 1/2 acres potatoes, 100 bushels turnips, 4 tons of hay, 6 lbs of flax or hemp, 30 lbs of maple sugar. He had 2 horses over 3 yrs of age, total value $150, 2 pigs, total value $162, he produced 1 barrel of pork (200 lbs), and his garden/orchard produced $5 worth of food.

• • John Smith lived at Concession 2S, lot 19, so it appears that Barnard was NOT sharing his home with the Smiths. However, living in Concession 1S, lot 21 (next door to Barnard) were a Black couple, Alexander Bell, 65 (b. U States), a farmer, and his wife Charlotte Bell, 27 (b. U. Canada). Both were religion W. Methodist, and they lived in a one-story log house where they lived alone.

1863 Grey County Marriage Register, “Return of Marriages by Thomas Jackson a Minister of C. W. Methodist New Conversion for the year ending 31st day of December A. D. 1863,” Groom, William B. Lee 50, residence Artemesia, place of birth Niagara, parents Peter & Mary Lee; Bride, Rocilla Wilson 28, residence Artemesia, place of birth Ithaca, U. S., parents Lorenzo & Margaret Willson, Witness James handy, residence Artemesia. Date of marriage, Dec 23, 1863.

1865-66 Brant Co. Business Directory, no William B. Lee (FHL fiche 6360644)

1865 “Split Rail Country ... A History of Artemesia Township,” Compiled by The Historical Society of Artemesia Township, Mildred Yound Hubbert, Editor; pg. 309, Grey County, Artemesia Township Land Occupants Map shows “William B. Lee” on plot, Conc. 1 South, Lot 23, 50 acres.

1865 Grey County Directory (produced from the Gazetteer of the County Published by W. W. Smith of Owen Sound in 1865) Artemesia Twp, South of Durham Rd Lee, William B., Conc 1, Lot 23 No Douglas(s) listed in index.

1871 CAN Census (Ontario, N. Simcoe Co, Collingwood, p 74, ln 5), William “Bernard” Lee, B, 58 (b. Ont), Episcopal Methodist, origin African/Negro, occupation Barber. Roselia, W, 36 (b. US), Episcopal Methodist, origin Germany; William Bernard, B, 10 (b. Ont), origin African/Negro.

1872/1873 Simcoe County Directory, Collingwood, William B. Lee does not appear.

1881 CAN Census (Ontario, N. Simcoe Co, Collingwood Town, ED 139, Sub-Dist C, Div 2, p 26, household 127, ln 25), William B., B, 68 (b. Ont), Methodist Episcopal, origin African, unable to read occupation. Ruslila, 46 (b. US), religion = BME, unable to read origin. William, 20 (b. Ont), religion BME, origin African. No occupation listed. There were several other Black families on this same page.

1883 The Will of William B. Lee, Probate no. 3367, Liber J, Folio 725, probated on 5/1/1895 (FHC film 0814951), states that “William Barnard Lee late of the town of Collingwood in the County of Simcoe and Province of Ontario, Laborer deceased who died on or about the nineteenth of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety four at Barrie in the County of Simcoe and who at the time of his death had a fixed place of abode at Collingwood in the said County of Simcoe ...” “This is the last Will and Testament of one William Barnard Lee... I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal property whatsoever and wheresoever to Roselia Adams now living with me as my wife for and during the term of her natural life and after her death then to my daughter Mary Ann (now wife of Albert Douglas of the Township of Peel or the Township of Wellesley Yeoman), and my reputed son William Lee son of the said Roselia Adams in equal portions share and share alike to hold to them their heirs and assigns forever. And I hereby appoint the said Roselia Adams sole executrix of this my will....” Dated 6/1/1883.

1884/1886 Simcoe County Directory, Collingwood, p. 64, Lee, Wm. B., teamster, Seventh [street].

1890 Collingwood Tax Assessment Roll, Ward 5, Lee, William B, occupation looks like “Carta”??, Freeholder, Eighth St, lots 33, 34, and 35. Lee, William B. Jr., labourer, Tenant, Seventh St., lots 33 and 34. Total value of all lots $400.

1891 CAN Census (Ontario, N. Simcoe Co, Collingwood Town, ED 117, p 95, ln 13), William B., 78 (b. Ont), Methodist, Barber, father b. Ont, mother (b. NB). Rocelia, 56 (b. NY), religion = Sal Army, both parents born NY. William B., 30 (b. Ont), single, occupation Saw Mill Hand. All in household could read and write.

Ontario Death Index 1869-1920 lists William Lee, Simcoe Co, 8/7/1899, Reg #017891. After examination of this record, this is the WRONG one. Unable to find his death record - 12/6/00

1901 CAN Census (Ontario, N. Simcoe C., Collingwood) unable to find William or Rocelia Lee.

Per email from Noel Elliot (noel@grl.com), William Bernard Lee died on July 19, 1894, will probated 5/1/1895.

In The Old United Empire Loyalists List (Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore 1969), there appears one William Lee, “A Black, volunteer with Capt. Bird, 8th Regiment.” Could this Black Loyalist be the father of William Barnard Lee?

12/27/00 Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid 5 (OCFA) search reveals William Lee buried in St. Paul’s Anglican cemetery, Coulson’s Hill, Simcoe Co, Gwillimbury West, Reference no. “LDS971.317V3c”. LDS fiche no. 6039023. www.islandnet.com/cgi-bin/wsearch ... Cemetery lookup request to Gloria Cherry (tamroth@home.com) of 1/4/2001 reveals the following: “William Lee, died Oct 14, 1880, aged 25 yrs, Native of County Derry, Ireland.”

• • THIS IS THE WRONG WILLIAM LEE.

6/6/01 Research trip to Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum, Collingwood, ON, the surname “LEE” is inscrubed on a huge boulder inside the park. Conversation with Howard Sheffield, descendant of the original Sheffields of Collingwood, Howard stated that his grandparents used to speak about “Old Man Lee,” a barber in Collingwood.

6/8/01 Trip to Brantford, Ontario revealed that downtown Brantford is nearly a ghost town. Colborne Street and many of the surrounding streets are filled with vacant boarded up stores and buildings. Several years ago, the North end of the street was torn down to make way for a new overcrossing and 7 Colborne Street no longer exists. The Brantford register of historic buildings does not include 7 Colborne.